the proceeds of value education vikrant halkandar, meher gadekar and lipsa das a practical...

1NETWORK July-September 2013 Vol. 17 •No. 3

Editorial

Network is a quarterly publication of IRMA aiming to generate

communication among alumni, well-wishers and present participants of IRMA. Send the materials for

consideration of publicaion in Network to : [email protected]

Editorial CommitteeEditor: Anand Venkatesh

Editorial Associate: Indrani TalukdarDesign & Layout: Susamma T

Disclamer:

The views and opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of NETWORK, IRMA.

We are delighted to come out with yet another issue of Network. As editor, it never ceases to

amaze me as to how ubiquitous this periodical has become over the years with IRMA’s stakeholders. It is even pleasing to note that young researchers are using this to gain a better understanding of the rural paradigm and shifts. Articles in the present issue range from serious, thought-provoking to downright satirical and humorous. Prose and poetry complement each other in almost every issue. It is the endeavour of the new Network team to take this lovely periodical to higher levels without at the same time compromising on its spontaneity and intuitive flavour.

The current issue of Network has some delightfully written articles. Pramod Singh and Abhishek Nair share yet another snippet of his insightful research on climate change when he critiques mitigation measures undertaken by Gujarat. This is followed by an article written jointly by Vikrant Halkandar and Meher Gadekar commenting on the need for value education in school curricula and appreciating the intervention of the Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana in this context. This is followed by a heart to heart talk between Bhavi Patel and the gender activist in Kutch, Meghiben Ahir. Several articles have been written in Network on IRMA’s fieldwork experiences by PRM participants but each one has a ring of novelty around it. Parnika Tripathi of PRM 33 shares her fieldwork experiences with all of us in the next article. To remind ourselves that one can have a hearty laugh in the midst of relatively serious stuff, Indrani Talukdar recounts her travails with mosquitoes and how someone eventually got the better of them in “the last word”.

I would take this opportunity to exhort all of you to use this forum to share your thoughts, views and experiences. Indeed it is due to your support, cooperation and constructive feedback that Network has not only sustained but continues to thrive.

Anand Venkatesh, [email protected]

Contents

The State of climate change

- Pramod K. Singh & Abhishek Nair ............2

The proceeds of value education

-Vikrant Halkandar, Meher Gadekar

& Lipsa Das .................................................... 4

Meghiben: A portrait of courage

-Bhavi Patel ...................................................... 9

Teaching mosquitoes a lesson

-Indrani Talukdar .......................................... 12

A slice of the pastoral

-Parnika Tripathi ........................................... 14

IRMA NEWS ...............................................19


“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of...”

(Jim Rohn).

The inevitability of change cannot be disputed. But change does not have to come at a huge cost (read environmental cost) as we are learning here in Gujarat. The summers, for instance, are warmer than ever before increasing, thereby, the probability of extreme heat events. While rainfall patterns are not significantly heavier they still point to, what environmentalists call, “heavy rainfall events” being on the upswing. Rather eerily, the Regional Climate Models (RCMs) predict an augmentation in the intensity of cyclonic activity in Gujarat. Other factual data too, are pretty grim.

Sample this: instances of floods have increased; the sea-level too has being rising at the rate of 0.33 mm/year, which is considered to be rapid sea-level rise.

The state of Gujarat, subject to the vagaries of climate change, also happens to be a culprit backed by rapid industrialization and push for economic growth. All this has, understandably, taken an unmitigated toll on humankind. Especially the

vulnerable communities which are, ironically, the ones responsible for the least contribution to global warming.

There is no gainsaying that climate change impacts human life and the ecosystem and, thereby, the economy. Take, for instance, temperature changes that continue to affect both agriculture and livestock. A mere increase by a

The state of climate change1

While Gujarat has done commendable work to reverse the effects of climate change, it is clearly not enough.

1 (i) Pramod K. Singh, Associate Professor, Institute of Rural Management, Anand; E-mail: [email protected];

(ii) Abhishek Nair, Research Associate, Institute of Rural Management, Anand; E-mail: [email protected]

The state of Gujarat, subject to the vagaries of climate change, is culpable backed, as it is, by rapid industrialization and push for economic growth. All this has taken an unmitigated toll on humankind. Especially the vulnerable communities which are, ironically, the ones responsible for the least contribution to global warming


degree is known to reduce wheat yields by 4–5 million tons even after carbon fertilization. Rising temperatures causing thermal heat stress is known to reduce milk yields.

Equally alarming are some of the other effects of climate change. Coral bleaching, occurring over the last two decades along the sea surface thanks to temperatures having increased decade-wise by 0.116oC is doomed for worse fate. Soaring temperatures have stunted the heights of mangroves in the regions of Kutch and Jamnagar.

Human life too stands threatened thanks to increased salinity along the coastal ribbon as the fallout of rising sea-levels courtesy of global warming. In the villages of Dabdi of Valsa and Kaladra located along the Narmada estuary the sea has been observed to move inland up to an alarming 80 metres.

Burgeoning temperatures – having expanded the transmission window of mosquitoes by up to 9-12 months every year – continue to goad malaria incidence rates every year, not to mention heat-related deaths.

This is not to say that the state hasn’t done its bit to counter the ill effects of climate change. Its work on

minimizing carbon emissions by taking the lead in CDM (Clean Development Mechanisms) projects is commendable despite being a gargantuan emitter of greenhouse gases. The state has taken visible strides in promoting wind and biomass based green energy generation while encouraging vehicle owners to switch to cleaner fuel options like CNG, LPG, and bio-fuels. The Gujarat Cleaner Production Centre has been pushing technology towards a more efficient use of raw material, energy and water resources.

Yet more needs to be done, especially for the poor and vulnerable populations that are most susceptible to climate change. Initiatives need to be undertaken on priority basis to build the resilience and adaptability (to global warming and climate change) of such communities through scientific, indigenous knowledge and through evidence-based decisions. A start could be made by conducting scoping studies for first hand insight into communities and ecosystems that are vulnerable to climate change. This could be followed up by research and pilot studies that scalable.

More needs to be done, especially for the poor and vulnerable populations that are most susceptible to climate change. Initiatives need to be undertaken on priority basis to build the resilience and adaptability of such communities through scientific, indigenous knowledge and through evidence-based decisions


The proceeds of value education1

A practical inculcation of moral values in the educational system is the need of the hour. The intervention of the Bharatiya Jain Sangathana, thus, can only be

viewed as timely.

“(The) crime branch took a juvenile delinquent and his accomplice, identified as Kamaluddin Hussainsha, into custody and detected a robbery which the duo had committed at Sadar this month...” (Times of India, 23.10.13)

“Juvenile gets 3-year jail term for sodomy...” (Indian Express, 22.10.13)

Headlines and news items like the ones cited above seem to have become staple fare of our day-to-day lives with children as young as 12 years’ old committing heinous crimes. Even as India marches on making remarkable strides in economic, scientific, and technological areas its social fabric seems to be breaking. A sharp spike in the crime rate, addiction, and inter-group violence calls for deep introspection and self-searching. A popular view is that Indian society, having adopted “Western” values of materialism and consumerism is fast disintegrating thanks to a sharp shift in values at the individual, family, and community levels. This shift is a serious concern for educators, parents, policy-makers, civil society organizations, and concerned citizens. There is no doubt that violence is on the rise owing to this shift in values. Violence is emulated, even

admired, by the young who have little time for values associated with love, peace, cooperation, and compassion. The impact of mass media, changing societal norms and values, and a philosophy of life that prioritises material prosperity are collectively attributable to this disconcerting current social reality. It is in this light that the timely intervention of the Bharatiya Jain Sanghtana (BJS), a secular, civil society organization needs to be viewed. AN NGO, the Bharatiya Jain Sanghtana or BJS has been working

1 Vikrant Halkandar, Research Associate; Meher Gadekar (PRM5), Deputy Director (Research), and Lipsa Das, Research Manage - BJS; Email: [email protected]

Value education is not a new concept in India. Since the early days of Indian civilization inculcation of values among the young has been part of many educational systems


at the grassroots’ level with the social and educational sectors for over 27 years. It began working on various educational and social issues like dowry, declining sex ratio, disaster relief work, and educational rehabilitation of children of natural calamities. Later, realizing the importance of addressing the problem of shifting values and its adverse impact on society – especially school-going children – and recognizing education’s crucial role in promoting values BJS took a conscious decision to introduce in the governmental education system a value education initiative known as Mulyavardhan (meaning enhancement of values) for students ranging from grade I to X. Mulyavardhan’s aim is “to promote desirable values among school students, so that they bring about harmony with themselves, others, and the world at large, including the world of nature.” By doing so, Mulyavardhan attempts to contribute to “the holistic development of students so as to prepare them to become caring and responsible citizens who contribute to the peace and well-being of humanity”.

Value education is not a new concept in India. Ever since the dawn of Indian civilization inculcation of values among the youth has been part of many educational systems. After Independence many committees formed by the Government dealing with education also emphasized the necessity of value education. However, these academic deliberations and discussions were never translated into implementation. Value education initiatives have remained limited to some private schools and school bodies.

Given this context, the initiative on the part of BJS to place value education firmly within government schools assumes special importance, primarily because 83 percent elementary schools in the country are government run.

Mulyavardhan or MV acts as a medium for instilling universal and constitutional values in children. A curriculum was developed around these values after much deliberation by a specially constituted expert Content Development team. The teaching and learning methodology adopted by BJS is non-didactic and based on cooperative learning so that children can explore, analyze, and appreciate the worth of values. It is expected that MV will motivate children to make personal and social choices with deepened understanding and responsibility. By imbibing values promoted through MV it is hoped that children will become peaceful, respectful, caring, empathetic, diligent, committed, tolerant, cooperative, critical thinkers and good citizens.

MV was piloted by specially trained MV teachers as a separate period in government schools. Supplementing this “direct” or targeted approach was BJS’ efforts to involve all stakeholders including parents, schools and education officials. The pilot project was initiated as an opportunity to understand the

BJS has been moving towards adopting a whole school approach to value education


practical problems in administering value education in government run schools. It helped the BJS team, among other things, to gain insights into the expectations of government officials, school principals, teachers and parents about value education. All this was crucial to developing a practical model which could be adopted by the governmental education system across the country.

For its pilot project BJS selected Beed, one of the most backward districts of Maharashtra, located in the Marathwada region. BJS formally sought permission from the Beed Zilha Parishad (ZP) to implement MV in all ZP-run primary schools located in Asthi and Patoda tehsils and some selected schools in Kaij tehsil sans cost implications to the ZP. In other words, BJS volunteered to shoulder all responsibilities along with the risks involved in the pilot programme. Once permission was

granted by the Beed ZP the pilot was launched (in 2009) and expanded over the following years. Today, the project is operational in 454 ZP-run primary schools in Beed as well as in schools of the Jalgaon Municipal Corporation, which has around 35,000 enrolled students. BJS has employed 270 MV teachers in these schools. The teachers are required to undergo a rigorous, sixty-day induction training programme

covering the aim and approach of MV, its curriculum and pedagogy before going on to teach. Refresher teacher-training programmes are conducted during vacations while a personality development module has been designed for capacity enhancement. All the teachers, most of whom happen to be fresh D.Eds with no previous work experience, belong to the project area. Around 40% of the teachers are female.

In order to assess the impact of the MV programme BJS invited external experts to conduct independent assessments. The assessments included a report of the Cambridge University Technical Services (CUTS) by Dr. David Whitebread and Dr. Sanjana Mehta, followed by a visit report based on a field visit in February 2013; a quasi-experimental study by Dr. Brian Flay of the Oregon State University (USA) who was assisted by Dr. Sushma Jaswal; and a report on the evaluation of Mulyavardhan by NCERT. All three reports appreciated the positive impact of the MV programme. The research department BJS also conducted a study titled “Integration of MV in Government Schools.”

These studies inspected various aspects like the level of acceptance of MV by all stakeholders, their expectations and observations regarding the same, a comparison between schools implementing MV and those not implementing it, and the post-implementation positive impact on children’s behaviour. The feedback is included in the Box (see below):

Teachers are required to undergo a rigorous, 60-day induction training programme


Speaking of the positive effects on children 22 percent principals noticed ‘improved interpersonal relations’’ while 29 percent government teachers observed ‘increased cooperation amongst children”. Eighteen percent principals mentioned that ‘disciplinary related changes among children had been reduced’ and 17 percent government teachers mentioned that the “children had become more confident”.

According to a study conducted by Dr. Brian Flay and Sushma Jaswal in April 2013, MV teaching has “changed the behaviours and attitudes of the parents of the students since the students talk to their parents about the values they learn at school”. This is among MV’s most striking successes. Besides showcasing overwhelming positive behavioural changes amongst children MV has also brought about other “desirable changes like increase in school attendance, reduction in dropout rates and children’s overall

motivation to learn” (observation from Dr. David Whitebread and Dr. Sanjana Mehta’s study). The quasi-experimental study conducted by Dr. Brain Flay measured MV’s effect by ‘percent relative improvement’ or RI to aid in interpretation and comparison. The study found that MV produced 28 percent relative improvements, which is very good when compared to average effect sizes for school-based socio-emotional learning (SEL) programmes (10 percent positive effect for social positive behaviour and academic performance, and about 20 percent for specific SEL skills).

A well-known programme implemented in the USA, Positive Action, has an average RI of about 15, which is considered moderate to large. Dr. Flay remarked that MV shows high levels of achievement, both in amount and quality and compared to 15 percent RI of Positive Action shows a significant impact.

“Hundred percent government officials reported no resistance from any •stakeholder about MV and recommended that it should be adopted and run by government. Ninety three percent of principals noticed positive changes in students •since implementation of MV and felt that it had been effective in reducing disciplinary problems and enhance attendance. Both principals and government teachers (92%) recommended that MV •should be adopted and run by government. Eighty two percent government teachers felt that attendance has been •improved since its implementation and 94% opined that MV is adding a new dimension to education with high value. Parents (99%) are in favor of MV and assert that it should be compulsory in •schools.”

(These findings are mentioned in Report on “Integration of Mulyavardhan in Government Schools”, October, 2012)


Both CUTS and NCERT appreciated MV for its sincere and honest efforts towards nurturing values among schools children, particularly in rural areas. “Since positive changes observed in children’s behaviour by various stakeholders overlap considerably and these changes occurred in the targeted population in short span of time of implementation, it tends to confirm MV’s credibility for its training, approach, implementation and thus continuity and expansion of it for social transformation” (concluding remark by Dr. David Whitebread and Dr. Sanjana Mehta in their “Impact Assessment Phase I” study.)

Based on assessment studies, its experience, and feedback received through MV implementation, BJS has been moving towards adopting a whole

school approach to value education, as recommended by NCERT (mentioned in Education for Values in Schools- A Framework (2012). Through this effort BJS seeks to develop a model of school-based value education that will address a host of attitudinal and behavioural problems exhibited by the current generation of young learners while preparing them for the role of caring and responsible citizenship. The BJS model can be adopted and adapted by the government at national level and by the various state governments to deal with problems related to children’s values and their adverse effects on society. BJS hopes that its pilot project will provide the much-needed experience and expertise for integrating value education in the Indian school system.

IRMA Team wins the second prize in best summer project competition organized by Rural Marketing Association of India

It was a proud moment for IRMA when six of our participants - Prateek Bhatia, Sumedha Hiraji, Swati Renduchintala, Tanuj Sharma, Tarana Agrawal, Vinay Kumar Srivastava - won the RMAI Silver Award for their project entitled “Rural Marketing Plan on Female Condom”.

The Rural Marketing Association of India (RMAI), engaged in the cause of promoting rural marketing, organized its seventh edition of “Ayurvet RMAI

Awards for the Best Summer Project in Rural Marketing” on September 21, 2013 at the India International Centre, New Delhi. Students, faculty, and corporate executives participated in the well-attended event.

Top 10 entries were invited to RMAI”s Award Event for which students showcased their presentations.

For more details, visit: https://www.irma.ac.in/istudent/achievements.php?id=4


The first thing that strikes you about Meghiben Ahir is her simplicity and her frank, open smile. Looking at her it is difficult to believe that she has been joint nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize won by the likes of Ellen Sirleaf, Barack Obama, and Nelson Mandela. It was in 2005 that she was nominated along with four other women from Kutch for this prestigious award. Not being pipped to the winning post, however, has not dampened the spirit of this dauntless woman who continues to work tirelessly in the villages of Kutch and fight for the betterment of the fairer sex.

What are your current areas of work?

Currently, I work with the fishermen of the Mundra taluka, who reside along the harbour areas. I am fighting for their right to food security along with the welfare and education of their children. I had long realised that since these fishermen lived along the coast itself, they were separated from the village and did not have access to the facilities of the village like ration shops, anganwadis, and so on. Besides, I am also working to help more and more women contest the Sarpanch elections in their respective villages. I am helping with their canvassing and hope to help them win the post of the Sarpanch or at least gain a Panchayat membership.

What inspired you to give up living for yourself and work for social welfare?

I was married off at the tender age of sixteen. I developed skin de-

Meghiben: A portrait of courage1

1 Bhavi Patel (PRM32). Currently associated with Pegasus Digital, Tiger Advertising, Vadodara; Email: [email protected]

pigmentation soon afterwards and was boycotted by society. Eventually, this caused differences between my husband and me and finally, a year after my marriage, he gave me a divorce. I was only seventeen years’ old and a divorcée when I returned to my parents’ place. I started doing clay-work as I didn’t want to be a burden on my parents. One day a literacy campaign was launched in the village that was duly attended by all my family members. I couldn’t go as I had household chores to attend to at the time. There was a get together that night which I did

“I was married off at the tender age of sixteen. I developed skin de-pigmentation soon afterwards and was boycotted by society. Eventually, this caused differences between my husband and me and finally, a year after my marriage, he gave me a divorce.”

Meghiben at work


join, though, after which there was no looking back. Soon afterwards training sessions commenced at my maternal uncle’s home as a part of that campaign; I would attend these sessions regularly and began enjoying them.

Then came a turning point in my life: this was when I joined the newsletter printing team of Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan, which had just about been launched. The newsletter team inspired me a lot. It was at this point that my conscience told me to take the plunge into social work and that’s what I did. I began formulating strategies to extend the outreach of the newsletter to include more women. I was also doing embroidery work for Gurjari. But each time I, along with other women, would go to submit our work and collect money, the person at the counter would randomly cancel any piece of our work and refuse to pay us for our efforts. Believe it or not we had to beg for what was rightfully ours. This is what made me decide to stand up for my rights and help other women fight for theirs. I then began working on printing cards and calendars, which we would export to different countries. Women involved in printing jobs was something of a rarity those days. Then came the massive earthquake of Gujarat for which I did a lot of relief work and went from house-to-house ensuring that relief goods reached the people. I have stopped my printing work since that time. Since then I have been working in the field, training myself in legal aspects concerning women and police stations and have been working without stopping for the betterment of women. I believe in being frank to the point of bluntness and staying on top of current affairs.

What are your views on the current status of women in Kutch?

Women and children continue to be exploited today. A lot of unfairness is taking place in the name of society and religion forcing people to kowtow to unfair and exploitative diktats. It is these unspoken rules that keep the women downtrodden and suppressed. I strongly believe that education is the key that will help women rise above their current status. Today, my work area stretches way beyond the boundaries of the state of Gujarat. I do realise that societal norms, if broken all at once, will create a huge disturbance in society, thus ending up doing more damage than good to the women. Initially Mahila Mandal was not seen in positive or respectable light. The character of the women involved in it was often silently questioned. However, now our work is being admired by everyone and we have gained respect in the eyes of society. The idea is to

“Each time I, along with other women, would go to submit our work and collect money, the person at the counter would randomly cancel any piece of our work and refuse to pay us for our efforts. Believe it or not we had to beg for what was rightfully ours. This is what made me decide to stand up for my rights and help other women fight for theirs. I then began working on printing cards and calendars, which we would export to different countries. Women involved in printing jobs was something of a rarity those days.”


change societal norms one by one, slowly; then perhaps change will be possible to bring about.

What are your views on the extremely low levels of education existing among the people of Kutch?

The social structure and culture of Kutch didn’t give enough importance to education in the past. But I can proudly say that whatever I have achieved in my life today is partly owed to the little education I’ve had. I believe that women should start studying at least from the time they turn five till they reach 20 years of age. Marriages shouldn’t take place at a young age as this could lead to lack of compatibility at a later age. Also, the partners are not quite ready

for marriage at a young age. Education is a must if Kutch wishes to rise. Industrialization is rampant here yet its benefits have not seeped down to the people. In order for that to happen, people will have to get educated.

What do you have to say about the widespread malnourishment here?

This is also a by-product of the culture prevailing at Kutch. Not having

grasped the importance of a balanced diet most people eat only in order to survive. It is not that they cannot afford the nutrients, neither is it the case of gender inequality leaving the women malnourished, while men get all the nourishment. It is just that the people are not aware. For instance, most households don’t make dal in their homes, because it is not in their culture. They will use pulses to make curries, but they won’t eat dal every day.

Kutch has undergone rapid industrialization post-earthquake. How do you deem it to be in the interest of Kutch?

Economic development is essential for every nation, every state. But it should never be at the cost of the people or human development. Industries should not harm traditional livelihoods of the people involved, their lifestyles, their livestock, their agriculture, and their lands. Preference should be given to the local people in the job market. Giving jobs to outsiders takes away means of earning from the local people and does a lot of damage to society.

How do you feel about being a Nobel Peace Prize nominee?

When the nomination came around I didn’t even know about it. I was sick and at home. There I was totally cut off from all kind of news. It was later when I saw my name and photo in the newspaper that I realised the enormity of the nomination. I am happy that my work got recognised by an international body at the international level. However, not winning it has not dampened my spirits. It has only inspired me to work with even more zest, zeal, and energy.

“Women and children continue to be exploited today. A lot of unfairness is taking place in the name of society and religion forcing people to kowtow to unfair and exploitative diktats. It is these unspoken rules that keep the women downtrodden and suppressed. I strongly believe that education is the key that will help women rise above their current status.”


Swatting a swarm of mosquitoes I made my way into the kitchen, cursing under my breath. Irrespective of climatic conditions, mosquitoes have a way of getting to me- literally. A memory kicked in just as soon I began applying turmeric paste and lime to the reddening welts on my arms and legs which had fallen victim to the dipterous attack.

A cousin studying medicine at a college in Kolkata – known as Calcutta back in those hoary times – shared a room in the hostel with one Debuda, his senior. Debuda was known for his idiosyncrasies including drying his clothes over a skipping rope, drinking water out of a desiccated coconut skull and roller-blading through Kolkata’s sludgy traffic. But few instances to beat the one in which Debuda returned from a holiday with a mosquito net one summer. And I am going to tell it like my cousin did.

“But Debuda!” squeaked one of his juniors, an earnest first-year medico,

“how on earth are going to sleep in that?” Everybody looked to where he was pointing. A hole, about the size of a contact lens, was gawping from the carefully ironed mosquito net. Another aspiring doc, a well-meaning roomy known for his meticulousness, handed over a threaded needle sans delay. The invitation to seam the vacuity was turned down just as promptly. “Too tired,” said Debuda, tucking in the net with hole intact.

A late riser Debuda was the first to spring from his bed. The rest, long accustomed to his snoring, woke up to his swearing.

“Those bloody blood-suckers!” the swearing too was a matter of habit, “didn’t let me sleep all night. Well, I’ll get even.” So saying Debuda rolled over in a bid to catch up with much-needed sleep, missing his classes in the bargain.

Teaching mosquitoes a lesson1

1 Indrani Talukdar, Editor, Institute of Rural Management, Anand; Email: [email protected]

“But Debuda!” squeaked one of his juniors, an earnest first-year medico, “how on earth are going to sleep in that?” Everybody looked to where he was pointing. A hole, about the size of a contact lens, was gawping from the carefully ironed mosquito net

Come evening and the mosquitoes began humming their irritating ditty, forming pyramadic clouds on human heads. Debuda was fingering the mosquito net so lovingly packed by his mother, perfect in its creases and folds and practically seamless save for that innocuous-looking gap near the summit


Come evening and the mosquitoes began humming their irritating ditty, forming pyramadic clouds on human heads. Debuda was fingering the mosquito net so lovingly packed by

Debuda was known for his idiosyncrasies including drying his clothes over a skipping rope, drinking water out of a desiccated coconut skull and roller-blading through Kolkata’s sludgy traffic. But few instances to beat the one in which Debuda returned from a holiday with a mosquito net one summer

his mother, perfect in its creases and folds and practically seamless save for that innocuous-looking gap near the summit.

Instead of stitching the hole, however, Debuda was punching another one alongside. All heads in the room turned to the sound of rustling paper.

“And what exactly are you doing?”

Rolling up a newspaper like a tunnel Debuda concentratedly joined the two holes on the net.

Then he looked up and grinned:

“What am I doing? Teaching the mosquitoes a lesson, of course!”

Remembering Dr. Kurien on his first Death Anniversary

IRMA fondly remembered Dr V. Kurien on his first death anniversary on Sep 9,2013. A get-together of faculty members and students was organized on Monday evening with lighting of candles near the Amul Carillon Chimes followed by speeches from Professor Debiprasad Mishra and Professor K V Raju.


As the bus trundled into a corner before sputtering to a stop our apprehensions grew. Our second village stay, an unavoidable and inexorable destiny. As I looked out towards the dust-laden landscape I couldn’t help thinking back to my first stay in a village. Visions kept rising and falling of sleeping inside a barn and being knocked about by domestic animals; of having to use open fields as toilets never mind the incessant downpour; of mosquito-bitten sleepless nights sans electricity... Try as I might, I could not rid the brain of these gory images. Not that it would have done me much good- blocking the images, I mean.

So here we were, two IRMA participants, in another tribal village of Gujarat bordering Madhya Pradesh. And, may I add, fearing the worst. Never mind that the executives of the host organization, NM Sadguru Water and Development Foundation, which had sent us on this assignment, had done their best to try and quell our combined dread, without much success, I am afraid.

But soon all that was about to change.

Being led to my host’s house – a kindly tribal couple – I was pleasantly surprised with the lovely mango groves surrounding the house which, I discovered to my delight, had a toilet. I regret to add, though, that this was the only house in the village with sanitation facilities.

Our hosts, Mr. And Mrs. Nalvaya, were extremely kind and hospitable who made us feel at home right away.

A slice of the pastoral1

A PRM participant’s first person account of her fieldwork experience

1 Parnika Tripathi (PRM 33); E-mail: [email protected]

Our hosts, Mr. And Mrs. Nalvaya, were extremely kind and hospitable who made us feel at home right away. The warmth exuded by Mrs. Nalvaya through her “hello” was enough to set us at ease

Fieldwork proved an experience of a lifetime


We exhaled with relief for the first time that day. The warmth exuded by Mrs. Nalvaya through her “hello” was enough to set us at ease. We learnt later what a chatterbox she was, who loved to fill us in with gossip about her neighbours. Not that we minded for it (or at least some of it) provided useful fodder for our research.

Interacting around the village annihilated some deeply ingrained stereotypes. We had expected the villagers to be dirty and unkempt, which was far from the truth. We were pleasantly surprised with the sights and sounds greeting our senses.

But not everything was picture perfect.

We came across grinding poverty and rampant alcoholism prevalent amongst men and children, especially during festivals like Diwali. The women of the village seemed acutely aware of the problem and were bothered by it. We also realized that we were in a notorious dacoity belt with men robbing

commuters and passersby. Most people lived in tiny mud houses crammed into a small space.

To an extent, we were gratified to learn about the proactive role being played by self help groups (SHGs) in the region. The SHGs seemed to have transformed the lives of the village women in a major way. Women who were covering their heads in deference to their elders, for instance, were no longer doing so. Some of them were holding important positions in the SHGs and were aware of the influence they wielded in society.

What I took away from the village was a feeling of gratitude. Gratitude for all that I have and all that the experience inspired me to achieve. Today, I am thankful to my field experience for having taught me the importance of rising above petty needs and wishes and being thankful for the abundance that is mine. I couldn’t have asked for more.

The SHGs have transformed the lives of the village women in a major way. Women who were covering their heads in deference to their elders, for instance, were no longer doing so. Some of them were holding important positions in the SHGs and were aware of the influence they wielded in society

Interacting around the village annihilated some deeply ingrained stereotypes. We had expected the villagers to be dirty and unkempt, which was far from the truth. We were pleasantly surprised with the sights and sounds greeting our senses


Dear Alumni,Greetings from IRMA!

We bring to you the most awaited and the most talked about networking portal for IRMA alumni:- ALMACONNECT (www.irma.almaconnect.com). A feature rich and contemporary portal that will surely help improve institute-alumni relationship. We’ll be using the portal to keep all of you updated on the direction the institute is going in (academically and culturally), inviting our alumni for events, guest lectures and meetups (of course) and a lot more to boost alumni-institute interactions.

PLEASE NOTE: A. Current location & organization of

each and every alumni is available. B. You can easily search people using

powerful filters and send a message to any selected set of people.

C. You can select what ‘Discussion Groups’ you want to be a part of and receive only relevant information based on them.

A few quick pointers on some ways you can use this platform:

Looking for information on some - company? Ask the people in that company who are part of the network. Have a job opening for freshers/2-- year experienced person in your company? Get applications for referrals and quality ones too. Were you the Mr Fresher of your - batch? Relive those memories of Sangam, Sangharsh, Abhivyakti ........ with pictures (crowd sourced) uploaded in Memories. Planning for a meet up? Invite all - alums through creation of an event.

The list is endless!

Mr. Gambhirbhai Vasava , TAU department passed away on 26th August, 2013 due to a massive heart attack.

Gambhirbhai had been working in the Teaching Aid Unit (TAU) since IRMA’s inception and was to retire from IRMA within a year. He was a very hard working and sincere employee. He was always polite in his dealings and maintained his composure even in the wake of adverse circumstances. He had a silent demeanour, and allowed his work to speak for him. He is survived by his wife and four children. He will forever be remembered fondly by one and all. IRMA community offers heartfelt tribute to the departed soul.

Obituary


General management programme

(January 6-25, 2014)

This three-week long intensive programme is designed to meet the needs of managerial personnel working in middle management positions in co-operatives, public sector undertakings, and government organizations. Hundreds of middle and senior level managers from co-operatives engaged in rural development work have been trained in many GMPs conducted so far. Today’s global economy calls for multifaceted leaders who have a more holistic view of their operations, who can spot emerging opportunities, and who can navigate all economic environments. In response, GMP helps participants master new skills, explore diverse perspectives, and develop new leadership styles- transforming them into outstanding business leaders who can lead their organizations with new skills, judgment, and confidence.

The GMP provides a set of management and leadership skills enabling managers to complete their roles and responsibilities. This will be appropriate for those with operational or technical backgrounds who now find they are managing others. It can also be excellent training for newly promoted staff, as well as a valuable resource for the more experienced manager. Experiences from India and abroad suggest that short duration management programmes, such as the GMP, make such mid-career transitions smoother and purposeful. Such programmes

also equip professionals with tools for pursuing their professional and personal growth in the context of changing organization priorities, needs, and objectives with renewed vigour.

What GMP Can Offer

The GMP focuses on developing managerial capabilities, leadership qualities, and the communication skills of participants. The design, approach, and learning material used in the programme broadly reflects IRMA’s belief that providing control to the rural people over resources and technologies for development through member-governed organizations is the most potent instrument of rural development. The learning methods include lectures, seminars, action planning workshops, and interaction with visiting scholars and managers. Much emphasis is laid on exposure to simple but effective concepts and techniques constituting the core of general management education. At the same time, participants are provided with managerial tools and methods to further their competence in the area of their specialization.

A professional considering • participation in the GMP may expect following benefits:

A broadened perspective of the • formal organization as an integrated social system and the role of a manager in such a system


An increase in managerial • competence and skills in ones functional area

An improvement in written and • oral communication skills

Strengthening of one’s operational • planning skills and competencies

An improvement in interpersonal • skills to work as an effective team member

Appreciation of the inter-relation-• ships between organizational per-formance and larger social goals

Participants are likely to return to their organizations with analytical skills needed to identify, frame, and solve complex problems, the confidence needed to make important decisions, and the leadership skills needed to drive fundamental change in an uncertain world. In short, this programme is designed to maximize the impact a participant makes when he or she gets back to work.

Contents

The programme is divided into three phases, each focusing on a separate theme. The phases are sequential and each phase builds progressively on the learning that takes place during the earlier phase.

The first phase focuses on understanding the social and political contexts, and developing basic analytical techniques for data analysis and problem solving,

providing competence to understand self and others, strengthening the communication skills, and exposure to the use of personal computers. The second phase focuses on exposing participants to all functional areas of rural management with a view to acquainting them with the basics of these areas and to enable them to appreciate the role of each of these functions in the overall management of co-operatives. The third phase is essentially integrating the two previous phases. It focuses on enabling participants to use concepts, techniques, and skills learned during the first two phases to understand the functioning of an organization as a whole.

Participants

The GMP is designed for middle-level executives from co-operatives, public sector undertakings (PSUs), and government organizations who are likely to move into general management positions in the near future. Sponsoring organizations may keep this point in view while nominating executives for the programme. Since the language of instruction is English, participants must have a reasonable knowledge of English to handle the reading assignments, case analyses, and class discussions.

For more details, please contact: Executive (Programmes) Email: [email protected] Mobile: +91-7567448244


FACULTY

Recent Faculty Additions to the IRMA Family:

Dr. Hari K. Nagarajan joined IRMA as Professor and RBI Chair in Rural Economics. Prior to this, he was Senior Fellow at the National Council for Applied Economic research (NCAER), New Delhi. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Oklahoma, Norman. He has also taught at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore and, at The University of Oklahoma, Norman.

His research has primarily been in the area of rural development within which he has published papers on land markets, land reforms, inheritance, and, price formation in agricultural markets. Dr. Nagarajan’s publications have appeared in journals including the European Economic Review, Journal Human resources, Journal of Development Studies, World Development, Agricultural Economics, and the Economic and Political Weekly among others. He is a regular referee for Economic development and Cultural Change (EDCC) and the Journal of Development Studies.

Dr. Nagarajan has also been a consultant to the IFAD, the World Bank, and SEBI. He has raised grants of over $ 4.5 million from agencies such as the NIH, IDRC, IFAD, and the DFID. Currently Dr. Nagarajan is in the process of initiating a multi-year collaborative research program on measuring the outcomes of MGNREGS, with grants from MORD, IDRC, and the DIE (Bonn). Researchers from DIE (Bonn), IDS, World Bank, Gandhi Gram Rural Institute will also be involved. His teaching interests are related to economic development, and applied microeconomic theory. He has taught History of Economic Thought, Comparative Economic Systems, Game Theory, Open Economy Macroeconomics, and Applied Econometrics.

Dr. Indranil De is working as Assistant Professor since July 2013 in the area of Social Sciences with secondary membership in the area of Economics. His areas of interest are delivery of basic services, local governance and rural development. Prior to joining IRMA he worked as Assistant Professor of Economics in BITS Pilani - K. K. Birla Goa Campus from January 2012. He taught courses like Microeconomics, Econometrics and Project Appraisal. He also worked as Assistant Professor with International Management Institute-Kolkata for a brief period. He has been awarded Ph.D degree from the Centre for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, in 2008. His title of dissertation was “Fiscal Decentralisation and Access to Basic Services in Rural India with Reference to Water Supply and Sanitation in West Bengal?”. He was awarded an M.Phil degree from the same university in 2003. His title of dissertation in M.Phil was “Water Resource Management in India with Special Reference to Major and Medium Irrigation Systems”. Dr. De has also worked for more than four years with renowned research institutions and important projects. He has worked with National Council of Applied Economic Research and Indian

IRMA NEWS


Council for Research in International Economic Relations. His research work has mainly addressed the socio-economic developmental issues and related government policies. He has also worked with the industry for three-and- a-half years. In his capacity as Assistant Manager in HSBC Technology and Services he has contributed to Propensity Modeling and Marketing Mix Modeling.

Dr. Monark Bag joined IRMA as Assistant Professor. He holds a Ph.D in Engineering, an MBA in Information Technology Management, and a B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering. He was received “UGC Meritorious Fellowship” for his doctoral research entitled “An Expert System for Control Chart Pattern Recognition.”He is engaged in teaching and research. Prior to joining IRMA, he was a faculty member at IMT Ghaziabad and Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad in the Operations Management area. His research interest includes expert system, control chart pattern recognition, quality control, optimization techniques and intrusion detection systems. He has published many papers in reputed journals, conferences and book chapters. He had been awarded the best research paper award consecutively three years from Society of Operations Management during their annual international conference at IIT Madras, NITIE Mumbai and IIM Calcutta. He is a regular reviewer of various reputed international journals like Computers and Industrial Engineering (Elsevier), European Journal of Operational Research (Elsevier), Decision Science (Wiley), Journal of the Operational Research Society UK (Palgrave Macmillan) etc. He has taught various operations management courses like Operations and Supply chain Management, Total Quality Management and Six Sigma, Service Operations Management, Procurement Management and e-logistics, Quantitative Decision Models etc.

Dr. Shyam Singh joined IRMA as an Assistant Professor in the Social Sciences area. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore. His research interests include: governance and development, social policy, social exclusion and caste and village politics. He has published widely on issues like politics of public policy, governance (urban & rural), social services and social exclusion. He has nearly four years of experience in research and teaching.

PUBLICATIONS

Misra, Harekrishna and Raju, K V, (2013), “E-Governance Services For Sustaınable Lıvelıhoods: MDGs Based Assessment”, International Journal of eBusiness and eGovernment Studies, Vol 5 no 1, 2013, July, Izmir, Turkey.

Kumar Rajesh and Madhavi Harshadrai Mehta (2013), “Leadership: Concept and Context; Chapter 9 in Culture and Gender in Leadership: Perspectives from the Middle East and Asia”, Edited by James Rajasekar and Loo-See Beh, Palgrave Macmillan.

Raju, K V and, Harekrishna Misra, (2013),”E-Business And Pro-Producer Rural Enterprises: Value Chain Based Assessment”, International Journal of eBusiness and eGovernment Studies, Vol 5 no 1 2013, July, Izmir, Turkey.


Shylendra, H.S. (2013 Forthcoming), “Microfinance and the Cooperatives in India: Can the Poor Gain from their Coming Together?” International Journal of Rural Management, October 9(2), 151–181.

Shylendra, H.S. (2013), “Dairying as an Instrument of Inclusive Rural Development”, Indian DiaryMan, April 2013, 113-15.

Conference/Seminar/Workshops

Prof. Anand Venkatesh (Co-authored with Prof. Ila Patel and Prof. Preeti Priya) presented a paper on ‘Impact of Industrialisation in Rural Areas: A Study of Mundra Taluka in Kutch’ in the workshop “IDRC | TTI Workshop on Rural Urban Transformation” organized by IRMA and PAC on August 29- 30.

Prof. H.S. Shylendra presented a paper on ‘Role of PACS as BCs and Implications for Financial Inclusion’ in the Second International Workshop on Inclusive Finance conducted at XLRI Jamshedpur during September 13-15.

_____participated in ‘Gramodaya - A Workshop on Integral and Inclusive Education’ at Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry held during July 29-30..

_____ delivered a Talk on ‘In Pursuit of Excellence in Research’ at Amrita School of Business, Coimbatore on 5 July.

Prof. Ila Patel presented a paper titled: ‘Impact of Industrialisation in Rural Areas: A Study of Zarpara Village in Mundra Taluka of Kutch’ in the workshop “IDRC | TTI Workshop on Rural Urban Transformation” organized by IRMA and PAC on August 29- 30.

Prof. Preeti Priya (co-authored with Prof. S N Biswas and Prof. Anand Venkatesh) made a paper presentation on ‘Assessment of Subjective Well- Being in Rural India | Implications for Development Practice’ in the workshop “IDRC | TTI Workshop on Rural Urban Transformation” organized by IRMA and PAC on August 29- 30..

Prof. Pramod K Singh conducted an International Conference on ‘Pathways to Climate Resilient Livelihoods in Himalayan River Basins’, which was organized by the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) in association with International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) – Austria, Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN) – Pakistan, and Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) – Bangladesh, August 1–2 in New Delhi.

Prof. Pramod K Singh participated in a workshop on Land Governance Assessment Framework (LGAF), which was organized jointly by the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) and the World Bank, held at IRMA, August 20–22.


Prof. Rakesh Saxena presented a paper on ‘Need for Green Growth in Production of Electricity in India’ at 15th World Congress on Environment Management (Theme: Driving Green Economy for Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth) organized by the Institute of Directors, New Delhi, July 19-20.

Other Engagements

Prof. H.S. Shylendra was nominated as member of committee of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University, Lucknow, to assess the APIs/specialization for the selection of the posts for Associate Professors/Professors, 29th September 2013.

Prof. H.S. Shylendra nominated as external examiner of a Ph.D thesis by Gujarat Vidyapeeth, Ahmedabad, July 2013.

Prof. Jeemol Unni attended a Conference on “Pathways for Climate Resilient Livelihoods in Himalayan River Basins” under IDRC-CARIAA at Delhi, August 1-2, 2013.

Prof. Jeemol Unni attended the Inception Meeting for the South Asia Policy Engagement and Communication (PEC) programme as part of the Think Tank Initiative, International Development Research Centre (IDRC) at Bangkok, September 26-27, 2013.

Prof. Preeti Priya from Marketing Area was one of the sixteen Scholars in Marketing selected this year for the 2nd Biennial Sheth Emerging Scholars Faculty Consortium organised by the Academy of Marketing Science (AMS). It was held on July 16, 2013 in the Monash University Law Offices, Melbourne, Australia in conjunction with the AMS Annual World Marketing Congress (WMC) during July 17-19, 2013.

Prof. Rakesh Saxena facilitated Naranpur Express simulation game at KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM), Bhubaneswar, as a part of the induction programme for MBA (Rural Management) students on July 26.

Prof. Rakesh Saxena attended the release function of the India Rural Development Report 2012/13 at New Delhi on 26th September 2013. The report has been prepared by the IDFC Rural Development Network of which IRMA is a partner institution. The report was released by the chief guest- Shri Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Rural Development.

Research Projects

Prof. Pramod K Singh commenced a sub-nation-wide study on ‘Sustaining and Improving Rural Livelihoods through Adaptive Approaches’ in collaboration with International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria, National School of Hydrology, IIT Roorkee, and Centre for Water Resources Development and Management, Kozhikode, Kerala.


MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES (MDPs)

Off-Campus MDPs

Title of the Programme Dates Coordinator(s) Host Place

Training for Board of Directors Sep 1, 2013 Prof. Hitesh Bhatt Trivandrum Milk Union

Trivandrum

Finance for Senior Executives Sep 2-3, 2013 Prof. Paresh J. BhattProf. Asmita H. Vyas

IFFCO Kalol

Leadership and Team Building Sep 18-19, 2013 Prof. SN Biswas IFFCO Kalol

Training Programme Sep 18-19,, 2013 Prof. Hitesh Bhatt LNJB Group of Companies

Bhilwara

Training Programme Sep 20-21, 2013 Prof. Hitesh Bhatt LNJB Group of Companies

Bhilwara

Process Quality Management Sep 23-24, 2013 Prof. Hitesh Bhatt IFFCO Kalol

Leadership Sep 27, 2013 Prof. Madhavi Mehta Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd.

Anand

On-Campus MDPs

Title of the Programme Dates Co-ordinator(s)

Developing Leadership Skills for REST, Ethiopia Jul 15-18, 2013 Madhavi Mehta

Project Management for REST, Ethiopia Jul 19-23, 2013 Hitesh Bhatt

PERT/CPM Techniques Jul 18-19, 2013 Girish K. Agrawal

Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Jul 29 – Aug 1, 2013 Girish K. Agrawal

Project Management for REST, Ethiopia Jul 29 – Aug 1, 2013 Hitesh Bhatt

Developing Leadership Skills for REST, Ethiopia Aug 2-6, 2013 Madhavi Mehta

Integrated Watershed Management and Collective Enterprises

Aug 19-23, 2013 KV RajuHarekrishna Misra

Developing Training Modules for Employees and Training of Trainers

Sep 3-6, 2013 Hitesh Bhatt

Social Mobilization and Sustainable Development Sep 9-14, 2013 KV Raju

Practical Answers to Poverty – Marketing of Rural Products Sep 10-12, 2013 Preeti Priya

Causing Incredible Performance Sep 11-13, 2013 C BalajiHitesh Bhatt

Value Chain Management in Rural Enterprises Sep 16-18, 2013 Harekrishna MisraKV Raju

Performance Management System Sep 17-20, 2013 Madhavi Mehta

A Primer on Management of Cooperative based Organic Farming Enterprises for Farmers

Sep 18-20, 2013 Preeti Priya

Logistics Approach to Supply Chain Management Sep 25-27, 2013 MV Durga Prasad


IRMA SeminarsProf. Shashikant Kumar, School of Planning, Bhaikaka Centre for Human

Settlement, APIED, VV Nagar, “Nature of Urban Development in Anand UA and Challenges for planners” on July 24.

Prof. Andrew Foster, Professor, Brown University, USA, “Democratization and Economic Development in Indian Villages” on August 23.

Dr. Margaret Weidner, Fulbright Scholar, “Impact of Ecological Imbalances in High Himalayas” on August 26.

Dr Sharit K Bhowmik, TISS, Mumbai, “Informal Labour in India: Dimensions and Consequences” on August 28.

Prof. Ananta Kumar Giri, Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai, “Practical Spirituality and Human Development” on September 02.

Prof. Damodar Suar, IIT, Kharagpur, “Application of Structural Equation Modeling in Management and Social Science” on September 26.

Mr. N T Sudarshan Naidu, FPRM-5, “Managing Buyer-Seller Relationships in Contract Farming” (Thesis Seminar) on October 10.

Visitors to IRMADuring the quarter of July-September 2013 IRMA received around 300 visitors. Most of these visitors were from different higher education institutions of the country. These institutions were: Dept. of Social Work, St. Joseph’s College, Pilathara, Kannur, Kerala; Shri Venkateshwara Vet. University, AP; V G Vaze College of Arts, Science and Commerce. Mulund (East); Gandhiji Study Centre, Kerala; Sri Sri University, Cuttack; TN Agriculture University, Coimbatore; Poornima Group of College, Dept. of Management Studies, Jaipur; and K J Somaya college, Mumbai. Apart from students working professionals and managers from the following organizations also visited IRMA: Dairy Development Authority, Ministry of Agri. Govt. of Uganda; Employment Generation and Marketing Mission (EGCC), Dept. of Rural Development, Govt. of AP; ATMA, Raipur, Madhya Pradesh; and Ambassador of Colombia to India.

IDRC-TTI Working Paper THE SERVICE SECTOR GROWTH AND URBAN CONSUMPTIONAtulan GuhaThe GDP growth structure of India has been dominated by growth in the service sector. Baumolian theories argue that higher productivity in services is the prime mover behind this growth pattern. The Kaldorian theories, on the other hand, argue that the service sector or IT sector with its strong linkages with the rest of the economy, have been driving the growth. This paper argues that none of these two theories explain the Indian growth structure. The demand pattern, which is independent of the production structure, is the key factor responsible for this growth pattern. This demand pattern has arisen primarily out of external demand and increasing income inequality.Key Words: Growth, Manufacturing and Service Industries, inequality