Q10 Development and Vision of India

We are finding the same arguments being used internally with Indian States - Most pernicious is the argument for corporate farming, and farming for only the market and food security being defined as the capacity to buy food, or get food stamps, or ration, when over 60% of food consumed in India is from subsistence farming.. and thanks to the new laws will be Nationally traded and Contracted Farming!!

Keeping Poor Countries Poor: The Absurdity of Comparative Advantage https://janataweekly.org/keeping-poor-countries-poor-the-absurdity-of-comparative-advantage/  Rod Driver July 18, 2021 

One of the worst economic theories is comparative advantage: 

1. Firstly, the main advantage that most poor countries have is cheap labour.

2. The second flaw is that many poor countries have been encouraged to focus on growing one crop for export. growing crops for export leads to a decrease in farming of food for domestic consumption. The same is the case for mining

3. The third, and perhaps most important, flaw is that comparative advantage is based upon what each country is capable of doing now.  The theory ignores the evidence that with the right forms of teaching, training, investment and long-term planning, countries can develop the capacity to do more sophisticated tasks in future.

Fairtrade is only a partial solution to the problems of poor countries. The amount that growers are paid is still low.

Some people and organisations are now pushing for a global minimum wage, to try to ensure that every worker can receive a reasonable wage for their work.

the best way to be successful at trade is for a country to import raw materials, which are usually cheap, and export manufactured goods, which are usually more expensive and more profitable.

(comment.. but this too could be the problem: as the next financialiisation ensures that the investment and profit are exports, and raw materials are expropriated, pollution is localised, while wages of the labouring classes  are kept low. Even for start ups, the innovation and risks are taken locally, and when successful, technology as well as mass markets moved to foreign companies.. )

AAI committees find ; Group begins making changes by Deepak Patel, PTI https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/aai-committees-find-adani-in-violation-of-branding-logo-pacts-group-begins-making-changes/2124967

In late January, the committee formed on the Lucknow airport submitted its report. It said, "The joint inspection committee found that airport name hoardings displayed by concessionaire (ALIAL) at the airport entrance and exit roads has also got Adani Airports written on both sides of Lucknow International Airport hoardings, which is in violation of concession agreement no. 5.15.2."

Clause 5.15.2 of the three concession agreements stated that the airports will be known, promoted, displayed, advertised and branded by their name only such as "Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport", "Lucknow International Airport" and "Mangaluru International Airport".

In late January, the committee formed on the Mangaluru airport found similar violations of clause 5.15.2 by the concessionaire (AMIAL), as were observed by the Lucknow airport''s committee.

However, the AAI added in the RTI reply that the "current brandings and displays at the Ahmedabad airport are in accordance with clause 5.15 of the concession agreement".

Human Development is the Best Contraceptive—Why India Does Not Need a Two-Child Norm https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/human-development-best-contraceptive-why-india-does-not-need-two-child-norm

The decline in decadal growth rate during the last two census exercises (2001 and 2011) was 4.7 percentage points for Muslims as opposed to 3.1 percent for Hindus during the same period. 

a few Indian states which implemented a two child policy, with incentives or disincentives, have failed to bring down the fertility rates to the desired level. A 2005 study looking at the states of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha and Rajasthan by Nirmala Buch found that implementation of such a policy led to a rise in sex-selective and unsafe abortions; men divorced their wives to run for local body elections, and families gave up children for adoption to avoid disqualification in local elections.

Fertility and family planning in Uttar Pradesh, India: major progress and persistent gaps https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-019-0790-x Uttar Pradesh (UP) is the most populous state in India with historically high levels of fertility rates than the national average. Though fertility levels in UP declined considerably in recent decades, the current level is well above the government’s target of 2.1.

Within UP, district fertility ranged from 1.6 to 4.4, with higher fertility concentrated in districts with low female schooling, predominantly located in north-central UP. Fertility declines were largest in districts with high fertility in the late nineties (B = 7.33, p < .001).

How Modi government’s flagship missions have irreparably damaged urban governance frameworks and put people at the periphery

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/india-smart-city-mission-7383242 

Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs).. on a PPP model... corporatise the process of setting up a smart city and cut through the political clutter. But they ended up bypassing the democratic process.

Second, while there has been a stress on capturing data and meticulous follow up on the implementation of schemes, there seems to be a complete lack of transparency in sharing information and relevant details of the proposals, projects and so on

Thirdly, with respect to the financial support required by ULBs, these schemes come with riders and a “reform” agenda that incentivise ULB’s to focus more on competition, rating them on scheme implementation points, leading to local governments executing them under pressure to get additional resources.

Fourth point on the capacities and roles of local agencies. After over 25 years, ULBs remain ill-equipped to govern in most urban areas. Most of the functions remain under the control of the state governments 

Fifth, the push for this new “urban space at a rapid pace with the increasing use of technology” (‘The New Urban’ by Hardeep S Puri, IE, June 25) is leading to a different kind of concern — of not being participative and democratic.

As ideas for the future, the schemes lacked an understanding of significant issues of sustainability, disasters, and resilience building. The biggest challenge facing Indian cities is not of “smart” development, but the need for a “sustainable development”, where ecological concerns are addressed, where pollution is controlled, and resources used efficiently.