Decibel duels

By Shubendu Prasad

There was considerable excitement when Doordarshan started telecasting the Question Hour proceedings in Parliament some time ago. Today, one wonders how many people watch this programme. The reason in not far to seek, the proceedings, by and large, are too mundane to sustain interest, reflecting the general decline in the standards of debates and other aspects of parliamentary functioning. Orderly and meaningful discussions based on a close study of the subjects concerned have largely yielded place to inane perorations.

Tolerance is one of the cornerstones of parliamentary democracy but often what one witnesses is total disrespect for dissenting views. Arguments are sought to be countered not by logic but by lung power. Humour, grace and respect for parliamentary traditions and etiquette are fast disappearing.

Decibel wars have replaced stimulating and, sometimes entertaining, exchanges. The quest for excellence has given way to a bid to grab media headlines through a combination of devices like walkouts, raising of slogans in the "well" and disruption of the proceedings.

The disturbances have become increasingly frequent, reducing the time available for discussing serious issues, including budgetary matters and important Bills. The incessant bid to score political points by various parties, not excluding the ruling party, has led to a criminal waste of time-and the tax-payers' money. Unseemly incidents have struck at the very roots of the sanctity of what is often described as the highes temple of democracy.

Whenever the question of falling standards is raised, the answer one usually hears is that they are only a reflection of the general state of society. But can members of Parliament and others connected with parliamentary affairs absolve themselves of responsibility for the decline?

It is true that, over the years, the composition of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha has changed considerably, especially with money power and muscle power playing a key role in the elections. Candidates are seldom chosen on merit, the main criterion being their capacity to win. This has inevitably contributed to the decline in standards, especially with regard to parliamentary skill.

While members may come from varying backgrounds, nothing prevents them from studying and adhering to parliamentary procedures and widening their knowledge so that they can raise various issues effectively in the House. Unfortunately, one of the main causes of waste of time and disruption is ignorance of the rules of procedure or a deliberate bid to overlook them. This was brought into focus by the Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr. Shivraj Patil, during the monsoon session when he had to remind members repeatedly that the business of the House could not be conducted smoothly if they did not follow the procedures.

There is no doubt that the leaders of various parties and groups can play an important role in ensuring effective use of the time available. They could, for instance, prevent members from flouting rules, deliberately or otherwise, obstructing the proceedings. Even more important, they could restrain members who violate the norms of parliamentary behaviour and precipitate unseemly scenes, especially those involving the dignity of the presiding officer and the House as a whole.

They could also prevent disruption of proceedings by members, especially new entrants, who insist that they be allowed to raise a particular issue immediately, irrespective of whether they have given proper notice or it falls in the category of matters of urgent public importance. Trivial issues and matters of a purely local nature are frequently raised. The Speaker sternly reminded a senior member the other day that the Lok Sabha was not a "complaint box".

Sometimes, members of the same party seek to raise the same issue during Zero Hour, each of them trying to drown the others' voice. Obviously, this betrays lack of coordination.

Normally, question hour can serve a very useful purpose, bringing forth a lot of information on different issues. But this can be elicited only if supplementaries are properly formulated. As it is, many members go into the "background" of the question, resulting in sheer waste of time.

There is no doubt that the ruling party can and has to play a vital role in ensuring smooth conduct of business in Parliament. While the proceedings are bound to reflect political rivalries, the government can avoid unnecessary controversies by paying due attention to the feelings of the opposition parties on various issues, especially the emotive ones. The presence of ministers in Parliament can help the Government feel the "pulse of the people". But are they, including the Prime Minister who is also leader of the Lok Sabha, paying due attention to this aspect?

A Government cannot, of course, be expected to concede all demands of the opposition or be pushed into adopting a position advocated by them. But on major issues of national importance, it should, as far as possible, take the opposition into confidence. This will not only avoid complaints of "being kept in the dark" on such matters but also help evolve a national consensus. INAV

Problems of women's education

By Ram Rattan Sharma

The last one hundred and fifty years of the British rule in India are important from the point of view of women progress. The credit for bringing the Indian women out of their narrow precincts goes particularly to the foreign missionaries who rendered valuable service by setting up educational institutions for women. The first educational institution for women was established in the country in the year 1849 by Mr. D.W. Bethune, the then legal advisor to the Govt. of India. Gradually, different missionaries opened institutions for women's education. By 1851 nearly 371 educational institutions had been opened in India of which 86 were residential institutions. During the first half of the 19th century i.e. before the revolution of 1857, facilities for the education of as many as 11,193 girls existed in the country.

After the revolution of 1857 the pace of women's education expansion slowed down having realised the need of women's education in the year 1882, the Govt. of India started of giving grants to women's educational institutions on the basis of the recommendations of education commission. Thus the number of women's institutions and girl students rose to 6,107 and 4,47,470 respectively by the beginning of 20th century. The first fifteen years of the 20th century are important from the point of view of women's education. In 1904 Mrs. Annie Besant established central Hindu girls school at Varanasi and in 1916 the first women's college, namely The Lady Harding Medical College, was opened at Delhi. Till the first world war there were 18827 girls institutions with 12,30,419 girls besides primary schools, there were 689 secondary schools, 12 colleges and four commercial schools.

Mahatama Gandhi and other leaders with some prominent women organisations continued to agitate for more education and freedom of women with their efforts at the time of independence in undivided India, nearly 32,14,860 girls were receiving education.

After independence there was favourable atmosphere for the expansion of women's education. In the beginning of Ist five year plan 16,951 educational institutions were providing education to 35,50,503 girls. As per statistics by the end of the first five year plan 26,425 institutions were imparting education to about ten million girls by 1992, i.e. by the end of the 7th five year plan nearly 2 crore girls were getting education in 43,735 institutions because after independence women's education was national responsibility.

The Indian women at present are far behind when compared to USA, Russia and Germany. Much of the responsibility for this backwardness rests on society. The only way to remove this social evil is to encourage women's education, so that they gain their proper place in society. Education is needed for the progress of Indian women, so that they are able to achieve good position in society. The education commissions has submitted in their report for women's education at all stages for the national development. The old values of society will have to be changed. Present system of education for women requires change to be more useful. Provision for proper management, supervision, advice and guidance of schools should be made for the development of women' education.

Some progress has been made during the Ist five year plan in the field of higher education for women. The number of students which was 14,754 prior to the plan went upto 34,856 and by the end of 1992, the number of girl students in higher educational institutions rose to 61.97 millions. In future more subjects of women's interest will have to be included in the curriculum of women higher education for the sake of expansion of women education, more success has been achieved in the field of higher secondary education, with the opening of new schools. The number of girls students has gone up. The conservative thinking of the society obstructed the growth of education for the future development of women's education changes in the subjects along with changes in the social outlook are necessary.

The growth of women education on different higher levels depends on more and more development of education at the primary stage. It is national need to place boys and girls at par in the educational sphere, main hurdle in women's education is the conservative out look due to which the percentage of girls goes down, it has been observed that now women are taking more interest in vocational subjects, this may be because of the desire to have economic independence trend for vocational education, it indicates a social awakening and this opportunity should be utilised for providing facilities for more education.

In the present progressive age it is desirable that men and women hold the same status in society. Indian women who got the opportunity to study and develop, are not lagging behind, Indian women simply need an opportunity to develop themselves and broaden their outlook. Women's education has some of it's own problems at every stage and their solution is required. Parents should have no objection to co-education at the primary stage, more and more girl schools should be opened in the country particularily in rural areas. There may be certain difficulties in co-education at the secondary stage, because many parents do not consider it proper that adolescent boys and girls should study together. So separate education for girls and boys is a social necessity. Many parents are indifferent towards the education of their adolescent girls. There is also a section of people who inspite of their desire to educate their girls do not think it proper to send them to schools because of their social norms. The ideas of such persons should be changed. Educational facilities need expansion in the sphere of higher and vocational education. There are a number of Govt. and non Govt. services for which only women are found suitable.

Reasonable pay and facilities, should therefore, be provided to attract more educated women to the profession of teaching. Proper residential arrangements should be made for women teachers in rural areas. Job oriented courses, such as Computer and Electronics should be introduced in higher secondary schools and at degree colleges of the state. So that in the era of globalization our girl students also benefit.

(The author is former Dy. Librarian University of Jammu)

No demographic dividend here!

By Dr Bharat Jhunjhunwala

Finance Minister P Chidambaram is happy that India is in a position to reap a 'Demographic Dividend' in the coming years. It is well known that the rate of growth of population is declining. The number of children in the family is less than in the past. This leads to reduced expenditures on education, health, food and clothing in bringing up a large family. This saving can be used to increase investment in factories, shops or tractors. It can also be used to provide higher education to the smaller number of children. Say the number of children, working adults and aged was 25, 50 and 25 in a population of 100 persons previously. The ratio of working adults to non-working population was 50:50. Now less numbers of children are born. Say, only 10 children are born instead of 25 earlier. The total population declines to 85 from 100. This will change the ratio of working adults to non-working population to 50:35. Now the 50 working adults will bear the expenses of maintaining only 35 children and aged against 50 previously. This will lead to savings that can be channeled in other productive investments. The poor family can send two children to High School if it does not have to buy food and clothing for four or five children. The Finance Minister has done well to point out that we should make efforts to direct these savings in productive investment if we have to reap this demographic dividend.

Such a favourable situation comes but once, however. This 'Dividend' turns into a 'Liability' in the next period. The small number of children supported by a large number of working adults does not continue for long. The 50 working adults at present turn into large number of aged in the next period. On the other hand, the small numbers of children at present develop into small number of working adults. In result, the number of children, working adults and aged becomes approximately 10, 20 and 50 respectively. The ratio of working adults to non-working population now increases steeply to 20:60. This situation is very painful. Small numbers of working adults have to bear the responsibility of maintaining a large number of aged. Japan, Europe and United States are passing through this crisis presently. They are facing a huge shortage of working population that can pay taxes to maintain the large number of non-working population. Europe has recently decided to issue 'Blue Visa' in order to import working age population to meet this shortage.

India is in a vantage position to supply this global need of work force. India implemented family planning very late and half-heartedly. As a result, the number of children continues to be high and we are in a position to supply working age adults to other countries. This export of work force is providing economic benefits to us. Expatriates are remitting huge amounts for the upkeep of their families. The failure of family planning has provided us the economic benefits of remittances from exports of large numbers.

India is doubly benefited at present. The rate of birth is declining hence the burden of maintaining children and aged is less and India is reaping demographic dividend. At the same time, the earlier implementation of family planning and reduction in rate of birth is creating a shortage of working population in rich countries and providing opportunities for migration to our people who, though lesser in numbers than previously, are still large in numbers. This has turned the large populations of UP and Bihar into an asset even though there is less education. Recently this writer met a grass-cutter working in Borneo while traveling in AC3 Tier from Delhi to Azamgarh in UP. The person was taking contracts for cutting grass in the lawns and making good money. India provided him with the culture of entrepreneurship and a passport though he was near illiterate. This tells us that large numbers of children are as beneficial as the demographic dividend reaped from less number of children. One does not need a Master's Degree to cut grass in Borneo or New York.

The Finance Minister is rightly saying that the country is poised to reap a demographic dividend from reduced rate of birth. However, he fails to tell that this is simultaneously depriving the country of remittance to be received from grass-cutters in future. The sale of AC3 Tier rail tickets will be less if mothers of Azamgarh produced less number of children for export.

Other countries have not been so fortunate. The rate of birth is declining in South America as it is in India. However, the higher ratio of working adults has not translated into a demographic dividend. There is widespread unemployment. Many cities are facing an increasing violence and insecurity. Those people have not migrated to Borneo to cut grass as those from India have. The difference seems to lie in absence of culture of entrepreneurship in that continent rather than lack of higher education. In other words, the critical element for turning increasing ratio of working adults into a dividend is the culture of entrepreneurship, not higher education. Fortunately, development of this culture does not require huge 'investment' hence India has both large population, lower demographic dividend and high income from remittance.

The Finance Minister tells us about demographic dividend. The basic statement is correct. However, this benefit is cancelled for two reasons. One, the ratio of working to non-working adults declines in the next cycle and the dividend turns into a liability in the end. Secondly, the country is deprived of the benefits of large remittances that come from increased exports of working adults. If the benefit spoken of by the Finance Minister were true then our ancestors would have produced less number of children. Instead, India and China-the two long surviving civilizations-have both embraced large populations in their history. Survival of these civilizations and large populations are two sides of the same coin. We have focused more on benefits from export of work force and development of entrepreneurship than on reaping the demographic dividend.

The trick lies in producing entrepreneurship at low cost. This was achieved in India by developing the caste system. The child learnt the trade of his father as an apprentice without entailing expenditures of going to a school. He started working at an early age and that reduced the cost of production of knowledge. He also learnt entrepreneurship. Thus, we produced working age entrepreneurial adults at a low cost. Rich persons like Yudhishtir and Arjuna may have paid huge monies to learn statecraft from Drona but this investment was not necessary for grass cutters of Azamgarh. This is not to ignore the rigidity and tyranny of the caste system in preventing change of professions. However, we should not throw the baby of caste system with the bath water of birth-based rigidity. Instead of focusing on reaping the demographic dividend, the Finance Minister must focus on generation of a large working age entrepreneurial adult population.