Economic growth is must to overcome poverty. For economic growth generation of source of income must be first priority
Major population of the world live in rural villages estimated 55% in developed countries and 70% in develping countries, some more and in some countries is less.
Among these rural population 60% or more has less land or no land. Majority of those having small land is because of land division among increased number of family. If father / mother have one land that is divided among all children so this small land is not enough to make as source of income. In many cases the lands are less fertile that does not give enough earnings to support family so opted for agricultural employment. That employment became as support. This partial agricultural employment has been taken over by automation so the scope of employment has reduced. Further to this farmers have been growing their traditions crops since age old which has high competition.
As far as cottage and arts and crafts employment, this sector has been totally ignored or disorganized. There are many areas still to be explored, researched like medicine plants, poultry farms, and the education is not accordingly for rural population. Present education system is for urban economy or clerical, communication, trading etc., etc; if we produce rice only rice should not be the area to concentrate; we need to know how many items can be developed by rice and its related grass, husk. Can medicine, fertilizer, alcohol, cosmetics and other be produced, packed and sold? This type of education and research we need so we need to rethink why and what is education as reading, signing or writing alone are not education..
Also one of the most affected crisis of employment is that selling products in raw condition if same products are sold from the village in finished packed ready to use would generate employment more, I give one example of pepper/ coffee/ cotton or other spices which are grown in one place and sold to industrial cities who in tern monopolize and buy at cheaper price, grind, finish, pack advertise and sell at very high price to the consumers. This factory generates employment to urban cities by way of technicians, advertisement or others and pays very less to the farmers whose product the factory sells. Ultimately, rural population shifts to urban areas in search of employment which he/ she does not know and opt what employment is available that crowds city. Most of young generation after finishing education in rural areas are unable to find suitable employment, it is because education is not fit enough to provide jobs/ self employment to them due to less or unexplored resources. For poverty in rural areas of populated countries cottage agricultural and arts/ crafts sectors need be given priority as this area consumes more employment.
RURAL POVERTY
1. Social sectors and organizations are so weak in rural areas that they do not know what the real need of society is?
2. Research, education and training need to be as per requirements so can promote products.
3. Access to communication about market, information and services. Though this facility is beneficial to sufficient land owners.
4. Poor political and bureaucratic approach for rural development.
5. Importance of cottage and agricultural sectors for employment need to be understood by international organizations and work out for its promotions so export is promoted to generate employment. (This is especially beneficial for countries which have thick rural population).
6. Education alone will not help eradication of poverty it depends type of education. Is it related to rural growth?
7. In order to meet competitive world it is essential that from the village major produce should go out as finished product. So from the stage of raw produce to finished and packed produce employment is engaged. This way interference of mediators and their margin is reduced.
8. Financial institutions are beneficial only when the produce has better market and price. Many financial institutions fail to get back their money as framers or rural entrepreneurs fail to pay back due to lack of demand or return. Thus marketing their products are also very important.
9. For underdeveloped or poor countries with dense population in rural villages produce be job oriented. research, marketing, designing and communication be automated so accuracy is maintained to make fast and efficient movement.
10. In each case overgrowth of population, education, misunderstood religion, corruption, accountability of expenses of government, unorganized sectors etc; are dangerous for growth of economy. I have separately explained please refer in other pages.
For many decades many organizations and governments have worked for rural development and still not achieved rather has increased rural poverty, caused due to automation of agriculture, made farm laborers unemployed. Without generation of employment no growth is possible. Basic requirement is food, shelter, and clothes etc; for these one wants source of income to afford. So resource to earn respected money be made available first, other issues like gender, religion, education and others come later. Hospitals without medicine are no good, rather a good hospital with all facilities are good even charges little bit . Big roads are no good without transportation inflow and outflow. Education is no good without jobs. For social / international organizations and government objective of education may be much high, but for an ordinary person education means getting job. These look good in government and international organization files, that they have opened free hospitals, schools, but practically has no use when hospital does not have required doctors or medicines or education/ schools without teachers. we can identify the difference in quality of free education and the quality of education in convent schools. poor education means for poverty.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Child Abuse : A Curse !!
Child Abuse : Definition
India
At present there is no single, specific definition on child abuse in India. The definition of child abuse can be gleaned from a number of articles in the Constitution.
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Article 191. State parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation including sexual abuse, while in the care of the parent(s),legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.
U.K.
"A child is considered to be abused if he/she is treated in a way that is unacceptable in a given culture at a given time. The last two clauses are important because not only are children treated differently in different cultures, but also within a country... There are variations of opinions of what constitutes abuse of children" - The ABC of Child Sexual Abuse by Roy Meadows
USA
Federal Law definition. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act defines child abuse and neglect as "the physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, negligent treatment, or maltreatment
* of a child under the age of 18, or except in the case of sexual abuse, the age specified by the child protection law of the State
* by a person (including any employee of a residential facility or any staff person providing out-of-home care) who is responsible for the child's welfare
* under circumstances which indicate that the child's health or welfare is harmed or threatened thereby
* the withholding of medically indicated treatment for disabled infants with life-threatening conditions. The Act "...the failure to respond to the infant's life-threatening conditions by providing treatment (including appropriate nutrition, hydration, and medication) which in the treating physician's or physicians reasonable medical judgement, will most likely be effective in ameliorating or correcting all such conditions.
Child Abuse : Forms of Child Abuse
Overview
Child Abuse in India takes various forms. Often, cases of Child Abuse are not reported or considered serious. This makes it difficult to understand the real dimension of the issue.
Neglect
Child neglect is largely characterized by the willful delay/failure to provide for the child's basic needs. Neglect can be physical, educational, or emotional. It is very important to distinguish between neglect and a parent's or caretaker's failure to provide necessities of life because of poverty or cultural norms. This is especially critical in a country where a large part of the population lives below the poverty line. To accept in toto the definition of abuse and neglect, without taking into consideration, existing cultural norms, can result in a lot of conflict and misunderstanding.
Physical
Physical abuse is characterized by physical injury (for example, bruises and fractures) resulting from punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning, or otherwise harming a child. Any injury resulting from physical punishment that requires medical treatment can be considered abnormal and abusive
Mental
Failure to provide the child with adequate exposre to education and learning and/or catering to a special educational need when the available facilities are not made use of for no apparent reason
Verbal
Subjecting the child to constant abuse by nature of calling the child a variety of hurtful names such as ‘stupid’, ‘fatty’ etc
Emotional
Emotional abuse is the most difficult form of child maltreatment to identify. Emotional abuse includes acts such as scapegoating and belittling or omissions –as in never praising the child or withholding love, by the parents or other persons responsible for the child's care. This kind of abuse can cause, or could have caused, serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders.
Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse (CSA) can be defined as any sexual act committed by an adult on a child for the purpose of the adult’s gratification. CSA includes a wide range of behavior
CSA is present in a number of forms, some are more physical in nature and therefore more obvious, others are more insidious and does the same if not greater damage. It is possible that there may be other forms of abuse that have not been mentioned here.
Sexual Molestation
Usually not physically stressful to the child. It includes petting, fondling, kissing, mutual masturbation, verbal sexual abuse and innuendo.
Rape
In Indian society rape is categorised by penile penetration in both heterosexuality and homosexuality.
Incest
Believed to be the most common form of CSA in India, it is inclusive of the above two forms of CSA. Given the Indian attitude towards familial loyalty, it is the most difficult to prosecute.
* 63% of girls in Delhi, have experienced child sexual abuse at the hands of a family member (Sakshi, 1997).
* In a study of a 1000 girls from 5 different states in India, (Rahi, 1997), 50% of the girls said that they had been abused when under 12 years of age, 35% had been abused between the ages of 12- 16 years of age. The average sex offender has 76 victims. (American data.)
Sodomy
There is no legislation to cover sexual molestation of boys. Unnatural offences is used to cover the rape of boys
Commercial Sexual Exploitation(CSE)
Essentially the prostitution of children and quite often also includes the trafficking of children.
* There are 50,000 children in prostitution, in India
* One million children are trafficked into prostitution, in Asia every year (WHO).
Pornography
This method is steadily on the increase. It involves the use of children to produce pornographic material.
Sex tourism
Involves the use of children for sexual gratification. Very common along the southern and southwestern regions of India.
Net crimes
Gives information on how to access children who have been forced into sexual activity from around the world.
Child Marriage
It is very common in rural India and can only be prosecuted when the husband of the child is an adult. According to law, a child marriage is recognised by law, inorder to protect te girl cild who has been forced into the marriage and children born out of the union. However those who arrange the marriage are liable for prosecution.
Child Labour
There are over 15 million children in bonded labour, in India today. Twice as many girls than boys engaged in child labour.
Female Infanticide
The custom of infanticide seems to be motivated by the relative economic backwardness and the social importance of males. The practice of dowry further lowers the economic value of the female child and is one of the major factors contributing to female infanticide.
Female Genital Mutilation
Is the removal of the clitoris in a female infant. Orthodox women believe the girl will be wracked by sexual desire if the clitoris is not scraped off. The crude operation often leads to infection, abscesses, infertility and painful sex. Contrary to popular belief there is no religious sanction for this barbaric practice.
Child Abuse : Causes & Prevention
Causes
Well after defining child abuse and listing and understanding the various forms of abuse, the next question to be considered is "What causes a child to be abused? Was the abuser a parent under a lot of stress, Why did the father rape his daughter? Did the child provoke the parent?" Child abuse is most often, not the result of a single mitigating factor, rather, it is a combination of multiple forces acting on/or within the family that acts on the abuser(s) resulting in an act of child abuse. It is important to note here that listing possible causes of child abuse, in no way meant to negate the effects of child abuse and definitely, not to excuse it.
The tricky part in handling families where child abuse is to remember not to generalize and draw broad conclusions. This is important because certain factors are present among families where maltreatment occurs, but this does not mean that the presence of these factors will always result in child abuse and neglect and the absence of them means there is no abuse. Professionals who have a responsibility for intervening in cases of child maltreatment must recognize the multiple causes of the problem and treat each case individually. Besides which differences in cultures, and variations in opinion and behaviours, even within the same city must be taken into account and respected, within limits. What might be considered abusive in one country, family, may not be considered in the same way by anther. For example, in India corporal punishment, within bounds, is accepted as appropriate punishment for children, however, this would be looked askance at in America.
One of the most consistent finding in child abuse literature is that maltreating parents often report having been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused or neglected as children. This does not mean that al abused children have grown up or will grow up to be abusive parents. Abusive parents may be characterized by emotional disturbances and inappropriate behaviour patterns, but, mental illness plays a very small overall role in child maltreatment. Substance abuse, has become an increasing problem. While in the past alcoholism was the most common substance abused at home, today most drugs are freely available and are often consumed within the home itself. Children who are socially isolated are often felt to be at higher risk for all types of maltreatment. For example, a child who does not have a close relationship with his/her mother and has few or no friends may be more susceptible to offers of attention and affection in exchange for sexual activities. In families where there are problems like domestic violence, financial stress, the likelihood of maltreatment, is higher. These factors may or may not, in themselves, result in maltreatment but they could contribute to exacerbating the situation.
Prevention
This is a major area, in which there is a lot of work being done worldwide. The idea behind this is that responding, reacting or treating Child Abuse is far from the best approach to handling the issue. Prevention aims at the long-term results in curbing Child Abuse. In India, too, a lot of NGO work is related to the Prevention of Child Abuse. At present though India still has a long way to go in coming up with her own strategies to prevent child abuseMany professional in India now recognize the importance of developing effective prevention strategies and are focusing on this aspect of the issue of Child Abuse. Students in related fields can draw from the presentation below, while studying the entire aspect of prevention. . Given below is a brief summary of the prevention strategies practiced in the USA.
Child Abuse : Community Based Prevention
A number of community-based family support initiatives have been proposed or developed to strengthen families and prevent child maltreatment. These could be instituted through the organisations that the family depends on for services such as day-care, recreation, shelter, emergency assistance, etc.
* self-help and mutual aid groups to provide nonjudgmental support and assistance to troubled families;
* strengthening natural support networks to provide families with a supportive network of informal "helpers" and community resources;
* child care programs/respite care to reduce the stress employed parents experience, and provide positive modeling and contact for parents and children;
* programs for children in self-care to reduce the emotional and physical risks which "latchkey" children may face;
* programs that address the impact of lack of resources on children and families such as the lack of adequate shelter, nutrition, and health care; and
* public education and media campaigns to increase public knowledge and awareness about important issues in the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
Source : IndianNGO
India
At present there is no single, specific definition on child abuse in India. The definition of child abuse can be gleaned from a number of articles in the Constitution.
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Article 191. State parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation including sexual abuse, while in the care of the parent(s),legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.
U.K.
"A child is considered to be abused if he/she is treated in a way that is unacceptable in a given culture at a given time. The last two clauses are important because not only are children treated differently in different cultures, but also within a country... There are variations of opinions of what constitutes abuse of children" - The ABC of Child Sexual Abuse by Roy Meadows
USA
Federal Law definition. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act defines child abuse and neglect as "the physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, negligent treatment, or maltreatment
* of a child under the age of 18, or except in the case of sexual abuse, the age specified by the child protection law of the State
* by a person (including any employee of a residential facility or any staff person providing out-of-home care) who is responsible for the child's welfare
* under circumstances which indicate that the child's health or welfare is harmed or threatened thereby
* the withholding of medically indicated treatment for disabled infants with life-threatening conditions. The Act "...the failure to respond to the infant's life-threatening conditions by providing treatment (including appropriate nutrition, hydration, and medication) which in the treating physician's or physicians reasonable medical judgement, will most likely be effective in ameliorating or correcting all such conditions.
Child Abuse : Forms of Child Abuse
Overview
Child Abuse in India takes various forms. Often, cases of Child Abuse are not reported or considered serious. This makes it difficult to understand the real dimension of the issue.
Neglect
Child neglect is largely characterized by the willful delay/failure to provide for the child's basic needs. Neglect can be physical, educational, or emotional. It is very important to distinguish between neglect and a parent's or caretaker's failure to provide necessities of life because of poverty or cultural norms. This is especially critical in a country where a large part of the population lives below the poverty line. To accept in toto the definition of abuse and neglect, without taking into consideration, existing cultural norms, can result in a lot of conflict and misunderstanding.
Physical
Physical abuse is characterized by physical injury (for example, bruises and fractures) resulting from punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning, or otherwise harming a child. Any injury resulting from physical punishment that requires medical treatment can be considered abnormal and abusive
Mental
Failure to provide the child with adequate exposre to education and learning and/or catering to a special educational need when the available facilities are not made use of for no apparent reason
Verbal
Subjecting the child to constant abuse by nature of calling the child a variety of hurtful names such as ‘stupid’, ‘fatty’ etc
Emotional
Emotional abuse is the most difficult form of child maltreatment to identify. Emotional abuse includes acts such as scapegoating and belittling or omissions –as in never praising the child or withholding love, by the parents or other persons responsible for the child's care. This kind of abuse can cause, or could have caused, serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders.
Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse (CSA) can be defined as any sexual act committed by an adult on a child for the purpose of the adult’s gratification. CSA includes a wide range of behavior
CSA is present in a number of forms, some are more physical in nature and therefore more obvious, others are more insidious and does the same if not greater damage. It is possible that there may be other forms of abuse that have not been mentioned here.
Sexual Molestation
Usually not physically stressful to the child. It includes petting, fondling, kissing, mutual masturbation, verbal sexual abuse and innuendo.
Rape
In Indian society rape is categorised by penile penetration in both heterosexuality and homosexuality.
Incest
Believed to be the most common form of CSA in India, it is inclusive of the above two forms of CSA. Given the Indian attitude towards familial loyalty, it is the most difficult to prosecute.
* 63% of girls in Delhi, have experienced child sexual abuse at the hands of a family member (Sakshi, 1997).
* In a study of a 1000 girls from 5 different states in India, (Rahi, 1997), 50% of the girls said that they had been abused when under 12 years of age, 35% had been abused between the ages of 12- 16 years of age. The average sex offender has 76 victims. (American data.)
Sodomy
There is no legislation to cover sexual molestation of boys. Unnatural offences is used to cover the rape of boys
Commercial Sexual Exploitation(CSE)
Essentially the prostitution of children and quite often also includes the trafficking of children.
* There are 50,000 children in prostitution, in India
* One million children are trafficked into prostitution, in Asia every year (WHO).
Pornography
This method is steadily on the increase. It involves the use of children to produce pornographic material.
Sex tourism
Involves the use of children for sexual gratification. Very common along the southern and southwestern regions of India.
Net crimes
Gives information on how to access children who have been forced into sexual activity from around the world.
Child Marriage
It is very common in rural India and can only be prosecuted when the husband of the child is an adult. According to law, a child marriage is recognised by law, inorder to protect te girl cild who has been forced into the marriage and children born out of the union. However those who arrange the marriage are liable for prosecution.
Child Labour
There are over 15 million children in bonded labour, in India today. Twice as many girls than boys engaged in child labour.
Female Infanticide
The custom of infanticide seems to be motivated by the relative economic backwardness and the social importance of males. The practice of dowry further lowers the economic value of the female child and is one of the major factors contributing to female infanticide.
Female Genital Mutilation
Is the removal of the clitoris in a female infant. Orthodox women believe the girl will be wracked by sexual desire if the clitoris is not scraped off. The crude operation often leads to infection, abscesses, infertility and painful sex. Contrary to popular belief there is no religious sanction for this barbaric practice.
Child Abuse : Causes & Prevention
Causes
Well after defining child abuse and listing and understanding the various forms of abuse, the next question to be considered is "What causes a child to be abused? Was the abuser a parent under a lot of stress, Why did the father rape his daughter? Did the child provoke the parent?" Child abuse is most often, not the result of a single mitigating factor, rather, it is a combination of multiple forces acting on/or within the family that acts on the abuser(s) resulting in an act of child abuse. It is important to note here that listing possible causes of child abuse, in no way meant to negate the effects of child abuse and definitely, not to excuse it.
The tricky part in handling families where child abuse is to remember not to generalize and draw broad conclusions. This is important because certain factors are present among families where maltreatment occurs, but this does not mean that the presence of these factors will always result in child abuse and neglect and the absence of them means there is no abuse. Professionals who have a responsibility for intervening in cases of child maltreatment must recognize the multiple causes of the problem and treat each case individually. Besides which differences in cultures, and variations in opinion and behaviours, even within the same city must be taken into account and respected, within limits. What might be considered abusive in one country, family, may not be considered in the same way by anther. For example, in India corporal punishment, within bounds, is accepted as appropriate punishment for children, however, this would be looked askance at in America.
One of the most consistent finding in child abuse literature is that maltreating parents often report having been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused or neglected as children. This does not mean that al abused children have grown up or will grow up to be abusive parents. Abusive parents may be characterized by emotional disturbances and inappropriate behaviour patterns, but, mental illness plays a very small overall role in child maltreatment. Substance abuse, has become an increasing problem. While in the past alcoholism was the most common substance abused at home, today most drugs are freely available and are often consumed within the home itself. Children who are socially isolated are often felt to be at higher risk for all types of maltreatment. For example, a child who does not have a close relationship with his/her mother and has few or no friends may be more susceptible to offers of attention and affection in exchange for sexual activities. In families where there are problems like domestic violence, financial stress, the likelihood of maltreatment, is higher. These factors may or may not, in themselves, result in maltreatment but they could contribute to exacerbating the situation.
Prevention
This is a major area, in which there is a lot of work being done worldwide. The idea behind this is that responding, reacting or treating Child Abuse is far from the best approach to handling the issue. Prevention aims at the long-term results in curbing Child Abuse. In India, too, a lot of NGO work is related to the Prevention of Child Abuse. At present though India still has a long way to go in coming up with her own strategies to prevent child abuseMany professional in India now recognize the importance of developing effective prevention strategies and are focusing on this aspect of the issue of Child Abuse. Students in related fields can draw from the presentation below, while studying the entire aspect of prevention. . Given below is a brief summary of the prevention strategies practiced in the USA.
Child Abuse : Community Based Prevention
A number of community-based family support initiatives have been proposed or developed to strengthen families and prevent child maltreatment. These could be instituted through the organisations that the family depends on for services such as day-care, recreation, shelter, emergency assistance, etc.
* self-help and mutual aid groups to provide nonjudgmental support and assistance to troubled families;
* strengthening natural support networks to provide families with a supportive network of informal "helpers" and community resources;
* child care programs/respite care to reduce the stress employed parents experience, and provide positive modeling and contact for parents and children;
* programs for children in self-care to reduce the emotional and physical risks which "latchkey" children may face;
* programs that address the impact of lack of resources on children and families such as the lack of adequate shelter, nutrition, and health care; and
* public education and media campaigns to increase public knowledge and awareness about important issues in the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
Source : IndianNGO
The Faces Of Globalization: A Dilemma For India
It’s good for the economy; it creates employment, lots of it, and working nights at India’s back offices is pleasing and financially rewarding for a huge number of young Indians.
However, while India’s money-spinning industry of taking service jobs from overseas is turning out to be a source of discomfort for U.S. and European politicians, the subcontinent is fast realizing that its now-famed success in so-called Business Process Outsourcing may have come at the cost of a generation’s mental well-being.
Owing to the 10 1/2 hour time difference between the Western Hemisphere, particularly the United States, which sends more service jobs abroad than anyone else, almost all Indian back office operations have to work at shifts typically running from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. local time to coincide with the daytime office hours in the United States.
And it’s this working at nights that requires adjusting the biological clock and social practices to a different time, which is turning out to be a major cause for health-related and social problems.
Take the instance of Delhi-based college dropout Sandeep Jain, who was ecstatic when he received a job offer for $150 a month two years ago from a leading Delhi-based call center. This was the chance the Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pink Floyd fan was waiting for.
“For the first time, I was made to feel that I was useful and that somebody appreciated my knowledge of English movies and my passion for Western music,” he said.
A year later, Sandy, as he called himself for his overseas clients, switched to another call center, which offered him double the money and a training trip to the United States. The training trip was really the carrot for Sandy who had by then begun to tire of the tedium of a help desk job.
But the trip was significant since he could now finally prove to his conservative mother that he too was off to the United States like his “cousins in software.”
But unlike his cousins in software, he soon begun to exhibit behavioral and physiological changes. He had lost 12 pounds in seven months, was smoking over 10 cigarettes a day and drank till he passed out every Friday.
“I am done with it (the back-office job),” he said before giving up his call-center job last December and joining a night college.
“I had lost touch with my relatives. I used to get home at four in the morning and when I woke up, my family was out at work and it was just TV or computer games for me.”
“It was also the monotony of work and boredom that sometimes made me feel suicidal,” Sandy said.
Sandeep is just one of many in the country’s 500,000-strong young work force in India’s back-office sectors who are facing such stress.
“The job is so false,” griped another disgruntled 23-year-old back office worker who eventually also quit his job in a Mumbai call center to pursue higher studies. “You talk like an American, behave like one, but you are not one. It’s almost like a trap.”
“I have had more than a 100 cases of call center employees turning up with a series of complaints,” says Sanjay Chugh, a Delhi-based psychiatrist. “The typical problems tend to be depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse and relationship-related problems.”
Indeed, the high degree of dissatisfaction that is fast dawning on Indian back office employees is getting to be a major cause for worry in India’s back office sector, which is billed as one of the country’s most important sectors for economic growth.
In a recent survey of employee satisfaction in what the industry calls Business Process Outsourcing, a staggering 35 percent of respondents said they are likely to leave because they cannot handle the schedule.
The survey also showed something else: Money remains the biggest reason why most people join call centers.
Forty-five percent of all respondents across the industry said they joined up for the money, with another 42 percent adding that they would most likely leave for better opportunities, i.e. read money, elsewhere.
And 27 percent said they would leave either because of work stress or the sheer physical strain that was too much to handle.
Even work related ailments are reality. Sleeping disorders, digestive system disorders and eyesight problems are prevalent.
Rattled by this sudden high level of dissatisfaction and employee dropouts, the country’s back office sector has started to put stress-busters in place and ramp up morale.
Most employers have started holding routine parties on campus and social bonding events within the team to drive away part of the monotony and convey that “the company cares.”
Nishi Roy, a human resource officer, said, “They have started doing everything they can to make a call center a fun place to work in, from hosting parties, contests to taking employees to offsite picnics.”
“The atmosphere is very much like a college. Even our breaks are like those between periods,” says Anurag a 21-year-old just out of college and just two-months into a call center job.
Still, even as the money and the act of donning an American life-style through their working hours continues to be the initial draw for many youngsters in the country’s numerous back offices and call centers, a worry that is looming large is: Would the high social and health costs that the country is paying for raking in billions of dollars, spoil India’s back office party sooner rather than later?
However, while India’s money-spinning industry of taking service jobs from overseas is turning out to be a source of discomfort for U.S. and European politicians, the subcontinent is fast realizing that its now-famed success in so-called Business Process Outsourcing may have come at the cost of a generation’s mental well-being.
Owing to the 10 1/2 hour time difference between the Western Hemisphere, particularly the United States, which sends more service jobs abroad than anyone else, almost all Indian back office operations have to work at shifts typically running from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. local time to coincide with the daytime office hours in the United States.
And it’s this working at nights that requires adjusting the biological clock and social practices to a different time, which is turning out to be a major cause for health-related and social problems.
Take the instance of Delhi-based college dropout Sandeep Jain, who was ecstatic when he received a job offer for $150 a month two years ago from a leading Delhi-based call center. This was the chance the Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pink Floyd fan was waiting for.
“For the first time, I was made to feel that I was useful and that somebody appreciated my knowledge of English movies and my passion for Western music,” he said.
A year later, Sandy, as he called himself for his overseas clients, switched to another call center, which offered him double the money and a training trip to the United States. The training trip was really the carrot for Sandy who had by then begun to tire of the tedium of a help desk job.
But the trip was significant since he could now finally prove to his conservative mother that he too was off to the United States like his “cousins in software.”
But unlike his cousins in software, he soon begun to exhibit behavioral and physiological changes. He had lost 12 pounds in seven months, was smoking over 10 cigarettes a day and drank till he passed out every Friday.
“I am done with it (the back-office job),” he said before giving up his call-center job last December and joining a night college.
“I had lost touch with my relatives. I used to get home at four in the morning and when I woke up, my family was out at work and it was just TV or computer games for me.”
“It was also the monotony of work and boredom that sometimes made me feel suicidal,” Sandy said.
Sandeep is just one of many in the country’s 500,000-strong young work force in India’s back-office sectors who are facing such stress.
“The job is so false,” griped another disgruntled 23-year-old back office worker who eventually also quit his job in a Mumbai call center to pursue higher studies. “You talk like an American, behave like one, but you are not one. It’s almost like a trap.”
“I have had more than a 100 cases of call center employees turning up with a series of complaints,” says Sanjay Chugh, a Delhi-based psychiatrist. “The typical problems tend to be depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse and relationship-related problems.”
Indeed, the high degree of dissatisfaction that is fast dawning on Indian back office employees is getting to be a major cause for worry in India’s back office sector, which is billed as one of the country’s most important sectors for economic growth.
In a recent survey of employee satisfaction in what the industry calls Business Process Outsourcing, a staggering 35 percent of respondents said they are likely to leave because they cannot handle the schedule.
The survey also showed something else: Money remains the biggest reason why most people join call centers.
Forty-five percent of all respondents across the industry said they joined up for the money, with another 42 percent adding that they would most likely leave for better opportunities, i.e. read money, elsewhere.
And 27 percent said they would leave either because of work stress or the sheer physical strain that was too much to handle.
Even work related ailments are reality. Sleeping disorders, digestive system disorders and eyesight problems are prevalent.
Rattled by this sudden high level of dissatisfaction and employee dropouts, the country’s back office sector has started to put stress-busters in place and ramp up morale.
Most employers have started holding routine parties on campus and social bonding events within the team to drive away part of the monotony and convey that “the company cares.”
Nishi Roy, a human resource officer, said, “They have started doing everything they can to make a call center a fun place to work in, from hosting parties, contests to taking employees to offsite picnics.”
“The atmosphere is very much like a college. Even our breaks are like those between periods,” says Anurag a 21-year-old just out of college and just two-months into a call center job.
Still, even as the money and the act of donning an American life-style through their working hours continues to be the initial draw for many youngsters in the country’s numerous back offices and call centers, a worry that is looming large is: Would the high social and health costs that the country is paying for raking in billions of dollars, spoil India’s back office party sooner rather than later?
Monday, June 4, 2007
On the Right to Water Campaign
In an interview with Nandlal on the first day of the Jal Adhikar (Right to Water) Yatra, we learn about the goals of the yatra, the importance to right to water and evidence of Coke's role in the rapidly dropping water levels in Mehdiganj.
Listen to Nandlal speak about the need for a Jal Adhikar Yatra
Nandlal points out that with water crisis around numerous bottling plants in India, the ownership of water has to be questioned. Does it belong to people, to the government or to large for-profit corporations. And how can this resource be used in a sustainable manner. After all, if a company like Coke withdraws 1.5 - 2.5 million liters of water every year from a region, water tables will drop rapidly leaving small and marginal - even large farmers - with nothing. It impacts the local communities ability to access water for their daily use as well as their livelihoods. In India, water is a lifeline - not owned by anyone, but a community resource. To allow large companies to make profits by selling water is leading to large scale drainage of water.
In addition, Nandlal points out that this campaign is also against the pollution of water and land around the plant sites. The central Pollution Control Board has revealed (through an RTI) that all 7 samples of soil tested around the bottling plants showed high levels of cadmium, lead and chromium - all known carcinogens and toxins. This campaign is to ask people not to have Coke not only because it is unhealthy but also because it is killing the country.
Listen to Nandlal speak about the recent study showing evidence that Coke's activities are directly responsible for the large scale dropping of water levels.
In a recently presented report, extensive study of water table over two decades (from state-level data) as well as oral survey of farmers in the region, it is quite clear that water levels have dropped significantly since Coke began operations in 2000. While droughts were seen in the 90s, water level fell only 1.6 feet over 10 years. In the last 6 years, with similar frequency of droughts, water levels have falledn 18 feet already.
This is not a state wide phenomena either, as Coke points out, but specific to the region around the bottling plant. Other parts of the state have not seen such drop in water levels. About 20% of the wells have run dry and another 25-30% have no potable water.
In addition, Coke claims that the dropping water levels is owing to increased withdrawal of water by local farmers. The survey shows that there have been fewer new bore wells build in the last 6 years than any of the earlier decades so that is not the the reason for the dropping water levels either
Listen to Nandlal speak about the ways Coke has responded to this Campaign.
Instead of attempting to resolve the problems with their processes, Coke has consistently attempted to spin. For example, they have claimed that they run watershed projects for renewal of groundwater. In fact, as their Public Relations manager pointed out, they recharge about 7 million liters of water while they withdraw at least 185 million lites of water (by their own accounts, though local estimates suggest larger volumes).
Now, everytime a campaign begins, managers of the bottling plant in Mehdiganj pay villagers living 20-50 KM away to come and hold placards. In the past they have also hired people to physically threaten local community members agitating against Coke.
Listen to Nandlal speak about the plans with this yatra.
The yatra - co-organized by Lok Samiti and NAPM - and with support from numerous groups will visit numerous districts in UP, passing through all regions with bottling plants, then through border districts of MP, it will reach Jaipur district. There, in Kaladera, it will join local protestors making similar demands from the bottling plant in Kaladera. It will then reach Delhi on October 3rd. Protests and demonstrations are planned in Delhi between 3rd and 5th where the campaign will demand the close down of the Mehdiganj plant based on the Central Pollution Control Board report.
Listen to Nandlal speak about the need for a Jal Adhikar Yatra
Nandlal points out that with water crisis around numerous bottling plants in India, the ownership of water has to be questioned. Does it belong to people, to the government or to large for-profit corporations. And how can this resource be used in a sustainable manner. After all, if a company like Coke withdraws 1.5 - 2.5 million liters of water every year from a region, water tables will drop rapidly leaving small and marginal - even large farmers - with nothing. It impacts the local communities ability to access water for their daily use as well as their livelihoods. In India, water is a lifeline - not owned by anyone, but a community resource. To allow large companies to make profits by selling water is leading to large scale drainage of water.
In addition, Nandlal points out that this campaign is also against the pollution of water and land around the plant sites. The central Pollution Control Board has revealed (through an RTI) that all 7 samples of soil tested around the bottling plants showed high levels of cadmium, lead and chromium - all known carcinogens and toxins. This campaign is to ask people not to have Coke not only because it is unhealthy but also because it is killing the country.
Listen to Nandlal speak about the recent study showing evidence that Coke's activities are directly responsible for the large scale dropping of water levels.
In a recently presented report, extensive study of water table over two decades (from state-level data) as well as oral survey of farmers in the region, it is quite clear that water levels have dropped significantly since Coke began operations in 2000. While droughts were seen in the 90s, water level fell only 1.6 feet over 10 years. In the last 6 years, with similar frequency of droughts, water levels have falledn 18 feet already.
This is not a state wide phenomena either, as Coke points out, but specific to the region around the bottling plant. Other parts of the state have not seen such drop in water levels. About 20% of the wells have run dry and another 25-30% have no potable water.
In addition, Coke claims that the dropping water levels is owing to increased withdrawal of water by local farmers. The survey shows that there have been fewer new bore wells build in the last 6 years than any of the earlier decades so that is not the the reason for the dropping water levels either
Listen to Nandlal speak about the ways Coke has responded to this Campaign.
Instead of attempting to resolve the problems with their processes, Coke has consistently attempted to spin. For example, they have claimed that they run watershed projects for renewal of groundwater. In fact, as their Public Relations manager pointed out, they recharge about 7 million liters of water while they withdraw at least 185 million lites of water (by their own accounts, though local estimates suggest larger volumes).
Now, everytime a campaign begins, managers of the bottling plant in Mehdiganj pay villagers living 20-50 KM away to come and hold placards. In the past they have also hired people to physically threaten local community members agitating against Coke.
Listen to Nandlal speak about the plans with this yatra.
The yatra - co-organized by Lok Samiti and NAPM - and with support from numerous groups will visit numerous districts in UP, passing through all regions with bottling plants, then through border districts of MP, it will reach Jaipur district. There, in Kaladera, it will join local protestors making similar demands from the bottling plant in Kaladera. It will then reach Delhi on October 3rd. Protests and demonstrations are planned in Delhi between 3rd and 5th where the campaign will demand the close down of the Mehdiganj plant based on the Central Pollution Control Board report.
Indian Govt Bans Child Labor in Restaurant, Homes
A law was passed banning the employment of children as domestic servants or servants or in dhabas (roadside eateries), restaurants, hotels, motels, teashops, resorts, spas or in other recreational centers, effective from 10 October 2006.
Indian and international groups and media have lauded the Indian government for extending a ban on child labour to include the employment of children as domestic servants or in the hospitality sector, including roadside eateries, hotels and resorts, officials said Wednesday.
The government - which earlier banned the employment of children under 14 in factories, mines as well as other hazardous jobs - later also prohibited government workers from employing children as domestic help.
"With this notification, the government has extended these restrictions to everyone," a statement issued by the Labour Ministry said of the latest restrictions.
The extended ban, which also applies to children under 14, is to be implemented October 10, said the ministry, which issued the decision to widen the law on Tuesday.
Spas, motels and other recreational centres have also been barred from employing children.
The penalty for flouting the law is a jail term ranging from three months to two years with or without a fine of up to 20,000 rupees (430 dollars), the Times of India reported. The ban was imposed after a recommendation by the Technical Advisory Committee on Child Labour, which said children in these industries were made to work long hours and undertake hazardous activities that were severely affecting their health and psyches.
"The committee had said the children employed in roadside eateries and highway food stalls were the most vulnerable lot and were easy prey to sex and drug abuse as they came in contact with all kinds of people," the Labour Ministry said.
According to the World Bank, India has about 44 million child labourers, the largest child workforce in the world.
Indian and international groups and media have lauded the Indian government for extending a ban on child labour to include the employment of children as domestic servants or in the hospitality sector, including roadside eateries, hotels and resorts, officials said Wednesday.
The government - which earlier banned the employment of children under 14 in factories, mines as well as other hazardous jobs - later also prohibited government workers from employing children as domestic help.
"With this notification, the government has extended these restrictions to everyone," a statement issued by the Labour Ministry said of the latest restrictions.
The extended ban, which also applies to children under 14, is to be implemented October 10, said the ministry, which issued the decision to widen the law on Tuesday.
Spas, motels and other recreational centres have also been barred from employing children.
The penalty for flouting the law is a jail term ranging from three months to two years with or without a fine of up to 20,000 rupees (430 dollars), the Times of India reported. The ban was imposed after a recommendation by the Technical Advisory Committee on Child Labour, which said children in these industries were made to work long hours and undertake hazardous activities that were severely affecting their health and psyches.
"The committee had said the children employed in roadside eateries and highway food stalls were the most vulnerable lot and were easy prey to sex and drug abuse as they came in contact with all kinds of people," the Labour Ministry said.
According to the World Bank, India has about 44 million child labourers, the largest child workforce in the world.
Indian child labor laws worry children
A ban on child labor took effect yesterday, but at roadside food stalls across New Delhi, many of the boys and girls who serve glasses of piping hot tea, wash dishes, mop floors and take out trash were not celebrating.
The children of India's tens of millions of poor families are expected to work, and in many cases they are the sole breadwinners.
"As it is, I barely make enough to survive," said 12-year-old Dinesh Kumar, who has been doing odd jobs since coming to New Delhi three years ago from a village in eastern India. "This will be a bad blow. I really don't know what I'll do."
The new law bans hiring children under age 14 as servants in homes or as workers in restaurants, tea shops, hotels and spas.
Despite the subcontinent's emerging economic power, child labor remains widespread in India. Conservative estimates place the number of children covered by the new law at 256,000. All told, an estimated 13 million children work in India, many of them in hazardous industries, such as glass making, where such labor has long been banned.
Officials say the new law will help take children out of the workplace and put them in school.
Critics counter that earlier bans in other industries had little impact - a visit to most carpet-weaving operations, for example, reveals dozens of child workers. And the new measure does little to address the poverty at the root of India's child labor problem.
At one roadside tea shop, the Harish Dhaba, talk among the child workers focused on the hardships of the new ban.
"As long as I can remember I've worked in a restaurant, washing dishes, cutting vegetables, throwing out the garbage," said Rama Chandran, a frail-looking 13-year-old as he cleared dishes from grimy wooden tables in the tiny, smoke-filled eatery.
The children of India's tens of millions of poor families are expected to work, and in many cases they are the sole breadwinners.
"As it is, I barely make enough to survive," said 12-year-old Dinesh Kumar, who has been doing odd jobs since coming to New Delhi three years ago from a village in eastern India. "This will be a bad blow. I really don't know what I'll do."
The new law bans hiring children under age 14 as servants in homes or as workers in restaurants, tea shops, hotels and spas.
Despite the subcontinent's emerging economic power, child labor remains widespread in India. Conservative estimates place the number of children covered by the new law at 256,000. All told, an estimated 13 million children work in India, many of them in hazardous industries, such as glass making, where such labor has long been banned.
Officials say the new law will help take children out of the workplace and put them in school.
Critics counter that earlier bans in other industries had little impact - a visit to most carpet-weaving operations, for example, reveals dozens of child workers. And the new measure does little to address the poverty at the root of India's child labor problem.
At one roadside tea shop, the Harish Dhaba, talk among the child workers focused on the hardships of the new ban.
"As long as I can remember I've worked in a restaurant, washing dishes, cutting vegetables, throwing out the garbage," said Rama Chandran, a frail-looking 13-year-old as he cleared dishes from grimy wooden tables in the tiny, smoke-filled eatery.
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