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Infrastructural Developments in India since Economic Reform

By Himanshu Tyagi -
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Infrastructural development was never a prime concern after the 1991 economic reform. The prime agenda of reform was centred to manage the economic crisis and the need for domestic and external stabilization. The prime focus was on reduction of fiscal deficit to restore macro-economic stability and introduce a complete package of efficiency-oriented reforms that aimed at deregulating the domestic economy.

India’s infrastructure services are slowly but steadily moving away from the realm of government control to that of the private sector. As till 1991, the public sector was dominating the private sector who merely played a supplementary role in the economy. Since these years India has enormously grown in industrial and infrastructural sectors with the contribution of both public and private sectors.

After 1991 policy FDI (Foreign Direct Investors) enter directly and indirectly into the industries, with the help of them India got money and equipment to build and to become one of the highest spenders in industries and infrastructure. Across the sectors from telecommunications and roads to power and ports, state-owned agencies are giving way to private sector entities to operate in a competitive environment and subject to economic regulation where it finds necessary.

Government at both the levels i.e. centre and state are actively participating in managing this transition from public to private, framing out of policies and establishment of institutions like Central road fund and independent regulatory authorities in power and telecommunication sectors. Let us discuss the mechanism of infrastructural development first.

Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Model

PPP is needed in various road infrastructure project due to various difficulties that occurred in the project financing of the various conventional project. PPP is needed to transfer the workload of the government sector to the private sector. Also, the quality of work is maintained by the authority of the government sector. By introducing PPP the private technology and innovation in providing a better quality of work are also assured. To complete the project on time and within the budget, PPP is required. PPP is useful to provide funds for the project where government shorts. With the help of this PPP model, we can achieve the sustainable development of road infrastructure projects.

Advantages

  • Ensure the necessary investments into public sector and more effective public resources management
  • Ensure higher quality and timely provision of public services
  • Mostly investment projects are implemented in due terms and do not impose unforeseen public sectors extra expenditures
  • A private entity is granted the opportunity to obtain a long-term remuneration
  • Private sector expertise and experience are utilized in PPP projects implementation
  • Appropriate PPP project risks allocation enables to reduce the risk management expenditures

Disadvantages

  • Infrastructure or services delivered could be more expensive
  • PPP project public sector payments obligations postponed for the later periods can negatively reflect future public sector fiscal indicators
  • PPP service procurement procedure is longer and more costly in comparison with traditional public procurement
  • PPP project agreements are long-term, complicated and comparatively inflexible because of impossibility to envisage and evaluate all particular events that could influence the future activity

Infrastructural Developments in various sectors

Telecom Sector

  • The government initiated partial reforms in 1985 when the Department of Posts and Telegraphs was divided into separate entities, the Department of Posts and the Department of Telecommunications.
  • In 1986, the government came up with basic telephone services in two metropolitan cities of Delhi and Mumbai into a new public sector entity, the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited.
  • Government ushered in the National Telecom Policy of 1994, which allowed private participation in both basic and cellular services.
  • In 1997 the government enacted legislation to establish the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Overseas communication services were transferred to Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited.
  • The process of liberalization received a further fillip in 1999 with the adoption of the New Telecom Policy of 1999, which permitted the entry of multiple players into all segments, including fixed-line, cellular, and long-distance telecommunications.
  • The policy-making and service providing functions of the Department of Telecommunications were separated.
  • The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act was amended in 2000, to bring clarity to the authority’s functions and powers, and a separate Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal was established to adjudicate disputes.
  • The spectacular progress of India’s telecommunications sector has been largely due to the entry of private players.
  • Private participation has resulted in greater competition, better service, increased penetration, and lower prices.

Power Sector

  • Power sector got liberalized in 1992 but private participation has remained far below expectations.
  • The responsibility for the power sector is currently shared between the central government and the states.
  • At the central level, policy and planning are under the purview of the Ministry of Power and its arm, the Central Electricity Authority which was established in 1998 and deals with regulation pertains to the tariffs of generating companies owned or controlled by the central government and those who sell electricity in more than one state, interstate transmission of energy including tariff of transmission utilities, and oversight of India’s Electricity Grid Code.
  • At the state level, there are State Electricity Regulatory Commissions, whose functions include determining the tariff for generation, supply, transmission and wheeling of electricity within the state, issuing transmission, distribution and trading licenses, and facilitating intrastate transmission of electricity.
  • One of the main factors that delayed private participation in the generation is the deteriorating financial condition of State Electricity Board which was attributed to non-remunerative tariff structures, poor operational and collection practices and bad network.
  • In the way of reform, the central government has undertaken a few initiatives.
  • The government came up with some schemes like Saubhagya yojana to provide free electricity to each and every household in the country. UDAY scheme focusing on the taking out distribution companies from huge debt and many more.
  • India’s initiative in International Solar Alliance is a big success where countries located between Tropic of Cancer to Tropic of Capricorn would focus on electricity generation through solar energy which aims to provide renewable energy and meet the demand in the country and excess can be transferred to the needy country.

Ports

  • India has over 3,728 miles (6,000 km) of natural coastline and is strategically well-positioned on global trade routes.
  • India has 13 major ports and over 185 minor ports which together handle the bulk of India’s foreign trade.
  • The thirteen major ports handled over 280 million metric tons of cargo in 2001–2002, mostly petroleum, iron ore, and coal; they operate under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Shipping.
  • Economic prosperity near sea routes has been a regular feature of human growth. Trade and commerce have boomed with transportation and delivery of goods in a timely, cost-effective and convenient manner. 90% of India’s trade (by volume) depends on water transport.
  • Indian ports are dynamic nodes in the supply chain involving complex international production and distribution network.
  • Recently, the Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of State for Shipping on March 12, 2020.
  • The Bill seeks to provide for regulation, operation and planning of major ports in India and provide greater autonomy to these ports.  It seeks to replace the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963.
  • Sagarmala Project: The concept of Sagarmala was approved by the Union Cabinet on 25th March 2015. As part of the programme, a National Perspective Plan (NPP) for the comprehensive development of India’s 7,500 km coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and maritime sector.
  • The Sagarmala is a series of projects to leverage the country’s coastline and inland waterways to drive industrial development.
  • Sagarmala is integrated with the development of inland waterways and expected to reduce cost and time for transporting goods, benefiting industries and export/import trade.
  • Many ports in India are evolving into specialized centres of economic activities and services and are vital to sustaining the future economic growth of the country such as JNPT, Mundra Port, Sikka Port, Hazira Port etc.
  • Last-mile connectivity to the ports is one of the major constraints in smooth movement of cargo to and from the hinterland.
  • Sagarmala could boost India’s merchandise exports to $110 billion by 2025 and create an estimated 10 million new jobs

Roads

  • Road transport is vital to the economic development and social integration of the country. Easy accessibility, the flexibility of operations, door-to-door service and reliability have earned road transport an increasingly higher share of both passenger and freight traffic vis-à-vis other transport modes.
  • India has one of the largest road networks in the world, consisting of national highways, state highways, major district roads and rural roads that include other district roads and village roads. The national highways with a length of 76,818 km comprise only 2.0 per cent of the road network but carry 40 per cent of the road-based traffic.
  • State highways and district roads constitute the secondary system of road transportation which contributes to the development of the rural economy and industrial growth of the country. In 1995 the National Highways Authority of India was given the mandate to develop, maintain and manage national highways entrusted to it.
  • Due to fund shortage and timely implementation, road projects are operated through various models with private participation.

Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT): In this, a private entity has authority for the financing, construction and – operating a facility for a given period of time and the client remains a major service consumer.

  • After the concession period is over the facility is transferred to the client, who usually is the government. The risk of failure of the project is shared by the private entity and client during the concession period.
  • BUILT: Private entity defines the objective and goal of the project. Private entity set up the facility for Designing and Planning of the project along with financing budget is made before staring of the project.
  • OPERATION: Project execution and monitoring are done in a progressive cycle according to the plan made before starting of the project. Project trial is done before users are allowed to use it. TRANSFER: At the end of the concession period private entity transfers the ownership of the facility to the client.

BOT (Toll): Private entity is required to raise fund for Constructional, Operational cost and expenditure on annual and periodic maintenance. A Grant is also issued in order to bridge the gap between the investment required and the gains arising out of it and increase the viability of the project.

BOT (Annuity): Private entity raises funds for construction, operational cost and expenditure on annual maintenance. On each annuity payment date as per the annuity payment schedule, the granting authorities’ pays the concessionaire annuity. Private entity recovers the entire investment and predetermined cost of return out of annuities.

Hybrid Annuity Model: The model is a mix of EPC and BOT formats, with the government and the private enterprise sharing the total project cost in the ratio of 40:60. Under this new model, the government provides 40% of the project cost during the construction period and the release of funds is linked to the progress of construction. The private player needs to raise the rest of 60% in the form of equity and loan.

Various Government Projects

NATIONAL HIGHWAYS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS (NHDP): The seven phased NHDP is being implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Key projects under this are:

Development of National Highways to 4/6 lane standards on the following routes:

  • Golden Quadrilateral connecting 4 major metropolitan cities viz. Delhi-Mumbai- Chennai-Kolkata. North-South & East-West Corridors (NS-EW) connecting Srinagar to Kanyakumari and Silchar to Porbandar with a spur from Salem to Cochin.
  • Road connectivity of major ports of the country to National Highways
  • Development of 1,000 km of fully access-controlled expressways under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model following the Design – Build – Finance – Operate (DBFO) approach.
  • Construction of standalone Ring Roads, Bypasses, Grade Separators, Flyovers, elevated roads, tunnels, the road over bridges, underpasses, service roads, etc. on BOT (Toll)
  • Bharatmala: The programme envisages new initiatives like development of Border and International connectivity roads, Coastal & port connectivity roads and improvements in National Corridors Efficiency Economic corridors.
  • The “mega-plan” which is the second-highest highway project after NHDP will provide a further boost to the ongoing road/highway development projects and will witness the construction of 20,000 km of highways in its first phase
  • Logistics Efficiency Enhancement Programme (LEEP): this programme rests around 4 pillars:
  • Freight aggregation and distribution
  • Multimodal freight movement
  • Storage and warehousing
  • Value-added services such as customs clearances.

Airport

  • Airports play a critical role in promoting trade, tourism, and the economic development of a country.
  • The Airports Authority of India was constituted in 1995 to bring about integrated development and the expansion and modernization of operational, terminal, and cargo facilities at India’s airports.
  • The authority is responsible for providing air traffic services over the Indian airspace and adjoining oceanic areas.
  • The government took the initiative to utilize such airports which remained underutilized and used it for regional connectivity under UDAN (Ude Desh Ke Aam Nagrik)scheme. This scheme worked on two fronts – first, it provided an opportunity to those to air travel at minimal cost who never ever thought about due to its cost and second, it would generate revenue to the government from those airports which remained closed till now.

Railways

  • The Indian Railways (IR) is over 150 years old and it is among the world’s largest rail networks.
  • India’s railway network is recognised as one of the largest railway systems in the world under single management.
  • The railways carry over one million metric tons of freight and transport over 10 million passengers a day (of which over 5 million are in Mumbai’s suburban network).
  • The Government of India has focused on investing in railway infrastructure by making investor-friendly policies.
  • It has moved quickly to enable Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in railways to improve infrastructure for freight and high-speed trains.
  • As per Union Budget 2020-21, Ministry of Railways has been allocated Rs 72,216 crore (US$ 10.33 billion).
  • Dedicated Freight Corridor Corp. of India Ltd (DFCCIL), is already building the first two freight corridors—Eastern Freight Corridor from Ludhiana to Dankuni (1,856km) and Western Freight Corridor from Dadri to Jawaharlal Nehru Port (1,504km).
  • The Government of India is going to come up with a ‘National Rail Plan’ which will enable the country to integrate its rail network with other modes of transport and develop a multi-modal transportation network.
  • The Government of India has signed an agreement with the Government of Japan under which Japan will help India in the implementation of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor along with financial assistance that would cover 81 per cent of the total project cost.

Farmers Bill 2020 | Farm Bill Protest 2020 | Law Entrance

By Shreeyam Jain -
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It’s been more than a week now since the farmers from the state of Punjab and Haryana have been agitating at the border between Delhi and Haryana. From badhs to blocked roads and mass rallies, farmers are doing everything to protest the three bills on the agricultural reforms passed by the Parliament. It is also important to note that while their protest is centered on these three bills, they are also against the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020. To understand the reason behind this agitation, we need to first understand the amendments and the bills first.

What is the need for amendment?

The three bills aim to change the way agricultural produce is marketed, sold, and stored across the country. The question is why were these amendments needed? To answer this, we need to look at a brief history of the agricultural laws in the country.

India, being primarily an agrarian economy, was riddled with the problems of the zamindari system at the time of Independence. That meant, the farmers were always perpetually in debt of these zamindars or money lenders because of their requirement of necessary commodities like seeds, fertilizers, and other things required for growing crops. The products were sold directly to the consumers. This entire process was very exploitative and end the plight of the farmers, the government introduced the APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) in the year 1960. These APMCs set up Mandis and markets (around 7000) across India where farmer’s produce was sold.

Now, here in these mandis set up by the APMC, the harvested crops were brought and sold through auctioning to the middlemen (Arhatiyas) and not to the Government. These middlemen are licensed by the government and shops, storage facilities are provided to them in APMC markets. This entire system of APMC formulated a successful ecosystem that included accountants, laborers etc., and the taxes were charged by the state government. So basically, the government was indirectly aware of the prices of each of these produce.

The produce that was not purchased by these middlemen, were then sold off to the government at a price which is called Minimum Support Price or MSP. This MSP remains constant throughout the country and it also helped in setting a benchmark price for the middlemen as well.

The question now is if there was a full-proof system in place, then what was the need for amendment. While this current protest by the farmers has been thoroughly highlighted by the media, over the past years there have been multiple such protests which were never brought to anyone’s attention. If you missed out on the past protest, consider the number of farmer suicides that have happened in the past many years. The National Crime Bureau in its report in the year 2018 reported that around 10,350 farmer suicides were “reported”. This certainly doesn’t paint a good picture. The issue was, this APMC system which was developed in 1960 keeping in mind that era, led to the exploitation of the farmers. The middlemen used their position as the buyers to exploit the farmers. Consider this situation, we buy onions at the price of Rs. 60-80 per kg but the MSP for the same is around Rs. 8-10 per kg. The difference amount remained with the middlemen.

Therefore, to remove these issues, the amendments were introduced. The bill seeks to reform the entire way in which these produce will be sold and stored in the market.

What are the bills?

The three bills in question, The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 were initially introduced as ordinances in June. These bills were then passed by voice vote in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha during the delayed monsoon session this month, despite vociferous Opposition protest.

The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 allows barrier-free intra and interstate trade of farm produce. The farmers will now have the option to eliminate the middlemen and can sell directly to the International buyers at a price which will be agreed between them. The act provides the freedom of interstate and intrastate trade. The trader will have to pay on the same day as the delivery of the produce. Any person with a pan card, whether through e-commerce or physical trade can enter into direct trade with the farmers.

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Bill, 2020 will allow the farmers to enter into an agreement with firms, exporters, or large-scale buyers to produce the crops for an agreed price. The act allows for a “Farming Agreement” under Section 3 which will provide information related to the time of supply, quality, grade, quality farming practices etc. The agreement may also be linked with insurance services or central and state government’s credit schemes.

The act elaborately provides for dispute resolution, force majure, payment default, and the best value for farmers.

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 allows economic agents to stock food articles freely without the fear of being prosecuted for hoarding. That is, allowing unlimited stocking. How? Under the Essential Commodities Act, any item coming under the purview of the act cannot be hoarded by companies, supermarkets, etc. The rationale behind this act was that certain essential commodities like food, drugs need to be in constant supply and at an appropriate price. The new bill seeks to remove food items like Potato, Cereals, Pulses, edible oilseeds and oils, from the list of essential commodities which means unless there is dire circumstances like a war or famine or an extraordinary price rise these commodities will not be considered under the essential commodities list. Further, the government cannot impose a stock limit i.e. it cannot stop a supermarket chain or a retailer from hoarding unless there is a 100% (percent) increase in the price of perishable goods or 50% (percent) increase in price of non-perishable goods. All items removed from the essential commodities act are Rice, Wheat, Potatoes, Onions, and Oil.

What are the benefits of these Amendments?

The amendments grant huge freedom to the farmers to eliminate the middlemen. The middlemen, by forming cartels, would rule the price market thereby affecting the farmer’s interests. By allowing the farmers to directly trade with the retailers, exploitation could be avoided. The amendment also gives the farmers the right to gain more profit in accordance with fluctuating marketing conditions and thereby allowing them the chance to earn more profits. The amendment furtheron does not permit agreements with farmlands as a mortgage, lease or sale or any modifications to the land. The amendments also restrict the mandis or the APMC markets to collect taxes from the farmers.

Why is the freedom being protested by the Farmers?

Now, the major question, if the amendments are allowing farmers to trade directly and avoid exploitation, then why is it being protested by the farmers? The answer is – drafting the legislation and then implementing it. While the law per se looks good, it has some major implementation loopholes. The amendments are made for the entire country and this is being done without any discussion with the state government (who are going to be hugely affected) or with the experts in the field.

The amendments would result in the end of “mandis” or APMC as the farmers would directly deal with the private markets and no taxes will be levied on such private markets. All companies and traders will now buy produce directly from the farmers resulting in the end of APMC. This could result in major revenue losses for the state governments with zero assurance from the union government for making up such losses. Eg. The Punjab government charges 6% mandi tax and thereby earns annual revenue of Rs. 3500 crore. The federal system of the government is going to be hugely affected by this. Agriculture falls under the state list and the Central government should not be making legislation on this subject at all.

A substantial loss in employment and source of income for the middlemen too cannot be ignored. Also, more than 80% of the farmers in the country are from the marginalized section which means their position to negotiate is low in from of the corporate houses. The exploitation because of which the act was brought into the picture, could multiply manifold.

Not to ignore, the end of APMC would mean the end of MSP. And, it is for this reason the farmers are raising the slogan “Mandi Bachao”.

Another question that can be raised here, were farmers not allowed to sell directly to the retailers till now? The answer is no. The farmers already had the option to sell directly. A producer of any goods has the option to sell his produce anywhere he wants. But the same does not happen because our farmers do not have the medium and money to transport goods from one place to another because the government itself says more than 80% of farmers are marginalized. Such marginalized farmers could never stand the negotiating power of the big corporate houses.

Why the term Privatisation?

Another term that is being thrown around in these protests is “Privatisation”. Contract farming is looked upon as privatization of farming, two major concerns here are that farmers will never be able to negotiate with the corporate sector. The act does not prescribe or specify that the contract price of the crop should be at least equivalent or above the MSP. It means the contractor/companies can pay whatever price they want to the farmer.

Being big private companies, exporters, wholesalers, and processors, they will always have an edge in disputes. A written contract is not mandatory which means farmers will never be able to prove a violation of terms of the contract. Farmers have a valid point because they have seen privatization in markets of seeds and fertilizers where the government believed prices will go down because of competition but the results are opposite, and farmers fear the same in this case also.

Limits of hoarding have been removed because the situation of ‘Extraordinary price rise’ is way too high to reach which simply means big private players can any time cause artificial price fluctuation. Not only farmers will be affected by it, but consumers will also be affected because the main goal or focus of a private company will be to raise its profits.

What the Centre doing?

While one eye is on the protests, another is on what the Central Government is doing to satisfy the grievances of the farmers. The answer again is nothing. The Central ministers and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have tried reassuring the farmers that the government has no plans to end the government procurement system nor the MSP policy. But fear, misconceptions persist and the two sparring parties have not had meaningful negotiations.

So, what to do?

Every legislation has its own loopholes. But that is the job of the government to cover them up. Besides, in an agrarian economy, the plight and voice of the farmers cannot and should not be ignored. And just because economies like that of US and UK are doing so, cannot be a valid argument. From what can be seen, the government, as in the case of a previous protest that shook the country at the beginning of this year, is standing firm on its ground and has already stated that it will not change anything. For the government, it is their own “Masterstroke”. Only time will tell, the result of this bill.

Schemes to Uplift Women

By Himanshu Tyagi -
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Since the ancient time we have read about the plights which women had to go through. From discrimination in the family to education, from early marriage to sati practice, and the list is endless. In modern time as well, we saw that women were unaware of their rights as a human being and faced lots of atrocities. There we saw many leaders from Raja Rammohan Roy to Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, they came in the forefront to talk about women cause and got success as well.

That was the time of 19th Century India when women were not only unaware of their rights but they accepted those atrocities in the name of culture and tradition. However, with the efforts of leaders women itself realized and accepted the change and that made them keen to realize their rights whether the right to live with dignity, right to get an education, right get married at a certain marriageable age, and many more.

Despite many developments in India, women are that section of India that remained vulnerable. They had suffered various injustices which in many cases starts right from the time a girl child is born. We have seen India as a land where child marriage was flourishing, women infanticides were prevalent, lower literacy rate of women, less female labour participation rate, etc. In order to ensure that women could be empowered and given equal opportunities, Government of India has started various schemes. These schemes are a measure of women empowerment. Have a look at these schemes:

Measures for their Social Upliftment

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

  • Declining child sex ratio (CSR), defined as the number of girls per 1000 of boys between 0-6 years of age, from 945 in 1991 to 927 in 2001and further 918 in 2011 was an alarming situation.
  • This decline in CSR is a major indicator of women disempowerment and reflects pre-birth discrimination due to gender-biased selection and post-birth discrimination against girls.
  • For survival, protection and empowerment of girl child were needed so the government announced this scheme in 2015.
  • The objective of this initiative is the prevention of gender-biased sex selection elimination, to ensure survival and protection of the girl child and ensuring education and participating of the girl child. With this effort, an increase in child sex ration has seen from 918 in 2014-15 to 931 in 2018-19.

One-Stop Centre Scheme

  • This initiative was taken against gender-based violence including rape, dowry, honour killings, acid attacks, witch hunting, sexual harassments, child sexual abuse, trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation, child marriage, sex-selective abortion, sati, etc.
  • This scheme was set up by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD)
  • Centres have been established across the country to provide integrated support and assistance under one took to women affected by violence, both in private and public spaces in a phased manner.
  • Till March 2020, 728 OSCs have been approved in 724 districts across the country. Out of these 680 OSCs are functional.

Ujjawala

  • Trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation is an organized crime that violates basic human rights.
  • Poverty, low status of women, lack of a protective environment, etc. are some of the causes of trafficking.
  • MWCD has formulated this central scheme for “Prevention of trafficking for Rescue, Rehabilitation and Re-Integration of Victims of Trafficking for Commercial Sexual Exploitation”.
  • This scheme has five components – prevention, rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration and repatriation (cross-border) of victims of trafficking.

Nirbhaya Fund

  • women and girl in their growing age become vulnerable due to violence and abuse which frequently they face on streets, in public transportation and in other public space. These restrict their right to mobility, discourage their freedom to walk freely and move in public spaces of their choice.
  • Followed by the Nirbhaya incident of December 2012 GOI set up a dedicated fund which can be useful for the projects to improve the safety and security of women.
  • It is administered by Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.
  • The ministry for Women and Child Development is the nodal ministry to recommend proposals and schemes to be funded under Nirbhaya fund.
  • MWCD has the responsibility to review and monitor the progress of sanctioned schemes in conjunction with the line ministries and departments.
  • Such projects are funded through this namely, One-Stop Centers, Universalization of Women Helpline and Mahila Police Volunteers among others.

Measures for Their Economic Upliftment

Mahila E-Haat

  • Ministry of Women and Child Development launched “Mahila E-Haat” a bilingual portal on 7th March 2016.
  • This is a unique direct online marketing platform leveraging technology for supporting women entrepreneurs / SHGs/NGOs for showcasing products/services which are made/manufactured/undertaken by them.
  • This portal facilitates direct contact between the vendors and buyers as by displaying their contact number, address as also the basic cost of products/services.
  • Women entrepreneurs /SHGs/NGOs from 24 states are showcasing over 2000 products/services across 18 categories, such as apparel (men, women and children), bags, fashion accessories or jewellery, decorative and gift items, home décor, carpets or rugs or foot mats, basket, linen or cushion covers, boxes, pottery, grocery and staples or organic, natural products, file folders, industrial products, educational aids, soft toys and many more items.
  • Sensitization, advocacy, training, packing and soft intervention workshop on Mahila E0haat are organized periodically with the support of state governments and women developments corporations in New Delhi, Indore, Chandigarh, Kochi, Bangalore, Nagaland, Chhatisgarh, Mumbai, Raipur, Hyderabad, Varanasi, etc.
  • This is an exclusive portal which provides a special, focused marketing platform for women. Being a bilingual portal, it aims at financial inclusion and economic empowerment of women.

National Creche Scheme

    • A centrally sponsored scheme is being implemented in 2017 to provide daycare facilities to children (between 6 months to 6 years) of working mothers.

It provides:

    • Dare care facilities including sleeping facilities
    • Early stimulation for children below 3 years and pre-school education for 3-6 years old children
    • Supplementary nutrition
    • Growth monitoring
    • Health checkup and immunization

Guidelines

  • Crèche shall be open for 26 days in a month and for seven and half hours per day
  • Number of children in the crèche shall not be more than 25 per crèche with one worker and one helper respectively

Till now, 6453 creches are functional across the country under the National Creche scheme. To conclude, GOI has taken various measures to improve women health and improvisation in their labour force participation. To fulfil the dream of becoming a superpower cannot be achieved till 50 per cent of the population consisting of women is empowered. The government should also take measure to increase their participation in the political front as well. Also, there should be periodical inspection over the implementation of such schemes as we as a country only grow when every section of society especially women would grow.

All about Writs

By Shreeyam Jain -
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The Supreme Court and the High Court other than having appellate jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases have another peculiar jurisdiction of issuing the writ. These writs are primarily issued, to enforce their constitutional rights. The Supreme Court however has narrower jurisdiction compared to the High Court when it comes to the issuance of the writ. High Court has the power to issue writ even in case of breach of any legal right, whereas the Supreme Court can issue writ only in case of breach of fundamental rights.

There are five types of writs:

  1. Habeas Corpus: means to bring the body

This writ is invoked to secure rights of liberty as envisaged under the Constitution of India.

This is the only writ that can be issued against the state as well as a private person. Such a writ may also be issued in cases:

  • When the person is detained and not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours
  • When the detention is done to cause harm or damage with mala fide intent.

  1. Certiorari: means to quash.

The writ of certiorari can be issued by the Supreme Court and the High Court for quashing the order passed by an inferior court, tribunal, or quasi-judicial authority.

    • Such a court, tribunal, or quasi-judicial authority has passed an order without having jurisdiction or in excess of jurisdiction entrusted under law.
    • When the order has been passed in violation of the principles of natural justice.

 

  1. Mandamus: means to command.

The writ of mandamus issued for commanding the lower court tribunal or quasi-judicial authority to perform their duties which they have refused to perform. Generally, the writ of mandamus is issued if the following condition is fulfilled

    • There subsisted a legal right
    • There is an infringement of the legal right of the petitioner
    • There is infringement as the right is due to nonperformance of duty by the public authority
    • The petitioner has demanded the performance of legal duty which has been refused.

4. Prohibition means to prohibit any proceeding

This writ is generally issued when higher court to an inferior court or quasi-judicial body prohibiting them to continue any proceeding in the lower court. The writ is generally issued when the subordinate court or tribunal hears the matter beyond their jurisdiction or matter on which they have no jurisdiction. However, apart from jurisdictional error, this writ may also be filed when an order is in violation of the principle of natural justice or the proceeding is ultra vires under the statutes.

 5. Quo Warranto means by what authority.

This writ of quo-warranto to be issued where the higher court may ask the holder of the office that by what authority he is holding the office it relates to public office. Writ of quo warranto is used to oust a person from usurping a public office

 

 

CLAT 2020: The Saga Continues?

By Shreeyam Jain -
0
 

In 2018, just as the CLAT started at 3 PM, there was commotion all around at many centres across the country when students struggled with different issues mostly technical, including non-visibility of questions, or questions appearing in encrypted format. While the issues were endless, the incident led to CLAT forming a consortium (a permanent body) and the paper being moved to pen-paper format in 2019. However, given the current situation we are in, after must delays, CLAT 2020 was finally conducted in online format and voila, we are back again with technology playing havoc with the students. Technology, which is meant to make life easier, may have played the spoilsport in CLAT 2020.

CLAT 2020 was held on 28 September 2020 and the provisional keys were released the very same day to the general public to raise objections, if any. A standard procedure in most exams, this has a history with CLAT. While it was expected that with an expert committee in place and having learnt its lesson by now, CLAT paper should be error free. However, we have come across more than 20 errors in the key. On top of that, the provisional scores released to the candidates have given them the shock of their life. Many students have reported a difference of scores as big as 30+, from their expectations (what they marked in the paper and expected the scores to be).

While people may have attributed this to the interface, logic or instructions given, it is important to look at other aspects. CLAT 2020 gave specific timings to students to report to the exam centres and entry made accordingly. Those allotted the 1:45 pm slot may hardly have got time to settle and read all the instructions. Many students also reported that invigilators simply asked them to keep clicking next without even allowing them to read the instructions carefully.

While a committee has been formed, which will submit its review by 03 October, we sincerely hope that students’ grievances are taken into consideration with all seriousness and not like 2018. CLAT 2020 has already been into controversy, with changes in instructions in the sample papers, its core member NLSIU moving ahead to conduct its own exam (which was subsequently quashed by SC), giving students sleepless nights. It’s time CLAT looks at the way exam must be conducted and learnt its lesson, if not from others, AILET at least.

Sometimes being different and adventurism may have its own path to curve and not a happy situation every time. While CLAT 2020 may have fared better in terms of issues as compared to previous years, it’s important they investigate the complaints seriously while not forgetting the fact that careers of our young leaders are at stake. One should look at this as an opportunity to restore faith in the legal education system as well, follow what you preach.

Study Law in One of the Top University of North India

By CL -
0
 

RNB Global University School of Law envisions upholding core constitutional values of the country. RNBGU School of law is consistently working on goals to excel in the parameters of delivering socially relevant legal education, meeting the highest academic and professional standards on all fronts.

Set in the hinter heartlands of the royal city of Bikaner, RNB Global University stands as a shining edifice of quality education:

Innovative Pedagogy

RNB Global University School of Law creates an academic ambience that embraces present-day scenario; make room for exploring opportunities, accepting competitive challenges while generating Industrial awareness among learners. Such innovative pedagogy includes:

Cooperative learning exercises

Projects and Internship

Global exposure through E-learning

Presentation and role plays

The highlight of the school of law is its focus on innovative ways to motivate students to enjoy the subject. The Course Curriculum is designed to build the foundation of the students and to enhance their knowledge in other relating disciplines of study simultaneously. Internships are also arranged with top Law firms, Advocates and Legal organizations.

 

Diversified Global Teaching Arena

The University carries the earnest desire to provide distinctive and qualitative approach in delivering superior education to the students through well-qualified faculty. Providing extensive exposure to students through:

Regular Guest Lectures & Seminars from Judges  & Advocates.

Regular Moot Courts to Impart Practical Training or Mooting. Negotiation & Commercial Awareness Workshops.

Legal Aid Camps where students give legal advice to people in need under the supervision of Expert Faculty Members.

Discussions on Ongoing Important Law Cases in Country.

In-house Dispute Resolution Training.

Court Visits & Legal Seminars.

RNBGU  has brought in expert faculties to groom and train the students by adopting modern pedagogical techniques. The key emphasis of new teaching aids is to impart world-class learning and pragmatic approach that can help them in building bright careers in the Industry. We grant our law undergraduates a grand platform to experiment and explore the areas in order to launch themselves as knowledgeable law practitioners ahead. Our objective is to provide them sufficient knowledge of the legal acts/ regulations, resources to navigate recent contributions, podium to interact with scholars, economists & reputed advocates and professors to manoeuvre their raw direction.

Most Happening Student Zone in Rajasthan

Placed at the heart of campus, the RNB Global University’s Student Zone is the hub of our student life. We understand better than anyone that student life isn’t just about studying. It’s about supporting change; helping students make friends, gain vital skills for life, enjoy new experiences and discovering more about yourself.

RNBGU’s Student Zone provides a range of activities like:

Air Hockey

Cafe

Dance Studio

Foosball Tables

Gymnasium

LAN Games

Pool & Billiard Tables

Theme Based Musical & Dance Events @ Dance Studio every Wednesday.

RNBGU@LateNite Social Events – Student-generated, weekly social activities for all students staying in the campus

World-Class Infrastructure & Hi-Tech Campus

Optimizing learning experience through a perfect ambience that corresponds with qualitative academia initiates an ability in the students to perform better. At RNB Global University, we render the following pursuits of systematic learning through:

Amphitheatre style Lecture Halls with Audio-Visual aids

Well stocked Library

E-Learning Studio

Versatile Sports Facilities

Awards

Best University in Rural India 2018 by ASSOCHAM

Best Education Brands 2017 by The Economic Times

There’s an intensity of spirit that lights up every aspect of life at RNB Global University. So Don’t Just Get an Education. Get a Future at RNBGU.

6 Innovative Features of NIIT University’s 4-Year Integrated MBA Programme After Class 12th

By CL -
0

The 4-Year Integrated MBA programme is an innovatively designed degree programme meant for young students with managerial and leadership aspirations. The programme offers comprehensive management education combined with in-depth specialisation in a specific domain.

  1. Research opportunities for Students

At NU, research is not restricted to postgraduate or doctoral programme but starts during the undergraduate programme and from the beginning of the Integrated Master’s Programmes itself. Students are expected to do research work through a mandated R&D Project course which helps the students acquire research orientation and skills that can be applied in their future jobs where there is a critical need for creative problem solvers. Additionally, they work on two capstone project courses during the programme. Students can also work on research projects with Faculty during Summer Terms. Further, desirous students can opt for a full 6-month research engagement in any research institution or University in the last semester.

  1. Minor Programmes at NU

Minor programmes at NIIT University are a separate optional certificate programmes for B.Tech, iMSc CS, I-M.Tech students that run parallel to the degree Programme and are offered in the area of study other than the discipline of degree Programme. Students opting for Minor Programme are required to do 12-16 additional credits over and above their degree Programme credits.  Student can opt for any one Minor Programme. The following Minor Programmes are currently offered

  • Finance
  • Business Analytics
  • Entrepreneurship
  1. Credits through Co-Curricular Activities

NIIT University believes that the success of the individual is also dependent on many qualities like collaboration, planning, leadership, meeting deadlines, ability to work under time pressure, strategizing in real-time, etc. which cannot be taught in a classroom and so the university focuses on creating a holistic personality in the students. To create a holistic personality, academic credits are given to the co-curricular activities or activity-based courses at NIIT University. Undergraduate Students are offered the following one-credit Activity Oriented Courses (AOC) from which they can choose courses of their interest:

  1. Community and Nature Connect
  2. Dance and Music
  3. Fine & Digital Arts
  4. Organizing and managing University/ Students’ activity or events
  5. Photography
  6. Health Exercises and Sports
  7. Theatre
  8. Swachh Bharat
  1. Industry Practice (IP)

Industry Practice is a flagship course in the Bachelor’s and Integrated Master’s Programmes of NIIT University and is organized by Centre for Industry Collaboration. Every student of NIIT University has an opportunity to transfer learning from the classroom to the workplace in industry/research institution in a six-month semester of the Programme. During Industry Practice, a student works on a real-time project of an organization under direct mentoring by an industry professional. This 6-month period enables the transition from a student to a professional with work experience in a seamless manner.

During IP, students are guided by a Faculty Mentor from the campus, an off-campus Resident Mentor and a Research/Industry Mentor from the organization. Besides technical skills, this semester also helps build strong professional skills including planning, problem-solving, time management, written and verbal communication, cost management, teamwork, meeting deadlines, initiative, confidence to complete a task, integrity, customer and professional communication etc.

  1. Entrepreneurship & Start-ups

NU provides the necessary ecosystem through the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) to encourage students to start their own business ventures. Several activities are conducted to encourage an entrepreneurial spirit in its students, by conducting seminars and workshops to individual mentoring by business leaders in business, technical and legal matters. NU students have risen to the occasion and launched some successful start-ups.

  1. Summer Industry Internship

NU offers a two-month Industry Internship in the summer terms during the Programme. It is optional and students may seek support from Centre for Industry Collaboration (CIC) or may arrange it on their own. The internship is graded at the end of the Summer Term.

Need for a Professional MBA Sport Degree in India

By CL -
0
 

One of the most debated topics amongst India youngsters is about making a career out of their childhood passion – Sports! Gone are the days of traditional degrees and traditional jobs with traditional salaries. The last decade has seen emerging markets like India move up the value chain in offering new-age professional degrees that are on par with global standards. This has caught the fancy of ‘Gen Y’ and their parents, who too are looking for fresh and unheard MBA programs that are popular worldwide. The rise of IPL, ISL, Pro-Badminton League, Pro-Kabaddi League and a host of other sports has brought about a paradigm shift in education and globally recognized MBA programs that are set to dominate universities and colleges in the next decade or two.

It is estimated that around 50 lakh people in India would be employed by 2022-23 in the sports sector alone in a FICCI’s 2014 report due to the year-on-year growth rate of 13–15%, thus calling sport as a Sunrise Sector of new India in the 21st century. With a massive population of 1.3 billion, India has emerged as a major destination for mega sports events and sports businesses giving rise to Sports Management as an opportunity for growth. In order to cater to this multi-billion-dollar industry, an undergraduate with a postgraduate degree in Sports Management has become the need of the hour.

Is Sports Management a Good Career?

Though sport management is a highly specialized field, the crossover of various areas like business management to public relations to analytics to sponsorship and marketing makes sports business professionals quite popular and visible in the industry worldwide. It also develops skills like creativity, financial acumen, leadership as well as familiarity with legal, political, and social fabrics of society.

Mandatory know-hows needed in the Sports Industry

For those who possess the right know-how of sports management, regardless of the job in hand, multi-tasking is a mandatory role that has to be intuitively followed. Sports job greatly involves extensive advertising and promotions, limited resource management, handling sports starts and sports events of high budget, venues, facilities and schedule management apart from oratory, written and competent social media handling skills. This level of coordination requires precession negotiation with stakeholders and investors of diverse groups with different agendas.

Unlimited Opportunities during College Days

Project work, Internships, volunteering and employment opportunities are abundantly available while studying. A job with a sports team would be the best start with. Employment opportunities with sports organizations of any size and any nature would give the much-required edge in this super-fast industry. Sports start-ups, sports agencies, sports clubs, are on the lookout for entry-level fresh talent with up-to-date knowledge on the day-to-day happenings in the specific sports field.

Career Path for Sports Managers

India offers the best platform to study and understand how the sports industry works. Colleges offering degrees in sports management provide focused foundation courses that help students develop key competencies required to excel in the super-fast sports industry. An MBA in sports business management opens up a host of new opportunities in the world of sports. Some of the roles in the sports world are:

Sports Marketing Manager | Sports Sponsorship Manager | Sports Business and Finance Manager | Broadcasting and Event Staging Manager | Sports Ethics Manager | Sports Event Marketer | Sports Business Administrator | Sports Manager | Sales manager- sports/media/advertising | Sports Agent | Sports Instructor | Sports Physiologist | Sports Nutritionist | Sports Venue Architect | Sports Project Manager | Manager in Sports Merchandising | Athletic director, etc.

Dr. Ashvin M Gutti | Head of Department and Program Mentor
MBAESG India at Jain University – Bangalore | April 23, 2020

Retail Presence  in The Indian Luxury Industry

By CL -
0
 

Indian luxury market is poised to reach US$ 50 billion by 2020 from the current US$ 30; according to the ASSOCHAM report. The growing middle class, multiplying millionaires, rapid urbanization, higher disposable incomes, favourable trade policies, burgeoning millennials, and social media proliferation are the key drivers fuelling the growth of the Indian luxury market. The Indian luxury landscape is undergoing a drastic shift; from conspicuous consumption to self-indulgence; from buying logo-driven brands to looking for experiential value and product authenticity; from going to physical stores to accessing online platforms; from being limited to upper echelon of society to being democratic; from brand new to pre-owned luxury items; from Bollywood celebrities to social media influencers and from uninformed and loyal consumers to well-travelled, discerning and prudent consumers.

“Increasing the retail presence of luxury players and a higher number of luxury brands entering the country has resulted in the strong performance of luxury goods” wrote the country’s apex trade association. The chamber also noted that brand consciousness among Indian youth, and an improved purchasing power of the upper-middle class in tier-II and tier-III cities have also contributed to this boom in the premium retail market. Just witness the growing global presence of international luxury brands, such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Breitling among many others. In the last decade or so, the Indian market has also opened up to these ultra-high-end players, who now have dedicated showrooms in cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Every year, a consistently rising demand for such goods, India’s luxury segment has expanded, offering more options to buyers, and more profits to sellers.

The luxury retail segment in India generated a revenue of $23.8 billion last year, and the numbers are likely to go further up in the near future. Industry estimates that the earnings from the luxury space here will rise to $30 billion by the end of 2020. A similar growth trajectory is expected in the next few years as well.

Speaking about the luxury market space in India, Prem Dewan, Retail Head, OSL Luxury Collections (a company that manages Corneliani, a luxury Italian menswear brand in India), pointed out that Indians prefer shopping at retail stores over online shopping, especially when it comes to investing in luxury brands. He said, “India has overtaken most countries and is now second to the United States when it comes to the luxury retail segment. The luxury market in India is flourishing and is growing at a fast pace. The spending capacity of people in India has grown at a tremendous rate.”

Luxury Management, as the name suggests, deals with increasing and maintaining the brand value and awareness of a given product through media and advertisements. A Luxury retail manager is responsible for creating new and innovative strategies for the marketing of a given product to increase its demand in the market. Luxury retail management thus involves thorough research and analysis of the latest trends in the fashion industry to predict the success and popularity of the given product among the consumers, based on its price and usability. Therefore, Luxury managers must have an eye for detail and must possess exemplary communication skills, along with an in-depth knowledge of the prevailing market trends in the Luxury industry.

 

Dr. Prathima M | Senior Faculty
MBAESG India at Jain University – Bangalore | April 23, 2020

All India Mock CLAT – Just Like Real CLAT

By Shreeyam Jain -
0
 

Appearing for CLAT 2020 exam? Is this your first attempt at any online exam?

CLAT ’20 is just around the corner, with the exam on August 22, 2020. It is apparent for you to get nervous during these last 20-25 days. But stop biting nails and dreading CLAT 2020 exam. We are here to handhold you out of this stressful situation to prepare for your first online exam. We are back with CL LST AIMCLAT – a mock test just like the actual CLAT exam.

About AIMCLAT:

A good preparation is incomplete when you are clueless of the ground realities. CL LST’s AIMCLAT is All India Mock CLAT organized by Career Launcher. The aim of AIMCLAT is to provide you with a real-time but simulated experience of CLAT exam on August 12 and 13 before you appear for the actual CLAT 2020 exam on August 22.

Advantages of AIMCLAT:

  • Simulates the experience once before you appear for the actual exam
  • Video analysis by CL LST experts
  • In-depth analysis of your test papers
  • Time management and strategy to attempt questions in lesser time
  • Online exam experience for first time takers
  • Benchmark your performance against 15000+ aspirants
  • Develop an understanding of the changes introduced in CLAT

Nothing is better to beat CLAT 2020 than CL LST’s AIMCLAT. Accelerate your preparation and enroll for CL’s AIMCLAT now. To enroll, click here.

Why you need to take the AIMCLAT:

Any competitive entrance exam including CLAT is predicated by the effectiveness of the candidate on the day of the exam. Some of the most qualities that you need to have to succeed in the CLAT Exam are:

  • Well thought out Exam Strategy
  • Time Management
  • Calmness under pressure

This is where the AIMCLAT comes into play. It will allow you to establish your best Exam Day strategy while working on your time management and calmness under pressure to some extent.

The other major advantage of appearing for the AIMCLAT Exam is that it will allow you to scope out your competition and narrow down the areas where you need some extra efforts.

So, don’t wait! Appear for the AIMCLAT by registering here.

All the Best

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