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Vol. 32 No. 373 MARCH 2018 Rs. 20.00

O EU & Western Balkans O Union Budget 2018 O Globalization & Agriculture O Women & Agriculture Development O Plight of Beedi Workers

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 1 2 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 CONCEPTTHIRD INSIDE

Editorial An International Journal Carte Blanche for Scams 5 of Ideas B.K. The EU’s Strategy for the Western Vol. 32 No. 373 MARCH 2018 Rs. 20. 00 Balkans: Bureaucrats’ Crusade 7 Third Concept aims at providing a platform where Zlatko Hadžidediæ a meaningful exchange of ideas can take place among the people of the Third World. The attempt will be Features of the Union Budget of India 2018 8 to communicate, debate and disseminate information, Dr. C. Sivakkolundu ideas and alternatives for the resolution of the common problems facing humankind. We welcome Globalization’s Impact on Agriculture contributions from academics, journalists and even in Telangana 14 from those who may never have published anything before. The only requirement is a concern for and N. Soundarya desire to understand and take the issue of our time. Contributions may be descriptive, analytical or Reappraising Role of Women in theoretical. They may be in the form of original Agricultural Development 20 articles, reactions to previous contributions, or even Dr. Veeraiah Bollikonda a comment on a prevailing situation. All contributions, neatly typed in double space, may be addressed to: Fluorosis & Role of Medical Geologist 26 Editor Consulting Editor Dr. Pramod C. Sahu Babuddin Khan M. L. Sharma Employee Engagement: Overview Managing Editor Art Director of Demographic Profile 29 R. Prudhvi Raju Purba Roy Pooja Das & Dr. R. K. Sahu Business Executive Chief of Production R.S.Rawat N. P. Agarwal Plight of Beedi Workers: Need for Policy Intervention 37 While the Editor accepts responsibility for the selection of materials to be published, individual C. Bharathi authors are responsible for the facts, figures, and views in their articles. However, the Editor reserves HRD Practices and Matriculation the right to edit the articles for reasons of space and School Teachers in Kovilpatti 44 clarity. Ms. M. Jensirani & Dr. A. Muthumani Published, Printed and Owned by Babuddin Khan Evaluating Employment Conditions of Third Concept Spinning Mill Workers in Kozhikode 49 LB - 39, Prakash Deep Building, Anooja Chacko 7, Tolstoy Marg, New Delhi-110 001. Ph : 23711092, 23712249, Fax No: 23711092. Impact of POCSO Act on the tribal E-mail : [email protected] population (Wayanad, Kerala) 54 Website: www.thirdconceptjournal.co.in Krishnanunni C.U. & A. J. Mathews THIRD CONCEPT NOW UGC APPROVED JOURNAL Designed by: Pt. Tejpal

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 3 4 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 Editorial Carte Blanche for Scams

nveiling of host of banking scams recently amounting to billions of rupees amply reflects on present dispensation’s ‘ease of doing business’ in India and ‘ease of living’ abroad. The tone and Utenor of unveiling of banking scams every now and then smells a rot in the prevalent banking system and reinforces the skepticism of the official carte blanche authorization of carrying out these scams. Scams seldom occur in isolation. Sequence of events culminating in occurrence of scams of such magnitude indicate prevalence of well-orchestrated nexus between the politicians, banking officials and the scamsters. Media reports make it discernible as to how business canaries have manipulated the banking system, bypassing protective mechanisms. Inability to safeguard the protective mechanism has not only led to the exposure of the vulnerabilities in existing banking procedures, but has also laid bare collusion between bank officers and scamsters and rampant institutional corruption. Many economists are unanimous in their view that politician-business-banker nexus has made the functioning of the banking system opaque and subject to corrupt manipulation. Issues of corruption and plutocracy helped the present dispensation to wrest power at the Centre in the 2014 election, and after being at the helm for the past four years one is anxious to ascertain as to how this dispensation is going to play out in the near future in the wake of unveiling of host of banking scams and what repercussions would be there for nation’s political and institutional life. Some analysts suggest that one of the ironical consequences of these scams may be to subtly take corruption off the political agenda. Unraveling of these banking scams has not only made Modi government to take a political hit; but it has also ‘deeply punctured its bombast and claims to providing a corruption-free India’, as pointed out by some experts. One expert has opined that the present dispensation has earned the image wherein the wealthy allegedly scooting off to foreign lands with their loot while the poor were made to stand in line for their own money. Even after having been in power for four years, the BJP never tires of blaming the past governments for the present ills and this strategy, as some experts opine, is likely to pay diminishing marginal returns. In the wake of unfolding of banking scams one after the other, the BJP’s strategy of hoodwinking the gullible masses through its huge rhetorical emphasis on corruption is seemingly inching towards fiasco and the existing scenario provides ample opportunity for the Congress to take away the BJP’s trump card, even if it fails to generate anti-BJP crescendo. At this critical juncture, the banking system in India seems to be mired in hoax schemes. According to some media reports, data mined by Reuters reveals that within a five- year period from 2012 to 2017, there were 8,670 bank fraud cases involving an estimated $9.58 billion. In the light of this, these recently discovered bank scams may thus be the tip of the iceberg as far as such rackets are concerned and the malaise seems to be deep-rooted. Some experts hold crony capitalism as one of the major reasons for these frauds. Loans are given to those who have close ties with the government of the day without asking any questions. This coziness between the political leadership and the banking system is, in turn, blamed on nationalization and government controls. However, mere privatization of the banks is no panacea. The onus for the nation’s economic losses lies on the shoulders of the political leadership, which should make use of the supervisory mechanisms of the RBI and Finance Ministry to remedy the malaise and help restore the people’s faith in the banking system. Nothing less than genuine efforts to clean the Augean stables of the public-sector banks will help save the country’s vital financial systems from ultimate collapse in the long run. There is dire need for bringing about transparency and accountability. This has to then be supported by scrutiny into the functioning of the institution. The legislature is also called upon to take a relook at the legislative framework of transparency, accountability and governance of RBI. Undoubtedly, the Draft Indian Financial Code addresses many of these concerns; nevertheless, there is need to incorporate its principles in primary legislation. BK THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 5 6 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 The EU’s Strategy for the Western Balkans: Bureaucrats’ Crusade Zlatko Hadžidedić* [The European Commission set a target date of 2025 for some of the Balkan countries to join. However, Brussels sees only Serbia and Montenegro as actual candidates. The door formally remains open to Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia, but these countries have been put into a grey zone with no time frames and road-maps. They have been put on hold with no tangible prospects for membership, left without any explanation of what makes them less valid candidates than Serbia and Montenegro, with these two being as poor, illiberal and undemocratic as the remaining four.] ith a dose of instant cynicism, one xenophobia. Or – to put it in terms more familiar might conclude that Serbia and to the likely author of the strategy, the European WMontenegro have been rewarded for Commissioner for European Neighbourhood their military aggressions on Bosnia and Kosovo, Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes and Serbia’s permanent pressures on Macedonia, Hahn – the triumph of Ausländerfeindlichkeit. whereas the latter ones have been punished for Now, what options are left to the practically being the former’s victims. However, a more excluded Balkan countries, after so many efforts careful look at the population structure of the four to present themselves as valid candidates for EU non-rewarded countries reveals that these, unlike membership? There is a point in claims that some Serbia and Montenegro, have a relative excess of their oligarchies, particularly the tripartite one of Muslim population. in Bosnia-Herzegovina, have never actually So far, there have been dilemmas whether the wanted to join the EU, because their arbitrary European Union is to be regarded as an exclusive rule would be significantly undermined by the Christian club, bearing in mind the prolonged EU’s rule of law. It is logical, then, that the discriminatory treatment of Turkey as an tripartite oligarchy welcomes the strategy that unwanted candidate. After the European keeps the country away from the EU membership, Commission’s new strategy for the Balkans, there while at the same time deceiving the population can be no such dilemmas: the countries perceived that the strategy is a certain path to the EU. by Brussels bureaucrats as Muslim ones – Yet, what about these people, separated into three regardless of the actual percentage of their ethnic quarantines, who believe that joining the Muslim population – are not to be treated as EU would simply solve all their political and European. economic problems, and who refuse to accept The resurrection of this logic, now embodied in the idea that the EU might be an exclusive club, the actual strategy, takes Europe back to its pre- not open to them? What are the remaining options Westphalian roots, to the faraway times of the for them? Crusades or the times of the Siege of Vienna. It They cannot launch a comprehensive revolution also signals the ultimate triumph of the most and completely replace the tripartite oligarchy reactionary populist ideologies in the by their democratic representatives. Still, they contemporary Europe, based on exclusion of all can press it to adopt and conduct a multi-optional who are perceived as „others”. It signals the foreign policy, oriented towards several ultimate triumph of the European ineradicable

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 7 geopolitical centers: one of them may remain definite rejection logically pushes the country to Brussels, but Washington, Moscow, Beijing, look for geopolitical alternatives. Ankara, Tehran, and others, should also be taken And it is high time for Bosnia-Herzegovina’s into account. For, a no-alternative policy, as the people and intellectual and political elites to one which only repeats its devotion to the EU understand that Brussels is not the only option integrations without any other geopolitical on the table, and that there are other geopolitical options, is no policy at all. centers whose interests might be identified as In this sense, the presented EU strategy has clearly convergent with the interests of Bosnia- demonstrated the futility of such a no-alternative Herzegovina. Still, all of them should first approach: regardless of how many times you demonstrate the ability to identify the interests repeat your devotion to the EU values, principles of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which means that they and integrations, the EU bureaucrats can simply should first recognize it as a sovereign state with tell you that you will never play in the same team its own interests, rather than someone else’s with them. However, such an arbitrary but proxy. 

Features of the Union Budget of India 2018

Dr. C. Sivakkolundu* [The Union Budget of India also referred to as the Annual financial statement in the Article 112 of the Constitution of India, is the annual budget of the Republic of India. The Government presents it on the first day of February so that it could be materialized before the commencement of new financial year in April. Till 2016 it was presented on the last working day of February by the Finance Minister of India in Parliament. The budget, which is presented by means of the Finance bill and the Appropriation bill, has to be passed by both the Houses before it can come into effect from April 1, the start of India’s financial year. The 2018 Union budget of India was the annual financial statement (AFS), demand for grants, appropriation bill and finance bill of India for the financial year 2018-19. The Union budget was presented to the Parliament on 1 February 2018 by Finance Minister.] The 2018 budget mostly focused on agriculture Minister announced a slew of new schemes and and rural infrastructure. It also proposed to measures. provide housing to all poor in the country by 2022. The budget 2022 also focused on healthcare and  The government has decided to keep MSP for education in a big way. However, against all the all unannounced kharif crops at least one and expectations of the common man, budget 2018 half times of their production cost after didn’t make any changes to the personal income declaring the same for the majority of Rabi tax structure. cops.  Agriculture and Rural Economy The volume of institutional credit for agriculture sector from year-to-year increased  Referring to the Government’s from Rs.8.5 lakh crore in 2014-15 to Rs.10 commitment to the welfare of farmers and lakh crore in 2017-18 and raises this to Rs.11 doubling farmer’s income by 2022, the Finance lakh crore for the year 2018-19.  * Asst. Prof., Dept of Economics, Thiruvalluvar For announced setting up a Fisheries and Aqua University, Vellore. culture Infrastructure Development Fund

8 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 (FAIDF) for fisheries sector and an Animal Education, Health and Social Protection Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) for financing infrastructure  The Finance Minister said that estimated requirement of animal husbandry sector with budgetary expenditure on health, education a total corpus of Rs.10,000 crore for the two and social protection for 2018-19 is Rs.1.38 new funds. lakh crore against estimated expenditure of Rs.1.22 lakh crore in 2017-18  On the lines of Operation Flood a new Scheme Operation Greens was announced with an  On education front to setting up of Ekalavya outlay of Rs 500 core to address the challenge Model Residential School on par with of price volatility of perishable commodities Navodaya Vidyalayas to provide the best like tomato, onion and potato with the quality education to the tribal children in their satisfaction of both the farmers and consumers. own environment by 2022 in every block with more than 50% ST population and at least  The Budget announced to develop and upgrade 20,000 tribal persons with special facilities existing 22,000 rural haats into Gramin for preserving local art and culture besides Agricultural Markets (GrAMs) to take care providing training in sports and skill of the interests of more than 86% small and development. marginal farmers.  To step up investments in research and related  Budget 2018-19 estimates assume real GDP infrastructure in premier educational growth of 7.2 percent. institutions, including health institutions, a major initiative named Revitalising Relief to Senior Citizens Infrastructure and Systems in Education  Exemption of interest income on deposits with (RISE) by 2022 with a total investment of banks and post offices to be increased from Rs.1,00,000 crore in next four years was Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 50,000. announced.  TDS not required to be deducted under section  To improve the quality of teachers an 194A. Benefit also available for interest from integrated B.Ed. programme for teachers will all fixed deposit schemes and recurring be initiated. deposit schemes.   The Government would launch the Prime Hike in deduction limit for health insurance Minister’s Research Fellows (PMRF) Scheme premium and/ or medical expenditure from Rs. this year. Under this, 1,000 best B.Tech 30,000 to Rs. 50,000 under section 80D. students will be identified each year from  Increase in deduction limit for medical premier institutions and provide them expenditure for certain critical illness from facilities to do Ph.D in IITs and IISc, with a Rs. 60,000 (in case of senior citizens) and handsome fellowship. Allocation on National from Rs. 80,000 (in case of very senior Social Assistance Programme this year has citizens) to Rs. 1 lakh for all senior citizens, been kept at Rs. 9975 crore. under section 80DDB. Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises  Proposed to extend Pradhan Mantri Vaya (MSMEs) and Employment Vandana Yojana up to March, 2020. Current  The Budget has given a big thrust to Medium, investment limit proposed to be increased to Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) to Rs. 15 lakh from the existing limit of Rs. 7.5 boost employment and economic growth. A lakh per senior citizen. sum of Rs. 3794 crore has been provided for

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 9 giving credit support, capital and interest  subsidy and for innovations. To increase of budgetary allocation on infrastructure for 2018-19 to Rs.5.97 lakh  MUDRA Yojana launched in April, 2015 has crore against estimated expenditure of Rs.4.94 led to sanction of Rs.4.6 lakh crore in credit lakh crore in 2017-18. from 10.38 crore MUDRA loans. 76% of loan accounts are of women and more than 50%  The Government has made an all-time high belong to SCs, STs and OBCs. allocation to rail and road sectors and is committed to further enhance public  Proposed to set a target of Rs.3 lakh crore investment. for lending under MUDRA for 2018-19 after having successfully exceeded the targets in  The Prime Minister personally reviews the all previous years. targets and achievements in infrastructure sectors on a regular basis. Using online Employment Generation monitoring system of PRAGATI alone,  Reiterating that creating job opportunities is projects worth 9.46 lakh crore have been at the core of government policies, Finance facilitated and fast tracked. Minister cited an independent study as  To further boost tourism, the Budget proposes showing that 70 lakh formal jobs will be to develop ten prominent tourist sites into created this year. Iconic Tourism destinations by following a  To carry forward the momentum created by holistic approach involving infrastructure and the measures taken during the last 3 years to skill development, development of technology, boost employment generation and the attracting private investment, branding and Government will contribute 12% of the wages marketing. Under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, of the new employees in the EPF for all the about 35000 kms road construction in Phase- sectors for next three years. I at an estimated cost of Rs.5,35,000 crore has been approved.  To make amendments in the Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Railways Act, 1952 to reduce women employees’  Railways Capital Expenditure for the year contribution to 8% for first three years of their 2018-19 has been pegged at Rs.1,48,528 employment against existing rate of 12% or crore. A large part of the Capex is devoted to 10% with no change in employers’ capacity creation. 4000 kilometers of contribution. electrified railway network is slated for  The Budget proposed an outlay of Rs.7148 commissioning during 2017-18. crore for the textile sector in 2018-19 as  Work on Eastern and Western dedicated against Rs. 6,000 crores in 2016. Freight Corridors is in full swing. Adequate Infrastructure and Financial Sector number of rolling stock 12000 wagons, 5160 Development coaches and approximately 700 locomotives are being procured during 2018-19. Over  Emphasizing that infrastructure is the growth 3600 kms of track renewal is targeted during driver of economy, the Finance Minister the current fiscal. Redevelopment of 600 estimated that investment in excess of Rs.50 major railway stations is being taken up. lakh crore is needed to increase growth of  GDP and connect the nation with a network Mumbai’s local train network will have 90 of roads, airports, railways, ports and inland kilometers of double line tracks at a cost of waterways. over Rs. 11,000 crore. 150 kilometers of

10 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 additional suburban network is being planned fi hotspots to provide net connectivity to five at a cost of over Rs. 40,000 crore, including crore rural citizens. The Finance Minister elevated corridors on some sections. A allocated Rs. 10000 crore in 2018-19 for suburban network of approximately 160 creation and augmentation of Telecom kilometers at an estimated cost of Rs. 17,000 infrastructure. crore is being planned to cater to the growth of the Bengaluru metropolis. Defence Air Transport  Recognizing the sacrifices made by the Armed Forces in meeting the security challenges, the  The Budget proposes to expand the airport Finance Minister proposed development of capacity more than five times to handle a billion trips a year under a new initiative - two defence industrial production corridors. NABH Nirman. Disinvestment  Under the Regional connectivity scheme of  The Finance Minister announced that 2017- UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) initiated 18 disinvestment target of Rs. 72,500 crore by the Government last year, 56 unserved has been exceeded and expected receipts of airports and 31 unserved helipads would be Rs.1,00,000 crore. The disinvestment target connected. of Rs. 80,000 crore for 2018-19. Finance  Three Public Sector Insurance companies-  To encourage raising funds from bond market, National Insurance Co. Ltd., United India the Finance Minister urged regulators to move Assurance Co. Ltd., and Oriental India from AA to A rating for investment eligibility. insurance Co. Ltd., will be merged into a  The Government will establish a unified single insurance entity. authority for regulating all financial services  The Finance Minister announced that a in International Finance Service Centre comprehensive Gold Policy will be (IFSCs) in India. formulated to develop gold as an asset class. Digital Economy The Government will also establish a system of consumer friendly and trade efficient system  The Finance Minister said that NITI Aayog of regulated gold exchanges in the country. will initiate a national program to direct efforts in artificial intelligence.  Gold Monetization Scheme will be revamped to enable people to open a hassle-free Gold  Department of Science & Technology will Deposit Account. The Budget proposes to launch a Mission on Cyber Physical Systems revise emoluments to Rs.5 lakh for the to support establishment of centres of President, Rs 4 lakh for the Vice President excellence for research, training and skilling and Rs.3.5 lakh per month to Governor. in robotics, artificial intelligence, digital manufacturing, big data analysis, quantum  To celebrate the 150 Birth Anniversary of communication and internet of things. The Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation from Budget doubled the allocation on Digital India 2nd October 2019, the Budget set aside programme to Rs 3073 crore in 2018-19. Rs.150 crore for the activities leading to the  To further Broadband access in villages, the commemoration programme. Government proposes to set up five lakh wi-

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 11 Fiscal Management 5. Taneja, Richa, ed. (January 29, 2018). ”Budget 2018 To Be Presented By  The Budget Revised Estimates for expenditure Finance Minister Arun Jaitley: Time, Date, in 2017-18 are Rs.21.57 lakh crore as against All Details Here”. NDTV. New Delhi. the Budget Estimates of Rs.21.47 lakh crore. Retrieved January 30, 2018. Continuing Government’s path of fiscal reduction and consolidation, the Finance 6. Seetharaman, G. (January 28, 2018). ”Budget Minister projected a Fiscal Deficit of 3.3% 2018: Here are the basics of this key annual of GDP for the year 2018-19. event”. The Economic Times. OCLC 61311680. Retrieved January  The Revised Fiscal Deficit estimates for 2017- 30, 2018. 18 were put at Rs. 5.95 lakh crore at 3.5% of GDP.100 percent deduction to companies 7. Sultana, Nasrin (January 29, registered as Farmer Producer Companies 2018). ”Economic Survey, Budget 2018 to with an annual turnover up to Rs. 100 crore be keenly watched in crucial week for on profit derived from such activities, for a markets”. Live Mint. Mumbai: HT Media period of five years from financial year 2018- Ltd. Retrieved January 30, 2018. 19. 8. “Union Budget 2018: How Modi government Conclusion can create more jobs? here is the answer”. The Financial Express. New Delhi. The budget mostly focused on agriculture and FE Online. January 23, rural infrastructure. It also proposed to provide 2018. OCLC 30000665. Retrieved January housing to all poor in the country. The budget 30, 2018. also focused on healthcare and education in a big way. However, against all the expectations 9. Khare, Anurag (January 25, 2018). ”Impact of the common man, budget 2018 didn’t make of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on Budget any changes to the personal income tax structure. 2018-19". Business Standard. OCLC 496280002. References Retrieved January 30, 2018. 1. “Receipts” (PDF). Ministry of 10. Dutta, Prabhash K (January 15, Finance, Government of India. 2018). ”Union Budget 2018: What you may Retrieved January 29, 2018. expect on income tax front from Arun 2. “SUMMARY OF Jaitley”. India Today. New EXPENDITURE” (PDF). Ministry of Delhi. ISSN 0254-8399. Retrieved February Finance, Government of India. 4, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2018. 11. “Income Tax Sops For Middle Class, Rural 3. “Expenditure of Government of Focus Likely In Budget 2018: 10 India” (PDF). Ministry of Points”. NDTV. NDTV Profit Team. January Finance, Government of India. 31, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2018. 12. “Budget 2018: Middle class can hope for 4. “Debt and Deficit tax relief”. Business Line. New Delhi: The Statistics” (PDF). Ministry of Hindu. Press Trust of India. January 9, Finance, Government of India. 2018. ISSN 0971-7528. OCLC 456162874. Retrieved January 29, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018. 12 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 13. “Printing of Budget documents begins with ‘Halwa’ ceremony”. Business Line. New Statement about ownership and Delhi: The Hindu. Press Trust of India. other particulars about newspaper January 20, 2018. ISSN 0971- (THIRD CONCEPT) 7528. OCLC 456162874. Retrieved January FORM IV 30, 2018. (See Rule 8) 14. “Printing of Budget documents begins with 1. Place of Publication New Delhi ‘Halwa’ ceremony”. Business 2. Periodicity of its Monthly Standard. New Delhi. Press Trust of India. publication January 20, 2018. OCLC 496280002. 3. Publisher’s Name Babuddin Khan Retrieved January 30, 2018. Nationality Indian 15. “Budget 2018: FM Arun Jaitley attends Address LB – 39, Prakash Halwa ceremony, check the ritual of extreme Deep Building, significance”. The Financial Express. New 7-Tolstoy Marg, Delhi. FE Online. January 20, New Delhi – 110001. 2018. OCLC 30000665. Retrieved January 30, 2018. 4. Printer’s Name Babuddin Khan Nationality Indian 16. Aggarwal, Mayank (February 1, Address LB – 39, Prakash 2018). ”Arun Jaitley announces special Deep Building, scheme to tackle Delhi air pollution in Budget 7-Tolstoy Marg, 2018". Live Mint. New Delhi: HT Media New Delhi – 110001. Ltd. Retrieved February 4, 2018. 5. Editor’s Name Babuddin Khan 17. “Air pollution rings a bell in Budget, FM Nationality Indian vows special scheme”. The Economic Address LB – 39, Prakash Deep Building, Times. New Delhi. Press Trust of India. 7-Tolstoy Marg, February 1, 2018. OCLC 61311680. New Delhi – 110001. Retrieved February 4, 2018. 6. Name and Address Babuddin Khan 18. Kumar, N. Ravi (February 1, of Individual who LB – 39, Prakash 2018). ”Ayushman Bharat: the big budget own the newspaper Deep Building, scheme”. The and partner of than 7-Tolstoy Marg, Hindu. Hyderabad. ISSN 0971- One percent of the New Delhi – 110001. 751X. OCLC 13119119. Retrieved February total capital 9, 2018. I, Babuddin Khan, hereby declare that the 19. Ghosh, Abantika; Mathew, George (February particulars given above are true to the best 2, 2018). ”Union Budget 2018: Rs 5 lakh of my knowledge and belief. health cover for 10 crore poor, prescription awaited”. The Indian Express. New Delhi/ BABUDDIN KHAN Mumbai. OCLC 70274541. Retrieved February 9, 2018. Signature of Publisher Dated: 28 – 2 – 2018 

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 13 Globalization’s Impact on Agriculture in Telangana N. Soundarya*

[In the present era, especially since 1991, everyone talks of globalization and says that whole world is a global village. In the basic sense it means integrating the economy of the country with the world economy. The impact of globalization on Indian agriculture has been, which is both positive as well as negative. Basically, Indian culture is deeply rooted in its agricultural system. When we experience the history of Indian agriculture, it is revealed that in some parts of Southern India this sector has enriched more. Even Today, India ranks second world-wide in farm output.] griculture and allied sectors like services, capital, finance and people. Cross forestry and fisheries accounted for 17.4 border integration can have several dimensions Aof the GDP (gross domestic product) in cultural, social, political and economic. 2016, and about 50% of the workforce is engaged Globalization is not a new phenomenon. It began in this sector. The economic contribution of towards the end of the nineteenth century, but it agriculture to India’s GDP is steadily declining slowed down during the period from the start of with the country’s broad-based economic growth. the First World War, suffered from great Still, agriculture is demographically the broadest depression and until the end of Second World economic sector and plays a significant role in War. This slowdown could be attributed to the the overall socio-economic fabric of India. inward-looking policies pursued by a number of Agriculture sector is the main source for countries in order to protect their respective livelihood of about 58% of the population in industries. However, the pace of globalization Telangana and also of the nation. But this sector picked up rapidly during the fourth quarter of the is now under sever crisis, because of twentieth century. globalization, which involves intervention of The government of India ushered in a new era of IMF, World Bank and WTO into Indian economy. economic reforms based on these conditions. Globalization led farmers to spend more money These reforms (broadly called Liberalization by on seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, and because the Indian media) can be broadly classified into of these inputs, investment cost increased in three areas: liberalization, privatization and agriculture. In the absence of institutional credit globalization. Essentially, the reforms sought to facilities, farmers are forced to depend on private gradually phase out government control of the moneylenders who charge exorbitant rates of market (liberalization), privatize public sector interest. Coupled with these issues, the decline organizations (privatization), and reduce export in governmental investment in agrarian sector has subsidies and import barriers to enable free trade led to manifold increase problems being faced (globalization). There was a considerable amount by the farmers. of debate in India at the time of the introduction Globalization of the reforms, it being a dramatic departure from the protectionist, socialist nature of the Indian The term ‘globalization’ means integration of economy until then. economies and societies through cross- country flows of information, ideas, technologies, goods, Impact on Agriculture System

* Research Scholar, Dept. of Applied Economics, Technological changes came in the form of New Telangana University, Nizamabad. Agricultural Strategy with HYV seeds as the

14 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 nucleus. The mid-60s ushered in the era of green programmes for eastern states along with revolution in India with similar spectacular establishment of technology mission were taken achievements in some other South Asian and Latin up during this period. The GDP of agriculture American countries too. The farmers in these increased at more than 3 per cent per year during countries using high-yielding varieties (HYV) of the 1980s, a period of satisfactory performance seeds achieved a ‘Yield Take-off’. The spread of the sector. Agricultural growth rate picked up of HYV super stains became a powerful weapon to reach a respectable level of 3.9 per cent in to push back the frontiers of hunger. Progress in 1981-91, before dipping down to 2.8 per cent. production and peace in the countryside was In 1991 began the era of global economic possible. In the realm of agriculture, green reforms. revolution is a tale of absorbing interest. India is a land of diversity and about 70 per cent The institutional and technological changes with of the Indian population lives in villages. These all their limitations in course and content did villages contribute to the economic development initiate the process of agricultural transformation of the nation through the production of food in India, visible and quantifiable in terms of input grains, vegetables, fruits, etc. Export of these as well as output. This process in turn showed agricultural commodities result in the generation the whole world what Indian farmers desired, of capital and earnings of foreign exchange. There deserved and derived. are 6,00,000 villages in India. 25 per cent of all villages account for 65per cent of the total rural After the veritable revolution in 1966, some population. So, we can contact 65per cent of 680 farmers came to adopt agriculture on a million or 700 million population by simply commercial basis. These farmers are the contacting 1,50,000 villages – which shows the representatives of the new agrarian economy of huge potential of this market. Indian rural market India and are among the significant contributors has a vast size and demand base. Before going to the progress of the Indian economy. However, into more aspects on rural marketing, let us green revolution farmers were not large in understand how rural market is defined. number nor the effects were favorable, s intensive and inclusive. Small and marginal farmers and Rural marketing involves the process of those in tribal and arid regions benefited little. developing, pricing, promoting, distributing rural specific product and a service leading to The annual average rate of growth declined to exchange between rural and urban market which 2.2 per cent in 1961-71, and further to 1.7 percent satisfies consumer demand and also achieves in 1971-81. It rendered necessary to redesign organizational objectives. agricultural policies focusing on (i) raising the potential of the farming community, and (ii) Need and Importance of the Study enhancing the level of local participation in The very need of the present study is to find the agricultural development programmes. Hence the impact of globalization on agricultural efforts in the late 60s and early 70s were geared economies. In present era of globalization, we at attacking rural poverty through area-specific have aimed to know the impact of globalization and beneficiary-oriented programmes such as on India’s agriculture sector. Small Farmers Development Agencies, Marginal Farmers and Agricultural Laborers Agencies, Objectives Drought Prone Area Programme, Tribal Area Development and so on. This paper is majorly concerned with elevating the causative factors responsible for farmers’ The 1980s saw government’s efforts to extend suicides and to suggest the policy options to curb and strengthen the agricultural inputs and services the incidents of suicides. The major part of this delivery mechanisms in the country. Special work is undertaken with the help of secondary

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 15 data obtained from newspapers, journals, committing suicides because of globalization websites, published and un-published works. only. In this way intervention of globalization Main objectives of present study are: into agrarian sector leads to drastic agrarian sector crisis, and then leads to farmer suicides. 1. To Examine the Impact of Globalization on Agricultural Sector in Telangana. Analysis 2. To study the number of farmers’ suicides and The current study mainly focuses on the impact recent compensation announced by of globalization on agricultural sector in government of Telangana. Telangana. The stabilization policies and opening up of domestic markets, directly affected Research Methodology agricultural sector in Telangana. While fiscal The study is an empirical, investigation based discipline was applied on water, fertilizers and mainly on secondary data. To evaluate the pesticides were deleted. Control over internal overall position of agricultural sector in the post- market is removed so as to gain foreign exchange Globalization period, secondary data have been to fill the fiscal gap. The four main components collected from various published sources and of the old agricultural policies like input websites. subsidies, minimum support price, procurement prices and issue prices were to be reformulated Need and Importance of the Study and eliminated gradually. The very need of the present study is to find Earlier the focus of agricultural sector was on various aspects of globalization and its impact food security and keeping prices low, based on on agricultural economies. In present era of social justice. But due to the new wave of globalization, we have aimed at knowing the liberalization, there appeared technological impact of globalization on India’s agriculture capitalist development in agriculture. sector. Government encouraged commercialization of Agriculture Sector in Telangana agriculture and agro-based industries. The penetration of global interest in agriculture and In Telangana state, 60 per cent of agrarian sector the new agricultural policy increased cost of depends on monsoon only, because of lack of cultivation. The ultimate outcome happened to irrigation facility. Most frequently weather be mass poverty and fracture of organic economy vagaries destroy the crops. Adding to these of farmers. This process is not limited to problems is the fact that farmer is not receiving Telangana alone, but prevalent in various states right price for crops. So, farmer gets spiraled in India. The suicide of farmers in a number of into indebtedness and gets worried about crop states is indicator of this trend. failure and his inability to repay the debt often impels him to commit suicide. Farmers Suicides “ Raithu Swarajya Vedhika” a NGO reported that Telangana has become the second top state in around 3026 farmers committed suicides in the suicides by farmers for the fourth consecutive state, after separate Telangana state was formed. year during 2017. The number of suicides by According to National Sample Survey, 89.1% farmers in Telangana during 2017 was around of farmers in Telangana state are suffering from 3026, according to Raithu Swarajya Vedhika” a indebtedness. 85per cent of debts of small and NGO. It may be mentioned here that in 2014 also marginal farmers are private debt only, Telangana stood at second position with 898 institutional debts are only 15 per cent. Small, suicides by farmers while AP was at sixth rank marginal farmers and tenants who are depending registering 160 suicide cases. According to the on private money-lenders are committing report, Maharashtra registered the highest number suicides. The farmers in agrarian sector are of 3,030 suicides in the farming sector followed

16 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 by Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh Karimnagar 20 1.20 crores which have been ranked as third, fourth and fifth reporting 1,197 cases, 854 and 581 cases of Pedda pally 3 18 lakhs suicides respectively. Jagithyala 5 30 lakhs Dwelling upon the reasons for the suicides, the Rajanna Sirisilla 20 1.20 crores report attributed ‘bankruptcy or indebtedness’ and ‘farming related issues’ illness as major Warangal 12 72 lakhs causes of suicides of farmers. Presently, another Jayashanker 3 18 lakhs pitiable condition is that around 3026 farmers Bhupalapally committed suicides in our state, after separate Telangana was established. Government Janagama 20 1.20 crores identified that up to 10th October 2017, only 457 Warangal(rural) 20 1.20 crores farmers had committed suicides and sanctioned Rs. 27.42 crore as ex gratia to the families who Mahabubabad 8 48 lakhs committed suicide due to by crop failure. Nalgonda 80 4.80 crores The ex gratia amount of Rs.6 lakh was given to Yadhadri 16 96 lakhs each family of farmers who had committed suicide. At the starting stage, this ex-gratia was Surya pet 4 24 lakhs only 50,000 rupees after that it is raised to one Medhak 10 60 lakhs lakh, thereafter two lakhs now it is 6 lakhs. Government has to recognize all deaths relating Siddipeta 45 2.70 crores to farming sector and has to give ex gratia to all Sanga Reddy 47 2.82 crores the families victims of suicides. In India, the last few years have witnessed suicide of farmers in Khammam 15 90 lakhs many parts of the country. Between 1996-2006, Badhradri Kotha 2 12 lakhs suicides were reported from different districts Gudem like Adhilabad, Khammam, Mahabubnagar and Nalognda etc. In Warangal and Karimnagar, it Mahaboob Nagar 20 1.20 crores was cotton farmers; while in Kahammam it was Vanaparthi 10 60 lakhs Chillies, tomatoes, the farmers took the extreme step when, they realized that they couldn’t escape Jogulamba 4 24 lakhs from debt crisis. These suicides cannot be seen Gadwala as localized phenomena. It underlines the high social cost of globalization and non-sustainable Nagarkarnool 10 60 lakhs agricultural practices. Ranga Reddy 5 30 lakhs Table: Farmers Suicides in Telangana Vikarabad 15 90 lakhs Districs Suicide Ex Gratia (RS) Total 457 27.42 crores Cases source: statistics, Government of Telangana Adilabad 40 2.40 crores Positive Consequences Nirmal 2 12 lakhs Technological changes in Agriculture Sector: Komarambheem- 8 48 lakhs there is a synthesis of technologies in pesticides, Aseefabadh herbicides and fertilizers as well as new breeds Nizamabad 13 78 lakhs of high-yield crops were employed to increase

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 17 food production. These technologies included which is worse than death, and if India makes modern implementations in irrigation projects, efforts, globalization can be a key to get rid of it. pesticides, synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and Moreover, the percentage of people below the improved crop varieties developed through poverty line has been decreasing progressively, the conventional, science-based methods from 36 percent in 1993-94 to 21.9 percent in available at the time. Use of High Yielding 2011-12. Varieties (HYVs) like IR8 a semi-dwarf rice Negative consequences variety. HYVs significantly outperformed traditional varieties in the presence of adequate Ferocious debt trap and farmers’ suicides: There irrigation, pesticides, and fertilizers. is a need to examine each of the causes which have led to the current crisis in agricultural sector, Enhancement of output and productivity: Due to and analyze the role that liberalization policies adoption of HYV technology the production of have played. 32.7 per cent of farmers still depend food grains increased considerably in the country. on money lenders to cultivate their crops. The production of wheat has increased from 8.8 million tons in 1965-66 to 184 million tons in Migration of Labour: There is a movement of 1991-92. The productivity of other food grains excess agriculture workforce from low has increased considerably. It was 71per cent in productivity to higher productivity sectors like case of cereals, 104 per cent for wheat and 52 manufacturing and services, and thus from rural per cent for paddy over the period 1965-66 and to urban areas and from lower wages to higher 1989-90. Though, the food grain production has wages. Such shifts are also coupled with increased considerably but the green revolution technological advancement of the primary sector has no impact on coarse cereals, pulses and few leading to lower labour intensity and higher cash corps. In short, the gains of green revolution capital investment in several instances. The trend have not been shared equally by all the crops. has not been limited just to declining share of agriculture in total employment but also has led Employment generation: While exporting to significant decline in absolute number of agricultural products it is necessary to classify people employed in agriculture sector. From the the products, its standardization and processing, last decade the total workforce in the country packing etc. Therefore, after LPG the agro-allied increased by roughly 10 million and the size of industries has created employment in various the agricultural workforce reduced by 30.57 sectors like packing, exporting, standardizing, million people. processing, transportation and cold storage etc. The industries depending on agriculture are Unusual hike in Fertilizers and Pesticide prices: stored and it made an increase in employments. Immediately after globalization, Indian rupee Agriculture is the biggest unorganized sector of was devaluated by 25 per cent and Indian crops the Indian economy accounting for more than 90 became very cheap and attractive in the global per cent share in the total market, which led Indian farmer to shift from unorganized labour force. The share growing a mixture of traditional crops to export- of agriculture in total employment stands oriented ‘cash crops’ like chili, cotton and at 52.1per cent. tobacco. These needed far more inputs of pesticides, fertilizers and water than the Reduction in poverty: It is also true that traditional crops usually required. It globalization is commonly characterized as automatically led to increase prices of increasing the gap between the rich and the poor, fertilizers and pesticide by whopping 300 per but it is a matter of looking at poverty in relative cent. terms. India’s prior concern is to remove poverty,

18 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 Fall in agricultural employment: In 1951, 4. Rudolph L.I and S.H Rudolf, In pursuit of agriculture provided employment to 72 per cent Lakshmi: Political Economy of Indian State, of the population and contributed 59 per cent of Chicago 1987. the gross domestic product. However, by 2001 the percentage of population depending upon 5. Pai Sudha, State Politics in India, Shipra agriculture came to 58 per cent whereas the share Publication, New Delhi, 2003. of agriculture in the GDP went down drastically 6. Desai A.R, Peasant Struggle in India, Oxford to 24 per cent and further to 22 per cent in 2006- University Press, New Delhi, 1978. 07. This has resulted in lowering the per capita income of the farmers and increase in the rural 7. Jayal, Neeraja Gopal, Democracy and the indebtedness State: Welfare, Secularism, and Development in contemporary India, Oxford University Conclusion Press, New Delhi, 1991. Agriculture sector should become a powerful 8. Siva Vandana, Tom Crompton, Monopoly instrument for a comprehensive socio- economic and monoculture: Trends in India Seed transformation of the country, based on the ideals Industry, EPW, No. 33, September 26, 1998 of social justice and equity. This is an exciting 26 opportunity and a challenging responsibility of the Indian State. 9. Siddiqui Kalam, Agriculture Exports, Poverty and Ecological Crisis: Case Study References of Central American Republic, EPW, 1. Hoogvelt Ankie, Globalisation and post- September 26,1998. colonial World: The New Political Economy of Development, The John Hopkins 10. G. Parthasarathi and Shameem , Suicide of University Press, Maryland,2001. Cotton Farmers in A.P EPW, 1998. 2. Kohli Atul, Democracy and Discontent: 11. Shiva Vandana, Globalisation and seed India’s Growing Crisis of Governability, Security, EPW, March 6, 1999. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 12. Kothari Rajani, Will the nation State hold 1991. under Globalisation, EPW, July 31, 1995. 3. Kothari, Rajani, State Against Democracy: In search of Humane Governance, Ajanta  Publications, New Delhi, 1998.

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THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 19 Reappraising Role of Women in Agricultural Development Dr. Veeraiah Bollikonda* [Women have been playing a crucial role in the development process since the early stages of civilized life. Historians believe that it was women who first started cultivation of crop plants and initiated the art and science of farming. It is said that it was women who not only discovered fire, but also the use of fire, the basic cooking techniques like boiling, roasting, baking, steaming, etc., it is also said that woman is the first potter and weaver. There is a widespread view among the scholars that the best way to judge a nations progress is to find out the status of women living there.] substantial proportion of the rural agriculture and estimated that 45.3% of workers is self-employed or works as agricultural labour force consists of women but Aunpaid family workers and is under- most of them have remained as invisible workers. employed. Females provide a large part of the Study concluded that participation of women in unpaid family labour in agriculture and the agriculture increasing with time and their status proportion of women and children in the labour as agricultural labour is now acknowledged. force tends to be higher than in other sectors. However, wage and working status The non-substitutable function of child-bearing discrimination is still there. must be performed by women alone. They bear On the other hand, Makkina Suneeta (2014) in the major responsibility of childcare and her study entitled, Female labour participation educating the child in all respects at infant stage. in agriculture: A case of AP, shows that in the the In their hands lie the burden of health and well- rural areas, number of female total workers is being of present, past and future generations of increasing than the male total workers, indicating the labour force. an increase in women work force participation Review of Literature rate in agricultural activities.” Even the study of Munir Khan et al., (2012) entitled, “Participation A number of research studies has been carried of women in agriculture activities in district and by scholars highlighting the importance of Peshawar”, it is revealed that, “The main reason women in agriculture and women labour. observed for the low participation of women is Swamikannan and Jeyalakshmi (2015) study social one. Women are feeding, watering, about women labour in Indian agricultural sector milking, yogurt preparation, churning, cleaning and found that female work participation rate has sheds, dung collection, making dung cakes, declined drastically during last few decades, cleaning animal, building sheds, chicken-feeding, which shows that female workers are moved collection of eggs, cutting green fodder, bringing from agricultural to non-agricultural activities fodder etc. along with performing main livestock because wage differences between male and activities. female workers for the same type of work So, all the above studies show that females are discourages female workers. The study of Ghosh largely employed in agricultural sector and their (2014) analysed women participation in share in agriculture is crucial. In spite of this, * Dept of Economics, Kakatiya University Warangal, they are being ignored by the society. Telangana.

20 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 Importance of the study Sometimes, there is no such rigid division of labour as between men and women. Different A majority of female workers in rural areas is tasks are performed by both men and women engaged in agriculture and constitute a vast human resource. The farm operations of women include labour like application of manure/chemical application of manure, sowing, planting, irrigating fertilizer, irrigating fields, etc. Normally, high field, fertilizer application, plant protection, caste women of land-owning households do not weeding, thinning, harvesting, husking, undertake field work, although they are involved winnowing, cleaning, storing grains, feeding the in post-harvest phases of work within the cattle, taking care of livestock, particularly dairy homestead. Most of the field tasks on such farm cattle, looking after poultry, kitchen gardening, households assigned to women is performed by marketing of vegetables, etc., management of hired female labourers from the scheduled and household routine affairs, etc., other low castes. Women play a significant and crucial role in Objectives of the Study agricultural development and allied fields  including in the main crop production, livestock The study focuses on the role of women in production, horticulture, post-harvest operations, agricultural development. agro-social forestry, fisheries, etc. The nature  To find out the relative share of cultivations and extent of women’s involvement varies and agricultural labour among rural women. widely among different ecological sub - zones, farming systems, castes, classes and stages in  To assess the performance of women after the family in some of the farm activities like the implementation of globalization policies processing and storage, women predominate so in agriculture sector. strongly that male workers are numerically Methodology insignificant. In fact, a study on women in agriculture conducted in various parts of our The study is based on secondary sources and the country has come to conclusion that women data were collected from various books, contribute far more to agriculture production than magazine, journals, newspapers and websites. other gender and it has generally been Role of Women in Agriculture acknowledged. The nature of functions performed by women in The NSSO survey result shows that there is high rural families varies from region to region and female unemployment in the rural sector. from one social group to another. There are Therefore, the Tenth Plan also focused on certain agricultural operations which are programmes for increasing the work undertaken by male labour alone and certain opportunities and productivity of female farmers. others by women labour exclusively. Sometimes, Increasing women’s access to productive land sex considerations do not figure in certain tasks. by regularizing leasing and share cropping of Normally, tasks which need more of physical uncultivated agricultural land by women’s strength are done exclusively by men labour groups, encouraging collective efforts in bringing while lighter jobs are entrusted to women labour. wastelands under cultivation and providing Digging and deepening of wells, climbing a policy incentives to women in low input coconut tree for collecting ripe coconuts, carrying subsistence agriculture will have immediate heavy agricultural equipment and tools, driving benefits in terms of the household’s food security a tractor for ploughing and transport purposes, and women’s empowerment along with threshing, etc., are normally done by men. additional employment generation. Application of manure, transplanting of seedlings, weeding, cleaning and storing grams, kitchen The agricultural sector is a crucial component gardening is done exclusively by women. of the Indian economy and it accounts for two

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 21 thirds of the employment. It further provides to the Census of India, in 2011, the work force food, nutrition and employment security. Women participation rate for female at the national level are an integral part of agriculture. They stands at 25.52% compared to 53.26% for males. contribute substantially from seedling to storage, In the rural sector, it was 15.44% for female germ plasma conservation and environment workers and 53.76% for male workers. As per protection round the year. All over India a large census 2011, 41.1% of female main and marginal number of women are involved in agriculture. workers are agricultural labourers, 24.4% are Indian women’s contribution to agriculture is a cultivators, 5.7% are household industry workers significant and crucial both to agricultural and 29.2% are engaged in other works As per production and the women’s household sector. National Sample Survey (68th round), the worker population ratio for females in rural sector was A large number of adult women in India are in 24.8 per cent in 2011-12 while for males it was fact farmers working on land. However, 54.3 per cent. In urban sector, it was 14.7 per agricultural policy is still dominated by the false cent for females and 54.6 per cent for males. view that ‘farmers are men’, women are only housewives’. In fact agriculture employs 85% The invisibility of women’s work and its of all economically active women. It is also undervaluation in the development discourses has related to the fact that although women work to been discussed widely. The low value and the sustain their families, most of their work is not social status given to women’s manifold activities measured in wages. such as domestic labour, childcare and other remunerated employment including agriculture, Women’s work also becomes invisible, because, reflects the reinforcement of gender inequities at women are concentrated outside market related ideological and practical levels as well. The or remunerated work and they are normally debate on role of women’s domestic labour and engaged in multiple tasks. Yet very rarely do its value has initiated serious discussions in and women get the recognition for their perpetual outside feminist and academic circles. It has been contribution in agriculture in the rural economy. estimated that the house work is equivalent in Their work is concerned as secondary by and value about a third of total production per year large by policy makers. in modern economy. The problem for women is exacerbated by However, the nature and extent of their discrimination and they are often paid less than involvement differs from the variations in agro- their male counterparts. The women carry the production systems. The mode of female double burden of poverty and discrimination. participation in agricultural production varies They have less access than men to credit, to from the landowning status of farm households. production resources such as irrigation, water, Their roles range from managers to landless fertilizers and improved technologies. The new labourers. In overall farm production, women’s global structural transformation is posing new average contribution is estimated at 55 per cent challenges to the women in agricultural sector. to 66 per cent of the total labour with percentages, These women, who are already exploited, now is higher in certain regions. In the Indian suffer under tremendous disadvantages in the Himalaya, a pair of bullocks works 1064 hours, contemporary world due to liberalization, man 1212 hours and woman 3485 hours in a year privatization and globalization. on one-hectare farm, a figure that illustrates Findings women’s significant contribution to agricultural production. Over the years, there has been a decline in the number of cultivators and more and more women The recent NSS and census data show a marginal are working as agricultural laborers. According increase in women’s employment participation

22 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 when compared to previous decades. The Despite their importance to agricultural important feature of this trend is the increasing production, women face severe handicaps. They casualisation and informalisation of women’s are in fact, the largest group of landless labourers work. The introduction of capital-intensive with little real security in case of breakup of the technologies in the agriculture sector has had family owing to death or divorce, inheritance differential impact on different sections of the laws and customs which discriminate against people. The women are negatively affected due women. to women’s lack of access to technology. Agricultural development programmes are Added to this, the green revolution technologies usually planned by men and aimed at men. have enhanced class polarization and deepened Mechanization, for example alleviates the burden gender inequities in many ways. Agarwal points of tasks that are traditionally men’s out that following the introduction of new responsibility, leaving women’s burdens technologies in agriculture, casualisation of work unrelieved or even increased. The excess burden is increased for both men and women. While it of work on women (i.e. the farm work plus house is more enhanced in the operations such as work), also acts as a stimulus to have many transplanting, weeding and harvesting where children so that they can help out with chores female labour is primarily employed. from an early age. Extension workers almost exclusively aim their advice at men’s activities Declining status of women labourers and crops. In some regions, this bias may depress The women agricultural labourers belong to the production of subsistence food crops (often disadvantaged sections of Indian rural society, women’s crops) in favour of increased constituting about 25 per cent of the total labour production of cash crops (often men crops) so force. Indeed, they should be paid special that family nutrition suffers. attention to lessen their aggravating employment The development experience in India reveals that, situation and provided with other social security agricultural modernization through HYV fields. We find a declining proportion of technology and mechanical technology have cultivators and an increasing proportion of displaced women from several newly agricultural laborers. However, the occupational mechanized operations and at the same time structure has remained more or less stagnant over increased their involvement in labour intensive the last three decades. The percentage of activities. Men took over from women, those agricultural work force was 69.51 per cent activities in which technology has substituted between 1961 and 2001 with slight increase at machinery from manual labour both in the present, i.e., 68.79 per cent. harvesting and post-harvesting operations. Thus, Further, women’s role in the conservation of the introduction of tractors, harvesters, basic life support systems such as land, water, insecticides, weedicides, HYV, seeds and flora and fauna is well recognized. They have mechanical cotton pickers have appropriated protected the health of the soil through organic women’s traditional means of livelihood. Women recycling and promoted crop security through the were hired increasingly in those areas where maintenance of varietals diversity and genetic mechanization was low, crop intensity was high resistance. Therefore, without the total and area irrigated was high. participation of women, it will not be possible Modernization and advancement of technology to popularize alternative systems of land have not benefited women. In fact, in many areas management to shift cultivation, arrest gene and women have been displaced from their traditional soil erosion and promote the care of the soil and jobs as the technology necessitates training, up- the health of economic plants and farm animals. gradation of knowledge and skill which are put

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 23 out of their reach. Improved agricultural of food, from seed to the kitchen. W.T.O impacts technology accompanied by partial mechanization on women’s expertise and productive functions had affected women from all socio-economic throughout the food chain. The Trade Related backgrounds positively, either by relieving the Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement women cultivators who were from higher socio- impacts women’s knowledge of and control over economic strata. Full mechanization of agriculture seed. had to relieve the women of high socio-strata The Agreement on Agriculture impacts women’s and it had negatively affected the women from livelihood and income security, and also has lower caste and lowest income groups by secondary impacts in terms of increased violence reducing the demand for employment in peak against women. The sanitary and phyto sanitary season. agreement has a direct impact on women’s Women participate in decision-making related to expertise and economic role in agro-processing. farming and household service, despite their Secondly, as globalization shifts from agriculture access to production resources and extension to capital intensive, chemical intensive systems, services which had so far been very limited. women bear disproportionate costs of both Though, there are rural women, who have been displacement and health hazards. Thirdly, women largely neglected, it is being increasingly felt that carry the heavier work burden in food the technical knowledge acquired by the farm production, and because of gender discrimination women over the generation is not being updated. get lower returns for their work. When WTO However, during the recent years, farm women destroys rural livelihoods, it is women who lose are being viewed as an important source of the most. When WTO rules allow dumping, which diffusion of technology and thereby strengthening leads to decline in prices of farm products, it is the process of decision-making in agriculture. women’s - already low incomes, which go down Though decision making is a complex process, further. nevertheless, farm women knowingly or Fourthly, their position vis-à-vis WTO is also unknowingly participate in the decision-making more vulnerable because as the livelihoods and process regarding the farming enterprise which incomes of farmers in general, and women is based on their long standing field experience. agriculturists in particular are eroded, they are The issue of women empowerment is thus very displaced from productive roles, women in complex and multidimensional. Besides, agriculture and their status is further devalued, providing rights and creating awareness does not while the patriarchal power of those who control solve the problem of women. The development assets and benefit from asset transfer due to programmes and policies, which aim at women globalization is increased, other social processes empowerment, should categorize women based are triggered which result in increased violence on their age, caste, class, region, education, etc., against women. as they are not homogeneous group which aims The violence associated with displacement, at empowerment. devaluation and dis-empowerment takes the form Impact of WTO on Female Agricultural of intensive violence, increasing incidences of Labour rape, the epidemic of female foeticide, and growth in trafficking of women. Women also bear The impact of W.T.O rules and policies of trade the ultimate burden of farm suicides, since they liberalization in the agriculture sector on women are left to look after their households without is distinctive for four reasons. Firstly, women assets but with the burden of indebtedness. have been the primary seed keepers, processors. They have been both the experts and producers Need for Fresh Outlook

24 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 Any intervention for improving the condition of Facets. International Journal of business and women involved in agricultural activities should economics research, vol.1, No.1, pp 22-28. begin with an understanding of their role profile 4. Ghosh M. & Ghosh A. (2014). “Analysis of in terms of various agriculture and related women participation in Indian Agriculture.” activities. Analysis of their role, both traditional IOSR Journal of humanities and social and current, will enable one to identify the areas science, Vol. 19, Issue 5, Vol, IV, pp. 01-06. of intervention. This becomes the input for designing programmes of development by way 5. Makkina Suneeta (2014). “Female Labour of opening of new avenues of income generation Participation in Agriculture: A Case of and matching technologies to the specific tasks. Andhra Pradesh”, Sai-Sudhir P.G. College, ECIL, Hyderabad. However, in carrying out the programmes, appropriate research and extension, input supply 6. Khan, M., M. Sajjad, B. Hameed, M.N. Khan and policy backup is of supreme importance. and A.U. Jan. (2012), Participation of Women Once the programme of women’s development in Agriculture Activities in District in agriculture is launched fulfilling all these Peshawar: Sarhad J. Agric. 28(I):121-127. necessary conditions, it facilitates better 7. Bala Krishna “A Rural Landless Women performance of the role of the women, thereby Labourers- Problems and Prospect,” Kalpaz enabling them to increase income, reduce drudgery and enhance their status in the society Publications, New Delhi, 2005. Pp. 9-10. enabling them to increase income. 8. Jessy Thomas ‘Women and Development” ISDA Journal Vol 19 No 1, 2009, p. 54. References 9. K.P. Wasik “Farm Women and Modern 1. National Commission for Women Technology” Women in Agriculture Kalpaz “Agriculture sector in India”, Impact of Publications New Delhi 2005 pp 14, 17. W.T.O on Agriculture 2005, pp.1 and 9. 10. Rahul Bahoti and Hima Swaminathan 2. C.U Thresia “Women workers in Agriculture” (2013), “Economic Growth and Female a paper presented in Kerala Research Labour Force Participation in India”, programme on Local Development Studies, working paper No. 414, Indian Institute of Thiruvanthapuram, 2004, pp. 5-7. Management, Bangalore. 3. Swamikannan D. & Jeyalakshmi C. (2015).  “Women labour in Agriculture in India: Some

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THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 25 Fluorosis & Role of Medical Geologist Dr. Pramod C. Sahu*

[Fluorosis is a potent hazard for human society caused due to excessive intake of fluoride through drinking water. Fluoride in drinking water is mostly of geological origin. Fluoride is released into the water from F-bearing minerals and rocks as a result of which aquifers get contaminated. Hence, geological environment affects human health. Medical geologists should carry out fluorometric survey to understand the dispersal pattern of fluoride from rocks. Detail investigations to demarcate the F-bearing belts and how fluoride is released or dispersed into hydrosphere, biosphere and pedosphere is the need of the hour. Fluorosis vulnerability map must be prepared and it should be integrated into the planning process. It is the job the medical geologists to locate alternate source of drinking water with permissible limit of fluoride. Artificial recharge techniques must be adopted to dilute the fluoride rich aquifer so that fluoride content can be brought down to a permissible limit. Attempt should be made to encourage people to practice rainwater harvesting structures.] luorosis is a crippling disease, a painful Endemic Fluorosis malady. It is an abnormal condition in Fluorosis was first reported in India by Shortt human body caused by excessive intake of F et. al.1937, but it remained in backstage for a fluoride. Fluorosis is due to fluoride toxicity. long time. Endemic fluorosis is prevalent in India World Health Organization (WHO) has set the since 1937 (Shrott et al). Presently 196 districts upper limit of fluoride concentration in drinking in 19 states are confronted with the problem of water at 1.5mg/L (Andezhath and Ghosh, 2000). fluorosis, arising through drinking water .Rural It is well documented that fluoride can have both areas are more severely affected because water beneficial and detrimental effects on dentition quality is seldom tested there. There is a strong and skeletal system of human body. Fluoride in conviction in the rural populace that water drawn drinking water, is both as a friend and foe. from deeper part of the Earth has to be pure or Fluoride is often called as two-edged sword safe. In India, nearly 62 million people, including because of the fact that excess of fluoride in 6 million children are estimated to have serious drinking water i.e. more than 1.5 mg/L causes health problem due to consumption of fluoride fluorosis and inadequate intake of fluoride in contaminated water (Susheela, 2001). In some drinking water i.e. less than 0.5 mg/L is areas of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, associated with dental carries. Fluoride can enter Gujarat, and Rajasthan, this disease has affected the human body through drinking water, food stuff more than 500000 people leading to mottling and like tea, garlic, onion, eggs, rice, fluoride tooth pitting of teeth, decay of bones causing paste, mouth rinse, drugs, dusts and fumes from deformation of the body frame, or excessive bone industry. Fluorosis is a global problem. It persists formation in the periosteum and calcification of till today as a disease without treatment and cure. ligament tendon and aorta leading to The most vulnerable group includes foetus immobilisation in addition to abdominal colic, children, pregnant and lactating mother, young constipation, anemia and insomnia hard working adults and poor people. (Valdiya,1987).

* Head, PG Dept. of Geology, MPC Autonomous Fluorosis is endemic in 10 districts of Odisha- College, Baripada, Odisha. Nuapada, Kalahandi, Khordha, Nayagarh, Puri,

26 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 Bolangir, Boudh, Dhenkanal, Anugul, and processes of hydrolysis, dissociation and Bargarh. Latest information reveals that fluorosis dissolution. Fluorite, cryolite, apatite and is endemic in at least 25 countries across the phosphorite, mica, amphibole are generally the globe. The total number of people affected is not principal source of minerals contributing to the known, but conservative estimate would be tens presence of fluorine in soil and water. Though of millions. various minerals can be the potential geogenic sources, fluorite and cryolite are considered as Types of Fluorosis the dominant mineral species for groundwater Dental Fluorosis: Dental fluorosis refers to fluoride contamination. change in the appearance of tooth enamel that is Fluoride-bearing rocks are granite, gneiss, caused by long-term ingestion of fluoride during pegmatite, carbonatite, nepheline syenite, the time teeth are forming. Tooth enamel is amphibolite etc. Several thermal springs are primarily made up of hydroxyapatite. Fluorosis known to contain fluorine. Main fluorine bearing of dental enamel occurs when excess fluoride is areas in India are in the states of Gujarat, ingested during the first seven years of life. It is Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, characterized by mottling of dental enamel. Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha. Subsequently, the teeth become hard and brittle. The teeth lose their shining appearance and Standards of Fluoride chalky white patches develop on them and white Standards for fluoride concentration in drinking patches gradually become yellow or brown or water for human consumption prescribed by black. various authorities are given below (Table 1). Skeletal Fluorosis: This is due to intake of high Table 1. Standards of Fluoride fluoride over a prolonged period of time. Early stage of skeletal Fluorosis starts with pain in Authorities Permissible limit (Mg/L) bones and joints, muscle weakness, sporadic pain, stiffness of joints and chronic fatigue WHO (Indian 1.50 (Arriappa et.al.2013). In advance stage, the context) bones and skeletal fluorosis leads to impairment BIS (IS-10500) 1.0-1.50 and disability and directly affects the economy of villagers as it causes illness and debilitation ICMR 1.0-2.0 not only in humans but also in their domestic US Public Health 0.7-1.2 animals, on which they depend for their basic income (Chauhan et.al. 2012). Role of Medical Geologist Genu Valgam: It is also called knock-knee i.e. Fluorosis is a potent hazard for human society crippling lower limbs right from childhood in caused due to excessive intake of fluoride through many fluorosis habitations of India. drinking water. Fluoride in drinking water is mostly of geological origin. Fluoride is released Non-Skeletal Fluorosis: It affects gastro- into the water from F-bearing minerals and rocks intestinal tract with symptom nausea, vomiting, as a result of which aquifers get contaminated. flatulence and diarrhea. Central nervous system Hence, geological environment affects human is also affected. health. Medical geologists should carry out Sources of Fluoride fluorometric survey to understand the dispersal pattern of fluoride from rocks. The main source of fluoride in drinking water is due to release of fluoride into groundwater Detailed investigations to demarcate the F- reservoir from fluoride-rich rocks during the bearing belts and how F is released or dispersed into hydrosphere, biosphere and pedosphere is

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 27 the need of the hour. Fluorosis vulnerability map gooseberry, guava, lemon, orange, tomato, sweet must be prepared and it should be integrated into potato etc. Hence, the best way of mitigating the planning process. To prevent the endemic fluorosis is to tackle and change dietary habits fluorosis, use of water with fluoride in excess of of vulnerable people from lower income group the permissible limit needs to be avoided. It is (Raymond 2011) the job the medical geologists to locate alternate Conclusion source of drinking water with permissible limits Fluorosis is a potent hazard. Combating fluorosis of F in consultation with hydrogeologists or water on a mass scale has remained a dream till now scientists. due to lack of access to safe drinking water, lack Artificial recharge techniques must be adopted of awareness on the part of people, lack of to dilute the F-rich aquifer so that fluoride content political will. Mass media or social media can can be brought down to a permissible limit play a vital role in preventing and limiting the (Pandith et al. 2007). Attempt should be made to problem of fluorosis. The only way this dreadful encourage people to practice rainwater disease can be checked or minimised through harvesting structures like roof-top rainwater making available, drinking water with a fluoride harvesting structure. In-depth studies are required content less than 1.5 mg/L. to understand the biomineralogy of tooth enamel Health education and better nutrition are some and the process by which hydroxyapatite, the of the cost-effective intervention measures. primary mineral in teeth and bones, transforms Proposed strategy including educating people into fluorapatite when fluoride ingestion is regarding importance of safe drinking water and excessive. hazards of excessive fluoride in drinking water , conduct of health education activities like health Other Alternatives talks, lectures, health checkup camp, Fluoride-rich water can be treated by de- demonstration of de-fluoridation techniques, fluoridation method to bring it to the prescribe community participation, establishment of limit and make it fit for human consumption. fluoride testing laboratories in rural areas, Three types of de-fluoridation methods are establishment of database on fluoride level in available. (a) precipitation/chemical additive drinking water and motivating people to adopt methods: chemical used are lime, magnesium and safe drinking water and food practices where alum. (b) Adsorption /Ion-exchange method: this needed(Mahesh et al.2015). includes brick chips, bone char and activated Fluorosis prevention needs multi-disciplinary alumina. (c) Membrane technology uses reverse approach. It needs many role players like medical osmosis and ultra-filtration. The techniques geologist, water scientist, social scientist, adopted are Nalgonda technique (absorption and environmentalist, administrator, planners, NGO, precipitation), Filtration through Activated public etc. in which the role of medical geologist Alumina (adsorption), Filtration through bone is critical. char, Reverse Osmosis and Ion Exchange resin. References It is further advisable for the people residing in 1. Andezhath, S.K. and Ghosh, G. (2000) fluorosis-endemic area to restrict use of fluoride- Fluorosis management in India- the impact rich food stuffs like tea, maize, black rock salt due to networking between health and rural etc. Use of fluoride containing toothpaste, mouth drinking water supply agencies, IAHS-AISH rinse and cosmetic products should be avoided. publication, 260. pp. 159-165. Nutritional intervention focusing on adequate 2. Shortt, H.E, Pandit, C.G, Raghvachari, T.N.S intake of calcium, vitamins C and E and (1937). Endemic fluorosis in Nellore district antioxidants should be practiced. The nutrients of south India. Indian Medical Gazetteer, 72, and other sources often recommended are milk, pp.396-400. green leafy vegetables, cheese, paneer,

28 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 3. Susheela, A.K. (2001).Fluorosis in Indian Occurrence of fluoride in the groundwater scenario- A treatise on fluorosis. Fluorosis of Pandhrakawada area, Yavatmal district, research and rural development foundation, Maharashtra, India. Current Science, vol.92, New Delhi, India. No 5 pp. 675-678. 4. Arrlappa, N., Aatif, Srinivas, R. (2013). 7. Raymond, A.D and Vday, P. (2011), Fluorosis in India: An overview. Int. jour. Occurrence of fluoride in the drinking water Res. Dev. Health, vol. 1(2) pp. 97-102. sources from Gad river basin, Maharashtra 5. Chauhan, D., Chauhan, T., Sachdev, V. and Jou, Geol. Soc. India, vol. 77, pp.167-174. Kirtariya, B.C. (2012). Prevalence and 8. Valdiya, K.S. (1987).Environmental severity of dental fluorosis among school Geology. TATA McGraw-Hill Company. children in a northern hilly state of India. New Delhi. p.583. SRM J. Res. Dent sci (serial online), 3, 9. Mahesh, R.K., Arun S. D, Harish C. J, Rahul 0.170-4. G.N Manyiri A.D (2015) Mitigation of 6. Pandith, M, Siriskar, D.Y., Tiwari, A.N, fluorosis – A review, J. Clin Diagn. Res. Ranjan, B. and Malpe, D.B (2007). 9(6):ZE05-ZE09. 

Employee Engagement: Overview of Demographic Profile Pooja Das* & Dr. R. K. Sahu** [The increasing pace of technological advancement, growing complexities of managing businesses, rising pressures to become world class organizations and relatively more scarcity of people with required skills have created problems in attracting, retaining and utilizing talent in most of the organizations globally. Due to the changed business scenario it is being increasingly realized that organization can gain and maintain competitive edge through its most important asset which is considered to be its human resource.]

uman resources specifically have Employee engagement has been of growing unlimited potentialities and capabilities significance today. It is a vast construct that Hand thus are considered as an important touches almost all parts of human resource asset of an organization. Many success stories management facets known to man. Engagement of flourishing business organizations have been is all about having a psychological commitment scripted on the contributions made by engaged towards the assigned task, which gets truly employees. Owing to this, management of human reflected in the employee’s dedication towards resources has become so relevant for all the work (Bhatla, 2011). In the highly competitive organizations. Precisely in this respect employee world, organizations can achieve higher levels engagement has gained significance in today’s of performance only when employees exhibit world. greater commitment towards their tasks. The human capital as such can prove to be beneficial to gain competitive advantage for any * Research Scholar, Dept of Business Management, Fakir Mohan University, Odisha. organization. * Reader in Commerce, Model Degree College, Objective Deogarh, Odisha.

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 29 The main objective of the study is to get an effective leadership and engaged employees are overview of the effect of various demographic important in any organization and the results of variables on the engagement levels of bank the study also pointed out that in a work employees operating in various public and environment applying transformational style does private-sector banks in Balasore District. not assure that employees will be fully engaged. Thus, there is no alignment between leadership Review of Literature and employee engagement. Ahmed, Nadeem and Amman (2017) jointly Methodology presented a paper to examine the role of work discretion and job clarity towards business The study was based on primary as well as performance followed by the moderation of secondary data. Primary data was collected with employee engagement and found significant the help of a questionnaire specifically designed moderation of employee engagement on the for the purpose to gather relevant data from the relationship between job clarity and business respondents. Secondary data was basically performance. collected through various articles, journals, books and magazines. There were 287 Kaur (2017) tried in her research to undertake respondents who were employees of various systematic literature review of employee public and private-sector banks operating in engagement by focusing on the antecedents and Balasore District. consequences of employee engagement that served as a guide to give directions to For the purpose of the analysis, a questionnaire organizations to help them understand the reason was distributed to employees working in the for their slow or fast movement and also to selected banks of Balasore district. The banks indicate the most important contributing factor were selected depending upon the responses industry-wise and country-wise. received from the employees. Under this study 9 prominent public-sector banks i.e. State Bank of Shahid (2017) in his research work suggested India, Bank of India, IDBI, Andhra Bank, UCO that to reduce employee turnover, organizations Bank, Canara Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, need to improve the work experience of its Central Bank and Dena Bank were considered. employees and retain talent by building a positive Further, in the private-sector category 4 banks work environment and creating a positive i.e. – ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Federal Bank and customer experience. HDFC Bank were considered. Shirin and Kleyn (2017) carried out a study to Data Analysis evaluate the effects of Corporate Reputation on Employee Engagement in South African Bank and Demographic Profile of the Sample the results revealed that perceptions of Respondents employees on corporate reputation are an The demographic items were designed in the important predictor of employee engagement current study to investigate the respondent’s basic whereas psychological contract breach is found and specific individual situations in the selected to be negatively related to employee perceptions banks (both public and private-sector banks) in of reputation and to their engagement levels in Balasore district. The summary of the entire banks. demographic characteristics of the respondents Mozammel and Haan (2016) in their study aimed are given in table 1. Under this study 9 prominent to determine the connection between public-sector banks i.e. State Bank of India, Bank transformational leadership and employee of India, IDBI, Andhra Bank, UCO Bank, Canara engagement among the personnel in the banking Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Central Bank and sector in Bangladesh. The study highlighted that Dena Bank were considered. Further in the

30 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 private-sector category 4 banks i.e. – ICICI Bank, Table 1: Demographic Profile of Sample Axis Bank, Federal Bank and HDFC Bank were Employees of Public and Private-Sector Banks considered. (N = 287) Bank Name Frequency Percent Cumulative Percent Public-Sector Bank of Baroda 8 4.15 4.15 Bank of India 31 16.06 20.21 Indian Overseas bank 8 4.15 24.36 IDBI Bank 16 8.29 32.65 Andhra Bank 15 7.77 40.42 State Bank of India 85 44.04 84.46 Central Bank 8 4.15 88.61 UCO Bank 15 7.77 96.38 Dena Bank 7 3.63 100 Total 193 100.0 Private-Sector HDFC Bank 22 23.4 23.4 ICICI Bank 24 25.53 48.9 Axis Bank 24 25.53 74.5 Federal Bank 24 25.53 100.0 Total 94 100.0 Total 287 Department/Division of the Employee Accounts 16 5.6 5.6 Administration 8 2.8 8.4 Advance 38 13.2 21.6 Banking 15 5.2 26.8 Loan 8 2.8 29.6 Locker 24 8.4 38.0 Branch Banking 22 7.7 45.6 Credit 23 8.0 53.7 Deposit 16 5.6 59.2

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 31 Mobile Banking 24 8.4 67.6 Mutual fund 24 8.4 76.0 Operations 15 2.8 81.2 Pension & TDS 8 2.8 84.0 Retail 8 2.8 86.8 Routine and Credit 7 2.4 89.2 SME Centre 31 2.8 100.0 Total 287 100.0 Designation Accountant 8 2.79 2.8 Assistant Manager 85 29.62 32.4 Branch Manager 7 2.44 34.8 Clerk 23 8.01 42.9 Cluster head 24 8.36 51.2 Deputy Manager 7 2.44 53.7 Field Officer 31 10.8 64.5 Manager 47 16.38 80.8 Officer 23 8.01 88.8 PO 8 2.79 91.6 Scale I officer 8 2.79 94.4 Trainee Officer 16 5.57 100.0 Total 287 100.0 Gender Female 63 22.0 22.0 Male 224 78.0 100.0 Total 287 100.0 Age 20-30 116 40.4 40.4 31-40 163 56.8 97.2 Above 50 8 2.8 100.0 Total 287 100.0

32 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 Educational qualification UG 16 21.9 21.9 PG 92 32.1 54 Professional 116 40.4 94.4 Others 63 5.6 100.0 Total 287 100.0 Experience Less than 5 140 48.78 48.78 10 115 40.07 88.85 20 24 8.36 97.21 More than 20 8 2.79 100 Total 287 100.0 How many years you have been working in the Bank? Less than 1 8 2.79 2.79 5 155 54.01 56.8 10 92 32.06 88.86 More than 10 32 11.15 100 Total 287 100.0

Fig-1 Bar Diagram represents responses of i.e. 16.06 per cent (31) and IDBI bank 8.29 PSBs. percent i.e. (8). However, the least number of Table 1 presents that under public-sector bank responses came from Dena Bank i.e. 3.63 per category (PSBs) most of the responses belong to cent (7), followed by Canara Bank, Indian State Bank of India i.e. 44.04 percent (85). Then Overseas Bank and Central bank with 4.15 the maximum responses came from Bank of India percent each i.e. (8).

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 33 Under private-sector bank category most of the Fig-3 Bar Diagram represents respondent’s responses came from ICICI bank, Axis Bank and department Federal Bank i.e. 25.53 percent (24) and least Designation Profile: Most of the respondents responses are in HDFC Bank i.e. 23.4 per cent occupy the designation of Assistant Manager (22) as shown in table 5.3 below. category i.e. 29.62 per cent (85) followed by Manager i.e. 16.38 per cent (47) and Field Officer i.e. 10.8 percent (31). Further the least number of respondents belong to Probationary and Scale I Officer and Accountant i.e. 2.79 per cent (8) each along with Deputy Manager and Branch Manager i.e. 2.44 percent (7).

Fig-2 Bar Diagram represents response of Private-Sector Banks. Department profile: With respect to the department, table 5.4 shows that majority of the respondents belong to Advance department i.e. 13.2 per cent (38) and SME Centre i.e. 10.8 percent (31). Then the maximum respondents Fig-4 Bar Diagram represents respondent’s belong to Mobile, Mutual Fund, and Locker 8.4 Designation percent i.e. (24) each. The least responses came Gender Profile: Issues related to gender are from Routine and Credit department i.e. 2.4 relevant in engagement and therefore are percent (7) followed by Administration, Loan, examined among the 287 employees covered in Pension and TDS & Retail Department i.e. 2.8 the survey. 78.0 per cent (i.e. 224) belong to the percent (8) each. male category and only 22.0 per cent (i.e. 63) belong to the female category as depicted in table 5.6. Thus, the male female ratio in the sample is almost 7: 2.

34 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 Fig-5 Bar Diagram represents Gender of bank employees Age Profile: As the employees grow older their needs and wants may change and they may feel bored from their present jobs. Hence, it may affect engagement levels of the employees for which it was collected in this study. Table 5.7 represents the age category of the employees. The largest percentage of respondents belong to the age group of 31 to 40 years of age i.e. 56.8 percent (163), 40.4 percent (116) belong to 20- 30 age group category, and above 50 group recorded the lowest 2.8 percent i.e.8. Level of Experience: The professional experience of employees brings with it maturity that helps them to decide what they actually require from the bank. On the basis of experience, the respondents were asked to mention their total work experience as well as their experience with their present bank as presented in table 5.8. For their total work experience, four groups were created. The first group having less than 5 years of experience, the second group having 10 years’ experience, third group having 20 years’ experience and the last group having more than 20 years’ experience. Fig-6 Bar Diagram represents Age group of bank employees Maximum respondents are having less than 5 years of experience i.e. 48.78 per cent (140). Education Profile: According to Kram (1983) 40.07 percent i.e. 140, are having 10 years of people having prominent level of education are experience and 8.36 percent i.e. 24, are having more career-driven. Hence, they are more likely 20 years of experience. The least number of to be engaged. For that matter the education respondents have more than 20 years of profile of the respondents is surveyed believing experience i.e. only 2.79 per cent (8). that it would affect structural engagement of the respondents. The table 5.8 depicts the frequency In the present experience profile, also four groups distribution of the educational qualification of are created, i.e. less than 1-year, 5 years,10 years the respondents. Maximum respondents i.e. 40.4 and more than 10 years. The majority of the per cent (116) are having professional degree as respondents are having 5 years of experience their qualification and 32.1 per cent belong to with the bank i.e. 54.01 per cent (155) and then post-graduate level i.e. (92). 22 percent of the comes 10 years i.e. 32.03 percent (92), more respondents i.e. 63, are having undergraduate than 10 years i.e. 11.15 percent (32). The least number of respondents have less than 1-year qualification and only 5.6 percent i.e. 16, have experience (i.e. 2.79 per cent, 8) other qualifications. Conclusion Fig-7 Bar Diagram represents Educational Qualification of bank employees The data pertaining to the demographic characteristics of the respondents play a significant role in expressing and giving

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 35 responses about the research question basically 2. Ahmed, Umair., Nadeem, Khalid., Ammar, in social science research. In the present research Ahmed., and Muzafar Hussain Shah. (2017), the identification of the demographic profile of Assessing Moderation of Employee the responses helps to study the relationship Engagement on the Relationship between between demographic variables and employee Work Discretion, Job Clarity and Business engagement in both public and private-sector Performance in the Banking Sector of banks in Balasore district of Odisha. Pakistan, Asian Economic and Financial Review, 7(12), pp. 1197-1210. Age of the respondents indicates the maturity 3. Kaur, Sukhmeet. (2017), Antecedents and level of the individuals and is an important Consequences of Employee Engagement: A characteristic that helps to understand their views Literature Review, IUP Journal of about the research problem. Gender is another Organizational Behaviour, 16(3), pp. 7-32. important demographic variable especially in the Indian context that is variably affected by any 4. Shahid, Amena. (2017), Strategies used by social or economic phenomenon. Educational Banking Managers to Reduce Employee qualification is a principal factor that affects the Turnover, Walden University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. attitudes and perceptions of the individuals and as such it becomes essential to know the 5. Shirin, Artyom., and Kleyn, Nicola. (2017), educational background of the respondents. An Evaluation of the Effects of Corporate Reputation on Employee Engagement: The Experience of an individual as a demographic Case of a Major bank in South Africa, variable determines the maturity level of International Studies of Management and individuals in the professional front. Experience Organization, 3(1), pp. 276-292. in the current organization was also considered in this study as it determines the level of 6. Mozammel, Soleman., and Haan, Perry. commitment and loyalty which in turn affects the (2016), Transformational Leadership and level of engagement in the organization. The name Employee Engagement in the Banking Sector of the bank working in was included in the profile in Bangladesh, The Journal of Developing as it helps to locate the bank from which the Areas, 50(6), pp. 43-55. maximum responses are coming. Department and 7. Babbie, E. R. (1990), Survey Research Designation were further included in the Methods, Wadsworth, Belmont, CA. demographic profile. 8. Cavana, R. Y., Delahaye, B. L., and Sekaran, This will help to present a better idea about the U. (2001), Applied Business Research: area and position of the respondents that have a Qualitative and Quantitative Methods (1st significant effect on their perception towards ed.), John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd, US employee engagement. Thus, we can conclude & Australia. that researchers must consider these demographic 9. Hair, Bush and Ortinau. (1998), Marketing variables in their researches to determine Research- Within a Changing Information precisely the engagement levels of employees. Environment (2nd ed.), Tata McGraw Hill References Publication, p 43, New Delhi. 1. Bhatla, Neeta. (2011), To Study the Employee 10. Kothari, C. R. (1999), Research Engagement practices and its effect on Methodology: Method and Techniques, Employee Performance with Special New Edge International Publication, p. 1, Reference to ICICI and HDFC Bank in New Delhi. Lucknow, International Journal of 11. Kothari, C. R. (1999), Research Scientific & Engineering Research, 2(8), pp. Methodology: Method and Techniques (2nd 1-7. revised ed.), New Edge International Pvt. Ltd, p. 8, New Delhi.

36 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 12. Lyons, A., Rachlis, M., & Scherpf, E. (2007), 14. Panneererselvam, R. (2010), Research What‘s in a Score? Differences in Methodology (8th ed.), Prentice-Hall India Consumer’s Credit Knowledge Using OLS Ltd., p. 2, New Delhi. and Quantile Regressions, Networks 15. Sekaran, U. (1992), Research Methods for Financial Institute, Indiana University. Business – A Skill Building Approach,(2nd 13. Nargundkar, R. (2003), Marketing Research: ed.), John Wiley & Sons, Inc, United States Text and Cases (2nd ed.), Tata McGraw Hill of America. Publication, pp. 94-95, New Delhi. 

Plight of Beedi Workers: Need for Policy Intervention C. Bharathi*

[It is an attempt to explore link between socio-economic positions of women working in beedi industry. This study is focused on the factual picture of the Beedi Industry and its influence on the lives of the Beedi workers with a view to find out the possibilities for improvement and to identify the causes that stand in the way of the desired improvement as envisaged by the relevant legislations in the country. It is assumed that such a picture would enable an objective assessment of the role of administrative intervention in this regard. In India Beedi making is an age old industry and one of the largest job providers for women in the unorganized sector. The recent decision of the Union Government to print the symbol of skull on the bundle of beedis is in fact not a reminder to smokers but symbolically reminds the pathetic conditions- near starving to death conditions of the beedi workers. The present move on the part of the government throws several lakhs of beedi workers across the country into still worsening conditions. Instead of moralizing the issue of beedi smoking, the policy makers must pay attention towards the processes by which such a large work force entered into this industry.] n India, Beedi making is an age-old industry primarily carried by Scheduled Castes, and one of the largest job providers for women Scheduled Tribes, Muslims and Other Backward Iin the unorganized sector. The Indian market Castes who lost their traditional source of for smoking is dominated by beedi. “Beedis” livelihood like weaving, potteries etc. due cheap are hand rolled, unfiltered cigarettes. A beedi industrial substitutes and changing consumer consists of about 0.2 gram of processed sun-dried preference. Beedi making is viewed by these tobacco flakes, rolled in a tendu leaf or temburni families as an additional source of income to leaf and then tied with cotton thread. The tobacco cover-up the shrinking income. rolled in beedi is different from that used in Muslim women dominate the beedi work because cigarettes. due to religious stricture they are not allowed to The beedi rolling activity is primarily carried go out to work. Thus, home-based work is widely out by workers having weaker socio-economic acceptable among them. The participation of status in the society. Most of the beedi making Scheduled Castes is high in certain places. work is carried out in rural and semi-urban areas Children of beedi workers get involved in this where it is one of the major sources of livelihood work at a tender age; as a result, school dropouts for many families. The work of beedi making is are also reported in large number.

* Lecturer in Economics, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar College, The socio-economic empowerment is essential Hyderabad. for self-respect which cannot be achieved

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 37 without economic independence. It has been Research Methodology widely reported that women beedi workers have The present research study is based on primary poor socio-economic condition. In spite of many data collected from 200 workers through a legislations and efforts of trade unions, the combination of random and stratified sampling conditions of beedi workers continued to by a well-structured questionnaire canvassed in deteriorate and forcing them to entertain child five mandals of Nizamabad district to make an labour. The total work force involved in the in-depth analysis. The mandals were selected as beedi-making industry in India, directly and to reflect the regional variations. The systematic indirectly, is estimated to be four million people. tabulation and analysis is made to find solutions. This is besides the tobacco farming which The personal interviews and discussions with involves a large number of agricultural labourers. beedi workers are also considered. The profile The sheer magnitude of the work force calls for of the beedi workers not only raises the questions a serious attention of the scholars and policy pertaining to wage and income but also socially makers. The beedi industry is largely based on nagging issues such as gender and caste. For the diffused production pattern and to a great instance, some of the data collected here clearly extent domesticated. indicates that the domestic nature of production Objectives of the study that is involved in the beedi making made enormous difference to the condition of women The main intention of this study is to identify in the home front. socio-economic conditions of beedi workers and to suggest suitable measures to overcome their Analysis problems. The following are the basic objectives Type of Working Place of the present study: Normally the working place in industries will 1. To examine the socio- economic conditions be under the same roof or at home. But in the for preferring rolling activity. beedi industry workers do their work both in the 2. To understand the social, marital and factory and at home. This situation is further economic status of the beedi workers. influenced by the rural-urban dichotomy also. Hence, this has been taken as an important 3. To study the nature of the work and evaluation variable. The data relating to this aspect is of health and medical care of the workers. presented in table-1.

Table-1: Type of Workers Sl. No. Type of Nizamabad % Armoor % Kamaraddy % Argul % 1. House 120 60 150 75 140 70 180 90 2. Factory 80 40 50 25 60 30 20 10 TOTAL 200 100 200 100 200 100 200 100 Table-1 shows the relative percentages of the home workers are 70% and the factory workers house workers and factory workers at four are 30%. In Argul, which is a village, the home centers. Three of these centers are towns and workers constitute 90% and the factory workers one centre is a village. In Nizamabad town, the are only 10%. Thus, the home workers outnumber house workers are 60% and the factory workers the factory workers in all the centers. However, are 40%. In Armoor, the home workers are 75% the relative percentages of home workers and and the factory workers 25%. In Kamareddy, the factory workers vary to the size of the village or

38 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 town as the case may be. The larger the tow/ Table-3: Literacy village, the higher is the percentage of factory Sl.No. Level of No.of Percentage workers. education workers Age Composition 1. Illiterates 140 70 In any office, industry or department, there are 2. Up to V Class 40 20 some age restrictions for recruitment. As the beedi industry provides employment for large 3. Up to X Class 16 8 number workers, it was thought essential to examine the age composition of the beedi 4. College 4 2 workers. Further, the beedi industry work force education consists of children as well as old people in TOTAL 200 100 addition to young and middle-aged workers. This situation also called for the inclusion of this Table 3 indicates that around 70% of the variable. The data in this respect is presented in respondents are illiterates. Only 20% of the Table-2. respondents studied up to V Class and around 8% have had high school education and just 2% Table-2: Age Composition of the respondents have had college education. Sl.No. Age group No.of Percentage Thus, the literacy among the beedi workers is workers less than the standards of average literacy rate of the State and also less than the rate of literacy 1. Below 14 years 2 1 of the women. It may be mentioned here that the literacy rate of the State is 37.59 percent. 2. 14 – 35 years 120 60 The literacy rate of State for women is 13.86 3. 36 – 50 years 70 35 percent. The above figures clearly show that the literacy programs conducted by the State 4. Above 50 years 8 4 Government and by other agencies, for example, TOTAL 200 100 Akshara Kiranam and Teach One – Each One have not been very effective in respect of the Table-2 indicates that about 60% of the beedi workers of Nizamabad district. employees are in the age group of 14 to 35 years. Thus, the industry has its work-force drawn Caste / Community mainly from the younger generation. It is significant that around 1% of the beedi workers The Indian society is complex by nature because are below the age of 14 years indicating that their of the different castes and communities. In the number is quite a large in the industry to help rural areas, the caste structure is more rigid, and their elders. The younger and middle-aged even today we see most people in the villages of persons together constitute 95% of the workforce India live by their traditional caste occupations. in the industry. But the unchecked growth of population has made Literacy these caste / community occupations less viable in the villages because of competition within a Awareness of rights, privileges and other small area and, as a result, rural unemployment statutory matter among the workers of an industry has become the major problem in India. is also partly responsible for their development. Literacy is the most important means of such In this situation, industrialization has come like awareness. Therefore, the data on the literacy a boon. It is assumed here that industrialization levels of the respondents was also collected for has had its impact on the traditional caste the purpose of this study. Table 3 gives a detailed occupation and thereby on the very caste structure picture of the respondents’ literacy levels. of the rural society. Therefore, data on the caste

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 39 / community of the respondents was collected known fact that in the Indian society marriage and the details of this variable are given in Table has become a problem because of the evil of 4. dowry. Thus, marriage and economic status are mutually influenced. The details of the relevant Table-4: Caste / Community Composition data are shown in Table 5. Sl. Caste / No.of Percentage Table-5: Marital Status No. Community workers Sl. Marital No.of Percentage 1. Padmashali 80 40 No. Status workers 2. Kapu 30 15 1. Married 150 78 3. Muslims 30 15 2. Un-married 30 15 4. Gouds 10 5 3. Widows 4 2 5. Miscellaneous 14 7 4. Divorced 10 5 castes/Nai Bra- mins TOTAL 200 100 6. Scheduled Caste 30 15 Table 5 indicates that 78% of the respondents are married, 15% are unmarried, 2% are widows 7. Forward Caste 6 3 and around 5% are divorced. The reasons for (Reddy, Brahmins) the divorce have not come to light in TOTAL 200 100 questionnaire method. However, when it was enquired into, it was fond that the marriages are Table 4 indicates that Padmashali community performed at an early age and in case the husband which is a community of weavers constitutes 40% was engaged in agriculture, the girl would prefer of the respondents. People of Schedule Castes, to seek divorce as it would become necessary Kapu and Muslims constitute 15% each. The and compulsory for her to engage in the works of Forward Castes constitute only 3%. The agriculture. Thus, they were forced to divorce Miscellaneous Castes such as Nai-Brahmins, for avoiding the drudgery of agricultural labour. Vishwa Brahmins, etc., constitute 7% of the The tendency of the girls is to have employed respondents. It is significant that none of the men as their partners. respondents belong to Kamma (a Forward Caste Children’s Education belonging to Andhra area who migrated and This is yet another variable that can throw light settled mainly in and around Bodhan). Thus, there on a married person’s socio-economic is a significant correlation between the women’s obligations. Table 6 presents the data in respect occupation and their caste. Around 97% of the of this variable. respondents belong to the weaker sections of Table-6: Children’s Education society, comprising people from SCs, STs, BCs Sl. Nature No.of Percentage and Muslims. There is also a correlation between No. workers the occupation and the economic status of women. The small percentages of Forward Caste are from 1. School-going 120 60 the poorer sections of the society. children 2. Children engaged 70 35 Marital Status in beedi industry This is another variable considered essential to 3. Children engaged 10 5 understand the socio-economic background of the elsewhere beedi workers in Nizamabad district. It is a well- TOTAL 200 100

40 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 Table 6 indicates that 60% of the children increasing tendency on the part of many belonging to the respondents go to school. But respondents to initiate their children into beedi around 35 of the children are initiated into beedi making. It was also observed that there is an making. Another 5% are employed elsewhere. It increasing tendency amongst their earnings. was observed in the field survey that normally Indebtedness and Sources of Loan the beedi workers send their children to school. While they are still going to school, the children Indebtedness is a widely prevalent problem of are made to help their mothers/sisters in wetting the poor masses of India, particularly in the rural the Tendu leaf, winding the yarn to the beedies areas. It is always associated with income, assets and in cutting the leaf. and housing. Further, the rural poor in India always run into debts to meet either their Thus, they gradually learn to roll the beedies. agricultural needs, domestic expenses or The female children are thereafter discouraged sometimes to sustain themselves during the from going to school. After having two/three years seasonal spells of unemployment. of schooling, they discontinue their studies and become full-fledged beedi-rollers. This is another Table-8: Indebtedness of Beedi Workers instance to say that economic viability is given Sl.No. Purpose Percentage preference over literate status. This is a healthy trend because it can literate our rural youth, 1. Consumption 15 particularly girls from their traditional inhibitions and enable to become more independent 2. Marriage 75 economically. 3. Sickness 50 Income 4. Maternity 30 An individual’s social status in the Indian rural 5. Festivals 25 society is decided not only by his/her caste and education, but also by the income of that 6. House building / 15 individual. Thereafter, it was felt necessary to House plots examine the levels of income/earnings of the 7. Education of Children 30 beedi workers. Data relating to this variable is shown in table 7. 8. Funerals 30 Table-7: Income Levels of Beedi Workers Table 8 shows that 15% of the respondents’ loans were for consumption, 75% of the Sl. Income No.of Percentage respondents took loans for performing marriages No. workers of the members of family. 50%, 30%, 25%, 15% 1. 100 – 300 100 50 and 60% of the respondents respectively borrowed money for meeting the expenses for 2. 301 - 500 80 40 sickness, maternity, festivals, house-building and 3. 501 – 1000 20 10 education of their children and funerals. Thus, the indebtedness is found to be existing mainly TOTAL 200 100 because of expenditure incurred towards performing marriages, sickness, education, etc. Table 7 shows that about 50% of the respondents earn around Rs. 100/- to Rs. 300/- per month. Table-9: Sources of Loan 40% of the respondents earn around Rs. 301/- to Sl.No. Source of loan Percentage Rs.500/- per month and 10% of them earn around Rs. 501/- to Rs. 1000/- per month. It was also 1. Nationalised banks 15 observed that due to meager income, there is an

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 41 2. Money lender 20 borrowed at the bank rate of interest i.e., 14% p.a. Around 20% of the respondents borrowed 3. Friends & Relatives 20 at the rate of 3 to 5% p.m. 20% borrowed at the 4. Private chits 35 rate of 1 to 1.5% p.m. 35% borrowed at the rate of 1.5 to 2% p.m. and around 10% of the 5. Employer 10 respondents borrowed without any interest. Thus, Table 9 indicates the sources of loan taken by due to meager income of the respondents and at the respondents. The table shows that 15% of times due to the high rates of interest the the respondents took loans from the nationalized indebtedness prolongs for many years. The beedi banks, 20% from the money lenders, 20% from workers find it increasingly difficult even to fulfill friends and relatives and around 35% of the the basic requirements of day-to-day life due to respondents took loans by subscribing to private indebtedness. and unregistered chits and 10% of the respondents Health and Medical Care got advance wages of small amounts from the employer, which is deducted from the wages at Health is the basic requirement for a reasonably the time of payment. It was also observed by the happy life of man. Living in poverty and constant researcher that at times, more than one source indebtedness, people in the rural areas are not was utilized for raising loans. able to take nutritious food and to maintain good health. They suffer from a number of ailments. In Interest Rates on Loans this respect the position of children in rural India The rural poor sometimes take loans at exorbitant is much worse. The beedi workers of Nizamabad rates of interest. Very often, due to their limited are no exception to this. From the empirical data income levels, they fail to clear the loans and as on their health and the medical facilities a result the interest accumulates and becomes a accessible from field survey, it is observed that greater burden than the principal amount. Thus, 60% of the respondents were suffering from one they are forced to live under constant disease or the other including the occupational indebtedness, which becomes an inescapable diseases. 40% of such respondents took treatment vicious circle in their lives. This has a great from private medical officers, mostly unqualified impact on their socio-economic status. The data private practitioners, who charge nominal fee and on this aspect is presented in Table 10. are readily available. Only 20% of such respondents went to government hospitals. Table-10: Interest Rates on Loans The researcher observed that government Sl.No. Interest rates Percentage hospitals are available only in towns like 1. Bank rate 14% p.a. 15 Nizamabad and Armoor and it is only the respondents living in such towns that go to 2. 3 to 5% p.m. 20 Government hospitals, that too only some of them. 3. 1 to 1.5% p.m. 20 The beedi workers living in villages, prefer to take treatment from the RMPs in the villages and 4. 1.5 to 2% p.m. 20 only when the health deteriorates, on the advice of the RMP, they go to qualified private doctor 5. Nil interest 10 or Government hospitals as the case may be. The Table 10 indicates the rates of interest at which researcher observed that the majority of the beedi the respondents borrowed loans. The rates of workers appear anemic and emaciated thereby interest varied according to the source form indicating the deficiency of blood, proteins, fats which the amount was borrowed. The table and vitamins. Thus, the diet of the majority of shows that around 15% of the respondents the respondents is not a balanced diet.

42 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 There are two hospitals in the entire district for attention to their health and they were rather the beedi workers; one is situated at Kamareddy worried about their family, loans and education and another at Nizamabad. These two hospitals of their children. cannot cater to the requirements of the 2 lakhs Social Security beedi workers of the district. The researcher visited the hospitals and found the hospitals with Social security is another important variable to inadequate facilities. It was further observed that measure the socio-economic soundness of an the respondents were unable to meet the medical individual. Hence, this was considered in relation expenditure and were not paying adequate to the beedi workers. Table-11: Social Security Sl.No. Act No.of workers Total No.of Percentage received benefits workers interviewed 1. EPF Act 80 200 40 2. Gratuity Act 60 200 30 3. Maternity Benefit Act 40 200 20 4. Payment of Bonus Act 200 200 100 5. Leave with pay 200 200 100 Table 11 shows that 40% of the respondents were the years. Poverty, ill-health and illiteracy covered by EPF Act, 30% received Gratuity, 20% continue to haunt them making their lives received bonus and leave with pay. The maternity miserable. benefit extended to the beedi workers was not in The factors such as lack of medical care, more accordance with the Maternity Benefit Act. What hours of work, meager income, indebtedness, was received by 20% of the workers is only Rs. large-sized family etc., are contributing to the 250/- as per the agreement entered by the Trade deterioration of the living conditions of the beedi Unions with the managements. The bonus and the workers. The various social security benefits leave with pay were merged with wages payable could be availed of only by to respondents. Hence, all the respondents a miniscule percentage of the beedi workers. The received bonus and leave with pay. industry is thrusting risks and adverse effects on Conclusion the health of the beedi workers. Although legislations exist on the statute book and the cases The above socio-economic analysis of the beedi are promptly imposed on the employers, the workers indicate that the beedi workers in this medical care is still evading the beedi workers. industry are invariably drawn from law castes like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, The conditions stated and analysed here call for Backward Classes and also from poorer sections some drastic policy initiatives in each of the of Muslims and a very small percentage of poorer sectors. Irony of the policy environment is that sections from the forward castes. Also, they are instead of taking stock of the pathetic conditions found to be either illiterate or ill- educated. of the beedi workers who are in the unorganized Though beedi industry provided employment to sector and largely at the mercy of the contractors a large number of people suffering from penury and managements of the beedi factories, the and provided means for livelihood, it is evident governments seek to moralise the issue by talking that the beedi workers have not visualized any about the health hazards of beedi smoking, substantial change in the standards of living over leaving out the powerful cigarette industries. It

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 43 only indicates the abdication of responsibilities Women in home-based production, edited by towards such a large work force. Though this Andrea Menefee Singh, Anita Kelles- micro study is a representation of the conditions Viitanen, 35–50. New Delhi, India: Sage of beedi workers in a small district of Publications. Nizamabad, the situation is not very different 4. Chauhan, Yash. 2001. History and Struggles elsewhere in the country. of beedi Workers in India. New Delhi: N. M. References Joshi Institute and ILO. 1. Avachat, Anil. 1978. Beedi Workers of 5. Datar, Chhaya. 1985. Divisions and unity: Nipani. Economic and Political Weekly 13 Dynamics of organising bidi and tobacco (30): 1203–1205. workers at Nipani. Manush 33: 29–32. 2. Census of India.1961. District Census 6. Dharmaliagam, A. 1993. Female Beedi Handbook, North Arcot. Workers in a South Indian Village. Economic and Political Weekly 28 (27–28): 1461– 3. Bhatty, Zarina. 1987. Economic contribution 1468. of women to household budget: A case study of the beedi industry. In Invisible hands: 

HRD Practices and Matriculation School Teachers in Kovilpatti Ms. M. Jensirani* & Dr. A. Muthumani**

[Human Resource Development has assumed considerable importance in recent years be it business organization or an educational institution or an office. The development of human resource is necessary for its efficient and effective working. In an evolutionary process when developing economy struggles to attain higher levels of living it can hardly overlook the need of developing its human resource to meet the bigger and new challenges of raising the quality of the masses.] he concept of HRD deals with the about developed countries. Little evidence is improvement of human quality in general available about relationship between HR Tand development of skills, standards, practices and employee performance from comprehensions and application in the production developing countries like India. The purpose of enterprises in particular. As such, HRD has this study is to develop an understanding of HR become an important program of all organization practices and to examine the unique HR practices not only for enhancing the production efficiency implemented by different matriculation schools. or productivity, but also to bring about qualitative Review of Literature improvement among the workers at different levels. David and Dennis (2010), in their study observed that the higher education has achieved a dramatic The number of researcher have established the change than it has been in decades. The job of relationships between HR practices and the universities and their employees is becoming employee performance but they mainly discuss challenging and dynamic for achieving the objectives. This calls for reviewing the policies * Ph. D Scholar, PG Dept of Commerce, Sattur. ** Asst. Prof., PG Dept of Commerce Sattur and procedures related to the HRD in universities

44 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 and creating working environment so that the management. So, there is need to know the HRD university employees can work effectively. It practices among the teachers in matriculation is the responsibility of the management to schools with reference to Kovilpatti Town. promote the development of superior HRD Objectives of the Study climate for higher education in the universities. This research study was undertaken with the Allen R.E (2011), while examining the following objectives. perception of 550 teaching and non-teaching employees on the existing status of HRD climate  To know the socio-economic conditions of the of 8 universities has concluded that the existing matriculation school teachers. HRD climate in the university is not perceived  to be satisfactory. To understand the HRD mechanism followed in Matriculation School Teachers in the study The primary data for the present study have been area. collected by administering a well-designed  questionnaire developed at XLRI Jamshedpur To make suggestions on the basis of findings to the respondents. It reflects just moderate of the study. satisfaction level of employees towards Scope of the Study management policies and procedures. It reveals that the non-teaching staff scores more than 50 The education sector is becoming one of the most per cent on each component of general climate important sectors of the economy, so there is a but fails to score on HRD facilitators and HRD great need to focus on this sector. The schools mechanisms. But the teaching staff scores more are actively engaged in disseminating and than 50 per cent in HRD facilitators. The imparting knowledge and education to meet the management must show equal importance to both needs of the society as a whole. While schools teaching and non-teaching staff in the develop the human resources, the school teachers universities. need to be highly motivated for generating quality workforce. The efforts need to be directed towards Statement of the Problem developing superior HRD Practices in the school, With the increase in the number of matriculation so that the employees are able to perform their schools, the awareness and urge for the education maximum. This calls for a conductive HRD is increasing day after day and thus are the climate in the matriculation schools. For expectation of the people increasing manifold. generating healthy atmosphere in the schools, the People want quality of education in terms education needs to be reformed. The success meeting their requirements in order to come out depends on how efficiently and effectively the and earn their livelihood. The matriculation schools manage their human resources. school teachers are; therefore, required to be Research Methodology provided adequate facilities and opportunities in order to deliver effectively their duties and Methodology describes the specification of time responsibilities. period, study area, size of the sample of the study. It also defines the tools and techniques applied The school management and administration to measure the variables and their relationship. mainly focus on profit-motive of the school but its fails to focus on all the aspects of the teachers Source of Data and their working condition. Due to lack of In this study, the researchers has opted two sources concentration of management towards the of data. They are, teachers’ requirements and needs, it results in lack of staff participation towards the i. Primary Data - Collected through the Questionnaire

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 45 ii. Secondary Data – Collected from various selected according to the convenience of the sources such as books, journals, websites and researcher such as nearness easy availability of etc., data, etc. Research Design Hypothesis This research is based on Descriptive Nature. Ho 1: There is no significant relationship between designation and HRD Mechanism. Sampling Ho 2: There is no significant relationship This study has taken the sample of 277 between experience and HRD Mechanism. respondents from the matriculation school teachers. Interpretation and Findings of the Study Sampling Technique An attempt has been made to find the socio- economic status of Matriculation School The researcher has adopted convenience Teachers in Kovilpatti Town. sampling. Under this method, the units are S. No. Category No. of Respondents Percentage 1. Gender Male 77 27.80 Female 200 72.20 Total 277 100.00 2. Age 20 – 30 year 180 64.98 30 – 40 year 50 18.05 40 – 50 year 30 10.83 Above 50 year 17 6.14 Total 277 100.00 3. Marital Status Married 112 40.43 Unmarried 165 59.57 Total 277 100.00 4. Educational Qualification D.T.Ed., 40 14.44 UG 15 5.42 B.Ed., 77 27.80 PG 60 21.66 B.Ed., with PG 80 28.88

46 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 M.Ed., 5 1.80 Total 277 100.00 5. Designation Second Grade Teacher 72 26.00 BT Assistant 79 28.52 PG Assistant 126 45.48 Total 277 100.00 6. Experience Below 3 years 149 53.79 3 – 6 years 6 – 9 years 31 11.19 Above 9 years 33 11.91 Total 277 100.00 In gender-wise classification, 72.20% of the respondents have 6 – 9 years of experience and respondents are female, 27.80% of the 11.91% of the respondents have above 9 years respondents are male. In age wise classification of experience. 64.98% of the respondents are fall under the age Chi-Square Test Result group of 20-30 years, 18.05% of the respondents are belongs to the age group of 30-40 years, O 2 10.83% of the respondents are in the age group Chi-Square Test = of 40 – 50 years and 6.14% of the respondents are above 50 year age group. In marital status of Ho 1: There is no significant relationship the respondents 40.43%of the respondents are between designation and HRD Mechanism. married, 59.57% of the respondents are unmarried. In educational qualification, 14.44% Particular Value of the respondents have completed D.T.Ed., Degrees of Freedom 4 5.42% of the respondents have done UG, 27.80% of the respondents have completed B.Ed., 21.66% Table Value 9.488 of the respondents’ holds PG degree, 28.88% of Calculated Value 2.038 the respondents have finished B.Ed., with PG and 1.80% of the respondents have completed M.Ed. The table value of X2 for 4 degrees of freedom at 5% level of significance is 9.488. Calculated 26% of the respondents working as a Second value is 2.038. Since the calculated value is less Grade Teacher, 28.52% of the respondents than the table value. So the hypothesis is designated as BT Assistant and 45.48% of the accepted. Hence there is a significant respondents fall under the category of PG relationship between designation and HRD Assistant. In experience wise classification, Mechanism. 53.79% of the respondents have below 3 years of experience, 23.11% of the respondents have 3 Ho 2: There is no significant relationship – 6 years of experience, 11.19% of the between experience and HRD Mechanism.

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 47 Particular Value  Continuous evaluation and appraisal system is an apt one to satisfy the need of human Degrees of Freedom 6 resource development practices of Table Value 12.592 matriculation school teachers. Calculated Value 78.085 Conclusion The table value of X2 for 6 degrees of freedom The researcher concludes that there is a need for at 5% level of significance is 12.592. Calculated the HRD practices followed in the matriculation value is 78.085. Since the calculated value is school. The current HRD practices followed are higher than the table value. So the hypothesis is found to be moderate. The matriculation school rejected. Hence there is no significant teachers need to work in close coordination to relationship between designation and HRD ensure development of their potentials. It is the Mechanism. responsibility of administrator to create Suggestions necessary infrastructure and to promote the development of HRD climate, in their institutions.  It is expected by the respondents to give due They also need to put them into continuous weightage for the experience of teachers and learning process and cooperate to achieve their their potentiality. objects successfully. The administration is  Management should take efforts to co-ordinate necessary to arrange for HRD programmes.. the teachers who are working in their school Reference and may arrange to improve better relations among them. 1. L.M.Prasad, “Human Resources Management”, Sultan Chand & Sons  Monetary and Non-monetary motivation is one Publications, New Delhi. of the effective tools to motivate and stimulate workers in any nature of organizations. 2. C.P. Gupta “Human Resources Management”, Likewise, motivation is required from the Sultan Chand & Sons Publications, New management side to improve the quality of their Delhi. human resources. 3. www.researchrepository.murdoch.edu. 4. www.zenithresearch.org.in 

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48 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 Evaluating Employment Conditions of Spinning Mill Workers in Kozhikode Anooja Chacko* [Spinning mill industry, one of the labour intensive traditional sectors in Kerala, plays an important role in absorbing rural unskilled labour force. Even though these medium and large scale industries had existed since the late 19th century and initiated the industrialisation process of the state, the present situation is gloomy. This sector faces several problems both in the management level and at the employment level. The present paper tries to critically evaluate the inherent labour problems.] raditional industries play a vital role in and highly sophisticated machine-supported the economy of Kerala. Due to their huge capital-intensive segment (Mohanakumar, 1994). Tlabour absorption capacity, it supports the This heterogeneity in its structural composition livelihood of several rural families. Even provides a complex structure to the industry as a unskilled labourers are capable of finding an whole. employment in these avenues. These low capital- cost industries help in industrialization of rural Cotton Mill Industries in Kerala areas and thereby reduce regional imbalances The history of cotton mill industry in Kerala starts by assuring more equitable and fair distribution with the establishment of Malabar Spinning and of national income and wealth. Moreover, these Weaving Company in 1884 at Kozhikode with industries sometimes offer uninterrupted supply an initial capital of 6 lakhs. It was a private of inputs for large scale industries and thereby owned firm promoted by Mr. Velayudhan ensure the effective functioning of these industrial Mudaliyar. By registering as a joint stock backbones. company in 1883, it raised 3000 shares from Out of various traditional industries, textile public with a face value of Rs. 200 each. At the industry was the largest and oldest industry in starting stage, there were 200 employees and 300 spindles (Company Records). Kerala by serving as the mother industry through nourishing several other industries. It not only The mill was closed several times and helped to resolve the mounting unemployment government of Kerala vested the charge of mill problems but stimulated the industrialization to Kerala State Textile Corporation in 1978.On process in Kerala way back in 19th century. 01 September 1983, mill was taken over by The cotton textile industry can be broadly government of Kerala. The mill closed again in 2003 due to the financial crisis and it was re- categorized into organized mill sector and decentralized sector. The organized mill sector opened on December 2006 and now it is includes spinning mills which produce only yarns functioning. as well as composite mills which produce both The second spinning mill was initiated under the yarns and cloth. Handlooms, power looms and European management in 1884 named ‘Quilon khadi are incorporated in the decentralized Spinning Mills’ at Kollam but with the outbreak sector. The cotton industry encompasses both of the First World War, it ceased its operations traditional hand woven labour intensive segment (Kerala State large and Medium Industries Directory, 1967). * Asst. Prof., Dept of Economics, Zamorin’s Guruvayurappan College, Calicut. The third textile mill originated at Thrissur in

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 49 1908 namely Sitaram Textiles Ltd. Even though textile workers. The study recommends increased it started as a private limited small power loom coverage of medical support through quality company, gradually it transformed into a improvement in medical assistance. The study composite mill capable of producing both yarns highlights non satisfaction level of the service of and cloths. But gradually financial crunches doctors as well as ESI staff and this creates lesser emerged and the company has to face liquidation access to these facilities. In order to rectify it the proceedings in 1953. Later with the intervention study suggests attitudinal changes as well as of court, the company had undergone public enhancement in monetary benefits and timely auction in 1972 and during this procedure, the payment to meet the contingencies. government of Kerala purchased the ownership Varghese & Salim (2015) undertake a critical right. Later a new company was registered in evaluation of the challenges and burning 1975 and consequently new mill was initiated problems of handloom sector of Kerala. Lack of in 1978 and it run purely under public sector professional technical knowledge and managerial (Kerala Business Directory, 1982). skill of the management staff, shortage of capital, The development of cotton mills recorded stiff competition from power-loom sector and significant growth after the state reorganisation. neighbouring states, failure to comply with Kerala Textile Industry is now organised into demand for diversified products etc., are cited public sector units, cooperative units and those as the major challenges. units jointly in public and cooperative sectors Jebadurai (2013) conducted a study on the job (Economic Review, 2018). Out of the twenty- satisfaction and working environment of spinning five spinning mills, twelve units are run by mills in Tamil Nadu. The results of the study private individuals, four each under cooperative indicate that the level of implementation of sector – National Textile Corporation, Kerala welfare measures is not satisfactory. Even though State Textile Corporation and one under Kerala government has set norms and standard, the real Government. situation is far below and it seriously affects the With the establishment of Kerala State Textile productivity and job pleasure. Corporation in 1972, cotton mill sector acquired Varghese (2002) in her doctoral thesis compared a fresh momentum. Around 75% of the cotton the labour welfare measures to various industrial mills are spinning mills (Economic Review, units in Kottayam district. The striking finding is 2017). It is a public-sector corporation that cotton mill workers was one of the least paid exclusively designed to promote textile industry sections in terms of availability and timely access and ensure modernisation of sick units by offering of the welfare measures. ample financial support. Mohammed (1997) points out the red-tapism and As an expansion activity, with the financial poor financial management as key reasons for assistance of National Cooperative Development the poor performance of cotton mills in Kerala. Corporation, modernisation/ expansion projects Hence, he suggests eradication of dual control were undertaken during 2015-2016 for an outlay and centralised open purchase of raw materials of Rs 120 crores (Economic Review, 2016). Still along with marketing of value-added products to obsolete technology and equipment along with reach at the quality standards. low productivity and stiff competition discourage the sector to move on par with the industry Mohanakumar (1994) assessed the managerial standards. level inefficiency of spinning mills in Kerala in his doctoral thesis. The study focused on the Literature Review absence of professional managerial techniques Asha et al (2017) evaluated the employee and continuance of red-tapism as the central satisfaction and ESI benefits among public sector features for inefficient management of mills.

50 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 Significance of the study through well-structured interview schedule among the workers of Malabar Spinning and Even though cotton mill industry offers valuable contribution to the economy, now it is not a Weaving Mill, the oldest mill in Kerala. Besides booming industry in Kerala. Rather it is passing the basic details collected from 100 samples of the employees, the data also supplemented with through a critical phase and even faces existential problems. Several mills face the challenge of key informant interviews and group interviews. being shut down and some units have already The officials of the company and labour union leaders were the key informants. The data become sick units. Both the managerial problems and labour unrest make it a vulnerable industry. generated out of these three different dimensions Since many of these industries run with limited helped to fill and crosscheck the information and increase the data authenticity. technologies and semi-skilled labour force, scope for advancement and diversification are Results and Discussion limited. Working Conditions As it supports the livelihood of a large number of people, the improvement in this sector not only At present the mill employs 304 employees under enhances the contribution to GDP but directly various sections. Of these, there are 199 males instils welfare to the lives of those masses. For and 105 females. But when a segregated analysis that, it is essential to generate reliable baseline is done according to age category, even though data regarding the fundamental problems facing male employees are almost equally distributed these industries. Then only it would be possible among (20-40 age category, 49.25%) and (40- to frame apt policies for resolving it in respective 60 category, 50.75%), a sharp disparity is visible industries. Most of the research studies in this among the female workers (87.62% in 20-40 area either focus on handloom sector or category and 12.38% in 40-60 age group). A concentrate on managerial aspects. Another downfall in employment with increase in working school of studies thrust on the cooperative sector. age is the hallmark of female employment. Limited studies are available on cotton mills and The results clearly indicate ‘missing of women’ labour problems and deficiencies of welfare in age hierarchy. Even though there is parity at measures in public sector units. Hence, the entry level a large share of female employees do present study tries to address this research gap not complete their retirement age. The interactions by taking up an empirical study in this direction. with female employees reveal that health issues, Objectives lack of supporting working conditions and low wages deter them from continuing in the The research is premised on the following employment option. So at their middle age they objectives. quit the jobs. This issue demands sufficient 1. To analyse the working condition of the attention in framing of policies in a gender- friendly way. employees 2. To evaluate the labour problems The pro-male workforce trend continues in the case of the permanency of job options also. Out 3. To assess the efficiency of welfare measures of the total male workers, 50.75% are permanent workers but when we come to the case of females Methodology it is only 12.38%. Female share is prominent in The study is both analytical and empirical. It the ‘badal’ category (substitute labour), 87.61%. made use of both primary and secondary data. This is another reason for the missing of women Secondary data was collected from various workers when age progresses. Due to non- government reports, magazines, books and permanency and lack of job security, they are Internet sources. Primary data mainly generated forced to leave the job. The technical jobs which

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 51 demand training and the labour intensive casual the management with respect of their genuine labourers are fully males. demands and problems. The problem is severe among trainees who have no right to join the Salary depends upon the experience of the unions. Being one of the discriminated sections employees. High salary (15000) is awarded only in terms of salary and other benefits, this after completing minimum 15 years of communication barrier further aggravates their experience. Non-permanent workers get below problems. 93% of trainees have pinpointed this 15000. Non-continuance for a long span and as an important obstacle. quitting of jobs in the middle of the career also acts as a negative factor for the women Even though union activities are there, workers employees. It deters them from enjoying the high are not fully satisfied in terms of opportunity to paid segment of workforce. Large share of casual express their opinion. Union hierarchy often gives and non-permanent labourers in the mill are more preference to permanent workers and active union members. Opinions and concerns of others receiving not a reasonable salary and 83% of are neither properly aired nor adequately the employees have expressed their displeasure represented. A gender-wise analysis among the over their wages and the public-sector nature of union members has revealed that 45% of the the mill is shared as the sole reason for women workers are of this opinion whereas continuation of the job. 27% of the male workers have shared this view. Salary incentives are mainly of two types- Gender difference in terms of active union provident fund and festival allowance for involvement is the contributory factor towards permanent employees and bonus for casual this trend. Qualitative interaction with union labourers. Provident fund is provided on the leaders has revealed that even though there is no basis of total financial earnings of employees. such disparity in terms of gender, sometimes The arrears of provident fund, at times of shutting prominence is offered to the active members down of company, have not been settled yet. irrespective of gender and increased involvement Similarly, loans from provident fund are not of male members in union activity sometimes distributed properly because of the financial favour them. crunch. Only salary advances are paid and it too demands prolonged processing time. Since it Efficiency and comfort of the employees largely serves as the sole relief at times of emergency, depend on the working condition of machineries delayed payments often distort the financial installed in the factory. It is a crucial factor in determining both the production and productivity position of the employees. Bonus is distributed of the firm. Results indicate that 93% of the for non-permanent workers who earn less than workers have expressed their satisfaction Rs. 3500. 8.33% of the wage is offered as bonus. regarding the quality and efficiency of these Labour Problems machineries. They are highly satisfied with the The mill has the presence of all the three installation of imported high yielding machines prominent trade unions. The largest trade union as part of modernisation. is CITU followed by INTUC and BMS. Out of The workers were asked to rank the major the total workers, 67.57% are union members. burdens or hurdles in connection with their work. Trainees have no opportunity to take membership To get more composite results, gender-wise, age- from any union. This has created several wise and employment-wise (permanent and problems in their work-life. temporary category) analysis was done. Women The employees are the backbone of the spinning workers reported over time work (84%), night mill industry. But one of the concerns pointed shifts (76%) and lack of sufficient rest rooms out by them is the communication barriers with 67%) as their most burning problems. Male officials and management. Most of them, except workers reported lack of timely revision of wage union activists and leaders, fail to interact with (88%), need for enhancement of incentives (82%)

52 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 and denial of union rights to non-permanent  Ensure fundamental facilities in the mill : employees (71%) are to be sorted out Water supply, canteen facility and rest rooms immediately. have to be upgraded along with installation Age wise analysis reports that, in the age group of sufficient ventilation facilities. 40-50, only 28.57% considered the employment  Timely Revision and disbursement of as a burden but when it moves to 50-58, it has monetary benefits : Being low paid workers, enhanced to 40%. Among the workers under the monetary benefits are very crucial for them. age of 40, 87.5% are satisfied and didn’t express Those who are not incorporated in health any burden in their present employment. When it insurance are to be covered under group turns to employment-wise results, the major insurance scheme. Revision of the ESI and concerns of temporary workers were low salary other incentives are to be done to meet the (91%), limited opportunity to express the opinion present cost of living. Avoidance of (83%), lack of job security (74%) and no scope unnecessary delay in disbursement of benefits for union activity (70%). Permanent employees is to be achieved by simplification of norms shared the major concerns with respect to unnecessary processing and red tapism. deficiency in timely settlement of cash benefits  Avoid communication gaps between including PF loans and ESI benefits (91%), management and workers : Any institution insufficient cash benefits (84%) and shortage of will function effectively with harmonious skilled labourers in different portfolios (76%). labour relations. In the absence of union Welfare Measures activity, non-permanent workers get only The most dissatisfying component faced by the limited opportunity to represent their concerns. workers is lack of proper ventilation facility. This can be minimised by arranging separate During summer, this becomes a severe issue and meeting with them in the presence of workers have to face health issues in connection management and this will enhance an intimacy with this. The delay in disbursement of ESI among them. benefits and timely settlement of cash benefits  Frame gender-friendly policies: In order to are yet to be achieved. Moreover, the attitude ensure the contribution of more female workers and response from ESI officials were also by resolving the ‘drop-out’ and ‘missing’ of pointed out as non- satisfactory. The basic female workers, more gender-friendly welfare measures like canteen facility, supply of facilities including adequate rest rooms and clean and adequate drinking-water, and rest medical facility along with ample training to rooms are not on par with quality standards. enhance skills, are to be implemented. Even though government has framed rules and  Ensure adequate safety measures: In view norms the implementation and efficiency of many of health hazards, the company should provide of the welfare measures are not meeting with those more safety measures like hand glove, hearing mandatory standards. Still workers have protection to reduce the noise level. expressed a harmonious working relation with Conclusion co-workers and management. Malabar Spinning Mill is one of the premier Recommendations industrial units in Kerala which initiated the Malabar Spinning Mill is a public sector unit industrialisation process in the state. Overcoming functioning under the Kerala State Textile its critical phases, now it is functioning in a more Corporation. Hence, labour problems have to be stable manner. At present it employs 309 workers sorted out at the earliest by setting a model for and producing quality products with other non-public sector units. The major modernisation. Being a labour intensive venture, recommendations evolved out of the study are more attention has to be provided in maintaining following. enhanced labour standards and harmonious

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 53 labour relations. Improvement of the network of 4. Varghese, Anu and Dr. M. H. Salim, amenities and inclusion of more employees into Handloom Industry in Kerala: A Study of this welfare stream along with effective The Problems and Challenges, International monitoring of the welfare measures by the Journal of Management and Social Science authorities will definitely improve the quality Research Review, Vol.1, Issue.14, ISSN - standards and productivity of labour. 2349-6738, Aug - 2015. References 5. Government of Kerala, Economic 1. Jebadurai, Joel, A Study on Status of Labours Review,2018, State Planning Board, In Spinning Mills of Rajapalayam, Tamil Thiruvananthapuram Nadu, Asia Pacific Journal of Research, 6. Government of Kerala, Economic Review, Vol.1, Issue:7, ISSN 2320-5504, 2013 2017, State Planning Board, 2. Mohanakumar, P S, Analysis of Resource Use Thiruvananthapuram Efficiency of the Spinning Mills in Kerala, 7. Government of Kerala, Economic Review, Ph D thesis, Department of Applied 2016, State Planning Board, Economics, Cochin University of Science and Thiruvananthapuram Technology, Kerala, 1994 8. Mohamed, K K., Financial Management in 3. Asha et al, Employee Satisfaction and ESI Textile Mills in Kerala, Ph D Thesis, Benefits Among Public Sector Textile Department of Commerce and management Workers In Kerala, International Journal of Studies, University of Calicut, 1997 Current Engineering And Scientific Research, 9. Government of Kerala, Kerala State large Vol-4, ISSUE-5, ISSN : 2393-8374, 2017 and Medium Industries Directory, 1967 10. Government of Kerala, Kerala Business Directory, 1967  Impact of POCSO Act on the tribal population (Wayanad, Kerala) Krishnanunni C.U.* & A. J. Mathews** [India is a union of diverse cultures, arts, beliefs, traditions, languages, geography, climate and so on. Addressing these diversities through a unified code or regulations is always a matter of debate. Since there are diversities, thus should be the regulations. Coercing a group of cultures to adhere to a single norm is an assault on these traditions and customs. It may have reciprocal or adverse implications than the proposed results. The recent incidents of tribal youths got arrested and punished under the POCSO (Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences) act for marrying minor girls from their tribes are a serious social issue which needs to be addressed urgently. The tribes are following their age-old practice and find nothing illegal in it. It is creating conflicts between the tribal people and the authorities. It is due to a lacuna in awareness programmes and it needs immediate attention of the authorities. Imparting proper awareness through education and empowerment programmes is the only feasible way to contain this problem in an efficient and time-bound manner.] he POCSO (The Prevention of Children * PhD Scholar, Gandhigram Rural Institute, from Sexual Offences) Act, 2012 is passed Gandhigram, Tamil Nadu. by the Parliament of Union of India to curb ** PhD Scholar, Dept of Pol. Sc. & Dev. Admin., T the sexual offences towards children. The Gandhigram Rural Institute, Tamil Nadu.

54 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 deliberations are widely appreciated. This act Methodology covers all aspects of sexual crimes towards The data were collected from secondary sources children and ensures strictest punishments for such as periodicals, magazines, news dailies, and offenders. There is no doubt that this bill can be websites of various government & non- an excellent deterrent to check child sexual government organisations and reputed journals. offences, the wrongful usage of this act by the Also, the researcher contacted various NGOs and law enforcing authorities is causing grave tribal activists who helped to get data over phone concern. and emails. The researcher also interacted with Though the act was brought in to counter child various government officials and law sexual offences, child marriage cases booked enforcement agency staff to get a clear picture of under this act. Unfortunately, the poor tribes who the problem. are following their old tradition of getting Aim of the Study married with legal minors are also getting booked under various sections of POCSO act and This study aims to point out the socio-legal awarded severe punishments. They are ignorant implications of the execution of POCSO act upon of the laws of the land. They follow their practices the tribal people of Kerala state, particularly of and customs. But our judicial system does not Wayanad district. entertain this. As all of us are aware, ignorance of the law is not an excuse as per our legal system, The Act and Its Provisions and the same ignorance is making the deprived The POCSO act was passed by the Parliament tribes pay for following their traditions. with the hope and determination to put an end to There is nothing unnatural or illegal in getting various dimensions of sexual exploitation married at the early teen age in the tribal culture. towards children. It is a pioneering act which It was being practied from time immemorial and guards the future citizens of India against all sorts all of a sudden if authorities are forcing them to of sexual exploitations. World Health acclimatise to a new system, it is obviously going Organization (WHO) describes child sexual to be chaotic. Exactly what happened. Tribal abuse as, “inappropriate sexual behaviour with people arrested on charges of rape, sexual assault a child” and “involving youth in a sensual and molestation under the ambit of this act for movement that he or she doesn’t fully getting married to legal minors. The situation is comprehend, is unable to give informed volatile, and the tribes do not know what the permission to, or that infringes the laws and mistake they had committed for which they were social taboos of society”. arrested. The act is enacted as part of the nation’s child Many impoverished tribes are cooling their heels protection policies. Article 19 of the UN off behind bars for the sin of getting married. It Convention on the Rights of the Child provides is an alarming situation and leads to frustration for the protection of children. It will act as a and agony of the people. Though many NGOs strong deterrent against child abuses and will and other like-minded people and organisations serve to ensure the holistic development of the are striving hard to educate the tribes on this, child’s social, emotional, physical and there is an emptiness of proper scientific intellectual capabilities. execution of awareness programmes. It should Before we look into the various provisions of be time bound and holistic. The local and district the POCSO act, let us have a glimpse on the other level administrations should put in more time and legal measures in practice to curtail this menace. resources to get them educated on this and to The child sexual abuse cases were previously bring them to the mainstream of the society. registered under the provisions of Indian Penal

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 55 Code, 1860 (IPC); Criminal Procedure Code, can be tracked down by the police immediately. 1973 (Cr.PC) and Indian Evidence Act, 1872. The act defines a child as any person below the There were severe apprehensions that these acts age of 18 years and protects all children from were not adequate to protect the children and to sexual abuse irrespective of their gender. The take cognizance of non-conventional sexual act also protects the interest of the child through abuses such as child trafficking, pornography, the all stages of judicial procedures. The act covers sale of children etc. all sorts of sexual offences and broadly There exist loopholes in the IPC which could classifieds it into five categories – (a) not adequately protect the children from sexual Penetrative sexual assault, (b) aggravated offences. The very insufficiency of Indian Penal penetrative sexual assault, (c) sexual assault, (d) Code and lack of any stringent legislation for aggravated sexual assault and (e) sexual efficiently addressing and attempting heinous harassment. Using a child for pornographic crimes such as sexual exploitation and sexual purposes is also an offence under this act. abuse of children has paved the way for the Abetment or attempt to commit the crime is made enactment of POCSO act. It was in due cognizable in this bill. Severe punishments compliance with Article 15 of Constitution of ensured for any act of sexual assault under this India which mandates the states to protect the law. children of our country. Even the courts have no rights to reduce the To make a specific law which would address quantum of penalties based on individual these issues wholly and broadly, we have this circumstances which were usually allowed in act. This act covers all the dimensions of sexual the case of other acts. Judges and law officers abuses and makes acts of immodesty against are not allowed to use their discretionary powers children as a cognizable offence. Under section in situations which are registered under this act 15 of this act, watching or collecting to prevent the dilution of the magnitude of pornographic content involving children is a punishment. This stringent bill was passed to criminal offence and shall be penalised with protect children from sexual offences. Now, this imprisonment of either description which may act is widely used by law enforcers to book the prolong to three years with fine or both. tribal people who are marrying legal minors as per their tradition. Another notable feature of this act is that it allows for various procedural reforms under Sections After the enactment of this act, the question is 19-22 making the tiring process of trial in India that whether adequate training is imparted to the considerably more comfortable for children. law enforcing officials or not. The vast difference Another important feature is that under Sec 20 of between some persons arrested and the number the act makes it obligatory for media persons of persons got punished poses a serious question. and other employees of various firms including In most of the cases, the complainant turns hostile lodges, hotels, hospitals, clubs etc. to report any due to pressure from various sides. The material or object which is sexually exploitative. authorities cannot render support and assurance The child, including pornographic, sexually- to the complainants in these cases. It questions related or making an obscene representation of a the very intention of this act. A comparative data child or children through the use of any medium of persons arrested and punished in the years of to the Special Juvenile Police Unit, or by the 2014 & 2015 are shown in the below table. local police, so that such sex abuse offenders Table 1. Comparative National statisties of cases under POCSO Act for the years 2014 & 2015

56 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 Year 2014 2015 Category Cases Persons Persons Cases Persons Persons Registered Arrested Convicted Registerd Arreste Convicted TOTAL 8904 11172 109 14913 18651 1072

Source: National Crime Records Bureau, annual year 2016. It represents the top 5 states in reports for the years 2014 & 2015 registering cases under various provisions of Table 1 represents a comparative data between POCSO Act. From the figure, it can understand the period of 2014 &2015, and it shows a steep that Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 43% of cases rise in the registration of cases under POCSO recorded pan India followed by Tamil Nadu and act at the national level. It can be assumed that Madhya Pradesh (both 15% each). West Bengal increase in cases is due to the fact of reporting stood next to 14% and Karnataka at the fifth to the authorities without fail by various position with 13%. stakeholders. It shows that the legal awareness We can certainly say that the POCSO act has of the public is getting increased; thanks to the brought in a lot of change in our society widespread awareness campaigns by multiple concerning sexual offences towards children in jurisdictions. The table shows that in the year a more feasible and foolproof manner. The bill 2014 there were 8904 cases registered, which is apparently a shot in the arm of law enforcement shot up drastically in the very next year to a agencies to tackle the menace of child sexual whopping number of 14,913. The number of abuses more efficiently. In reality, there are a persons arrested in the year 2014 was 11,172, few problems or somewhat glitches which had and in 2015 it was 18,651. These data are from crept in and created a few issues. the annual reports for respective years published by National Crime Records Bureau. The ardent and stringent provisions in the act affect the life of the tribal people negatively. Some Figure 1. First 5 states in India that top in POCSO requirements in the bill are contradictory to the case registration cultural and customary practices of the tribes, and this makes things worst. Many were arrested under various sections of this law though they have not done anything wrong deliberately. They were just following their age-old customary practices. The Scheduled Tribe population of Kerala is 4, 84,839 persons constituting 1.45 percent of the total population of the State as per 2011 Census. There has been an increase of 0.63 per cent as compared to 2001 population census. The sex ratio of Scheduled Tribe population in Kerala is 1035. The Scheduled Tribes in Kerala are not Source: Union ministry of Home Affairs annual only geographically concentrated but are report for the year 2016 overwhelmingly rural. The highest concentration of Scheduled Tribes is seen in Wayanad District (31.24%) followed by Idukki (11.51%), Figure 1 based on the annual report of Union Palakkad (10.10%) and Kasaragod (10. Ministry of Home Affairs and the data is for the 08%).These four districts together account for

THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 57 62.93 percent of Scheduled Tribes in the State. Figure 3. Category-wise representation of tribal (Chapter 4, Economic review 2016, Kerala State population of Wayanad Planning Board) Figure 2. District-wise tribal population distribution of Kerala State

Source: Census data 2011, Govt. of Kerala Figure 2 graphically represents the districts with tribal population concentration in Kerala State. It is clear from the picture that Wayanad district has a maximum number of tribal population. There are 1, 51,443 tribal people in Wayanad district followed by Idukki with 55,815 tribes. Highest numbers of POCSO cases registered against tribal people are in Wayanad district. It is due to the high concentration of tribal population in the region and majority of these cases are related to child marriages. In tribal customs, there is nothing unnatural about getting children married at their teen ages whereas it is forbidden as per the law of the land. A precise number of such cases are not available. The facts recorded, and the law enforcement agencies are not keeping a separate account of cases registered in connection with tribal marriages. National media reported many cases, and national and international NGOs are in the process of making the administration sensitive towards the issues of the tribes and advocating for their upliftment and educating them on existing laws. Awareness campaigns are already in place, and proper execution of these measures are the need of the hour. (Contnued the Next Issue)

58 THIRD CONCEPT, MARCH 2018 DELHI POSTAL REGN. NO. DL (ND) - 11/6026/2018-19-20 R.N.I. NO. 45898/87 POSTED AT N.D. PSO ON 7/8 EVERY MONTH Date of Publication : 5 - 3 - 2018

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