Archive for July 2011

East Africa Drought Solution Runs Deep

From Catholic Relief Services:


By Bekele Abaire and Sara A. Fajardo


Ethiopians remember keenly the devastating losses of the drought in 1984 and the more recent one in 2000. The numerous pastoralist communities in Ethiopia know that lack of access to water will kill their livestock and destroy the very fabric of their culture.

The East African drought of 2011 that is hitting Kenya and Somalia so hard is also proving to be one of the worst that Ethiopia has faced in 50 years. Currently more than 4.5 million people in Ethiopia alone are facing severe hunger due to the La Niña-induced rainfall shortage. The work that CRS has been carrying out in Ethiopia for more than 50 years is paying off in this drought.

One particularly hard-hit area is eastern Ethiopia near the lowlands of the Somali region. A common sight is pastoralists traveling across the barren landscape in search of water for their livestock.

As the sources dry up, desperation is taking hold. Their animals, losing weight and producing less milk, are further weakened as the pastoralists are forced to move them up to 6 miles a day to find drinking water. In the worst cases, their herds die from thirst, starvation and exhaustion.

"When people hear the word drought, they automatically assume that there is no—or very little—water in an area. And while it is true that we're dealing with the aftermath of poor rain seasons, the truth is that there is water in Ethiopia," says Bekele Abaire, CRS water and sanitation program manager. "There is a solution to this problem of recurrent drought that has left millions to face severe hunger. The challenge is that the water runs below the surface in underground caverns as deep as 1,000 feet. This water is difficult but not impossible to access."

During the past 8 years, CRS—with generous funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.N. Office for the Coordination of International Affairs, and donations from concerned Catholics and others of goodwill—has helped fight the effects of recurrent drought in Ethiopia.

"We brought in rigs to drill wells 1,000 feet into the earth. A recent visit to the field revealed that 95 percent of 28 wells we've constructed are still operational," Abaire says. "These sites were built to serve up to 5,000 people in any given community, but we're finding that the need is so severe that up to 10,000 are now flocking to these water points."

Pastoralists travel in search of water. Drought, though, often forces them to stay in one place, their livestock dies off, or they move to cities to buy food. The strains of urban life are debilitating to them both psychologically and culturally. Taking these factors into account, a CRS water and sanitation team studied the migratory path of pastoralist communities to create a system that would meet their needs for water and help maintain their nomadic traditions.

"We've drilled wells along the route pastoralists often travel. The goal was to provide water without encouraging any given group to settle in one spot," Abaire says. "It's an approach that includes a drinking trough for livestock, water for human consumption, showers, and washbasins for women to do their laundry."

The difference between communities with water sources and those without is remarkable. The livestock are plumper and produce more milk, which, in turn, means that the people themselves are nourished better. People in these areas rely less on food aid and more on their own means. Water is prized here. It is never squandered.

"Most years our system works beautifully. Pastoralists migrate and access water easily." Abaire says. "A concern of ours now, however, is that, because of the current drought, many of them are settling near water points out of fear that they will not be able to access more. This puts a strain on the existing resources."

Much more work needs to be done. Water is there, but more wells need to be built. Yet, few rigs in Ethiopia have the capacity to drill deep enough to access the water. Abaire says that the solution won't come overnight, but, if planned right and with adequate resources, it can happen.






Bekele Abaire is a water and sanitation program manager with CRS. He is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Sara A. Fajardo is CRS' regional information officer for eastern and southern Africa. She is based in Nairobi, Kenya.


Original article:  http://crs.org/ethiopia/east-africa-drought-solutions-run-deep/


To donate to help our brothers and sisters in East Africa, visit Catholic Relief Services. 

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The Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach is Hiring!

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT:  OUTREACH ASSOCIATE
 
 
The Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach is the Missionary Society of St. Columban’s national office for social justice advocacy and domestic and international service programs. We seek a creative individual who is able to multitask in a work environment that is community centered, and committed to social justice and inviting people to join us in mission.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop and implement yearly outreach plan which includes recruiting, vetting and placing prospective volunteers/interns and building relationships with volunteer and Catholic organizations as well as universities, parishes and community organizations
- Develop and implement in collaboration with New Media Coordinator social networking and web-based outreach campaigns
- Co-supervises interns and volunteers with an emphasis on preparing orientations, special events, closing celebrations, and web related projects
- Develop and implement tools and systems for cultivating relationships with program alumni
- Maintain up-to-date paper and electronic files on CCAO program inquiries, participants, and alumni
- Assist with administrative tasks of the daily operations of CCAO.

QUALIFICATIONS:
- Minimum B.A.
- Bilingual English-Spanish highly desired
- Prefer 2 years minimum cross-cultural mission or volunteer experience
- Ability to work nights/weekends and travel domestically
- Ability to relate to a diverse population
- Experience using social networking as a tool for awareness raising and outreach
- Skill in computer programs such as Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint, Movie Maker

Salary commensurate with experience including an excellent Benefits package

HOW TO APPLY:

Send résumé, cover letter, and two references with the subject “Outreach Associate“ to Amy Echeverria at: ccaoprograms@columban.org. No Phone Calls Please.

Deadline: Open until position filled

Anticipated Start Date: Immediately

The Missionary Society of St. Columban is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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World’s poorest remain vulnerable, according to Millennium Goals report (July 2011)

From Center of Concern:
By: Lauren Tonon


The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that outline targets to eradicate extreme poverty, improve health, create opportunities for women, promote education, and jump start a partnership for development, are on target, says the latest UN report on MDG progress. The eight goals set in 2000 were a seemingly gargantuan task in great need of funding and international program coordination to reach the world’s poorest in the most remote corners of the earth. The recently published UN update reports steady progress, but the 2008 financial collapse derailed many gains the minimalistic goals had made in developing nations.

The poverty rate is falling, and access to education and drinking water is steadily improving as is health and general livelihood. The remarkable growth in China and India greatly skew the numbers, driving down poverty rates and perhaps is singlehandedly keeping the goals on track.

The most daunting task of the Millennium Development Project, reaching the poorest of the poor, has eluded the UN, though. The report concedes that “despite real progress, we are failing to meet the most vulnerable.” In Sub-Saharan Africa for instance, survey data was only collected from 20% of the region’s population. Access to programs for rural villages has always been challenging, but the crisis has exacerbated the difficulty to reach the world’s poorest.

Most alarmingly, the rate of hunger has plateaued. The Millennium Development Project set out to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015. Hunger was estimated to affect 20% of the world population in 1990 when the Millennium Goal was set, but hunger has only declined to 16% while the number of people living in extreme poverty has diminished at a higher rate. At this rate, the UN goal to lower hunger to 10% will not be reached by 2015. The disconnect points to spikes in food prices, a trend that has recently resumed, alongside the announced “recovery” from the global financial crisis. Hunger also directly adversely affects sanitation and spread of disease.

As a result of the crisis, unemployment soared in both developing and developed nations. While the recovery in 2010 alleviated unemployment to some extent, problems remain. Like in most facets of development, gains for women are noticeably absent. Furthermore, those lucky enough to be employed are not receiving significant wages and security. The UN reports that “worldwide, one in five workers and their families are living in extreme poverty” which is less than $1.25 per day.

The international marketplace is experiencing a slight recovery, but the damage in developing countries has been done. Unemployment and volatile food prices are crippling and protectionist policies and plummeting exports are indebting developing nations without any relief in sight.

In 2010, Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Africa in particular fell USD 14 billion short of the pledges made at the Gleneagles Group of Eight Summit. The inability of the G8 to deliver promised funds contributes to the growing urgency for innovative sources of finance in developing nations, a topic conspicuously absent from this MDG report on progress. The UN does expect aid to grow at a decreased pace over the next three years. Measures such as financial transactions taxes or Special Drawing Rights could close the gap and raise funds for development.

Many MDGs are on target in the areas of poverty reduction, education, and health, but their progress is only slow and gradual. Charts and bar graphs tell a story of growth and progress, but our newspapers are monopolized by a different story of war, poverty, and hunger that plague our globe. The Millennium Development Goals Project is coming to a close, and its legacy will be disputed. What it has succeeded in is initiating a unique global coordinated effort to eradicate poverty. Let us hope they are the beginning, not the last, step in the fight against global injustices.

http://www.coc.org/node/6722

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"Indian Agrarian Crises: Crop Holiday"



          It all started with 500 farmers in Achanta, a village in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district, covering around 4,500 acres of land. The farmers decided to declare a ‘crop holiday’, which means  "the fight with inflation will start all over again".
the agricultural equivalent of a manufacturing shutdown.What started as a small movement of non-cooperation is picking up steam in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring southern states. It could threaten to engulf some northern states, too. If the movement spreads, the UPA’s Food Security Bill and anti-inflation strategy will be in tatters.


The crop holiday has now spread to 300,000 acres in Andhra Pradesh alone, which would result in a loss of 1.5 million tonnes of rice for the year. This quantity is 5 lakh tonnes more than the government’s export quota for the year.


If the movement catches on in other states, Achanta could set off a new power struggle to change the terms of trade between industry and agriculture, urban and rural areas. This small village was a testing ground for the green revolution in the mid-1960s.


There are two main reasons for the farmers to ‘revolt’ in such a manner. 


1) The first is that the cost of production, after NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) pushed up costs all-around. Even if the crop is sold at the minimum support price (MSP), farmers say they are making losses. This is because the data used to calculate the MSP of rice is based on 2007-08 numbers.


 Labour costs have shot up over four-fold with the implementation of NREGA. During the peak agricultural season their cost is around Rs 350-400 per day. While there is no need to deny higher wages for the lowest sections of society, a similar increase in MSP was needed to offset this cost, as was recommended by the National Commission for Farmers, headed by Prof  MS Swaminathan, aimed at redressing the distressing conditions of 600 million farmers. The commission had suggested increasing the MSP by 50 percent across the board. 


To ensure that NREGA does not make agriculture viable, the Centre has asked states to avoid making NREGA active during the peak agricultural season, says


The difference between the wages of agriculture and non-agriculture workers has increased from 1:1.8 in 1950s to 1:5.2 in 2010; in other words, a person deciding to stay back in his village and work will be paid one-fifth of what he will get if he decides to work in a manufacturing sector. The 11th Plan highlights the tale of an agriculture worker when it says “GDP per agricultural worker is currently around Rs 2,000 per month, which is only about 75% higher in real terms than in 1950 compared to a four-fold increase in overall real per capita GDP”.


2)The second reason is the huge pile of foodgrain stocks. Farmers in Andhra Pradesh still have over 30 percent of their stock from the previous season. Taking advantage of the stock pile, millers in the area are procuring the produce at a huge discount to the MSP (Rs 6.5-7 per kg as compared to Rs 10.80 per kg of MSP).


The government’s decision to allow exports of rice came five months after it knew that the country would have a bumper crop. The only people who will benefit from this export quota are traders and millers who have the financial muscle to hold the inventory and take advantage of higher prices and such sudden quota releases.


According to a Nabard report, small and marginal farmers who account for 80 percent of total land holdings and 36 percent of area have no access to bank credit. Thus releasing an export quota, when the domestic farmer is bleeding is playing right in the hands of the traders (read hoarders).


The bigger problem is, such attitude of the government at a time when it is contemplating to introduce and implement the Food Security Bill, will be very dangerous for the agriculture sector. If the bill is enacted, grain procurement would increase to 60 million tonnes as compared to around 40 million tonnes currently. The MSP has to be properly calculated and implemented if the government is expecting success for the bill.


      Issues related to farmers do not generally get the same kind of attention as news related to food inflation. Take for example, the ‘crop holiday’ announced by farmers in Andhra Pradesh for this kharif season. Don’t think that this phenomenon will be confined to Andhra Pradesh. Those leading the ‘crop holiday’ campaign have begun to talk to their peers in Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, asking them to go on a partial crop holiday as a mark of protest against net negative incomes.


These farmers belong neither to the rain-fed areas nor the drought-prone regions. They belong to the water-rich districts of East and West Godavari, Krishna and Nellore.


 The reason for not growing kharif crops is: 


1)  it has become unviable.
2) The cost of production is far higher than the returns they get.


The extent of area under crop holiday is not insignificant. Farmers’ organisations have put it at three lakh acres! One may dismiss this, saying that it is just a fraction of the total arable land in the country. But when you convert acres into yields, it will certainly send a chill down your spine. At five tonnes an acre (two in kharif and three in rabi), the country is all set to lose 15 lakh tonnes this year!


If more farmers in Andhra Pradesh and other States join this new kind of protest, the extent of loss would be much higher and pose a serious threat to country’s food security. More than the loss itself, the desperation in the farming community poses a long-term challenge.


IMMEDIATE EFFECTS


The problem deserves immediate attention, because it is not a problem that can wait. After suffering for several seasons, it occurred to the farmers that it makes sense (by not making losses) for them to skip a season. This mirrors a serious crisis in Indian agriculture. If the thinking in the water-rich areas is such, one can only imagine the plight of those farmers in rain-fed areas.


One can argue that this is just a protest and that farmers cannot afford to do this forever. Agreed. But this is a strong political statement by farmers, with serious implications for food security and employment in rural areas. This crisis is driving the youth away from agriculture and allied activity. You find almost no young people to carry out farming chores or to work in the fields. And this is certainly not going help the country as it braces to feed 140 crore people in 2026.

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"Indian Agrarian Crises: Crop Holiday"



          It all started with 500 farmers in Achanta, a village in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district, covering around 4,500 acres of land. The farmers decided to declare a ‘crop holiday’, which means "Which means "the fight with inflation will start all over again".
the agricultural equivalent of a manufacturing shutdown.What started as a small movement of non-cooperation is picking up steam in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring southern states. It could threaten to engulf some northern states, too. If the movement spreads, the UPA’s Food Security Bill and anti-inflation strategy will be in tatters.


The crop holiday has now spread to 300,000 acres in Andhra Pradesh alone, which would result in a loss of 1.5 million tonnes of rice for the year. This quantity is 5 lakh tonnes more than the government’s export quota for the year.


If the movement catches on in other states, Achanta could set off a new power struggle to change the terms of trade between industry and agriculture, urban and rural areas. This small village was a testing ground for the green revolution in the mid-1960s.


There are two main reasons for the farmers to ‘revolt’ in such a manner. 


1) The first is that the cost of production, after NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) pushed up costs all-around. Even if the crop is sold at the minimum support price (MSP), farmers say they are making losses. This is because the data used to calculate the MSP of rice is based on 2007-08 numbers.


 Labour costs have shot up over four-fold with the implementation of NREGA. During the peak agricultural season their cost is around Rs 350-400 per day. While there is no need to deny higher wages for the lowest sections of society, a similar increase in MSP was needed to offset this cost, as was recommended by the National Commission for Farmers, headed by Prof  MS Swaminathan, aimed at redressing the distressing conditions of 600 million farmers. The commission had suggested increasing the MSP by 50 percent across the board. 


To ensure that NREGA does not make agriculture viable, the Centre has asked states to avoid making NREGA active during the peak agricultural season, says


The difference between the wages of agriculture and non-agriculture workers has increased from 1:1.8 in 1950s to 1:5.2 in 2010; in other words, a person deciding to stay back in his village and work will be paid one-fifth of what he will get if he decides to work in a manufacturing sector. The 11th Plan highlights the tale of an agriculture worker when it says “GDP per agricultural worker is currently around Rs 2,000 per month, which is only about 75% higher in real terms than in 1950 compared to a four-fold increase in overall real per capita GDP”.


2)The second reason is the huge pile of foodgrain stocks. Farmers in Andhra Pradesh still have over 30 percent of their stock from the previous season. Taking advantage of the stock pile, millers in the area are procuring the produce at a huge discount to the MSP (Rs 6.5-7 per kg as compared to Rs 10.80 per kg of MSP).


The government’s decision to allow exports of rice came five months after it knew that the country would have a bumper crop. The only people who will benefit from this export quota are traders and millers who have the financial muscle to hold the inventory and take advantage of higher prices and such sudden quota releases.


According to a Nabard report, small and marginal farmers who account for 80 percent of total land holdings and 36 percent of area have no access to bank credit. Thus releasing an export quota, when the domestic farmer is bleeding is playing right in the hands of the traders (read hoarders).


The bigger problem is, such attitude of the government at a time when it is contemplating to introduce and implement the Food Security Bill, will be very dangerous for the agriculture sector. If the bill is enacted, grain procurement would increase to 60 million tonnes as compared to around 40 million tonnes currently. The MSP has to be properly calculated and implemented if the government is expecting success for the bill.


      Issues related to farmers do not generally get the same kind of attention as news related to food inflation. Take for example, the ‘crop holiday’ announced by farmers in Andhra Pradesh for this kharif season. Don’t think that this phenomenon will be confined to Andhra Pradesh. Those leading the ‘crop holiday’ campaign have begun to talk to their peers in Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, asking them to go on a partial crop holiday as a mark of protest against net negative incomes.


These farmers belong neither to the rain-fed areas nor the drought-prone regions. They belong to the water-rich districts of East and West Godavari, Krishna and Nellore.


 The reason for not growing kharif crops is: 


1)  it has become unviable.
2) The cost of production is far higher than the returns they get.


The extent of area under crop holiday is not insignificant. Farmers’ organisations have put it at three lakh acres! One may dismiss this, saying that it is just a fraction of the total arable land in the country. But when you convert acres into yields, it will certainly send a chill down your spine. At five tonnes an acre (two in kharif and three in rabi), the country is all set to lose 15 lakh tonnes this year!


If more farmers in Andhra Pradesh and other States join this new kind of protest, the extent of loss would be much higher and pose a serious threat to country’s food security. More than the loss itself, the desperation in the farming community poses a long-term challenge.


IMMEDIATE EFFECTS


The problem deserves immediate attention, because it is not a problem that can wait. After suffering for several seasons, it occurred to the farmers that it makes sense (by not making losses) for them to skip a season. This mirrors a serious crisis in Indian agriculture. If the thinking in the water-rich areas is such, one can only imagine the plight of those farmers in rain-fed areas.


One can argue that this is just a protest and that farmers cannot afford to do this forever. Agreed. But this is a strong political statement by farmers, with serious implications for food security and employment in rural areas. This crisis is driving the youth away from agriculture and allied activity. You find almost no young people to carry out farming chores or to work in the fields. And this is certainly not going help the country as it braces to feed 140 crore people in 2026.

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Choosing Optionals in IAS Mains Exam......


With the changing face of the civil services examination from year 2011, when Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) will replace the present scheme of preliminary examination, a lot of frequently asked questions regarding the selection of the optional papers will be put to rest for good. For instance, with the implementation of the CSAT (which means elimination of the optional subject from the preliminary exam) the following questions will not arise:

Do certain optionals have better prospects at the preliminary exam?
Is it necessary to retain the prelims optional for Mains?
Some optionals are paying at the preliminary examination but not at Mains. Thus, is it better to change optionals at the Mains stage?
When the same optional is chosen for the prelims & mains exam, is there a need of preparing that optional for mains?
However, since there will be no change in the pattern of the Mains Examination wherein it will be required to opt for two optional subjects (same as in the present structure), “which optional subject should I take?” will remain the starting point for every aspirant in his/her IAS exam preparation strategy.

FAQ 1: List of optional subjects in the Mains exam.

Ans: For the optional papers in the Main Examination, UPSC has a list of about twenty-six (26) subjects out of which two subjects have to be selected by a candidate.

(1) Agriculture, (2) Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, (3) Botany, (4) Chemistry, (5) Civil Engg., (6) Commerce & Accountancy, (7) Economics, (8) Electrical Engg., (9) Geography, (10) Geology, (11) Indian History, (12) Law, (13) Mathematics, (14) Mechanical Engg., (15) Medical Science, (16) Philosophy, (17) Physics, (18) Political Science, (19) Psychology, (20) Public Administration, (21) Sociology, (22) Statistics, (23) Zoology, (24) Anthropology, (25) Management,

(26) Literature of one of these languages:

(a) Arabic, (b) Assamese, (c) Bengali, (d) Chinese, (e) English, (f) French, (g) German, (h) Gujarati, (i) Hindi, (j) Kannada, (k) Kashmiri, (l) Konkani, (m) Malayalam, (n) Manipuri, (o) Marathi, (p) Nepali, (q) Oriya, (r) Pali, (s) Persian, (t) Punjabi, (u) Russian, (v) Sanskrit, (w) Sindhi, (x) Tamil, (y) Telugu, (z) Urdu

FAQ 2: Which combinations are not allowed in IAS Examination?

Ans: The combinations not allowed are:

Political Science & International Relations and Public Administration
Commerce & Accountancy and Management
Anthropology and Sociology
Mathematics and Statistics
Agriculture & Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
Management and Public Administration
Any two branches of engineering
Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science and Medical Science
Combination of two literatures in the list above
FAQ 3: How should I select my optional subjects? Which optional subjects should I take?

Ans: It is extremely important that the correct optional subjects are taken up and it is advised that aspirants take optionals for which the success rate in the recent past has been good. Arriving at the right optionals set is not that simple, however, an aspirant must evaluate his/her Interest in a particular subject.

Interest: Choose a subject that you have an (a) aptitude for and (b) the one in which you have more than just a passing interest. Aspirant should be prepared to spend 100s of hours with the chosen subject.

Availability of Resources: Secondly, find out how easily is the study material, guidance, coaching, etc available in a particular optional subject. Availability of quality guidance makes learning of the subject easy.

Subject Knowledge: Graduation/post-graduation subject should be taken if you are comfortable with it. That will certainly help in the preparation since you have good knowledge in the subject area. But do not take it if you had only a passing interest in it in college.

Before finalizing an optional:

Analyse the syllabus in detail
Analyse the last ten years question paper to figure out a subject’s difficulty level
Don’t take a subject just because everyone else is taking it
Science subjects should be handled by people with ONLY science background
Art subjects can be handled by ALL

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School Readiness Backpack Program

When your limited income barely covers your family’s basic needs throughout the year, budgeting for seasonal expenses like new clothing and supplies for school is nearly impossible. Christian Appalachian Project believes that every child in eastern Kentucky should start school on a level playing field, no matter their parents’ economic status.

Your gift of school supplies ensures that children from low-income families have access to the resources they need to succeed in school. We use your monetary gifts to purchase new clothing for our “School Readiness Stores,” where children and their parents “shop” for a new outfit and shoes for the school year.


What’s needed:

Grades K-1
Clear backpack
No. 2 pencils (10)
Crayola crayons (24)
Fiskar blunt scissors
Washable markers
Kleenex
Glue stick
Wide rule Kindergarten paper
Plastic/vinyl pencil holder

Grades 2-5
No. 2 pencils (10)
Crayola crayons (24)
Fiskar blunt scissors
Glue stick
Kleenex
Ruler
Wide rule loose-leaf paper
Folders with pockets (3)
3-ring binders

Grades 6-8
No. 2 pencils (10)
Pens (10)
Colored pencils
College rule loose-leaf paper
Folders with pockets (5)
3-ring binders
Assignment books
Small calculator

High School
No. 2 pencils (10)
Pens (10)
Colored pencils
College rule loose-leaf paper
Folders with pockets (5)
3-ring binders
Assignment books
5-subject notebooks (2)


Mail backpacks & supplies to:
Christian Appalachian Project
495 WIlliams Street
Mt. Vernon, KY 40456

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'You can't blame liberalization for all our woes'




It's convenient to externalise the enemy, says national convenor of the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, B Ekbal, but it's the lack of political commitment and glaring deficiencies in the system that are really responsible for the mess the public health sector is in. In this interview, Dr Ekbal discusses the JSA campaign and the decline in Kerala's model healthcare system
Fresh from the partial victory scored by the Left Front parties over the controversial Patents (Amendment) Bill, against which the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) lobbied extensively with MPs and health policymakers, JSA national convenor B Ekbal, however, asserts that the "battle is far from over" and adds that close monitoring will be essential to safeguard the hard-won concessions.
An informal alliance of 21 networks working on public health-related issues in different parts of the country, the JSA was formed as a follow-up to the first People's Health Assembly in Savar, Bangladesh, in December 2000 and the National People's Health Assembly held in Kolkata prior to that.
The Savar conclave witnessed the coming together of thousands of civil society organisations and people's movements from various countries, to draw up an action plan to pressure governments around the globe to implement the 1970 Alma Ata pledge of 'Health for All by 2000'.
Talking to InfoChange Agenda , Dr Ekbal details the campaigns taken up by the JSA, during the past four years, at the national, state and grassroots level to further the alliance's goals. He also talks of the decline in the healthcare system in his native Kerala, once lauded as a model for public healthcare systems in the country.
How did a neurosurgeon like you get involved in public health and access to healthcare? How did you get involved with the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan?
After finishing my medical studies in 1970 I got actively involved with the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP), which was taking up health-related issues apart from other social concerns relating to education, the environment, etc. I was also closely interacting with the Medico Friends Circle (MFC), which had then taken up a nationwide campaign against the selling of banned drugs in India . So, my interest in public health issues goes back some 25-30 years. As an activist of the People's Science Movement, I also got the opportunity to interact with several national and international organisations working on issues of right to healthcare.
The Jan Swasthya Abhiyan was founded in India as part of the Global People's Health Movement, following the first People's Health Assembly at Savar in 2000. Before heading for the Savar assembly, national networks and NGOs had come together in Kolkata to organise the National Health Assembly, which declared the major goals of the Indian people's health movement in the form of an Indian People's Health Charter.
What have the JSA's activities been? What do you see as its achievements? At the micro-level, in terms of specific programmes, and at the national level, in terms of policy, would you say that it is making a difference?
I feel the JSA's campaigns are definitely beginning to have an impact, both at the national and state levels. At the policy-level, our foremost concern is to address the healthcare issue from a rights perspective. In this we have got very crucial support from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The national-level public hearing ( jan sunwai ) on the right to healthcare, organised in Delhi in December 2004, clearly recognised our demand for the right to healthcare to be included in the chapter on fundamental rights of the Indian Constitution. The national public hearing, which was held following a series of regional public hearings in different parts of the country, also demanded the enactment of a Public Health Act by the central and state governments.
Several structural anomalies in the public healthcare system, exposed in the personal testimonies of those who participated in the jan sunwais , are also being followed up in various states, notably Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. We have also prepared a format to hold jan sunwaisright down to the panchayat, taluka, district and state level, in all the states.
Close monitoring of the public healthcare system, with the active participation of the state human rights commissions, people's representatives, bureaucrats and public health activists, will make the system more responsive. For instance, in Karnataka, during the regional public hearing, we found that some three or four primary healthcare centres (PHCs) were located close to each other in one particular district, forcing people from other parts of the district to travel long distances to avail of their services. Some of the PHCs have since been relocated.
In Kerala also, we hope to start the state-level jan sunwai from June-July. The purpose of these public hearings is not to find fault but to rectify structural anomalies in the public healthcare system, such as lack of adequate medicines and other infrastructural facilities like blood banks and investigative facilities at government hospitals, which force people to turn to private sector hospitals.
In Kerala, the JSA took up the Patents (Amendment) Bill in a big way, initiating a debate, briefing MPs on the technical details, and collecting over 300,000 signatures. I can confidently say that the JSA played a small role in the Left parties' success in wresting major concessions from the government in the Patents (Amendment) Bill.
Though the JSA's ultimate goal is to see that TRIPS is taken out of the WTO, for the time being we have to accept the reality of product patents becoming the norm, instead of the earlier process patent. However, given the present political situation, the left parties have been able to wrest substantial gains from the government, including reducing the number of drugs to be patented, compulsory licensing and the exclusion of a clause preventing the export of cheap Indian drugs to other developing countries.
What are some of the JSA's future activities? What do you see as the big problems ahead?
The follow-up of public hearings will remain an important focus area.
The national working group of the JSA, which will meet in Kolkata in April, will examine the Rural Health Mission announced by the Government of India. Also in Kolkata on April 16-17, the JSA is organising a seminar on the Indian pharmaceutical industry. Apart from the patents rules, several other issues facing the industry, including the status of public sector companies and price control mechanisms, will be discussed.
Some of the other campaigns taken up by JSA constituents include those relating to children and gender issues, geriatric problems and the changing demographic profile, mental health, and HIV/AIDS.
Also, an appraisal of the General Agreement of Trade in Services, and its impact on health, education and other sectors and the public health impact of new technologies like biotechnology and reproductive technologies will be initiated shortly.
Which are the participating organisations in the JS The JSA is an example of collaboration between political organisations and NGOs, and even religious organisations, some of which have in the past been distrustful of each other. How did this collaboration come about?
Groups working on public health issues, ranging from the extreme left to those professing Gandhian ideology and faith-based organisations, have been in touch with each other for a number of years. They have discussed major issues at length with each other in an effort to arrive at some sort of clarity on them, if not consensus, on such organisational platforms like the Medico Friends Circle, All India Drug Action Network and National Campaign Committee on Drug Policy. Starting with 18 networks, the JSA has grown to an informal alliance of 21 networks. All these networks work in a decentralised manner, taking up issues jointly at the national level as well as individually at the local level.   
The People's Health Charter, adopted after the Kolkata meet, is a consensus document. Thus, there is some degree of unanimity, a common bandwidth, among the groups constituting the JSA. 
Also, there have been major changes in the world and the country in the past 10 years. In the face of imperialist globalisation and other threats facing the country, it is important for these groups to face these challenges unitedly. There are several factors binding these groups together. There is no time to quarrel. There are larger issues, stronger enemies that we have to fight together.
There has been consensus among the participating networks on the issues to be taken up. So far, there has been no problem. Some of the 21 groups that constitute the JSA include the Medico Friends Circle, Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti, All India Democratic Women's Association, All India People's Science Movement, Catholic Hospital Associations of India, Christian Medical Association of India, Voluntary Health Association of India, Ramakrishna Mission, Federation of Medical Representatives Association of India, Forum for Creche and Child Care Services, National Federation of Indian Women, Joint Wormen's Programme, All India Drug Action Network and National Alliance of People's Movement.
When it comes to health issues, there is no real categorisation of left or right groups.
What do you see as the strengths of such collaborations? What are the problems?
The biggest advantage of working in an informal manner is that each group is free to take up the issues that it considers important. There is complete decentralisation. Also, the issues to be taken up at the national policy level have been decided through consensus and there has been no difference of opinion so far on these.
There are, however, some disadvantages also in working in such an informal manner. There is no funding from anywhere for the JSA. There is no office also. Thus, some of our efforts do take more time to get off the ground.
Kerala was once seen as an ideal healthcare system, with an extensive network of government health services and high health indicators. Have there been any changes in healthcare access in Kerala since 1991? What has been the effect of neo-liberal policies at the national level? There are studies, including those by the KSSP, indicating that healthcare costs have shot up in Kerala, with the private sector playing a greater role than before. What has led to this situation?
It is true that there has been a definite decline in the Kerala public healthcare system. However, I trace the decline not to 1991 but prior to that, to the early-1980s. The chief cause for this has been a lowering of political commitment to healthcare issues. There has been no proper planning at the policy level. Even where funds are available in the government sector, there is no proper utilisation. The government is spending more money on building super-specialty hospitals than concentrating on the primary and secondary health tiers.
A study done by the KSSP as early as 1986 indicated that the public healthcare system in Kerala was on the decline. Disturbing trends had surfaced, mainly on account of the neglect of the primary and secondary healthcare sectors. New infectious diseases like Japanese encephalitis, leptospirosis and dengue fever have surfaced, and malaria has returned. Rising consumerism, resulting in changes in food habits, has also led to an increase in lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
The changing demographic profile, with an increasingly ageing population, has given rise to another set of geriatric health issues. Studies show that the suicide rate in Kerala is three times the national average. This indicates the weak mental make-up of the people, unable to cope with stress and other social problems. 
The KSSP study also highlighted that a majority of the population was turning to private sector hospitals for treatment. Even among the poorest, nearly 40% relied on the private sector, which, in Kerala's case, is totally unregulated. Lack of investigative facilities and drugs also forces those going to government hospitals for treatment to turn to the private sector for these services.
Another study, taking the 1986-1996 sample period, showed that people's healthcare expenditure had gone up by five times.
As for the impact of the neo-liberal policies of 1991, I think that they have had only a minimal impact on the total health scenario so far. The major issues are the result of internal factors. It is convenient to externalise the enemy and to blame globalisation or liberalisation. The fact of the matter is that there are glaring deficiencies in the system itself, which are not being addressed. To blame liberalisation for all our woes is a cliché now. It is actually lack of political commitment that has largely brought about a
decline in the public healthcare system in Kerala. However, in the near future, because of changes in the Patent Act in India drug prices are likely to increase. This will affect the people of Kerala more than those in other states because more than 90% of people in Kerala access modern medical treatment. Also, the introduction of user fees at public hospitals as part of the liberalisation agenda will definitely lead to the internal privatisation of public health institutions.
The difference that political will can make to the system is made evident by the major policy initiative introduced by the Left Front government in Kerala in 1996, under the People's Campaign for Decentralisation. Under this, 35% of the plan budget was allocated to local bodies for all their activities. Of this, 40% could be used for social services sectors like health and education.
This led to a dramatic improvement in the facilities available at some PHCs and taluka hospitals. Surveys showed an especially excellent improvement in some of the more backward districts like Malappuram, Idukki and Wayanad, where the incidence of infectious diseases could be controlled. In a few places, private hospitals had to be closed down as people found government sector facilities to be on a par with them.     
According to a rough estimate, one could say that nearly 40% of panchayats are performing well in service delivery, following the people's decentralisation campaign. However, with the coming of the UDF government four years ago, the tempo has again slowed down. Funds have not been released on time. New rules have been put in place to curtail the transfer of funds to local bodies. The Planning Board, which was playing an active role in the decentralisation campaign, has been distanced from the process.
The UDF government has also allowed self-financing medical colleges to come up. Students who pay Rs 25,00,000-30,00,000 to get into private colleges are hardly bothered about ethical issues or the doctor-patient relationship. They see medicine only as a source of making money.
However, all hope is not lost. The decentralisation process has been set in motion and it cannot be dismantled. A change of government in the state could revive the stalled process.

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EMPLOYEES' PROVIDENT FUND SCHEME 1952

Employee Definition:

"Employee" as defined in Section 2(f) of the Act means any person who is employee for wages in any kind of work manual or otherwise, in or in connection with the work of an establishment and who gets wages directly or indirectly from the employer and includes any person employed by or through a contractor in or in connection with the work of the establishment.

Membership:
All the employees (including casual, part time, Daily wage contract etc.) other then an excluded employee are required to be enrolled as members of the fund the day, the Act comes into force in such establishment.

Basic Wages:
"Basic Wages" means all emoluments which are earned by employee while on duty or on leave or holiday with wages in either case in accordance with the terms of the contract of employment and witch are paid or payable in cash, but dose not include

a.       The cash value of any food concession;
b.      Any dearness allowance (that is to say, all cash payment by whatever name called paid to an employee on account of a rise in the cost of living), house rent allowance, overtime allowance, bonus, commission or any other allowance payable to the employee in respect of employment or of work done in such employment.
c.       Any present made by the employer.
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Excluded Employee:
"Exclude Employee" as defined under pare 2(f) of the Employees' Provident Fund Scheme means an employee who having been a member of the fund has withdraw the full amount of accumulation in the fund on retirement from service after attaining the age of 55 years; Or An employee, whose pay exceeds Rs. Five Thousand per month at the time, otherwise entitled to become a member of the fund. 

Explanation:
'Pay' includes basic wages with dearness allowance, retaining allowance, (if any) and cash value of food concessions admissible thereon.

Employee Provident Fund Scheme:
Employees' Provident Fund Scheme takes care of following needs of the members: 
(i)   Retirement                                (ii) Medical Care                       (iii) Housing
(iv) Family obligation                        (v) Education of Children 
(vi) Financing of Insurance Polices

How the Employees' Provident Fund Scheme works:As per amendment-dated 22.9.1997 in the Act, both the employees and employer contribute to the fund at the rate of 12% of the basic wages, dearness allowance and retaining allowance, if any, payable to employees per month. The rate of contribution is 10% in the case of following establishments:

·         Any covered establishment with less then 20 employees, for establishments cover prior to 22.9.97.
·         Any sick industrial company as defined in clause (O) of Sub-Section (1) of Section 3 of the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, 1985 and which has been declared as such by the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction,
·         Any establishment which has at the end of any financial year accumulated losses equal to or exceeding its entire net worth and
·         Any establishment engaged in manufacturing of  (a) jute  (b) Breed  (d) coir  and  (e)  Guar gum Industries/ Factories. The contribution under the Employees' Provident Fund Scheme by the employee and employer will be as under with effect from 22.9.1997.    
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Employees' Provident Fund Interest rate:
The rate of interest is fixed by the Central Government in consultation with the Central Board of trustees, Employees' Provident Fund every year during March/April. The interest is credited to the members account on monthly running balance with effect from the last day in each year. The rate of interest for the year 1998-99 has been notified as 12%. The rate of interest for 99-2000 w.e.f. 1.7.'99 was 11% on monthly balances. 2000-2001 CBT recommended 10.25% to be notified by the Government.

Benefits:
A) A member of the provident fund can withdraw full amount at the credit in the fund on retirement from service after attaining the age of 55 year. Full amount in provident fund can also be withdraw by the member under the following circumstance:

·         A member who has not attained the age of 55 year at the time of termination of service.
·         A member is retired on account of permanent and total disablement due to bodily or mental infirmity.
·         On migration from India for permanent settlement abroad or for taking employment abroad.
·         In the case of mass or individual retrenchment.
B) In the case of the following contingencies, the payment of provident fund be made after complementing a continuous period of not less than two months immediately preceding the date on which the application for withdrawal is made by the member:
·         Where employees of close establishment are transferred to other establishment, which is not covered under the Act:
·         Where a member is discharged and is given retrenchment compensation under the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947.

Withdrawal before retirement:
A member can withdraw upto 90% of the amount of provident fund at credit after attaining the age of 54 years or within one year before actual retirement on superannuation whichever is later. Claim application in form 19 may be submitted to the concerned Provident Fund Office.

Accumulations of a deceased member:
Amount of Provident Fund at the credit of the deceased member is payable to nominees/ legal heirs. Claim application in form 20 may be submitted to the concerned Provident Fund Office.

Transfer of Provident Fund account:Transfer of Provident Fund account from one region to other, from Exempted Provident Fund Trust to Unexampled Fund in a region and vice-versa can be done as per Scheme. Transfer Application in form 13 may be submitted to the concerned Provident Fund Office.

Nomination:The member of Provident Fund shall make a declaration in Form 2, a nomination conferring the right to receive the amount that may stand to the credit in the fund in the event of death. The member may furnish the particulars concerning himself and his family. These particulars furnished by the member of Provident Fund in Form 2 will help the Organization in the building up the data bank for use in event of death of the member.

Annual Statement of account:
As soon as possible and after the close of each period of currency of contribution, annual statements of accounts will de sent to each member through of the factory or other establishment where the member was last employed. The statement of accounts in the fund will show the opening balance at the beginning of the period, amount contribution during the year, the total amount of interest credited at the end of the period or any withdrawal during the period and the closing balance at the end of the period. Member should satisfy themselves as to the correctness f the annual statement of accounts and any error should be brought through employer to the notice of the correctness Provident Fund Office within 6 months of the receipt of the 
statement.




What is Provident Fund?

There are two type of provident funds :
1. EPF (Employee Provident Fund)
2. PPF (Public provident Fund)


What are they ?

Employee Provident Fund (EPF)
The Employee Provident Fund, is a retirement benefit scheme that is available to salariedemployees.
Under this scheme, a stipulated amount (currently 12%) is deducted from the employee's salary and contributed towards the fund. This amount is decided by the government.The employer also contributes an equal amount to the fund.
However, an employee can contribute more than the stipulated amount if the scheme allows for it. So, let's say the employee decides 15% must be deducted towards the EPF. In this case, the employer is not obligated to pay any contribution over and above the amount as stipulated, which is 12%.
Other Points :
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- Return on Investment: 8.5%
- If you urgently need the money, you can take a loan on your PF. You can also make a premature withdrawal on the condition that you are withdrawing the money for your daughter's wedding (not son or not even yours) or you are buying a home.
- tax benefit under Sec 80C.
- The amount if withdrawn after completing 5 years in job will not be taxable.

Public Provident Fund (PPF)
The Public Provident Fund has been established by the central government. You can voluntarily decide to open one. You need not be a salaried individual, you could be a consultant, a freelancer or even working on a contract basis. You can also open this account if you are not earning.
Any individual can open a PPF account in any nationalised bank or its branches that handle PPF accounts. You can also open it at the head post office or certain select post offices.
You can take a loan on the PPF from the third year of opening your account to the sixth year. So, if the account is opened during the financial year 1997-98, the first loan can be taken during financial year 1999-2000 (the financial year is from April 1 to March 31).
The loan amount will be up to a maximum of 25% of the balance in your account at the end of the first financial year. In this case, it will be March 31, 1998.
You can make withdrawals during any one year from the sixth year. You are allowed to withdraw 50% of the balance at the end of the fourth year, preceding the year in which the amount is withdrawn or the end of the preceding year whichever is lower.
For example, if the account was opened in 1993-94 and the first withdrawal was made during 1999-2000, the amount you can withdraw is limited to 50% of the balance as on March 31, 1996, or March 31, 1999, whichever is lower.
If the account extended beyond 15 years, partial withdrawal -- up to 60% of the balance you have at the end of the 15 year period -- is allowed.

Where can you open a PPF account (India)
- At designated post offices throughout the country
- At designated branches of Public Sector Banks throughout the country.

Deposit limits
- Minimum deposit required is Rs. 500 in a financial year.
- Maximum deposit limit is Rs. 70,000 in a financial year.
-Maximum number of deposits is twelve in a financial year.

Other Points:
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- Return on investment : 8%
- tax benefit under Sec 80C , no tax on the maturity and no tax on interest earned.
- If you’re involved in a legal dispute, a court cannot attach or question the money in your PPF account.

Who shall invest in PPF
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Its mainly for people who are very conservative and cant take risk to great extent. Any one who wants to invest for long term in some secure saving instrument must invest in PPF. To achieve long term goals there are many option like:
- Mutual Funds (Equity)
- Shares (Equity )
- PPF (Debt)
- Fixed Deposit (Debt)
- NSC (Debt)
- Others
Out of these , all under Debt catagory are safe. PPF is the most recommended if the investment horizon is very long like 15+ years.

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