Telangana fails 'backward' test

Rich-poor disparity matter of concern in Telangana 
Subodh Ghildiyal, TNN, Jan 2, 2011, 03.31am IST



NEW DELHI: In a setback to the campaign for Telangana, the Srikrishna committee has dismissed the argument of economic backwardness for carving out a separate state, arguing that the region compared well with other regions of Andhra Pradesh. 

The option of statehood for Telangana is low on its list of priorities. The Srikrishna panel, after a detailed analysis of district annual reports across regions, found that Telangana scored high on income generation, electricity, water and agriculture, lagging only in investment in education, with literacy rate lower than that in Coastal Andhra. 

The estimate for Telangana has been prepared without including Hyderabad which, as capital, has seen high growth and investment. 

The much-awaited report is set to be a dampener for proponents of statehood who have cited economic backwardness as the rationale for seeking division of Andhra. 

The panel, making a clutch of recommendations to settle the debate for bifurcation, has recommended that "development" be the basis for decision-making in future. 

The report will be made public on January 6 during an all-party meeting called by Union home minister P Chidambaram. 

Sources said the report states that Telangana's growth story has been positive, with the region clocking a "high rate of growth" to not just catch up with Coastal Andhra but even overtake the latter on certain parameters. 

The area of concern in Telangana is the disparity between the rich and the poor. While those with landed assets are progressing further, the poor are continuing to fall behind. The state of SC/STs and minorities requires more attention. The report, it is learnt, has found that Telangana scores high on "income generation" , largely because of higher "diversity of income" as compared to Coastal or Rayalaseema regions. The "diversity of income" sits in contrast with the largely agrarian economy of the Coastal region. 

The per capita consumption of electricity in Telangana is higher vis-a-vis other regions. It is also better off with regard to availability of water. The farm sector in Telangana seems to be doing well with high productivity. An evidence of good farm output is the growth of rice mills in the region. While Telangana has been a water-scarce pocket, the study has found that the shortage is being made up with groundwater. Irrigation projects are also coming up to supplement local requirements.


Read more: Rich-poor disparity matter of concern in Telangana - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rich-poor-disparity-matter-of-concern-in-Telangana/articleshow/7203360.cms#ixzz19rOFVg1q

‘Busy' docs give hasty prescriptions

A regular patient in Hyderabad gets just about 18 seconds to explain his health problem to the doctor, who starts scribbling the prescription even before the patient has finished discussing his aches and pains. On Doctor's Day, observed on July 1, health activists say that the doctor-patient relationship has plummeted to new lows in urban Indian cities.

On average, a ‘busy' doctor spends just a couple of minutes for every consultation costing a patient Rs 300-500. This expense is followed by a considerable amount spent on a host of diagnostic investigations and medicines, many of them unwarranted, say activists studying the trend. "Even without asking the patient's history, doctors start prescribing a battery of investigations," says Dr L Murlidhar, president, Jana Vignana Vedika. The almost cut and dry attitude of strapped-for-time doctors is resulting in patients getting a raw deal.

Activists say that when a case is taken up, it is the duty of the doctor to give attention but this is not happening since doctors end up seeing at least a 100 cases from morning till late night. "With many hospitals having half a dozen branches, doctors are hopping from one branch to another. Besides, they run clinics too. Government hospitals are overloaded. In this scenario, patients are being taken for a ride," says N Ganesan, vice president, Consumer Care Centre, Narayanguda.

Ganesan further states that almost all the hospitals refuse to give records of treatment to patients at the time of discharge, which is their right. "This is being done because they are afraid of being pulled up for negligence," adds Ganesan.

Health industry observers point out that doctors busy with their practice have no time for remaining posted to latest developments in the field of medicine. "Continuing medical education is now in the form of seminars and conferences organised by pharma companies and doctors totally depend on medical representatives to learn about new drugs in the market,'' says a senior health industry observer.

Doctors themselves admit that unethical practices have penetrated every segment of medical practice starting from the entry into a medical school. Take for instance, the referral nexus prevailing among doctors wherein they cross-refer patients to each other, offering a cut for each patient referred. Dr K Raghuram, director, Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases, says that the practice of the art and science of medicine has become a vicious cycle that revolves round "sleazy, corrupt and immoral practices'' much against medical ethics. "If the body (Medical Council of India) set up to regulate us is corrupt, who will regulate the doctors," adds Dr Raghuram. However, Dr K Ramesh Reddy, secretary, AP Junior Doctors Association, disagrees saying that it is a misconception that doctors are not able to give enough time to patients. But at the same time Dr Reddy adds, "There are black sheep in every profession. The medical profession has not been spared of them."

Citizen activist VBJ Chelikani Rao further notes it is for this reason that patients now "shop for doctors'' and treatments. Activists and doctors suggest that strict enforcement of code of ethics is the only way to restore the medical profession's lost glory.

In India, National Doctors' Day is annually celebrated on July 1, to commemorate the famous medical personality Dr B C Roy. He also served as the chief minister of West Bengal.

Source : Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Patients-get-a-raw-deal-as-busy-docs-give-hasty-prescriptions-/articleshow/6117455.cms

Need for Education Policy - "The Better the Education, The Best the Society is..."

Need for Education Policy - "The Better the Education, The Best the Society is..."

Hello! I am Aditya Kumar Katragadda. The following ideas have been kept infront of government on 6/12/2009. I am glad that government and respective institutions have repsonded positively to most of the issues addressed in this e-mail.

I would like to share my views about education in India. No doubt that the Indian education system is the best system in entire world. Apart from teaching technical skills, we also learn facts and principles that are essential in every one’s life. In my opinion, “Education is a means to achieve life time learning process”, but today for most of them, “Education is a means to achieve life time earning process”. Top most concerns is that higher education in India is not given sufficient importance, it is indicated by the number of people going abroad to pursue higher education compared to the number of people pursuing higher education in India.


In India, the zeal to pursue engineering and medicine is considered to be highest in the state of Andhra Pradesh. In this belief, children are being forced to prepare for engineering and medicine entrance examinations right from childhood, parents did forget to teach or guide children about importance of life which is leading to many major and dangerous social and psychological problems not only in family but also in society.

As many students are opting to pursue engineering and medicine education from neighboring states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka etc., Government of Andhra Pradesh understanding the pulse of the public has introduced hundreds of engineering colleges and medical colleges in Andhra Pradesh. But according to my opinion, the government’s policy was good, but not the best. Since, the government has failed to regulate the establishment of number of colleges being established. Most of the colleges never met the minimum standards required to establish a college. This policy not only discouraged people pursuing degree courses but also the establishment of degree colleges.

In Andhra Pradesh, government's have failed to take necessary action and policies to educate the people that engineering and medicine fields are not the only specialisation available for education. In Andhra Pradesh, the co-operate education centers are hailing in almost urban centers with number of branches and centers. These colleges are also promoting and preparing students for Engineering and Medicine streams entrance examination by promising quality education and collecting huge amounts as fees. These colleges are not only affecting the life of children but also mental and financial ability of entire family.

Every year, thousands of engineering students are graduating from various university colleges established in India. And most of them are opting for Software industry for employment or pursuing masters abroad - “Brain Drain”. After completion of master’s degree abroad irrespective of field of specialization most of them are switching to software industry with help of consultants abroad to secure placements. The recent recession outbreak in United States, most of employees were laid off from jobs, and recruited giving priority to its citizens indicating the policy maker’s policies and implementations in the best interest of their nation.

Today, the private engineering colleges, junior colleges and schools are ruling the state's education delivery process. These college are paying better salaries and benefits, resulting in shift of employee's interest towards private sector. Advancement of Research and Development is beyond the scope of private organizations, as their main intension are profits and to promote there products. Apart from this, the government institutions have stopped recruiting employees. Government employee are about to retire from services, but there is no recruitment. Instead, most of the employees are being recruited on the basis of contract employees or as consultants offering low compensations that are insufficient for today’s cost of living and salaries are low for individual’s education qualification, which discourages them from participating in research activities.

Do we have right to achieve a job in same profession matching educational background? What are the forces or factors causing these kinds of disturbances in the society? Is this situation because of policy failures? Is there any immediate need for policy maker’s and public representative's to frame and implement new education policies in the best interest of nation? These sort of questions can be effectively answered only by incorporating them in the policy making process.

To some extend the issues can be resolved by:

1) Providing continual research in educational institutions and government sectors.

2) National Education Policy and State level Reforms to achieve policy goals.

3) Employment security and updating the eligibility qualifications.

4) Encourage Regional focus in the specialization of subject especially at degree and higher education level.

5) Discourage establishment of education centers as business centers.

6) Encourage and implementation of policies that build confidence of students.

7) Social counseling to students and parents from school level.

8) Providing better stipend for student’s pursuing master degree in any field and in return employ them for research activities.

9) Encourage student to participate in different field's of study.

10) Regulating private institutions inorder to promote government institutions.

11) Regulate and discourage profession shift (switching of profession for job).

As, a planner by profession, I strongly believe that proper education can change the life of every Indian. Education is not merely achieving grades, or maximum hours of study, but it is the level of mental maturity and sense of responsibilities. I interpret that the present education process is the indication of social problems arising in the society like acid attacks, suicides, harassment deaths etc. requiring policy maker attention.
Law can protect from issue, control issue and subside issue, but proper education will definitely bring a positive change .This indicates the need for "Better Educational Policy".

"The Better the Education, The Best the Society is..."

I do not intend to discriminate, criticise or offend anyone in this email. My main intension of this e-mail is to describe the situation and the urgent need for education policy at state and national level. This was purely based on my thinking process.

Separate State Agitations: Changes Required in Constitution of India

We, the citizens of India have elected public representatives to fight for the welfare, but not for their resignations, agitations and strikes. Are they thinking about the livelihood of daily wagers, cost of by-elections, damages, etc?

Some of the politicians are used to trigger sensitive issues like caste and religion for political benefits, but this time in the state of Andhra Pradesh its turn for regional feeling. It resulted in exaggerating the protest in another 9 states of India demanding for separate state. According to Constitution of India –

“Right to Equality - The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. Fundamental of duty of every citizen of India –

a) to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem;

b) to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom;

c) to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;

d) to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;

e) to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women;

f) to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;

g) to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have
compassion for living creatures; h)to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;

i) to safeguard public property and to abjure violence; j) to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual andcollective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement;”

Who are responsible for crisis? As per the Constitution of India, who is responsible to initiate process for separate state? According to Constitution of India - “Parliament may by law –

a) form a new State by separation of territory from any State or by uniting two or more States or parts of States or by uniting any territory to a part of any State;

b) increase the area of any State;

c) diminish the area of any State;

d) alter the boundaries of any State;

e) alter the name of any State:

Provided that no Bill for the purpose shall be introduced in either House of Parliament except on the recommendation of the President and unless, where the proposal contained in the Bill affects the area, boundaries or name of any of the States, the Bill has been referred by the President to the Legislature of that State for expressing its views thereon within such period as may be specified in the reference or within such further period as the President may allow and the period so specified or allowed has expired.”

So, should government of India consider discrimination by region as a crime? And the organization and political parties promoting demand for separate state with strikes, bandhs and agitations should be punished?

Philosophy of transferring government employees and IAS official is to avoid their hold/power/influence on region or particular departments. Similarly "Should government or election commission or respective political parties consider to regulate or layoff or blacklist the politicians from the political life - who are responsible
and exaggerating unnecessary chaos in the nation with resignations and agitations? And also in future consider viability to implement limited chance being MP's /MLA's (i.e. once elected, after completion of termthey
cannot go for re-election in their remaining lifetime)”

According to Suresh Tendulkar Committee report - "Every third Indian lives in poverty". At this stage, Can Indian government afford to support the demand for separate state? At this stage in the best interest of nation, should Government of India consider amendment a law that further division of state is not possible / viable to support?

In case of Telangana agitation for separate state for developing backward regions. In regards to this politicians are arguing about 610 G.O. and gentlemen agreements which are not in the interest of the nation.
These politicians have failed to implement or enforce the Constitution of India’s 73rd and 74th Amendments
which empower district level administration. Thus, one can understand that current political crisis is not for development but for power.

Government of India should be responsible and provide facts about the false / betrayed information provided by some organizations and political parties to provoke public. Some politicians are spreading rumors about Nagarjuna Sagar dam construction, but the fact is that - “Plans to construct Nagarjuna Sagar begun in 1903 duing British rule. Finally, construction of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam has begun in 1955 which was inaugurated by then Prime Minister of India Shri Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Telangana state was included in the formation of Andhra Pradesh - Nov. 1st, 1956.” And Cotton barrage and irrigation canal for konnaseema ople was built during British rule by General Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton in 1850’s. Most of the irrigation
projects were started before independence and after independence governments have taken efforts to increase the capacity and modernize these projects. These are the issues required to be addressed by Government of India on emergency basis.

-- Thank You --