Basics - Economic Anthropology

Economic anthropology is a scholarly field that attempts to explain human economic behavior(production,distribution,consumption and exchange) in its widest historic, geographic and cultural scope.Economic anthropology, broadly defined, is the study of material processes in their social relations.It is a sub-discipline with blurred boundaries as it cross-cuts theoretical paradigms and other sub-fields within anthropology. 

As a field of study it is as old as anthropological fieldwork itself.Economic anthropology has gained its identity from its studies of hunter-gather societies, and the following transitions to subsistence production, cash economies,and the market. In the past ten years, the field witnessed also the incursion of new methods, such as field experiments.

According to Dalton, economic anthropology comprises different sets of topics, such as the structure and performance of traditional pre-colonial, preindustrial, colonial, and postcolonial tribal and peasant economies. Bronislaw Malinowski's famous Argonauts of the Western Pacific (1922), challenged the neo-classical assumptions of self-interested and rational motives by illustrating the social and symbolic nature of the Kula exchange system of the Trobriand Islanders. Other early anthropologists focused on the analysis of economic systems, among them Firth (1939), Goodfellow (1939), and Herskovitz (1940). Unlike the approach of Malinowski, these anthropologists employed aspects of neo-classical economics, portraying economic decisions as individual actions based on individual motivation.

Post-World War II, Economic Anthropology was highly influenced by the work of economic historian Karl Polanyi. Polanyi drew on anthropological studies to argue that true market exchange was limited to a restricted number of western, industrial societies. Applying formal economic theory (Formalism) to non-industrial societies was mistaken, he argued. In non-industrial societies, exchange was "embedded" in such non-market institutions as kinship, religion, and politics (an idea he borrowed from Mauss). He labelled this approach Substantivism. The Formalist vs Substantivist debate was highly influential and defined an era.

As globalization became a reality, and the division between market and non-market economies (or between "the west and the rest") became untenable, anthropologists began to look at the relationship between a variety of types of exchange within market societies. Neo-substantivists examine the ways in which so-called pure market exchange in market societies fails to fit market ideology. Economic Anthropologists have abandoned the primitivist niche they were relegated to by economists. They now study the operations of corporations, banks, and the global financial system from an anthropological perspective.

Economic anthropology is not only a way for us to look at past and modern less "civilized" cultures, but a way to analyze "modern" economies. It analyzes the very things that make up an economy, people.

Areas to be covered for civil services exam : 

-Meaning,scope and relevance of economic anthropology;

-Formalist and Substantivist debate;

-Principles governing production, distribution and exchange (reciprocity, redistribution and market), in communities, subsisting on hunting and gathering,fishing,swiddening,pastoralism,horticulture,and agriculture;

-globalization and indigenous economic systems.

Education - An Enlightening Experience

It must be recognized that a real education is an experience and a process, not the summative end that can only be measured by a limited test. 

Real education must ultimately be limited to men who insist on knowing, the rest is mere sheep-herding.
Ezra Pound

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Nelson Mandela

Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.
Oscar Wilde

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
Benjamin Franklin

He who opens a school door, closes a prison.
Victor Hugo

Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.
Rabindranath Tagore

The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth.
John F. Kennedy

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.
John Dewey

Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.
Will Durant

The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.
Carl Rogers

Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.
Anthony J. D'Angelo

Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.
Malcolm Forbes

To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks.
A. A. Milne

Education is all a matter of building bridges.
Ralph Ellison

Man is what he reads.
Joseph Brodsky

It is only as we develop others that we permanently succeed.
Harvey S. Firestone

Education is the movement from darkness to light.
Allan Bloom

Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.
Albert Einstein

Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.
Confucius

Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.
Aristotle

And what, Socrates, is the food of the soul? Surely, I said, knowledge is the food of the soul.
Plato

Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.
Plato

Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes.
Peter Drucker

The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance.
Herodotus

Knowledge is the life of the mind.
Abu Bakr

True friendship can afford true knowledge. It does not depend on darkness and ignorance.
Henry David Thoreau

Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.
George Bernard Shaw

A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers,desires.
Plato

Knowledge is power.
Francis Bacon

Education Is The Best Friend. An Educated Person Is Respected Everywhere. Education Beats The Beauty And The Youth
Chanakya

The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time and ability.
Chanakya

As knowledge increases, wonder deepens.
Charles Morgan

Who is an Educated Person (Part 2)

Other important ingredient is 'abilities'.We also expect an educated person to be able to do certain things. For instance, we expect an educated person to be able to add up a few two digit and three digit numbers without using a calculator, to read and understand a newspaper report, and to make an informed reasoned guess (verdict) about the guilt of the "accused" in a law court after a careful consideration of available evidence. When faced with familiar as well as novel situations, we expect an educated person to be able to perform required tasks, make informed intelligent decisions and arrive at informed rational conclusions. We also expect him/her to deal rationally with disagreements, choose from alternative beliefs and courses of action, and recognize when information is insufficient to make a reasoned choice from competing alternatives.

Neuropsychologists use the term declarative memory to refer to the know-that type of knowledge, and procedural memory to refer to the know-how-to type of knowledge. For instance, knowing that the square root of four is two is a form of declarative knowledge, while knowing how to find the square root of a number is a form of procedural knowledge. An educated person should be able to function effectively in familiar and novel situations in personal and intellectual life. To satisfy this requirement, one needs both declarative and procedural forms of knowledge.

An educated person should possess mastery of the general thinking abilities required for making informed intelligent decisions, estimates, assessments, and inferences.

For instance, in addition to the specialized thinking abilities that their respective professions call for, educated lawyers, engineers and historians should possess the general thinking abilities that are crucial for functioning as intelligent lay people, when weighing advice from their doctor to perform an operation, when helping their children decide which university to apply to, or when making an intelligent assessment of the credibility of a newspaper report.

Observe that thinking ability, whether general or domain-specific, presupposes knowledge. In order to think critically about a doctor's recommendation, one needs medical information of the kind that is generally available in a good medical encyclopedia. In order to assess the credibility of the claim that there is life on Mars, one needs a minimal amount of information about the environment of Mars, and how scientists make inferences from fossil remains.

Educatedness as the enhanced capability to cope successfully with novel situations: Now, novel situations may demand additional or advanced information and additional or advanced thinking abilities. Moreover, the information and thinking abilities that one can draw upon to meet the demands of life keep expanding, and hence there is no point at which the acquisition of knowledge, skills and abilities can be said to be complete. It follows therefore that an educated person should have the capability to enhance and modify their knowledge and thinking abilities on an ongoing basis so as to cope with novel situations and to cope with them in a more successful manner. This is a requirement on the capability for independent learning.

An educated person should be capable of independent learning that facilitates coping with and adapting to the changing environment.

A person who does not have the capability for independent learning cannot be considered educated. Independent learning is not merely the ability to use the library and internet to acquire the knowledge that others have generated. It also involves the ability to generate knowledge on one's own, either based on an existing body of knowledge, or creating knowledge where none existed. The ability to generate knowledge is research, which calls for the mastery of the modes of rational inquiry which have evolved over a long time in academic disciplines.

Learning involves the expansion, modification, and rectification of existing information, and the expansion and strengthening of thinking abilities.The educated sociologists should be able to pick up a couple of textbooks on neuropsychology and expand their existing knowledge of how the brain works, motivated either by curiosity, or by the need to understand social behaviour in terms of the functioning of the human brain. They should also be able to modify their existing beliefs about society on the basis of new information. In many cases, it may also involve rejecting some of the beliefs which were once held to be correct.

Starting our exploration of educatedness with knowledge,it is found that the abilities of thinking and learning are closely tied up with knowledge.

Along with ability to think, the ability to learn,ability to use language is another ingredient of the education.Language plays a central role in constructing, critically evaluating, transmitting, and receiving knowledge.Language is also used for aesthetic purposes (as in poetry), persuasion (as in advertisements and political speeches), and so on, but the primary role of language in higher education is epistemic.

An educated person should be capable of using language clearly, precisely and effectively for epistemic purposes.

-A different mind set can be observed in an educated person.The following are some characteristic features :

-An awareness of the uncertainty and fallibility of human knowledge (including so called "objective" scientific knowledge).

-The willingness to doubt and question propositions that are claimed as knowledge, by others (including "authorities") as well as by ourselves, and the unwillingness to accept knowledge claims that are unaccompanied by sufficient evidence.

-An openness of mind that allows one to modify and abandon earlier beliefs on the basis of new evidence, as well as the willingness and ability to look for such evidence.

-Intellectual curiosity and enjoyment of knowledge, thinking, and learning in themselves. A student becomes an independent learner only when learning becomes its own reward. Independent learning cannot flourish in an educational environment where knowledge, thinking, and learning are associated with pain and boredom, pursued only for the pragmatic goals of material success in life.

-The ability to subject one's own beliefs to the process of critical thinking requires special emphasis. Critical thinking requires the capacity and predilection to seek rational grounds for accepting or rejecting beliefs.

There are at least three successively difficult levels of the critical scrutiny of beliefs, expressible in terms of the following questions:

A.How can I show that I am right and my opponent is wrong? (What kind of rational grounds would support my beliefs and refute my opponent's beliefs?)

B.How can I check if the authority I trust (teacher, textbook, community) is right or wrong? (What kinds of rational grounds would justify my acceptance or rejection of the beliefs that I am exposed to?)

C.How can I check if I am wrong or my opponent is right? (What kind of rational grounds would refute my beliefs and support my opponent's beliefs?)

However, since the human intellect in reality is closely tied up with emotional states, we find it easier to engage in A and extremely difficult to engage in C. The highest form of critical thinking is the auto-critical thinking of type C that demands liberation from emotional attachment to the self.

The kind of critical thinking needed in debating competitions is of type A. In a debate, each of the two competing parties are expected to decide which side they are on prior to the debate, and then go on to show that whichever side they have chosen to support is the right one. We do not win debating competitions by pursuing truth, with the willingness to pursue evidence that may show that our original position was wrong. The practice of argumentation in the law court is also of type A. Lawyers who pursue truth and end up arguing against their clients' interests are unlikely to continue as lawyers. In contrast, critical thinking in science crucially demands the detachment that allows one to pursue evidence against one's own original convictions.

We expect education to nurture the physical, emotional, interpersonal, intellectual, aesthetic, moral, and spiritual dimensions of human development, but when it comes to the concept of educatedness, only the intellectual dimension appears to be relevant.Take the moral dimension as an example. Let us imagine that Einstein was an extremely immoral person who was ready to cheat, lie, and kill in order to achieve his own selfish goals. Would we consider him uneducated? Chances are that we would say no. The word "educated" is biased towards the intellectual dimension of education, probably due to the historical accident of educational institutions focusing on the intellectual aspect of education.Inability to engage in moral reasoning is a gap in educatedness.Having made the rational inference, choosing an action that is morally good or morally bad is not a matter of the intellect, but of moral values.

On a lighter note we can say that an educated person possess three characteristics.He/she can entertain oneself, one who can entertain another, and one who can entertain a new idea.

Qualities of an Educated Person  :

1. A broadly knowledgeable mind
2. Self confidence
3. A life purpose
4. A touch of class
5. Good leadership skills
6. The ability to work with a team
7. Patience
8. Good public speaking skills
9. Good writing skills
10. Resourcefulness
11. A desire for responsibility
12. Honesty
13. A public spirit
14. The ability to work well alone
15. An eye for details
16. The ability to focus at will
17. Perseverance
18. The ability to handle pressure
19. Curiosity
20. An attractive personal style

Who is an Educated Person

Finished your education? What are you doing now ? This is what most of the people ask to get an idea about our position in life and education for them is a means for employment.For many people the importance of education lies in future job prospects, for others it's quality of citizenship, and others just want literacy, critical thinking, and/or creativity.

The definition of education guiding mainstream schools today is that education is the delivery of knowledge, skills, and information.While the metaphor—education as a delivery system—sounds reasonable, it misses what is most important about education.It should be an enlightening experience.It gives a person the abilities to think and execute things logically,rationally. Behind all the differences of opinion about what it means to be educated is one very basic idea: an educated person is someone who perceives accurately, thinks clearly, and acts effectively on self-selected goals.

Providing a proper definition of education is complicated by the fact that there is not a clear consensus about what is important about being and becoming educated.

Characterization of the educated person involves four essential ingredients, namely: knowledge, the ability to think, the ability to learn, and the ability to use language. In addition, the mental make-up of an educated person also includes relatively elusive qualities such as an awareness of the uncertainty and fallibility of knowledge, openness of mind, willingness and ability to doubt and question, personal involvement in knowledge, intellectual curiosity, and the joy of learning.

Ingredients of Educatedness

Knowledge

The most obvious ingredient of "educatedness" is knowledge.

When determining what goes into the background information of an educated person, it would be useful to distinguish between general knowledge and specialized knowledge. We expect a physicist to know that in the quark theory, the only elementary particles are quarks and leptons, but it is hardly necessary for a lawyer, doctor, or sociologist to have this information, and hence we would treat it as specialized knowledge. In contrast, we agree that the idea that matter consists of molecules and molecules consist of atoms is part of the general knowledge of any educated person in modern times.It is also important to bear in mind that what is regarded as knowledge keeps changing over time. The concept of the functional asymmetry of the left and right brains was not part of human knowledge in the seventeenth century, but today it is part of not only the knowledge of the specialist, but also the lay educated person. A few centuries ago, specialists and non-specialists alike believed that the sun revolves around the earth. We do not expect an educated person in modern times to subscribe to this belief. Even the division between specialized and general knowledge does not remain static. The concept of sensitivity-to-initial-conditions in chaos theory used to be part of specialized knowledge in the physical sciences, but it is fast becoming part of the general knowledge of educated people.

Finally, we must remember that even at a given time, general knowledge has both a universal component and a culture specific component. For instance, if a person who was born and brought up in India has no knowledge about Carnatic music and Hindustani music or monsoons, he/she would be regarded as lacking in education, but this would not apply to a person born and brought up in Australia. Similarly, one would expect an educated person in Singapore to be familiar with the history of Singapore, but there is no reason to expect this of an educated German. Granted that certain aspects of general knowledge are culture specific, we still need to acknowledge a core of universal ingredients of knowledge in the modern world. Twentieth century individuals who believe that a two day old human embryo has very small arms and legs have a gap in their education, independently of the culture they come from.

Based on this , we may formulate our first requirement of "educatedness" as follows:

An educated person should possess the general knowledge needed for making informed rational decisions and inferences on familiar and novel situations in personal and intellectual life.

The term "decisions" in the above statement covers decisions on what to do (i.e., pragmatic decisions) as well as decisions on what to believe (i.e., epistemic decisions). Also, the term "information" in this context applies not only to what are considered facts (e.g., matter expands when heated, things fall when dropped) but also to theories and theoretical interpretations (e.g., matter consists of molecules, expansion of heated matter is the result of the increased speed of molecular motion, things fall because of gravity).

The requirement articulated above may give the misleading impression that the information that an educated person should have is what is important for practical matters. Given that ideas about the expanding universe and the evolution of the species are not relevant for practical decisions in life, is it necessary for an educated person to be familiar with them?

The answer, which is a clear yes, calls for a distinction between foundational knowledge and non-foundational knowledge. The foundational knowledge, refers to leading ideas and metaphors of any discipline that have had far reaching consequences not only in transforming the whole discipline but also have transcended disciplinary boundaries to affect a wide range of human knowledge.

These ideas shape our perception of reality, yield metaphors for ordering and making sense of our experience, and guide further inquiry by influencing the questions we ask and the answers we provide, in a way that go beyond the boundaries of individual disciplines. When philosopher Thomas Kuhn talked about the paradigms that guide scientific inquiry, one of the concepts he was pointing to was that of the leading ideas that shape world views. In contrast, information about the chemical composition of common salt, the function of biceps and triceps in the action of the human arm, and the role of the limbic system of the brain in human emotions are matters of detail which do not qualify as foundational knowledge.

Given the centrality of foundational knowledge in shaping both the rest of human knowledge and further inquiry, it is important for educated people to have the foundational knowledge of their times, with an awareness of the evolution of this knowledge, as well as the evidence that justifies the belief in the foundational propositions

What the Ancients Knew - India

India is one of the oldest and richest civilizations in the world. It is home to the world’s first planned cities, where every house had its own bathroom and toilet five thousand years ago. The Ancient Indians have not only given us yoga, meditation and complementary medicines, but they have furthered our knowledge of science, maths – and invented Chaturanga, which became the game of chess. According to Albert Einstein, they “taught us how to count”, as they invented the numbers 1-9 and ‘zero’, without which there would be no computers or digital age. Unfairly we call this system of counting Arabic numbers – a misplaced credit. Two thousand years ago the Indians pioneered plastic surgery, reconstructing the noses and ears on the faces of people who had been disfigured through punishment or warfare. They performed eye operations such as cataract removal and invented inoculation to protect their population from Smallpox, saving thousands of lives.

Important Issues / Topics - Rajya Sabha TV

Food inflation: Contributing factors & Solution

Women's rights in India

Does India need smaller states

Has CBI become independent of the Government

Secularism and political scenario in India

Relevance of Gandhi in today's India

Defense achievements of India

Gandhi's Ahimsa and Satyagraha in the 21st century



The condition of Parliamentary Democracy in India

Whistleblowers

who is a whistleblower ?

A whistleblower (whistle-blower or whistle blower) is a person who exposes misconduct, alleged dishonest or illegal activity occurring in an organization. The alleged misconduct may be classified in many ways; for example, a violation of a law, rule, regulation and/or a direct threat to public interest, such as fraud, health and safety violations, and corruption. Whistleblowers may make their allegations internally (for example, to other people within the accused organization) or externally (to regulators, law enforcement agencies, to the media or to groups concerned with the issues).

Types of Whistleblowers :

• Internal whistleblowers – Report the misconduct or illegal behavior of a fellow employee or superior within a company
• External whistleblowers – Not directly involved in a company, but report their actions to entities such as the media, law enforcement, and watchdog agencies
• Current Whistleblower - One who blows the whistle while he/she is still a member of the organization
• Alumni Whistleblower - One who blows the whisle after leaving the organization
• Open Whistleblower - One who reveals his or her identiity and/or makes no attempt to hide identity
• Anonymous Whistleblower - One who keeps his/her identity a secret

Many whistleblowers, such as Erin Brockovitch, Sanjiv Chaturvedi (IFS) ,S.K. Lamba (exposed Adarsh scam), Satyendra Dubey(NHAI),Jeffrey Wigand,etc. are considered public heroes. 

Perception about the whisteblowers 

Whistleblowers are sometimes seen as selfless martyrs for public interest and organizational accountability; others view them as "traitors" or "defectors," solely pursuing personal glory and fame, or view their behavior as motivated by greed in qui tam cases.

The role of whistleblowing in the fight against corruption and risk involved

Corruption is a notoriously secretive activity and it is usually only those engagedin corrupt deals or those who work with them that are aware of it. Insiders are among the few people who are able to report cases of corruption (past or ongoing) and identify the risk of future wrongdoing. By helping to detect corruption cases, whistleblowers play a critical role in converting a vicious cycle of secrecy into a virtuous cycle .Major bribery and corruption scandals demonstrate the damage done by the failure to report wrongdoing as soon as it is discovered. Yet indifference, fear of reprisal, and misplaced loyalty as well as an overall culture of silence often deter potential witnesses and whistleblowers from speaking out.

“Whistleblowing” or “public interest disclosure” entails disclosure made in good faith that the information revealed is true, serves the interest of the public at large, and increases accountability within Government (and/or the private sector, depending on the legislation). Most countries vary on the types and scope of subject matter that are covered, with some countries clearly defining the scope and others, such as India, leaving it more vague. Coverage for protection also ranges from only Central Government employees, to both State and Central Government employees, to Government contractors and the private sector.

Whistleblowing is increasingly recognised as an important tool in the prevention and detection of corruption and other malpractice.By disclosing wrongdoing in an organisation, whistleblowers can avert harm, protect human rights, help to save lives and safeguard the rule of law. The clandestine nature of corrupt behaviour means that it may never come to light unless cases are reported by people who discover them in the course of their work. But reporting can come at a high price: whistleblowers often expose themselves to great personal risks in order to protect the public interest. As a result of speaking out, they may lose their jobs, dampen their career prospects, and even put their own lives at risk. 

Persecution of whistleblowers has become a serious issue in many parts of the world:

Employees in academia, business or government might become aware of serious risks to health and the environment, but internal policies might pose threats of retaliation to those who report these early warnings. Private company employees in particular might be at risk of being fired, demoted, denied raises and so on for bringing environmental risks to the attention of appropriate authorities. Government employees could be at a similar risk for bringing threats to health or the environment to public attention, although perhaps this is less likely.

Whistleblower protection

Whistleblower protection refers to laws and policies meant to protect anyone who exposes alleged wrongdoing. The wrongdoing might take the form of fraud, corruption or mismanagement.

While countries such as the USA and the UK had enacted laws to ensure whistleblower protection in the late 1980s and late 1990s (respectively), the early 2000s saw a surge in such legislation around the world, such as in South Africa (2000) and Japan (2004). At the same time, the Right to Information and anti-corruption movements gathered speed around the world. The United Nations’ Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) was also set up in 2005 and part of the Group of 20 (G20)’s Anti-Corruption Action Plan drafted in Seoul in 2010 specifically focused on whistleblower protection.

There are still several countries, however, including India and Russia, which have yet to enact such legislation. In India, for example, while the proposed Public Interest Disclosure and Protection to Persons Making the Disclosure Bill, 2010 (PID Bill, 2010), was passed by the Lok Sabha (Lower House) in 2010, it has not yet been ratified by the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) of Parliament. 

Need/relevance of appropriate whistleblowing legislation of legislation

There have been multiple instances of threatening, harassment and even murder of various whistleblowers.

RTI activists are vulnerable human rights defenders (HRDs) in India. Unlike other HRDs, a majority of the RTI activists are not part of an organisation; they often act alone, moved by anger at corruption and other illegal activities. RTI activists are vulnerable because they live in the same areas as public authorities and political leaders who do not want information about their activities to be disclosed. For the most part, human rights defenders receive media attention only when killed or seriously injured. When complaints are made by RTI activists, law enforcement personnel (who often work with corrupt officials) do not take appropriate action. The Right to Information Act, 2005 provides inadequate protection to whistleblowers. The Central Information Commission and the State Information Commissions are not mandated to deal with such threats or attacks or to provide protection when needed.

So the demands are that a law should be framed to protect whistleblowers.

Appropriate whistleblowing legislation and the means to enforce it are necessary to support a culture of compliance and integrity. Several international conventions recognize whistleblowing as an effective tool for fighting corruption,fraud and mismanagement, and commit the signatory countries to implement appropriate legislation.However, existing legal provisions are fragmented and weakly enforced in most jurisdictions.Only in rare cases do they provide sufficient protection for whistleblowers. Many laws may cover only the public sector or may be not tailored to the specific needs of whistleblowers.Comprehensive legislation, as provided under the United Kingdom’s Public Interest Disclosure Act, is the exception rather than the rule.

There may be an over-reliance on general criminal laws that oblige individuals to report criminal offences to a country’s law enforcement authorities.In such circumstances, the assumption is that individuals would automatically be exempted from any form of retaliation if a crime was involved. Practice has shown, however, that the existence of a legal duty to report is seldom a satisfactory alternative to a proper whistleblowing policy and protective measures. The same problem applies to the reliance on witness protection mechanisms. Not all whistleblowers are witnesses. They often do not have any concrete evidence, but only suspect wrongdoing. As a result, witness protection mechanisms do not provide sufficient protection to whistleblowers, nor do they pursue the same goal.At the same time, the overall legislative framework needs to provide sufficient protections and compensation for those wrongly accused, even by whistleblowers who report in good faith. The assumption of innocence needs to be respected until responsibility is sufficiently proven.

The Public Interest Disclosure and Protection to Persons Making the Disclosures Bill, 2010

Analysis :

According to Indian law reports, the bill has faced considerable criticism because its jurisdiction is restricted to the government sector and encompasses only those who are working for the Government of India or its agencies; it does not cover the state-government employees. However, the draft bill aimed at protecting whistleblowers is seen as a welcome move.

The proposed law has neither provisions to encourage whistleblowing (financial incentives), nor deals with corporate whistleblowers; it does not extend its jurisdiction to the private sector (a strange omission, after the fraud at Satyam). The Directorate of Income Tax Intelligence and Criminal Investigation is one of the only agencies empowered for whistle blower protection.

The bill aims to balance the need to protect honest officials from harassment with protecting persons making a public-interest disclosure. It outlines sanctions for false complaints. However, it does not provide a penalty for attacking a complainant.

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) was designated in 2004 to receive public-interest disclosures through government resolution; there have been a few hundred complaints every year. The provisions of the bill are similar to that of the resolution. Therefore, it is unlikely that the number of complaints will differ significantly.The power of the CVC is limited to making recommendations. It cannot impose penalties, in contrast to the powers of the Karnataka and Delhi Lokayuktas.

The bill has a limited definition of disclosure, and does not define victimisation. Other countries (such as the United States, United Kingdom and Canada) define disclosure more widely and define victimisation.

It differs on many issues with the proposed Bill of the Law Commission and the Second Administrative Reform Commission’s report. These include non-admission of anonymous complaints and lack of penalties for officials who victimise whistleblowers.

If enacted, the law to protect whistleblowers will assist in detecting corruption, ensuring better information flow and paving the way for successful prosecution of corrupt individuals through clear and protected processes. However, the public in India have a low level of confidence in fighting corruption because they fear retaliation and intimidation against those who file complaints. Another worry pertains to the delay in disposing of these cases. Without public debate on the provisions of this proposed law, it is clear that people cannot measure its effectiveness when the draft bill comes into force as law.

TI recommendations
A single, comprehensive legal framework is most effective

To ensure a safe alternative to silence for whistleblowers, the legal framework should be clear, comprehensive and easy to use for protecting the whistleblower.Ideally, a single legislative framework should be in place, but provisions in different bills can fulfil the same purpose if they do not leave loopholes or become too complicated. In all cases,the legislation should cover the public,private and not-for-profit sectors and provide for reliable reporting channels to communicate concerns. Legislation should include a broad range of issues, from criminal offences to the potential harm that wrongdoing can cause, such as to the health and safety of citizens and the environment. Whistleblowing legislation should provide that organisations in the public and private sector establish,maintain, and routinely publicise appropriate mechanisms for internal reporting.

Safety should be ensured for whistleblowers

Both public and private employees and those outside the traditional employee-employer relationship (e.g. consultants,temporary workers, trainees, etc.) should be protected from reprisal for honestly reporting concerns. Protection should also be extended to those attempting to report or corroborating reports and include a right to refuse participation in wrongdoings. Any individuals closely associated with the whistleblower, such as family members, should be covered as well. In case of retaliation against the whistleblower, the burden of proof to show that this discrimination is not related should lie with the employer. These protections should be guaranteed by access to normal court procedures.Whistleblowers should be protected against any damages suffered as a consequence of their disclosure. They should receive some kind of professional or social recognition for having prevented excessive harm to the organisation or society. Such a system, potentially in cluding financial rewards, should be carefully designed, taking the particular national and legal contexts into account.

Internal and external reporting should be protected

Where possible, reports or concerns should first be raised internally and to the appropriate body set up by the organisation with assurances that whistleblower confidentiality is clearly established. This allows organisations time and space to investigate the nature and substance of a report without unfairly exposing the subject of a report or the organisation to unfounded allegations.In many instances, however, initially reporting internally might not be a possibility.Whistleblowers may fear retaliation for filing an internal report, the report may not be followed up internally for various reasons (e.g. where malpractices are institutionalised or where managers are concerned about the negative impact on the image of the institution or on themselves), or the public interest may be best served by immediately filing the report externally to the authorities or other agencies. Whistleblowers should have a safe option to report externally to the regulator, enforcement authorities or to other competent oversight bodies. This is particularly important in cases where there is an immediate risk to the health and safety of people. As a last resort, disclosures to the media should also be protected.The British Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA), for instance, takes different factors and consequences of whistleblowing for people and organisations into account. It is an example of a model that allows for internal and external reporting, establishing three levels of disclosure.

Enforcement is essential

While the existence of a legal framework is a pre-condition for whistleblower protection, it is not sufficient. Legislation needs to be effectively enforced and should be as sound and consistent as possible. To ensure the proper implementation of legal provisions, an independent public body with sufficient autonomy should be set up or designated to oversee the functioning of the law and to receive and investigate complaints. Enforcement should include consultations with key stakeholders like trade unions, business associations and civil society actors so that whistleblowing policies can be agreed upon and put into effect.

The need for effective follow-up mechanisms in organisations

To realise the potential of whistleblowing legislation, the legal framework should be complemented with effective follow-up mechanisms in organisations. There also must be a willingness in organisations (whether a public in stitution, private company or not-for-profit) to provide sufficient resources, to investigate cases through independent bodies, to implement necessary changes and to hold those responsible for wrongdoing to account.In recognition of the potential of whistleblowing for effective risk management in organisations, a number of related provisions and guidelines have been developed. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, a law in the US which sets financial reporting standards for public companies, mandates whistleblower protection mechanisms for public companies registered in the country.The International Chamber of Commerce also has adopted voluntary guidelines and the British Standards Institute has developed a code which establishes best practice for whistleblowing in organisations.But recent cases show that existing laws and practices are not enough and that much more needs to be done to realise the potential benefits of whistleblowing.For example, the multi-billion dollar fraud scheme of Bernard L. Madoff, a US- based hedge fund manager, was first detected in 1992, but no action was taken.An official investigation into the case found that six substantive complaints were filed by whistleblowers to the appropriate bodies but the government never followed up on them. Madoff’s scheme eventually cost thousands of investors billions of dollars.

Recommendations:

Strong and transparent internal policies are needed in organisations

Trustworthy and effective policies and procedures are essential to create the right environment for honest reporting in organisations. As part of well-designed ethics and anti-corruption codes, organisations should implement a clear and distinct whistleblowing policy. Whistleblowing procedures should provide for a variety of easy and accessible channels that can be used to disclose information,such as to the line manager, an ethics committee, the ombudsperson, internal hotlines or web-based reporting tools.Policies and procedures should also clearly separate personal grievances from whistleblower reports, offer guidance and procedures for internal and external reporting, provide sufficient feedback to the whistleblowers, establish appropriate follow-up mechanisms with timeframes,and protect people from retaliation. It is essential that whistleblower procedures are supported by the top management and accepted and well-known by the members of the organisations.

Confidential reporting must be ensured

Reporting channels in an organisation should offer people the opportunity to report concerns confidentially or even anonymously. Confidentiality is needed to establish trust with the whistleblower who faces numerous risks when reporting,while also allowing the organisation to establish the facts of a case. The whistleblower’s identity should be protected and only be disclosed if she or he agrees to this or if it is required by law.Confidentiality also helps to protect thefundamental rights of the person suspected of wrongdoing.

Impartial and accountable investigations need to be carried out

After a disclosure is received, the organisation should focus on the nature and substance of a report, and not on the person making it. Reports should be fully and fairly investigated; while the organisation should also take suitable correctiveaction when a report is well-founded. A record should be kept on how a reportwas managed so the organisation can learn from the experience.

Good communication and consultation with staff is needed

Whistleblowing policies must be fully supported by the leadership of the organisation and should be adequately promoted and clearly communicated throughout the organisation. When designing and implementing the policy,employees, directors and other stakeholders should be properly consulted,briefed and trained. The achievements of whistleblowing mechanisms shouldbe regularly communicated to the members of the organisations and to the public, and staff should be consulted regularly in order to identify areas for improvement.

The demand for a shift in culture

The importance of whistleblowing in the detection and prevention of wrongdoing is still generally under-valued. It is an inexpensive risk management tool with particular benefits for emerging democracies with less established oversight mechanisms. Whistleblowing is also a tool to sound the alarm at early stages, potentially even before any damage has been caused.Nevertheless, whistleblowers are often perceived as disloyal, rather than as champions of the public interest. In many countries they are viewed as untrustworthy, and sometimes even as spies or traitors.

Recommendations

Public support is needed to promote whistleblowing To change this perception, whistleblowing needs to be promoted as an effective tool for stopping corrupt ion and serving the public interest.Governments should lend their support to public information campaigns as well as initiatives to promote whistleblowing that are carried out by professional groups, Ombudspersons,industry, media, trade unions and other civil society organisations. Whistleblowers should not only be protected by public authorities, but also honoured and actively supported.

Data on the public benefit of whistleblowing should be collected and published

Data from the United States show the relevance of whistleblowing for the recovery of public revenues (see side bar on page 6). Yet on a global scale there is little data available on the number of cases reported, the effectiveness of reporting channels and the financial benefits due to whistleblowing. This lack of data could be addressed by making more court and tribunal decisions public and by standardising whistleblowing procedures across the public sector. Given the central role of whistleblowing in detecting and preventing wrongdoing, gathering reliable statistics will greatly help decision-makers and the public to measure progress in uncovering corruption.

A proper societal and legal environment is needed

A legislative environment, ensuring freedom of expression, access to information and the existence of an independent media are critical to enable a culture of whistleblowing. Protection of journalists’ sources should include information provided by whistleblowers, even if journalists might base their reports at times on erroneous information given in good faith. The growing relevance of internet tools provides whistleblowers with new channels for reporting and thereby creates a global platform which increasingly can help ensure that whistleblowing becomes and remains an important issue in the public debate.

TI’s Recommendations for Whistleblowing: At a Glance

A single, comprehensive legal framework is most effective.
Safety should be ensured for whistleblowers.
Internal and external reporting should beprotected.
Enforcement is essential.
Strong and transparent internal policies are neededin organisations.
Confidential reporting mustbe ensured.
Impartial and accountable investigations need to becarried out.
Good communication andconsultation with staff isneeded.
Public support is needed topromote whistleblowing.
Data on the public benefit of whistleblowing should becollected and published.
A proper societal and legal environment is needed.

Key Terms (in Question Paper)

Citizen Centric Governance

2nd ARC Report

Neuroethics

Neuroscience is making discoveries about the brain at an incredible pace. For example, new drugs and treatments for mental and neurological disorders are being developed rapidly and imaging methods can see the living, working brain. Is neuroscience moving too fast? What can and should be done with this new knowledge about the brain? These are questions that concern workers in the field called Neuroethics.

Scientists, physicians, journalists, lawyers, politicians, philosophers, clergymen and teachers are people interested in neuroethics. But we should all be interested in neuroethics because this field will impact many aspects of our daily lives. Some neuroethical issues sound like science fiction, but other issues deal with technology and drugs that are currently available. There is no turning back. Neuroscientific discoveries will continue to be made and it is best to discuss these issues before they become reality.

Neuroethics - Some Questions

What if... machines could read your mind?

Existing brain imaging methods provide researchers and physicians with important tools to investigate the structure and function of the living brain. These powerful techniques help detect abnormalities in the brain and can assist in the diagnosis of neurological and mental disorders. Brain imaging is also used in experiments to study emotions, language and perception.

Could machines also read your thoughts, plans and memories? We currently have a machine called the polygraph (sometimes called a lie detector). The polygraph records involuntary physiological responses such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and sweating to see if people are lying. However, the accuracy of the polygraph for detecting lies is controversial and some people can be trained to fool the machine. Could a machine that measures brain activity detect lying accurately?

Inventors of a "brain fingerprinting" machine think they have a device that can reveal a person's knowledge of events. Brain fingerprinting measures the electrical activity of the brain through electrodes attached to the scalp. Specific stimuli (words, pictures or sounds) are presented to a person. Some of the stimuli are important to an investigation, such as a crime scene. These important stimuli are thought to produce a special brain response that indicates that the person knows something about the stimulus. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which measures brain blood flow, may also be able to detect areas of the brain that are active when a person lies. Two companies, No Lie MRI and Cephos Corp, are already marketing a service to detect lying.

If a device could accurately measure hidden knowledge and detect lies, how could and should it be used?

• Should people suspected of committing a crime be forced to have a brain scan? ("Did you steal the money?")
• Should suspected terrorists be brain scanned? ("Do you belong to a terrorist group?")
• Would employers be within their rights to have their employees undergo a brain scan? ("Can you be trusted with our company secrets?")
• Should people use brain scans on their spouses and children? ("Were you at the game last night?")
• If brain imaging could measure morality or intent, should it be used? ("Do you plan to rob the store?")
• If a brain scan could measure talents such as musical or mathematical ability, should it be used to direct people toward or away from certain jobs?

Memories are very fragile and can change over time. Would such a brain scan be able to detect "false memories" or memories that people believe to be true, but are not true? In specific experimental situations, some brain areas (the posterior medial temporal lobe) do respond differently to true memories and false memories.

What if... machines could predict a future neurological or mental disease?

Brain imaging can identify structural and functional differences in people with various neurological and mental disorders. For example, magnetic resonance imaging has shown that people with schizophrenia have larger than normal lateral ventricles, reduced hippocampus size, changes in the size of basal ganglia nuclei, and abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex. Currently, genetic testing can be used to screen for particular illnesses, such as Huntington's disease. Perhaps a brain scan will enable detection of other neurological and mental disorders.

• What if a machine or test could predict a disorder before any symptoms were present, perhaps even before a baby is born?
• Would you want to know if you were going to have a neurological or mental disorder?
• Should people be forced to get treatment to avoid problems of their condition?
• Should insurance companies require a brain scan before they issue a health policy? 

What if... drugs could alter your personality?

Drugs that alter mood are already available. Antidepressants and tranquilizers are used by millions of people every day: people with schizophrenia are treated with antipsychotics; children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are treated with stimulants. In the future, drugs might alter a specific personality characteristic. For example, perhaps a drug could be made to fight shyness.

• If a drug could reduce aggression, should it be given to people convicted of violent crimes?
• Could and should a pill be developed to eliminate specific phobias, such as the fear of flying?

What if... drugs, machines or genetic engineering could increase your memory and intelligence?

We now have drugs to slow memory problems associated with Alzheimer's disease. Many drug companies, including Memory Pharmaceuticals, a company set up by Nobel Prize winner Dr. Eric Kandel, are developing new chemicals to improve memory.

• Should drugs be developed to increase the intellectual abilities of people without any illness or disorder?
• Would it be a good idea to take a pill to improve your memory and attention or would there be significant side effects?
• If such a "smart pill" existed, who should get it?
• Do we already have drugs, such as caffeine and nicotine, to improve performance? If so, are these any different than a new smart pill?
• Would smart pills make people happier or more depressed?
• In 1999, researchers genetically engineered a mouse that outperforms regular mice on learning and memory tasks. Should this technology be used in humans to produce people with superior mental abilities? 

Technological advances already assist people with hearing and visual problems. For example, cochlear implants are used to improve hearing and the development of an artificial retina is progressing.

• Could and should we develop a machine-brain implant to boost intelligence?
• If these methods existed, who would get them? Some people believe that these methods would be used only by those rich enough to buy them.
• If everyone took a smart pill, would "normal" intelligence have to be redefined? Would this change put pressure on people to take the pill?
• Is taking a pill to increase intelligence a form of cheating? Is taking a pill no different than enrolling in a study class or getting special tutoring?
• Does it matter how intelligence is improved?

What if... memories could be erased?

Drugs to improve memory might sound like a good idea, but drugs to erase memories might also be useful. In fact, some drug companies are trying to develop chemicals to block the formation of memories. These drugs might be used to remove the memory of a traumatic event and help a victim recover. On the other hand, traumatic events can serve as a learning tool that emphasizes the danger of the event -- erasing memories may prevent a person from avoiding a traumatic situation in the future.

What if... the brain could be controlled from a distance?

Areas of the brain can be stimulated or suppressed by placing a transcranial magnetic stimulator (TMS) over the scalp. The TMS directs magnetic fields toward the brain and has been used to study movement, sensation and memory. Magnetic stimulation has also been used to treat depression and epilepsy.

• What if magnetic fields could be directed at someone from a distance?
• How would magnetic fields affect behavior and thought?
• Could this technology be used without a person's knowledge?
• Would this be an invasion of privacy?
• Could this technology be used as a weapon?

The Future

Although new discoveries will likely lead to machines and drugs that can enhance the brain, the question becomes what should be done with these new drugs and new technology. Will people lose their sense of self if they take one of these new drugs? Will they become less human if they are implanted with a computer chip to aid their memory? What are the long-term effects of enhancing intelligence?

The Golden Rule

The Golden Rule or Ethic of reciprocity is a maxim,ethical code or morality that essentially states either of the following:

• Positive form of Golden Rule: One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.
• Negative form of Golden Rule: One should not treat others in ways that one would not like to be treated (also known as the Silver Rule).

This concept describes a "reciprocal", or "two-way", relationship between one's self and others that involves both sides equally, and in a mutual fashion.

The Golden Rule or the ethic of reciprocity is found in the scriptures of nearly every religion. It is often regarded as the most concise and general principle of ethics. It is a condensation in one principle of all longer lists of ordinances

This concept can be explained from the perspective of psychology, philosophy, sociology and religion. Psychologically, it involves a person empathizing with others. Philosophically, it involves a person perceiving their neighbor as also "an I" or "self." Sociologically, this principle is applicable between individuals, between groups, and also between individuals and groups. (For example, a person living by this rule treats all people with consideration, not just members of his or her in-group). Religion is an integral part of the history of this concept.

As a concept of "the ethic of reciprocity," it has its roots in a wide range of world cultures, and is a standard way that different cultures use to resolve conflicts. It has a long history, and a great number of prominent religious figures and philosophers have restated its reciprocal, "two-way" nature in various ways.

Criticism : 

Immanuel Kant famously criticized the golden rule for not being sensitive to differences of situation, noting that a prisoner duly convicted of a crime could appeal to the golden rule while asking the judge to release him, pointing out that the judge would not want anyone else to send him to prison, so he should not do so to others.

Bernard Shaw comments about differing tastes which suggests that if your values are not shared with others, the way you want to be treated will not be the way they want to be treated.

Responses to Criticism

Marcus George Singer observed that there are two importantly different ways of looking at the golden rule: as requiring (1) that you perform specific actions that you want others to do to you or (2) that you guide your behavior in the same general ways that you want others to.Counter-examples to the golden rule typically are more forceful against the first than the second.

In his book on the golden rule, Jeffrey Wattles makes the similar observation that such objections typically arise while applying the golden rule in certain general ways (namely, ignoring differences in taste, in situation, and so forth). But if we apply the golden rule to our own method of using it, asking in effect if we would want other people to apply the golden rule in such ways, the answer would typically be no, since it is quite predictable that others' ignoring of such factors will lead to behavior which we object to. It follows that we should not do so ourselves—according to the golden rule. In this way, the golden rule may be self-correcting.We would often want other people to ignore any prejudice against our race or nationality when deciding how to act towards us, but would also want them to not ignore our differing preferences in food, desire for aggressiveness, and so on.

Left Wing Extremism in India (2)

Dynamics of Maoist insurgency  (source - MHA)

Many sections of society, especially the younger generation, have romantic illusions about the Maoists, arising out of an incomplete understanding of their ideology. The central theme of Maoist ideology is violence. The Maoist insurgency doctrine glorifies violence as the primary means to overwhelm the existing socio-economic and political structures. The Peoples Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of CPI (Maoist), has been created with this purpose in mind. In the first stage of the insurgency, the PLGA resorts to guerrilla warfare, which primarily aims at creating a vacuum at the grass-roots level of the existing governance structures. They achieve this by killing lower-level government officials, police-personnel of the local police stations, the workers of mainstream political parties and the peoples representatives of the Panchayati Raj system. After creating a vacuum, they coerce the local population to join the movement. A strident propaganda is also carried out against the purported and real inadequacies of the existing state structure.

In areas under Maoist domination, the absence of governance becomes a self- fulfilling prophecy since the delivery systems are extinguished through killings and intimidation. This is the first step in the strategy of the Maoists to seek to control the countryside. In the meanwhile, many Front Organisations are created to facilitate mass-mobilisation in semi-urban and urban areas through ostensibly democratic means. Most of the Front Organisations are led by well-educated intellectuals with firm belief in the Maoist insurgency doctrine. These ideologues function as masks to cover the violent nature of the CPI (Maoist) ideology. They form propaganda/disinformation machinery of the party.

They stridently take up issues like human rights violations by security forces etc. and often make fantastic claims in this regard which gets reported even by the mainstream media. The Front Organisations also skilfully use state structures and legal processes to further the Maoist agenda and weaken the enforcement regime. The important functions of these Organisations include raising funds for the insurgency, creating urban shelters for underground cadres, providing legal help to arrested cadres and mass- mobilisation by agitating over issues of relevance/ convenience. The Front Organisations aim to provide short-term democratic subterfuge to cover-up the totalitarian and oppressive nature of the Maoist ideology. Finally, the CPI (Maoist) also have a strategic game-plan to create a ‘United Front’ with all like-minded insurgent / terrorist outfits in India. It needs to be remembered that many of these outfits are supported by external forces inimical to India and the CPI (Maoist) consider such alliances as strategic assets.

In a nutshell, the CPI (Maoist), the main LWE outfit in India, aims to overthrow the existing democratic structure with violence as their primary weapon, and the Front Organisations and Strategic United Fronts as secondary weapons and plan to usher in so called ‘New Democratic Revolution’.

Government of India's Approach

The Government’s approach is to deal with Left Wing Extremism in a holistic manner, in the areas of security, development, ensuring rights of local communities, improvement in governance and public perception management. In dealing with this decades-old problem, it has been felt appropriate, after various high-level deliberations and interactions with the State Governments concerned, that an integrated approach aimed at the relatively more affected areas would deliver results. With this in view, a detailed analysis of the spread and trends in respect of Left Wing Extremist violence has been made and 106 most affected districts in nine States have been taken up for special attention with regard to planning, implementation and monitoring various schemes. However, 'Police' and 'Public Order' being State subjects, action on maintenance of law and order lies primarily in the domain of the State Governments. The Central Government closely monitors the situation and supplements and coordinates their efforts in several ways. These include providing Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Commando Battalions for Resolute Action (CoBRA); sanction of India Reserve (IR) battalions, setting up of Counter Insurgency and Anti Terrorism (CIAT) schools; modernisation and upgradation of the State Police and their Intelligence apparatus under the Scheme for Modernization of State Police Forces (MPF scheme); re-imbursement of security related expenditure under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme; filling up critical infrastructure gaps under the Scheme for Special Infrastructure in Left Wing Extremism affected States; providing helicopters for anti-naxal operations, assistance in training of State Police through the Ministry of Defence, the Central Police Organisations and the Bureau of Police Research and Development; sharing of Intelligence; facilitating inter-State coordination; assistance in community policing and civic action programmes etc. The underlying philosophy is to enhance the capacity of State Governments to tackle the Maoist menace in a concerted manner. The Division also monitors the implementation of Integrated Action Plan for LWE Districts and various other development and infrastructure initiatives of the Government of India. 

Naxal Management Division

This Division was created w.e.f. October 19, 2006 in the Ministry to effectively address the LWE problem in a holistic manner. The Division monitors the LWE situation and counter-measures being taken by the affected States. The Division coordinates the implementation of various development schemes of the Ministries/Departments of Govt. of India in LWE affected States.

Role and Functions of the Division

• Provide assistance to State Governments for creation of operational infrastructure and logistics required to combat LWE.
• Deployment of CAPFs in LWE affected States.
• Review the security situation in the LWE affected States and Issue advisories and messages to the State Governments concerned.
• Reimburse security related expenditure incurred by the LWE affected States on Anti-naxal operations under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme.
• Provide assistance to the State Governments to fill up critical infrastructure gaps under the Scheme for Special Infrastructure (SIS) in Left Wing Extremism affected States.
• Provide assistance to the State Governments for construction/ strengthening of fortified police stations under the Scheme for Construction/ Strengthening of 400 Fortified Police Stations in LWE affected districts.
• Coordinate implementation of various development schemes, flagship programmes and distribution of titles under the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, in LWE affected States.
• Coordinate implementation of LWE related Schemes of other Central Ministries, especially the Integrated Action Plan for 82 Districts and Road Requirement Plan for 34 Districts.
• Media and public perception management.
  

Review and Monitoring Mechanisms 

A number of review and monitoring mechanisms have been established by the Government of India in this regard. They include:

• A Standing Committee of the Chief Ministers of States concerned under the chairmanship of the Union Home Minister, to work out a coordinated policy and specific measures to deal with the Left Wing Extremism problem on the political, security and development fronts.
• Review Group (earlier called the Task Force) under the Cabinet Secretary to review coordinated efforts across a range of development and security measures.
• A Coordination Centre chaired by the Union Home Secretary to review and coordinate the efforts of the State Governments, where the State Governments are represented by the Chief Secretaries and the Directors General of Police.
• A Task Force under the Special Secretary (Internal Security), Ministry of Home Affairs, with senior officers from the Intelligence agencies, the Central Armed Police Forces and the State Police Forces, to coordinate inter-state issues.
• An Empowered Group of Officers, headed by the Member-Secretary Planning Commission, with officers from the development Ministries and the Planning Commission, to oversee effective implementation of development schemes in Left Wing Extremism affected States.

New Initiatives

>A Unified Command has been set up in the States of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha, which are the most affected States. Besides, West Bengal Government has also set up Unified Command. The Unified Command will have officers from the security establishment, besides civilian officers representing the civil administration and it will carry out carefully planned anti-LWE measures. 

>The Central Government approved a new scheme to assist the State Governments for construction/strengthening of 400 fortified police stations @ Rs. 2 crore each in Left Wing Extremism affected districts on 80:20 basis.

>An Empowered Group of Officers was set up at the level of the Central Government to over-ride or modify existing instructions on implementation of various development programmes and flagship schemes, having regard to the local needs and conditions in Left Wing Extremism affected areas for accelerated development.

>The Left Wing Extremism affected States have been asked to effectively implement the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) on priority, which categorically assigns rights over minor forest produce to the Gram Sabhas.

Important Schemes for LWE affect areas 

Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme : Under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme, funds are provided for meeting the recurring expenditure relating to insurance, training and operational needs of the security forces, rehabilitation of Left Wing Extremist cadres who surrender in accordance with the surrender and rehabilitation policy of the State Government concerned, community policing, security related infrastructure for village defence committees and publicity material.

Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS) : The Scheme for Special Infrastructure in Leftwing Extremism affected States was approved in the Eleventh Plan, with an allocation of Rs. 500 crore, to cater to critical infrastructure gaps, which cannot be covered under the existing schemes. These relate to requirements of mobility for the police / security forces by upgrading existing roads / tracks in inaccessible areas, providing secure camping grounds and helipads at strategic locations in remote and interior areas, measures to enhance security in respect of police stations / outposts located in vulnerable areas etc.

Central Scheme for assistance to civilian victims/family of victims of Terrorist, Communal and Naxal violence : The broad aim of the Scheme is to assist families of victims of Terrorist, Communal and Naxal violence. An amount of Rs. 3 lakh is given to the affected family under the scheme. The assistance given to those who are adversely affected by naxal violence under this scheme is in addition to the ex-gratia payment of Rs. 1 lakh paid under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme.

Integrated Action Plan : The Planning Commission is implementing the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) for 82 Selected Tribal and Backward Districts for accelerated development. The aim of this initiative is to provide public infrastructure and services in 82 affected / contiguous Districts. Originally, a sum of Rs. 25 crores and Rs. 30 crores was released to 60 Districts during the financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12 respectively. This Scheme has now been extended to 22 more Districts, taking the total coverage to 82 Districts. The nature of major works/projects taken up by the districts under the IAP include construction of School Buildings / School Furniture, Anganwadi Centres, Drinking Water Facilities, Rural Roads, Panchayats Bhawan / Community Halls, Godowns / PDS shops, livelihood activities, skill development/ trainings, Minor Irrigation Works, Electric Lighting, Health Centres/Facilities, Ashram Schools, construction of Toilets, construction of multi-purpose chabutra, construction of passenger waiting hall, special coaching classes for students, construction of ANM Centres, development of play grounds etc. Out of 100133 projects taken up by the states under the IAP, 69056 projects have been completed till 8.1.2013.

Road Requirement Plan for LWE areas : The Road Requirement Plan (RRP) Phase-I was approved in February, 2009 for improvement of road connectivity in 34 extremely LWE affected districts in 8 States viz. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh. The RRP-I envisages development of 1126 kms of National Highways and 4351 kms of State Roads (total 5477 kms), at a cost of Rs. 7300 crore. A length of 1891 kms has been built at an expenditure of Rs 2346 crores (as on 31.10.2012). The stretches for Phase-II of the Road Requirement Plan have been finalised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, based on the priority indicated by the State Governments and is under consideration with the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.

Scheme of Fortified Police Stations : The Ministry has sanctioned 400 police stations in 9 LWE affected States at a unit cost Rs. 2 crores under this scheme.

Civic Action Programme : Under this scheme financial grants are sanctioned to CAPFs to undertake civic action in the affected states. This is a successful scheme which aims to build bridges between the local population and the security forces.

Conclusion

It is the belief of the Government of India that through a holistic approach focussing on development and security related interventions, the LWE problem can be successfully tackled. However, it is clear that the Maoists do not want root causes like underdevelopment to be addressed in a meaningful manner since they resort to targeting school buildings, roads, railways, bridges, health infrastructure, communication facilities etc in a major way. They wish to keep the population in their areas of influence marginalized to perpetuate their outdated ideology. Consequently, the process of development has been set back by decades in many parts of the country under LWE influence. This needs to be recognised by the civil society and the media to build pressure on the Maoists to eschew violence, join the mainstream and recognise the fact that the socio-economic and political dynamics and aspirations of 21st Century India are far removed from the Maoist world-view. Further, an ideology based on violence and annihilation is doomed to fail in a democracy which offers legitimate forums of grievance redressal.