Part 6 Social Change and Development Communication

MODULE CODE : 101 MODULE : SOCIAL CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION

Session I and II Introduction , what is social change communication? Why is it important? Coverage of issues related to social change and social justice is decreasing in the mainstream media. Why is this happening? What are its implications? Introduction Social change communication or development communication can be defined simply as organized efforts in the field of communication to bring about a change in society we are a part of. The word society needs to be understood in its entirety. It comprises of the environment we live in, we the people, and all the other living and non living counterparts which share this environment with us. The need for social change communication arises from the fact that humans have the ability and responsibility to ensure the overall health of the environment. Besides, its the humans who are responsible for all the damage caused to environment. It is imperative to understand that the term environment used throughout this text refers to human beings, the environment humans live in, and all other living and non living counterparts who share this environment with human beings. The term development communication was termed in 1972 by Nora C. Quebral, who defined the field as "the art and science of human communication linked to a society's planned transformation from a state of poverty to one of dynamic socio-economic growth that makes for greater equity and the larger unfolding of individual potential." This view though valid is rather restrictive in nature. It fails to take into account the factors other than social and economic play an equally important role in holistic development. Development communication in India The history of organized development communication in India can be traced to rural radio broadcasts in the 1940s. As is logical, the broadcasts used indigenous languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and Kannada. Independent India's earliest organized experiments in development communication

started with Community Development projects initiated by the union government in 1950's. The government, guided by socialistic ideals of its constitution and the first generation of politicians, started massive developmental programs throughout the country. While field publicity was given due importance for person-to-person communication - also because the level of literacy was very low in rural areas - radio played an equally important role in reaching messages to the masses. Universities and other educational institutions - especially the agricultural universities, through their extension networks - and international organizations under the UN umbrella carried the dev-com experiments further. Development communication in India, a country of sub-continental proportions, acquires many connotations. On one end of the spectrum are the tools and techniques locally applied by charitable and not-for-profit organizations with very close inter-personal relations among the communicators and on the other end is the generic, far-off, one-way sort of communication emanating from the government. The need for development communication continues since a large population, over 600 million, lives in rural areas and depends directly on agriculture. Poverty is reducing as percentage of population but still over 200 million are very poor as of 2008. They all, and the urban slum dwellers, need government support in different forms. Therefore, communication from the government remains highly relevant. In addition to the traditional ways, a new form of communication is being tried by the federal government to support its developmental activities, though at a limited scale. Called Public Information Campaigns, public shows are organized in remote areas where information on social and developmental schemes is given, seminars and workshops are held, villages and their children are engaged in competitions, messages are given through entertainment shows. In addition, government organizations and corporates involved in rural businesses display their wares and services in stalls lining the main exhibition area. This approach brings various implementing agencies and service / goods providers while the information providers encourage the visitors to make best use of various schemes and services available. Community radio is another new medium getting a foothold in rural India, though in patches. NGOs and educational institutions are given license to set up a local community radio station to broadcast information, advisories and messages on developmental aspects. Participation of local community is encouraged. As community radio provides a platform to villagers to broadcast local issues, it has potential to elicit positive action from local politicians and civil servants.

Does the media care: In a seminar conducted recently ,Tarun Tejpal of Tehelka lamented Today, the total coverage that the 250 million Dalits and tribes in India gets is less than the share given to actress Kareena Kapoor alone,. Todays media interest is mostly restricted to celebrity gazing and crime chasing which is not wrong, but this is not entirely what the media is meant to do .It could be said that journalism in our country has become entirely commercial and market driven. Print and electronic media restrict all their news to light stories that might not necessarily convey a message. At the same seminar Film critique, Ziya us Salam, who is a senior assistant editor in The Hindu, referred to the widening gap between rural Bharat and urban India, which is perpetuated by the media. He also pointed out as to how The Lakhme India Fashion Week had four journalists from one news channel for the coverage of the event while it did not affect the life of any one. At the same time, farmers in Vidharba committed suicide due to abysmal poverty, he poignantly recalled. Most of the news media today is obsessed with the entire television rating points (TRP) game which is a faade, aimed to sabotage the real big issues. Implications The traditional role of the media Traditionally media has been seen as the watchdog for the public. The role is considered so important that it is considered the fourth estate. It is the responsibility of the media to highlight the various issues that concern the society. Historically, the media was born as a organ of the people against feudal oppression. In Europe, they played a major role in transforming a feudal society into a modern one. Media became a powerful tool in the hands of the people at that time. They could not express themselves through the established organs of power, which were in the hands of feudal and despotic rulers. Hence the people had to create organs that would serve them. In the 20th century, other types of media emerged. The 21st century saw the birth of New media or the internet which made information sharing that much faster and easier. In underdeveloped countries such as India the media has a great responsibility to fight backward ideas such as casteism and communalism, and help the people in their struggle against poverty and other social evils. Since a large section of the people is backward and ignorant, it is all the more necessary that modern ideas be brought to them and their backwardness removed so that they become part of enlightened India. The media have a great responsibility in this. However coverage of

such imperative issues has decreased exponentially in the last couple of years. The Indian media no longer fulfils its duties as the communication channel between the public and the administration. What should be the role of the media? This is a question of great importance to India today. Why is the Indian media ignoring its traditional duties? Television today shows programming that is generic in nature. While some channels show film stars, pop music, others focus on disco and fashion parades (often with scantily clad young women), astrology or cricket. Is it not a cruel irony and an affront to our poor people that so much time and money are being spent on showing cricket, film stars, disco-dancing, and pop music? What have the Indian masses to do with cricket, film stars, fashion parades, disco and pop? The Indian media today are largely acting irresponsibly and not serving the people in their struggle against poverty, unemployment, and other social evils, as they ought to be doing. Big responsibility India is passing through a transitional age, between a feudal society and a modern, industrial society. This is a painful and agonising period. A study of the history of England in the 17th and 18th centuries, and of France in the 18th and 19th centuries, shows that such transitional periods were full of turbulence, turmoil, revolutions, intellectual ferment, and so on. It was after going through this fire that modern society emerged in Europe. India is now going through this fire. The barbaric honour killings in western Uttar Pradesh districts such as Meerut and Muzaffarnagar of young men and women from different castes who get married or wish to get married show how backward we still are, full of casteism and communalism. Need for cultural struggle Today the real world is cruel and harsh. It respects power, not poverty or weakness. When China and Japan were poor nations, western nations referred to their people derisively as yellow races. Today nobody dares to call them that as they are strong industrial nations. Similarly, if we want our country to get respect in the comity of nations, we must make it highly industrialised and prosperous. For this purpose, our patriotic, modern-minded intelligentsia should wage a powerful cultural struggle, a struggle in the realm of ideas. This cultural struggle must be waged by combating feudal and backward ideas such as casteism and communalism, and replacing them with modern, scientific ideas among the masses. Art, literature, and the media all have an important role in this cultural struggle. But are they performing this role? Today in India there is a total disconnect between the media and the mass reality.

The mass reality in India, which has over 70 per cent of the people living in the rural areas, is that rural India is in the midst of the worst agrarian crisis in four decades. Millions of livelihoods in the rural areas have been damaged or destroyed in the last 15 years as a result of this crisis, because of the predatory commercialisation of the countryside and the reduction of all human values to the exchange value. As a result, lakhs of farmers have committed suicide and millions of people have migrated from the rural areas to cities and towns in search of jobs that are not there. They have moved towards a status that is neither worker nor farmer: many of them end up as domestic labourers, even criminals. We have been pushed towards corporate farming, a process by which farming is taken out of the hands of the farmers and put in the hands of corporates. This process is sought to be effected not through guns, tanks, bulldozers, and lathis. It is done by making farming unviable for the millions of small family farm-holders due to the high cost of inputs such as seed, fertilizer, and power, and uneconomical prices. India ranked fourth in the list of dollar billionaires but 126th in human development terms. This means it is better to be a poor person in Bolivia (the poorest nation in South America) or Guatemala or Gabon rather than in India. Some 836 million people (of the total of between 1.10 billion to 1.20 billion) in India exist on less than Rs.20 a day. Life expectancy here is lower than in Bolivia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. According to the National Sample Survey, the average monthly per capita expenditure of the Indian farm household is Rs.503. Out of that amount, 55 per cent is spent on food, and 18 per cent on fuel, clothing and footwear leaving precious little for education or health.

Session III The Indian Media has a long history of activism from the independence period to the present-of using media space to advocate social change Introduction In the past few years, with the increasing number of newspapers, news channels and successful acceptance of the new media by the Indian people-the news websites, the Indian media scene has witnessed spectacular growth. With this newfound energy and excitement, media has also explored a whole new dimension of its power. And this realization has dawned not just due to technological advances but through some recent initiatives taken by them as the fourth estate of our democracy.

Moreover, this realization was not a moment of enlightenment rather a gradual process. However, it is to be noted that this power is inherent in media. Media has always had the power to influence, impact, propagate and mobilize. It wont be wrong to say that media in India, at least, was started with this idea of media as a tool for social change. This power of media to bring about a social change or transformation is called as media activism. Social Responsibility Theory of Press This Theory proposed by Siebert, Peterson & Schramm in 1956, emphasized the need for an independent press that scrutinizes other social institutions and provides objective, accurate news reports. It said that media should promote cultural pluralism-by becoming the voice of all the people-not just the elite group or groups that had dominated national, regional or local culture in the past. This theory was initially practiced in United States of America in the 20th century and is characterized by private media ownership. The social responsibility theory is an outgrowth of the libertarian theory. However, social responsibility goes beyond "objective" reporting to "interpretive" reporting. It is the press, therefore, that must be the "more alert element" and keep the public informed, for an informed populace is the cornerstone of democracy. Siebert, Peterson and Schramm note that "freedom of expression under the social responsibility theory is not an absolute right, as under pure libertarian theory....One's right to free expression must be balanced against the private rights of others and against vital social interests."For example, it likely would not be socially responsible to report how the terrorist, using some new method, evaded security measures and smuggled a bomb onto a commercial airline. The Canons of Journalism, adopted by the American Society of Newspaper Editors also addresses these same obligations when it calls on newspapers to practice responsibility to the general welfare, sincerity, truthfulness, impartiality, fair play, decency, and respect for the individual's privacy. A truthful, complete account of the news is not necessarily enough today, notes the Commission on the Freedom of the Press: "It is no longer enough to report the fact truthfully. It is now necessary to report the truth about the fact." Today's complex world often necessitates analysis, explanation, and interpretation. Social responsibility theory appeals to the idealism of individual media practitioners and ties to unite them in the service of cultural pluralism-even when this might reduce their profits or antagonize existing social elites.

Thus, the activist role of media finds its origin from this Social Responsibility Theory of Press. History of media activism in India It was during our freedom struggle, when our leaders felt need to firstly, inform and educate the masses and then mobilize them to fight against the injustice they were being subject to, that indigenous newspapers, radio stations came into existence. Most of the radio stations, which lasted for a brief period of time, were operated secretly. Pamphlets and street plays formed important tools of social communication as well. For example, the object of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the social reformer in setting up a newspaper was to lay before the public such articles of intelligence as may increase their experience, and tend to their social improvement, and to indicate to the rulers a knowledge of the real situation of their subjects, and to make the subjects acquainted with the established laws and custom of their rulers. Also, Lokamaya Tilaks newspaper Kesari and Mahatma Gandhis Harijan are examples of media that were revolutionary in their approach and changed Indian mindsets on relevant, important social issues. Thus, media was a significant element during the pre-independence era and worked relentlessly to expose the brutality of the regime and awaken the masses to their rights and power. After independence, media remained active for a few years. The introduction of television gave rise to broadcast news, which was faster and more impactful. Programs like krishi darshan and aamchi maati, aamchi mansa aimed at disseminating useful information to the farmers to improve their produce. Also, the then government control broadcast industry featured news bulletins at prime times and at regular intervals on the All India Radio (AIR). Although there were a few programs of entertainment, the media during this time was largely used to improve to the Indias social-economic-political condition by empowering the masses with relevant knowledge. Thus, the media once again was summoned as a powerful medium of social transformation.

Scenario Post 1991: India After liberalization in 1991, the Indian media industry welcomed foreign partnership and then emerged private channels and many more newspapers. From hereon, the Indian media scenario has been chaotic and colourful, expanding and impacting.

In this scenario, the media apparently altered its agenda and social change and responsible journalism was now, limited to a handful of media. Indian Express has for long retained its value of serious, relevant journalism. Magazines like Dharamyug, Illustrated Weekly of India were famous for their courage to raise social issues and question the authorities on misgovernance and misplaced priorities. However, by large, the media ignored its role as social change catalyst. With the new millennium came in more private 24-hour news channels and niche newspapers and magazines. Once again, the media realized its power and took it as its responsibility to take up matters of public concern and in larger, public good. Cases like Jessica Lal murder, Priyadarshini Mattoo, Nitish Katara and Save the Tiger were actively pursued by the media and Jessical Lal and Mattoo cases actually saw closure and justice at the end. Activism of elitism? However, many critics argue that such media activism is highly skewed and inclined towards the elite. It is only the urban cases which are pursued by the media while the majority of the rural problems are ignored and remain unaddressed. Along with this ignorance, media turns a blind eye towards people and issues incompatible with popular notions and ideas. Although in his essay Media justice: activism or elitism? Ranjit Thankappan agrees that media is essentially a public sphere phenomenon; he argues that in a society divided on the basis of caste/sub-caste/religious/gender identities, 'the public' is a broken lot. As such, there could be number of 'split publics' vis--vis various identities which would in effect define the nature of the public/media sphere. Moreover he goes on to say that the secular and rational face of national media is exposed in the way the marginalized sections of the society and their issues were represented. Civil society in the Indian context is a myth. Otherwise, the tangible reality of its existence is predominantly a dominant narrative. It need not always voice the concerns of the 'split publics' living on the verge of caste/sub-caste/ religious/gender identities. And as such, its ideological concerns are very much 'upper' casteist. It is this 'upper' casteism that had defined Indian culture and therefore even civil society becomes an outcome of that imagination. Jessica and Priyadarshini may become a hot debate for this 'civil society', but it is a difficult preposition for those majorities falling on the other side of the caste/class order. He furthers his argument by referring to the Indian national media as being highly brahminised and supports his argument by citing glaring ideological hypocrisy and

disparate in coverage of some recent, important news events. The elitist middle class who thronged with candles for Jessica and Priyadarshini Matto did not come out of their houses in support of the parents and relatives whose sons and daughters were brutally murdered in a real life psycho thriller case of Nithari serial killings Nithari appeared as cover story with a sensational element of a thriller, but it never attained the dimension of a campaign, he points out. He also draws comparison of the Nithari case media coverage against the kidnapping of the Adobe CEO Naresh Guptas son in Noida and concludes the class-divide between the two cases as major reason why the latter was given more importance over the former. Citing such examples, he concludes by referring to such calls of justice by the media as activisms of elitisms and hopes for more democratization of media. Arushi murder case is yet another point in this case. Constant and varied interpretations, declarations and conclusions of the various aspect of this case, by the media raised many questions on morality and ethics of the media and bought to forefront the issue of how over activism by the media is leading to media trials. Such media trials are affecting not only the criminal investigation process but also judiciary justice system. Thus, the Special TADA court judge in Mumbai, P D Kode ordered the media to exercise restraint. He disallowed the media to interview the accused, prosecution and defence lawyers within the court premises and also did not want the accused to be interviewed before the next day's work. In conclusion, a democratic contour is absolutely necessary for media to be fair and balanced such that the fruits of its activism be shared equally by everyone in the society. For that however, periodic assessment and indepth analysis of the nature and motives of such media activism is necessary.

Session IV Social change communication is linked to the concept of development but what does development mean. How is it related to globalization? What does development mean? How is it related to the process of globalisation? Society comprises of the people that reside in it. The organizations, institutions, etc that they form, are very much a part of the society. Development is a process of social change, not merely a set of policies and programs instituted for some specific results. This process has been going on since the dawn of history. However during the last five centuries the concept of development has picked up in speed and intensity, and during the last five decades has witnessed a marked surge in acceleration. Development is the result of capacity of the society to organize human energies and productive resources in order to meet the challenges and opportunities that life presents society with all the times. Society passes through well-defined stages in the course of its development. They are nomadic hunting and gathering, rural agrarian, urban, commercial, industrial and post-industrial societies. Pioneers introduce new ideas, practices and habits etc which are resisted in the beginning by the conservative element in society. At a later stage the innovations are accepted, imitated, organized and made use of by other members of the community. The organizational improvements introduced to support the innovations can take place simultaneously at four different levelsphysical, social, mental and psychological. Moreover four different types of resources are involved in promoting development. Of these four, physical resources are the most visible but the least capable of expansion. The productivity of resources increases enormously as the quality of organization and level of knowledge inputs rise. The pace and scope for development varies according to the stage that society is in during the developmental process. The three main stages are physical and mental and all these three have their own unique characteristics. Though the use of the term "development" is usually confined to economic progress, in reality the term applies to political, social and technological progress as well. All these various sectors of society are so intertwined that it is difficult to neatly separate them. Development in all these sectors is governed by the same principles and laws and therefore the term can be applied uniformly to all these fields. Strategies and policies aimed at greater growth may bring greater income to a country without bringing about an improvement in the living standards of the population. This is what happened in the case of oil-producing Middle Eastern

countries where a surge in oil prices boosted the national income of these countries without much benefit to the poorer sections of the people living there. Conversely people-oriented programs and policies can bring about an improvement in their health, education, living standards and other quality-of-life measures without any special emphasis on monetary growth. Development is a human process in the sense that it is human beings and not materials factors that are the driving force for development. The energy and aspiration of people who seek development forms the motive force that drives the development process. People's awareness may decide the direction in which development will take place. Their efficiency, productivity, creativity and organizational capacities determine the level of peoples accomplishment and enjoyment. What is called development is only the outer realization of latent inner potentials. The level of people's education, the intensity of their aspiration and energies, the quality of their attitudes and values, skills and information all decide the extent and pace of development. All these factors come into play whether it is the development of the individual, family, community or nation or even the whole world. Development however is a relative concept. For a particular group it may have positive connotations where as for another group, the same concept can have negative connotations. E.g. The Sardar Sarovar Project would enable the desert areas of Kutch in Gujarat to have an access to the water of Narmada river. On the other hand, the construction of this dam would render thousands of tribal in Madhya Pradesh homeless. Development has global implications. The world has become a global village owing to the technological evolutions. Any development occuring in any part of the world, has implications on the entire world. Development achieved by India During the late 1960s and the early 70s, the opinion of other countries of the world about India was India is a country to be written off. However with the ushering in of the Green Revolution and the success that the five year plans have achieved, India has achieved tremendous progress today. The fact, however, remains that this development is not uniform. Where Punjab has benefited tremendously from the Green Revolution, the lands in many other states have become saline. Terming India as a developing country leaves us with two connotations: 1.India is not a developed country. 2.India is not impoverished. It has a vast scope for development and it is developing currently.

Development can be divided into several categories: 1.Natural development: Development is a continuously ongoing process. Natural development is the spontaneous and subconscious process of development that normally occurs The evolution of earth and planets, conception of life on earth, evolution of man and beasts, the tectonic shift of the continents, the creation of the Himalayan alpine range, etc are examples of natural development. 2.Neutral Development: Neutral development takes a long time to occur, however it does not affect anything in a positive or negative way. E.g. of neutral development are creation of marble from calcium carbonate, the creation of coal from wood, the germination of seed into a bud and then a plant, metamorphosis of a rock into a grain of sand and so on. 3.Social Development: Social development is a general term which refers to: Change in social structure: the nature, the social institutions, the social behaviour or the social relations of a society, community of people, and so on. Any event or action that affects a group of individuals that have shared values or characteristics. Acts of advocacy for the cause of changing society in a normative way (subjective). The term is used in the study of history, economies, and politics, and includes topics such as the success or failure of different political systems, globalization, democratization, development and economic growth. The term can encompass concepts as broad as revolution and paradigm shift, to narrow changes such as a particular cause within small town government. Among many forms of creating social development are theater for social change, direct action, protesting, advocacy, community organizing, community practice, revolution, and political activism. 4. Community development Community development is the process of developing active and sustainable communities based on social justice and mutual respect. It is about influencing power structures to remove the barriers that prevent people from participating in the issues that affect their lives. Community Development expresses values of fairness, equality, accountability, opportunity, choice, participation, mutuality, reciprocity and continuous learning. Educating, enabling and empowering are at the core of Community Development

Gandhiji adopted African community development ideals as a basis of his South African Ashram, and then introduced it as a part of the Indian Swaraj movement, aiming at establishing economic interdependence at village level throughout India. With Indian independence, despite the continuing work of Vinoba Bhave in encouraging grassroots land reform, India under its first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru adopted a centralist heavy industry approach, antithetical to self-help community development ideas.

5. Cultural Development Cultural Development is a term used in public policy making that emphasises the influence of cultural capital on individual and community behaviour. These cultural capital influences include the role of parenting, families and close associates; organisations such as schools and workplaces; communities and neighbourhoods; and wider social influences such as the media. It is argued that this cultural capital manifests into specific values, attitudes or social norms which in turn guide the behavioural intentions that individuals adopt in regard to particular decisions or courses of action. The basic mechanism driving social change is increasing awareness leading to better organization. When society senses new and better opportunities for progress it accordingly develops new forms of organization to exploit these new openings successfully. The new forms of organization are better able to harness the available social energies and skills and resources to use the opportunities to get the intended results. Development is governed by many factors that influence the results of developmental efforts. There must be a motive that drives the social change and essential preconditions for that change to occur. The motive must be powerful enough to overcome obstructions that impede that change from occurring. Development also needs resources such as capital and technology and the availability of supporting infrastructures. 6. Technological Development: The development of technology is dependent on the presence of other types of social organizations. Industrial Revolution was a direct result of the reorganization of English agriculture. The enclosure of common lands in England generated surplus income for the farmers. That extra income generated additional raw materials for industrial processing along with greater demand for industrial products which was

difficult to meet by traditional manufacturing processes. The opening of sea trade gave an added boost in demand for industrial production for export. Factory production increased many times when production was reorganized using steam energy combined with moving assembly lines, specialization and division of labor. Thus, technological development was both a result of and a contributing factor to the overall development of society. Each new developmental advance that society makes is accompanied by new or more suitable organizations that facilitate that advance. On many occasions the existing inadequate organization is forced to change itself to be in tune with the new development. Many countries have introduced scores of new reforms and procedures such as the release of business directories, franchising, lease purchase, courier service, credit rating, collection agencies, industrial estates, free trade zones and credit cards, etc. On top of all these, a diverse range of Internet services have also been added. Each of these new facilities vastly improves the effective usage of available social energies for productive purposes. The importance of these facilities for speeding up development is clearly illustrated when they are absent. When Eastern European countries wanted to make the transition to market-type economies, they were seriously hampered in their efforts to make that transition due to the absence of these supportive systems and facilities. The direction that the developmental process takes is very much influenced by the awareness of the population as to what are the opportunities available in the society. Increasing awareness leads to greater aspiration which in turn releases greater energy that helps bring about greater accomplishment. The concept of development had global connotations since the ancient past. Historical records present to us various examples relating to the encounters of various travellers and traders coming to India and of international trade being prevalent between various countries of the world. Various Kings undertook the development of their kingdoms by building roads, monuments and offering various facilities to their subjects. Many western scholars came to India to enrich themselves with the knowledge of astrology, astronomy, medicine, mathematics, politics, etc. Global development however in the ancient past meant globalisation of culture, a relationship of friendship and learning between various countries of the world. The concept of development however has completely different connotations in todays present scenario. The present concept of global development deals only with the globalisation of economy. It is a relationship which is concerned merely with the free flow of capital, the ability to make profits out of investments and consumerism

and not on the exchange of cultures, knowledge and learning. The importance of market has increased many folds. Infact, it would not be an understatement to say that market dictates the terms of the world. The World Trade Organisation makes and implements the international business laws without for once taking into consideration the fact about the vast parity existing amongst various sections of the society. While the rich are profiting and becoming richer with each passing day, the poor are becoming poorer. The poorest of the population has excess on to 1% of the total world production. This so called global development has entrapped the human race in a vicious circle of poverty and neo colonisation.

Session V: The concept of Human rights is one powerful approach to social change communication. What are human rights why are they important What are Human Rights? Human Rights refer to the basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Human rights are concerned with equality and fairness. They recognise our freedom to make choices about our life and develop our potential as human beings. They are about living a life free from fear, harassment or discrimination. Rights also describe what is lawful: that is, some rights may be laid down in law. If you have a legal right to something, you may be able to defend it in court. In many situations, though, rights exist but are not covered by law. These rights are often called moral rights and are based on people's sense of what is fair or just.

Types of Human Rights: Human Rights cover virtually every area of human life and activity. They include: Civil and political rights: Freedom of speech and Freedom from torture Economic, Social and cultural rights: Rights to health and education Individual rights: right to a fair trial Collective rights: which apply to groups of people, such as women and children Characteristics of Human Rights: Universal: these rights are Universal. This means they apply to everyone, regardless of status, race, gender, nationality or other distinction. Indivisible: they are also indivisible i.e. people are entitled to all rights - civil and political (such as the right to a fair trial) and economic, social and cultural (such as the right to education). They can't be ranked, or traded off. Brief history: The belief that everyone, by virtue of her or his humanity, is entitled to certain human rights is fairly new. Its roots, however, lie in earlier tradition and documents of many cultures; it took the catalyst of World War II to propel human rights onto the global stage and into the global conscience. Throughout much of history, people acquired rights and responsibilities through their membership in a group a family, indigenous nation, religion, class, community, or state. Most societies have had traditions similar to the "golden rule" of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The Hindu Vedas, the Bible, the Quran (Koran), and the Analects of Confucius are some of the oldest written sources which address questions of peoples duties, rights, and responsibilities Precursors of 20th Century Human Rights Documents Documents asserting individual rights, such as the French Declaration on the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789), and the US Constitution and Bill of Rights (1791) are the written precursors to many of todays human rights documents. Contemporary international human rights law and the establishment of the United Nations (UN) have important historical antecedents. Efforts in the 19th century to prohibit the slave trade and to limit the horrors of war are prime examples. In 1919, countries established the International Labor Organization (ILO) to oversee treaties protecting workers with respect to their rights, including their health and safety. The Birth of the United Nations The idea of human rights emerged stronger after World War II. Governments then committed themselves to establishing the United Nations, with the primary goal of

bolstering international peace and preventing conflict. People wanted to ensure that never again would anyone be unjustly denied life, freedom, food, shelter, and nationality. The Human Rights Covenants With the goal of establishing mechanisms for enforcing the UDHR, the UN Commission on Human Rights proceeded to draft two treaties: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and its optional Protocol and the International Covenant on Economic, Socil and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Together with the Universal Declaration, they are commonly referred to as the International Bill of Human Rights. The ICCPR focuses on such issues as the right to life, freedom of speech, religion, and voting. The ICESCR focuses on such issues as food, education, health, and shelter. Both covenants trumpet the extension of rights to all persons and prohibit discrimination. As of 1997, over 130 nations have ratified these covenants. The United States, however, has ratified only the ICCPR, and even that with many reservations, or formal exceptions, to its full compliance. Human rights is an idea whose time has come. Every day governments that violate the rights of their citizens are challenged and called to task. Every day human beings worldwide mobilize and confront injustice and inhumanity. Like drops of water falling on a rock, they wear down the forces of oppression and move the world closer to achieving the principles expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a non-binding declaration adopted by the United Nations general assembly in 1948, partly in response to the atrocities of World War 2. It was agreed to by the nations of the world on 10th December 1948 and sets out the fundamental rights of all people, including the right to life; freedom from slavery, torture and arbitrary arrest; freedom of thought, opinion and religion; the right to a fair trial and equality before the law; the right to work and education; and the right to participate in the social, political and cultural life of one's country. The first attempt to develop a comprehensive statement of human rights resulted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Developing the UDHR was a difficult task and drafting the document took a number of years. Different countries held very different views which had been shaped by their cultural, social and religious backgrounds. The UDHR was framed by the members of the Human Rights Commission, with

former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt as Chair, who began to discuss an International Bill of Rights in 1947. Some of the UDHR was researched and written by a committee of international experts on human rights, including representatives from all continents and all major religions, and drawing on consultation with leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi. It has become the most important document of its kind and forms the basis of many legally-binding national and international laws. The United Nations (UN): The UN is the only multilateral government agency with universally accepted international jurisdiction for universal Human Rights legislation. It has numerous councils & committees such as the United Nations Human Rights Council, The United Nations Security Council etc. which are responsible for safeguarding different human rights treaties. The most senior body of the UN with regard to human rights is the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights. Legal issues in human rights: Human rights VS National security: With the exception of indispensable rights such as the right to life, the right to be free from slavery, the right to be free from torture and the right to be free from retroactive application of penal laws (such rights are called preemptory norms or Jus cogens), the UN recognizes that human rights can be limited or even pushed aside during times of national emergency. This is only if the emergency is declared for genuine reasons. The emergency must be actual, affect the whole population and the threat must be to the very existence of the nation. The declaration of emergency must also be a last resort and a temporary measure. - The United Nations Human Rights Violation: Human rights violations occur when any state or non-state breaches any part of the UDHR treaty or other international human rights or humanitarian law. Human rights abuses are monitored by United Nations committees, national institutions and governments and by many independent non-governmental organizations, such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, World Organization Against Torture, Freedom House, International Freedom of Expression Exchange and Anti-Slavery International. These organizations collect evidence and documentation of alleged human rights abuses and apply pressure to enforce human rights laws.

Why are Human Rights Important? The highest aspiration of the common man is to lead a life where he can enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of belief and have no fear of suppression. Disregard and contempt for "Human Rights" have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind. Todd Gitlin in his essay on Human rights states- "Human rights: the literal words deserve a moment's scrutiny. Human: member of the species, the single race Homo sapiens. Whatever persons are called, or call themselves, wherever they live, they are human. Therefore human rights: benefits to which people are entitled simply by virtue of being human. Just after the World War II, it was realized that citizens of many countries lived under the control of tyrants, having no way out other than war to relieve inhuman treatment given to them. Unless some way was found to provide justice to these people, they could revolt and become the catalyst for another wide-scale war including the nuclear war. This concern, led to the majority of governments in the world to come to the conclusion that basic human rights must be protected. This is not only for the sake of the individuals and countries involved, but to preserve the human race.

Currently-debated rights: Occurrence of new, uncertain possibilities and events has an effect on existing rights or require the creation of new ones. With the advances of technology, medicine, and human philosophy, the status quo of human rights thinking is constantly challenged. Human right to water: there is no current universal right to water. In November 2002, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issued a non-binding comment affirming that access to water was a human right: The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights. United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Rights of a foetus: Proposed rights of a foetus have been a controversial topic. At present, human rights apply to only to individuals. The point at which a foetus is considered to be an individual is disputed by pro-life and pro-choice groups in

particular. Those who are pro-life believe that an individual's life begins at the moment of conception, or at the time of implantation, and therefore believe that the foetus has equal rights to any other person. Others, including many pro-choice groups, argue that until the point at which the foetus is viable (or could survive alone), typically marked somewhere within the third trimester, the rights of the foetus are secondary to and dependent upon those of the mother. Environmental Rights: the onset of various environmental issues, especially climate change, has created potential conflicts between different human rights. In the area of environmental rights, the responsibilities of multinational corporations are of paramount consideration. Future Rights: Future technological advances, such as the possibility of mass space travel, the advances in the internet and the possibility of access to huge amounts of information, and others, all raise the possibility of new rights. Gay Rights: current gay right issues, such as same-sex marriage, gay adoption rights, and protection from discrimination are considered by some to be human rights. Current campaigns such as Human Rights Campaign specifically focus on the rights of LGTB community.

Session VI: How do we understand the role of the media as tools to advocate social change? How do we use the media for effective advocacy? Introduction In simple terms, advocacy means arguing in favor of a cause and advancing reasons for it. Thus, media advocacy means applying various forms of the media to propagate the arguments in favor of a cause. Broadly speaking, media advocacy has two objectives: (i) to influence the policy makers or the people in authority in order to change the policy: and (ii) to inform and educate the target group or general public about specific issues/s. In recent years, many women groups and activists has assertively advocated for women's cause propagating several women's issues through the media. Case Study : Violence against women (VAW) is one of the major women's issues recognized by women groups and activists. There are several acts categorized as

VAW in the context of Nepali society, namely trafficking in women and girls; forced prostitution; rape custodial rape; battering; dowry related abuse; murder; sexual abuse in street, public transport and working place; sexual harassment; hijacking or kidnapping; suicide; child marriage; marriage between people of large age differential polygamy etc. Media advocacy with respect to VAW is done for two reasons: one is to change the discriminatory laws against women and second is to make people aware of the reality and inspire them to fight for justice. Women's NGOs and networks execute media advocacy in three ways: producing advocacy materials by themselves; hiring journalists to work for their particular purpose and disseminating information in the mainstream media. Women's advocating NGOs and networks have failed so far to maintain transparency in their organizational structure, financial source and activities. Thus, the media has usually seen them with suspicion. They also seem less interested in incorporating the media as their partner. On the other hand, the media itself is also not free flaws. The mainstream media is very much politicized and it picks up women issues according to the political interest of patron political parties. Due to the lack of resources and trained work force, the media is not capable to produce widely impressive materials. Some of the women issues like trafficking, prostitution and rape come in the media just to create sensation. The media seems to be less concerned about women's issues and rights. However, some women's alternative media organizations have come into existence in order to conduct media advocacy in favor of women's cause.

Media Advocacy: A Societal Perspective To begin to appreciate these complexities, let us reduce the set of actors involved in media advocacy to just two groups: NGOs who want to advance a cause and independent media organization. Since the interest of these two groups do not necessarily coincide and even when they do, the respective notions advanced by each groups as to what media advocacy entails might differ significantly, there is a lot of tension between them. To understand this scenario, let us reduce the universe of possibilities to just the following three cases: a) NGOs as self-producers of media materials: Here those advancing the cause produce the actual media material and provide it to media organizations. These materials can come in several forms. They could simply be press releases that

routinely "feed" the media with information on the subject being advocated. With respect to the print media, these materials can come in the form of feature articles written by members of the NGOs. In the electronic media (radio and TV). this can come as sponsored simple information-disseminating programms of "magazine reportage" style broadcasts. While writing skills are needed for the earlier cases, necessary skilled personnel have to be found for the production of materials for the electronic media. Moreover sponsoring of programs in the electronic media is usually very expensive and hence this is an option that is only available to well-funded NGOs. But when the money can be found and since the contract between the NGOs and media organizations. With respect to Violence against Women (VAW) in particulral, we can mention the radio programs prepared by the organization SAATHI that were broadcast over Radio Nepal in 1994. b) NGOs support media production but do not control the contents: Here those advancing the cause provide financial and other support for the production of good magazine or reportage copy by independent journalists but do not control or censor its final contents. With respect to VAW, one example of such as effort is the fellowship provided by SAATHI to the producers of the independent radio program Khoj Khabar to report on domestic voilence.5 In such an arrangement, since professional media people might come up with story angles that do no necessarily advance the advocacy cause of the funding organization(s), there can be some tension between the two sides. c) Advocacy groups and independent media production: It is here that much of the tension and politics related to media advocacy can be found. Organizations advancing a cause invite media people to their programs and projects in the hope that they will get good coverage. Even when "satisfactory" reporting of the issues but not those of the organizers (in their perpective) has been done, the latter have resorted to all kinds of means to get even with reporters. NGO personnel, it is claimed, remain mostly oblivious of the conditions and constraints (financial and other resources, gatekeeping politics within media organizations etc.) within which more will be said later, is a major source of tension between advocacy groups and and media people. On the other hand, media organizations also come in different sizes and shapes and represent various social groups as such. Government owned and controlled Nepal TV and Radio Nepal as well as Gorkhapatra Sancharika Samuha who, even as they are independent media organization, are committed to producing generally pro-women gendered reportage or feature articles. This variety in media organizations introduces its own tensions both within and between media

personnel and advocacy groups. While greatly reduced into three neat models, above discussion should help us to see some of the complexities that make up the world of media advocacy in Nepal. In actuality, the number of players and agents involved are greater than the two major groups identified above. Even within each group - say a coalition of NGOs working on the theme of VAW- there will be tensions emanating from competition for funds, affiliations along political party lines personality clashes in and between member organizations. On the other hand, the hierarchy within different types of media Conclusion Based on all of the facts above, we can say the following: Without putting an end to the mutual mistrust between NGOs and media people, we cannot see good media advocacy from a societal perspective. NGO focus should shift from demanding coverage of their programs as such to seeing how the issues they advocate can be covered from insightful angles. Media advocacy talk by NGO personnel has to rise above simple notion of "getting journalists oriented to one's advocacy theme" and be geared towards institutional initiatives that facilitate the work of media people. The many NGO coalitions that work against VAW in Nepal should pull together some of their financial resources for this purpose. Journalists too should try to overcome the infirmities of their profession through various strategies, both at the facilitation of access to relevant information should extend that help.

Session VII: Inequalities of gender . Women constitute half of Indias population but face discrimination at various levels, from education to employment and healthcare , evn

as violence against women is growing . With examples of how the media is covering this field and what are some of the methods/sources to research it for the media Gender Inequalities In all fields Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen's work on gender inequality is of seminal importance. His work on the theory of the household represents the household not as an undifferentiated unit, but as a unit of cooperation as well as of inequality and internal discrimination. Amartya Sen, in his article says that gender inequality is not one homogeneous phenomenon, but a collection of disparate and interlinked problems. He posits seven broad kinds of inequalities prevalent in India (or any other developing nation). 1. Mortality Inequality- This is with regard to the high mortality rate of women and a consequent preponderance in men in total population, which clearly indicates a gender bias in healthcare and nutrition sectors. 2. Natality Inequality- Given a preference for boys over girls that many maledominated societies have, gender inequality can manifest itself in the form of the parents wanting the newborn to be a boy rather than a girl. With the availability of modern techniques to determine the gender of the foetus, sex-selective abortion has become common in many countries. 3. Basic Facility Inequality- The basic facilities of schooling and education have also become gender-ideology dependant. 4. Special Opportunity Inequality- Even with basic facilities like schooling being available with little gender bias, the opportunity to move in for higher education is relatively lower in the Indian scenario. 5. Professional Inequality-In terms of employment as well as promotion in work and occupation, women often face greater handicap than men. Some countries may be quite egalitarian in matters of demography or basic facilities, and even, to a great extent, in higher education, and yet progress to elevated levels of employment and occupation seems to be much more problematic for women than for men. 6. Ownership Inequality- In many societies the ownership of property can also be very unequal. Even basic assets such as homes and land may be very asymmetrically shared. The absence of claims to property can not only reduce the voice of women, but also make it harder for women to enter and flourish in commercial, economic and even some social activities. 7. Household Inequality- There are basic inequalities in gender relations within the family or the household, which can take many different forms. Even in cases in which there are no overt signs of anti-female bias in survival or son-preference or

education, or even in promotion to higher executive positions, the family arrangements can be quite unequal in terms of sharing the burden of housework and child care. It is taken for granted that men work outside and women could work outside only if she can balance that with the highly unequal amount of household work. Focussing on different areas Education Gender Ideologies and biases exist in both content of educational material and also the classroom communication patterns. Apart from the fact that in India, women are discriminated against in seeking basic education, we also see a reflection of this discrimination in classroom material and interactions. It is important to note that gender-based discrimination in education affects males as well as females. Textbooks and literature Gender bias may be found in all types if textbooks. In speech communication textbooks, hypothetical applications of communication skills can sometimes perpetuate gender ideologies. Rarely are womens experiences represented through theories of small group communication, public speaking, or other areas (Bowen & Wyatt, 1993). Similarly, prominent theories of human moral and cognitive development have historically been based on studies using male as subjects. Female development was assumed to be the same as male development and, as a result, women were often seen as inferiors because their development was judged in comparison to a standard not representative of them. Women are often depicted as dull, insignificant figures who have rarely been involved in career situations in maths and science textbooks. If women do not see women in these fields, if their teachers are 95 percent men, and if textbooks are predominantly male, they wont go into those fields unless they are specifically out to break down those barriers. Childrens Literature The image of males and females in literature can influence the way in which males and females see themselves and thus influence their communication. Childrens literature reflects and reinforces gender ideology (Gender Ideology includes the belief that a set of traits and abilities is more likely to be found among one sex than the other, Schein, 1978). The disparities and gendered behaviour patterns reflected in the childrens literature may help teach girls to undervalue themselves and teach boys to believe that they must always strive to be stereotypically masculine. For example, women are depicted as wives and mothers, while men hold a variety of

occupations. In popular fairy tales the female characters are generally passive, incompetent, and beautiful. The concern is that the gender ideology in childrens literature may influence childrens behaviour. Educational and guidance material We find that a higher percentage of catalogue content is devoted to males than to females. Gender ideology in educational materials is a major concern. Males and females are often offered limited role models for non-traditional gender roles in textbooks and in counselling and guidance materials. Classroom Interaction and teacher expectancy Relating teacher expectancy to gender expectations, there have been large number of cases where teachers do not perceive stereo-typically feminine traits in highachieving students (Benz, Pfeiffer & Newman, 1981). The feminine gender role is negatively correlated with achievement. Implications and consequences of Gender Bias in Education Basically, gender ideology in education affects three areas: 1. The self-concept: The research concerning womens self-confidence in achievement settings concludes that womens self-confidence is lower than mens. 2. The curriculum choice of students 3. The occupational choice of students: Because of the above-mentioned curriculum choices, women do not usually enter traditionally male-dominated fields, and men usually do not enter traditionally female-dominated fields. Media Television, Films and Music Portray women in stereotypical roles of a wife, seductress/ lover or the helpless victim. The image portrayal has been changing through the years and with evolution. Comic strips Gender inequality begins with the disproportionate number of male versus female characters in comics. Content analysis of gender messages in the comics reveals negative stereotyping of both sexes. Women are usually presented doing housework and generally serving males. Advertisements The gender ideology communicated in advertisements can affect our views of appropriate behaviour for each sex. The possible negative effects of advertising are multiplied by two important factors: 1. Advertisements are repeated over and over, so exposure levels are higher than for any other medium, and

2. Since advertisements are carefully crafted persuasive pieces designed to sell products and attitudes, so they may sell the images of men and women contained in them more powerfully than other media. Magazines Generally, advertisements in magazine have promoted a limited portrayal of women by communicating that: a womans place is in the home, women do not make important decisions or do important things, women are dependent on men and are isolated from other women, men regard women as sex objects (communicated in their use as sex objects in advertising for appearance enhancing and other products aimed at women). Men have been increasingly used as sex objects in ads targeted toward women. Advertisers seem to believe that women, as they achieve more equality and higher buying power, will be attracted to ads that use men as sex objects. Television and Radio Advertising Females are frequently presented as the users of products on both television and radio. These two trends work together to stereotype men as authorities and women as consumers who need to be told what to use by male authority. There has been a shift in the portrayal of women in which they are more likely to be pictured in jobrelated activities and in more diverse occupations than before. Implications and consequences if media images Television promotes rigid gender ideologies. Research demonstrates that images presented in the media reflect and reinforce traditional gender ideologies. The influence of television on the formation and perpetuation of gender ideologies is high and definitely suggests that television can play a similarly influential role in changing gender portrayals. The effects of gender ideology on television are undoubtedly as serious for men. The stereotyped macho, unemotional male portrayed in the media perpetuates gender ideologies such as that males must be in charge and in control of their emotions. Organizations The workplace contains inequalities based on gender segregation and differences in earnings. Gender segregation is the concentration of men and women in different occupations, jobs, and places of work ( Reskin & Padavic, 1994). Gender segregation may inhibit a womans opportunity for advancement or an increase in salary. Gendered Expectations The past concepts about women not being able to handle both family life and the demands of a managerial- level job and that if men devoting the majority of their

time to their careers has been overthrown now. In todays diverse organisations, both men and women are viewed as committed employees and a wide range of both traditionally masculine and feminine behaviours are viewed as necessary for success. The female leaders face bias while being evaluated and leadership for women are influenced by gender ideology. Early studies of leadership in organizations focussed on men but now women have started moving up the corporate ladder. Which means that the masculine is best in management ethic continued into the 1980s, but the women picked up soon. Women in Media- the different aspects 1. Womens access to the media as media professionals (journalists, directors/ producers, camerapersons and other technical personnel, and so on), including their access to decision-making within media organisations 2. 2. Womens access to and relationship with the media as citizens and audiences which includes their right to information and communication (i.e., their right to get appropriate/relevant information and analyses, as well as entertainment, from the media, and to be able to communicate their knowledge, experiences, concerns, opinions and perspectives through the media) Gender and the media Gender not exclusively a womens issue. The construction of femininity and masculinity are closely linked. Some ways in which men are portrayed in the media place expectations and limitations on them that adversely affect their lives and those of the women in their lives, as well as others. Stereotypes about men are also not compatible with gender equality. Why bother about the media In todays world the mass media are increasingly playing the role once played by family, community, religion and formal education. They not only disseminate information and knowledge, but also shape values and norms, mould attitudes and behaviour, and influence the very process of living. The media have traditionally played a key role in democracy by creating what is known as the public sphere, where issues of importance to the public are discussed and debated, and where information essential to citizen participation in national and community life is presented. It is clearly important that a wide range of political viewpoints, as well as the interests and concerns of all sections of society including the least powerful be represented in the media.

Women and Media Women are certainly not proportionately or properly represented in the media (anywhere) today. While certain, relatively small categories of women tend to be almost overrepresented, the large numbers that make up other, especially disadvantaged, categories continue to be under-represented. There is also considerable misrepresentation of women, the realities of their lives, their interests and concerns, their opinions and perspectives. Media content still, by and large, reflects a masculine view of the world and of what is important. So many issues that are particularly crucial to womens lives feature low down in the scale of what is regarded as newsworthy. When women do appear on the medias radar, they do so as desirable consumers rather than as full-fledged citizens who are affected by and must have a say in all the events and issues that make news, as well as the many that dont. The Good News At the same time, the Indian media have played an important role over the years, and especially in the last couple of decades, spreading information and ideas about the status of women in society and the need to improve it. They have helped generate public awareness of at least the most obvious of the multiple problems facing women, such as violence of various kinds. This has led to public recognition of at least some strategies to help women overcome these hurdles, especially the less complicated and contentious ones such as education, healthcare, income-generation, savings and credit and, to some extent, legal action.

Session VIII: Inequalities of income and livelihood: Income disparities in India are growing along with a growing gap in access to employment.Examples of how the media is covering this field , and guidelines on some of the methods/sources to research it for the media. Introduction The period since the neo-liberal economic reforms were introduced in India, has been one of dramatically increased income inequality. This will come as no surprise to most people. After all, you need only to look out onto the streets, to see the enormous increase in conspicuous consumption by the rich and even the urban upper middle income groups, and also to see side by side how the lives of the poor have become even more vulnerable and precarious. Mahendra Dev, a distinguished agricultural economist, who has extensively studied the economics of deprivation in India, looks at economic growth and equity in the post-reform (1991 onwards) period in India and argues that faster and inclusive growth should be achieved simultaneously rather than in a phased manner. Strategies of growth and equity must be integrated and we must frame macro propoor policies and people-centric policies. However, unlike the socialistic pattern of Indira Gandhi, he is not arguing for redistribution, but for simultaneous protective measures for and provision of opportunities for the poor and the deprived. The truth is that while a minority of the population (around 20 per cent) has indeed benefited greatly from the economic policies and processes of the last decade, for the majority of the rural population and a significant part of the urban population, things have got worse. This comes out very clearly from the statistical work done by Abhijit Sen of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, in calculations based on the NSS data. The basic results of his work are displayed in the chart, which shows the per capita consumption by different groups in rural and urban India since the late 1980s.

Although at first glance the chart may appear a little confusing, it actually shows some very clear trends in terms of which sections of the population have benefited

and which have lost out from the years of economic reforms. The most dramatic and remarkable improvement in consumption has been of those who were already the richest people in India that is the top 20 per cent of the urban population. Their per capita consumption has increased by around 40 per cent since 1989-90, and this increase is likely to have been even more in actuality since the NSS usually underestimates the consumption of the rich. Measuring Poverty There are many ways to measure poverty. Western economists prefer GDP and per capita income as a measure. GDP of less developed countries suffer a currency conversion disadvantage hence another measure Purchase Power Parity (PPP) has been coined to recalculate GDP. Then again, GDP does not show what segment of the society is poor. It is a measure of overall prosperity of the nation. Indian politicians have their own formula for measuring poverty. A number of studies undertaken in last 50 years have tried to explain income disparity in multiple segments of a society in almost all the countries. These concepts are again hard to follow. Interestingly, there is an Australian study, which simplifies this concept. It divides a nation e.g. India into five income groups. Then it plots these income groups against incomes. Superimposed on this chart are the Word Banks one dollar a day (extreme poverty in 1986 dollar value) and two dollars a day poverty lines. A graph for every ten years starting from 1970 is plotted. The resulting chart gives a little better understanding of poverty. The Chart below shows that in 1970 & 1980, about 40% of the total population in India was below the $1 level. But there is a dramatic shift by the time 1998 rolls in. This percentage decreases to about 20%. Changes in India with Economic Progress These changes are evident as you pass through rural as well as urban India. Slums are cohabitated with high-rise buildings in the cities. Even slums have a significant population of well to do residents except that they have not moved out. Rural India, although still poor, is much better off today than any time in the past. Thatched roofs have given way to slate or cement roofs. One-room hovel residents are dwindling rapidly. Roads and transport has reached the remotest corner. Electricity and clean water, barring a few exceptions is almost everywhere. Schools and medical dispensaries are every 3 miles. Prior to that, it was always 10 miles for a primary school and 30 miles for a hospital. All the forgoing is a social change achieved with economic progress. This author hails from a remotest village in Himachal Pradesh. All the forgoing is clearly visible as the author observed during his visit last January.

Much of this social change has been induced with self-help. Governments have lent a hand, but government efforts are always slow and cumbersome. Hence people have forced the change on themselves. Has the Government Poverty Reduction Schemes worked in the Past? Too many schemes have been implemented to reduce poverty in the past 50 years. None have worked. Bulk of the money is lost in bad management and other significant portion is lost in the bureaucratic hassle. Only scheme, which seem to work in the rural areas is upgrading of the agriculture and general availability of education. Both have provided a stable environment for progress. The urban areas have not done very well. The slum population has multiplied and crime rate has increased. Slum dwellers even if they could afford better living are unable to move out because housing and other facilities are too expensive. Few poverty reduction schemes specifically tailored for the urban areas are successful. Newer of the new schemes National Employment Guarantees Scheme has been initiated recently. It guarantees employment of 100 days for anybody willing to work, especially in the rural areas. As a matter of fact it was an act of Parliament, which created this scheme in 2005. Funding of this scheme is 75% Central Government and rest from the State Government. In order to make it work, a huge civil bureaucracy is needed, which in itself will eat away the funds allocated. Hence apart from minor benefits here and there, especially during failure of the rains, success of this venture is unlikely. True impact on rural economy and poverty reduction will be when the agriculture is made even more productive. Current production of 2.5 tons of grain from a hectare is high as compared to twenty years back. But it is low compared to US and European standards. A 50% improvement in this sector with better water management, improved seeds and other agricultural inputs will go a long way to change the face of rural India. With higher agricultural productivity, poverty in villages will be a thing of the past. Targeted poverty reduction programs in urban areas with development of infrastructure like sanitary & waste management, housing, and urban renewal investment etc. have a significant poverty reduction component. Each of these provides meaningful employment together with cleaning up of the cities. These schemes are low on government priority. Hence poverty in urban areas will stick around for a little bit longer. Poor media coverage

The Indian media does not sufficiently highlight the economic disparity that is prevalent in the country. It only focuses on the growing middle class and the upper class and propagates an idea to the public that India is a fast growing globalised modern state. It is so eager to point out the countrys economic progress that it fails to grasp and accentuate upon social and economic problems. Examples of poor media coverage Forbes magazine comes out with a list of the richest men and women every year. The Ambani brothers have made it to the top ten list in the year 2008. It is interesting to note that this made headines all over the country and it was the most buzzed about news event of the week. However the media fails to cover imperative issues like poverty when it is a proven fact that around 50% of the Indian population is estimated to live under $1 per day. Television channels are flooded with lifestyle shows that sell a certain kind of ideology and these channels specifically target a niche market. However this niche upper class market is negligible compared to the masses who strive hard to ensure two meals a day for their households. The current media industry is seeing a surge in the upper class lifestyle channels. For example NDTV has launched a channel called NDTV Goodtimes and India will soon see the launch of similar like minded channels being launched in India. Conclusion India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It is second only to China. In 2007, the GDP of India grew at around 9%. Despite witnessing a slowdown in economic growth, in the first half of 2008, India grew by 7.7%. However these figures mean absolutely nothing to the farmer living in an impoverished area with nothing to eat. Therefore it is important for the media to highlight these problems instead of hiding them or ignoring them as dirty laundry. It is time for the Indian media to wake up and smell the coffee of course over 36% of the Indian population cant afford cappuccino.

Session IX: Inequalities of caste/religion : legislation and changes in attitude have brought about social shifts, but caste and region continue to be powerful dividing lines: recent examples include the Gujarat riots and the reservation policy. With examples of how

the media is covering this field and what are some of the methods/ sources to research it for the media. Introduction On 15th August 2008, India celebrated the 61st anniversary of its independence. It was an occasion to celebrate the achievements of the past and also to introspect and have a look at the weaknesses and failures of the last six decades. An issue that stands out during these years is the role that religion plays in the political, social and economic life of the country. This years Independence Day itself was celebrated under the shadow of a conflict in the border state of Jammu and Kashmir over the offer of 100 acres of land to a Hindu pilgrim centre and its withdrawal later. Since Muslims are a majority in this border state, the dispute over land has been turned into a religious conflict. This shows the ease with which religion can be used as a political tool, as it has been many times in the past. India has around 150 million (13%) Muslims and 30 million (2.3%) Christians. Religion is alive but the history of the last sixty years, particularly regional conflicts in India; show that religion alone cannot bind people together. However, religion continues to be used as a political tool and the fundamentalist forces make an effort to use it as a binding force. This situation also shows that India is a country of paradoxes, contrasts, even contradictions. India is the seventh largest country in the world, by geographical area, and is bigger than the whole of Western Europe. Not surprisingly, it is made up of distinct geographical and cultural regions. India is the biggest democracy in the world, but its democratic institutions and processes are marred by violence and corruption. India is a deeply religious country. Four major world religions, namely, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism have their origins in India, while Christianity and Islam arrived in the country soon after they were founded. Anyone who visits India can see that religion is alive in the country. One finds small and big temples, mosques, gurdwaras (Sikh temples) and churches all across the country; the churches are full on Sundays. All of these religions uphold values of peace and unity, but India has witnessed innumerable instances of intolerance and violence based on religious differences. We all have seen a change in the legislature and as well as in the attitude of the people which have brought about social shifts. Today, India stands out as the only country which declare itself as a secular country. According to the constitution, it is the law that determines the scope of religion in the society; its not the religion that determines the law. The foundational role of Constitution plays in its religion-state

relations , looks into the legislative enactments and governmental mechanisms relating to or having a bearing on religious matters. It also illustrates how the courts have interpreted India's concept and principle of secularism and religious freedom. There is also a vast change in the general people thinking and this can be easily seen by the increase in the number of inter-caste marriages. This clearly shows that now people have started accepting other religion. But still caste and religion continues to be a powerful dividing line in the society. A single spark can spread fire of hatred and violence among the people. Case studies Case I: The first prominent instance of mob violence was the anti-Sikh riot in Delhi in 1984. The riot took place after the cold-blooded murder of Indira Gandhi, Indias most controversial, powerful and longest-serving Prime Minister, by one of her security guards, who was a Sikh. The Prime Minister was perceived as desecrating the Holy Golden Temple of the Sikhs at Amritsar, which had given asylum to the Sikh separatists and terrorists. In an organized massacre by politicians and their supporters, 4,000 Sikhs were killed in just three days and the author was an eyewitness to the heaps of ashes of burnt bodies in the poorest neighbourhoods of Delhi. Case II: In the following year on March 12, a third instance, when there was a series of bomb blasts in Bombay metropolis killing 257 persons and maiming 713 others besides damaging property worth Rs. 300 millions. It was a reaction to the demolition of the Mosque in the previous year, well planned and executed by the Muslim youth, which generated the Hindu Shiva Sena backlash on the Muslims. During 1990-92 there were 4,300 incidents killing 3,350 people, scattered all over India, while in 1992-93 the focus was Mumbai, Ayodhya and Surat with number of incidents being 2,371 and those losing their lives were 1,030 if not more. Case III: The Godhra train carnage in Gujarat State on February 27, 2002, was yet another horror of violence, reflecting the communal carnage. 57 persons, mostly women and children, were killed and 43 sustained burnt injuries when a train coach of the Faizabad-Ahmedabad Sabarmati Express, returning from Ayodhya and carrying the devotees of Rama, the Hindu god (Ram sevaks), was set afire by a group of people on the outskirts of the Godhra railway station. Immediately, several cities and towns of Gujarat State were in flames. The Muslim minorities experienced their worst abyss of shock since the time of Partition in 1947. There were almost 150,000 people who ran away from homes and were living in miserable conditions in more than 100 relief camps. The Prime Minister went on national television to

denounce the Gujarat riots as a disgrace and a scar on the nations conscience. The Editorials said that it was another example of a virtual collapse of governmental authority. They accused the Gujarat State government as the guilty men of Ahmedabad as no other government had ever been guilty of siding with the rioter. The whole government machinery blindly supported the rioters emotionally, politically and administratively. India has a strong community sense. It is likely that people with a strong community sense do not bother about other communities. And, where cultural practices of religious communities are given a priority, naturally the authority of religious and community leaders is doubled. They will be accorded special status and treatment. The people will listen to them; even surrender their own ideas. Reasonable and even legitimate changes and amendments will have to wait for their approval, and so on. This is the reason why strong community identities have often been exploited by political parties in India for mobilizing the members of their community, to politicize their sentiments and use them in their greed to power. Unfortunately, such mobilization has often been the cause for identity politics that often lead to the extent of state-sponsored or condoned communalism, religious revivalism, superstition and obscurantism. Thus, we have come full circle from the past when religion legitimised social division. Today a new form of the same religious divisions legitimises the new incarnation of the caste system that is moving towards class inequality. Inequalities are justified in the name of Hinduism or Islam or Sikhism. To understand it, one has to remember that the new social classes cut across rural and urban areas, different languages and cultures, and to some extent even the former caste divisions. But the caste system has not ceased to be functional. It continues to operate in a new form, at times as a class and is even gaining strength in the political sphere and has become part of the new economic classes. Amid these changes, religion is supposed to function as a uniting factor. Role of media: Media plays an important role in the coverage of these issues. They show the real stories to the people and make them aware. Media are not biased while covering these events and do not manipulate with the facts and figures. Still there is a recent trend which is going on in media related covering of this field. Coverage of communalism is dynamic in Indian media. It is unfortunate that for Indian media, politics behind the communalism is more important than its effect on the society or the plight of the victims of communal violence.

Example:Near the time of elections in states or at the national level, the coverage of Sangh Parivars communal activities or incidents of violence increases in the media, to highlight BJPs attempts to divide people along religious lines. The rest of the time, only large-scale violence is reported, while many sectarian activities which happen almost regularly go unreported. Also, for the same reason, communal incidents are given greater coverage if the states where they take place are ruled by the BJP. The truth is that such incidents also take place in the states ruled by other parties. In fact, the overall coverage of communal issues by the national media was much higher during the rule of the BJP-led NDA at the federal level, from 1998 to mid2004. After the NDA lost the general election in May 2004, the coverage fell visibly. Issues Related to the Muslim Community are Given Prominence Example:1. Being the largest minority community in the country, Muslims get the attention of almost all major political parties. Consequently, the welfare of the community features in both national and state governments policies. Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh appointed the Rajinder Sachar Committee to evaluate the social, economic and educational status of Muslims. The report was tabled in Parliament on November 30, 2006. Based on the report, the UPA government in January 2007 directed all banks to provide preferential loans to minorities. The government is contemplating more sops for Muslims based on the report. Besides, Muslims are the main target of the Sangh Parivar, which leads to numerous incidents of anti-Muslim violence. Religious Dimensions of Political Issues are Not Explained Well Most newspapers and TV news channels assume that the reader or viewer understands major issues facing the country, and therefore very few stories explain the background. This is true also in reporting of religion and religion-related issues. For instance, stories related to the Muslim and Dalit communities feature daily in the media, but without bringing out the religious dimensions of the issues. Perhaps, because the incidence of such stories is so high, explaining the background will inevitably become too repetitive. Biases are Becoming Less Affordable Example:-

Aaj Tak, considered the most popular news channel in Hindi with a pro-BJP slant, on April 29, 2007, showed a Christian pastor in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan state, being beaten up by Hindu extremists of the VHP. This was the first televised antiChristian attack in the country. As a part of the coverage, the channel interviewed VHP leaders actually putting them to national shame. In contrast, the IBN 7 Hindi news channel, which is seen as anti-BJP, exposed corruption in sections of churches in India and aired the views of VHP leaders on the same. The channel showed some pastors accepting money for fake baptism and church membership certificates for admission purposes. Hate Campaigns against Minorities in Hindi Media 2. Reports on Christian missionaries indulging in conversions are commonplace in Hindi newspapers. The largest selling Dainik Jagran daily is the best example of this trend. The local edition of Dainik Jagran in Himachal Pradesh state has been carrying provocative stories maligning the local Christian community for the last two years. It has been publishing a series of reports with the same headline, Isaiyon ka gorakh dhanda (Misdeeds of Christians), each time carrying a picture that shows a trishul (trident, one of the signs of a Hindu god) piercing the cross and stains of blood. Several Dainik Jagran stories have alleged that Christians eat beef (the cow, considered a holy animal, is worshipped by Hindus) and forcibly convert Hindus, identifying Christian workers with their names. According to local evangelical Christian organisations, the extremists somehow get hold of their in-house magazines and misquote from these publications in the newspaper to support their allegations. Lack of Serious Religion Articles in Newspapers Most newspapers have special religion columns, but they lack serious content. The Hindustan Times has a column called Innervoice which appears each weekday. Innervoice normally features articles on the philosophy of religion written mainly by the readers. Till last year, it carried contributions from popular Hindu gurus, clergy from different religions and freelance writers. Of late, the policy of the newspaper changed and the column was made open to readers contributions. The flip side of this policy is that it has brought down the quality of the articles. On Saturdays, the newspaper features a special page on religion, Faith on Saturday, which carries four columns. These columns normally feature entertaining stories related to religion, like the beauty of the building of a temple, with almost half the page devoted to graphics. One does not find spiritual articles meant for followers of a

religion, except some quotes from various scriptures on a topic. The Times of India has a column, Speaking Tree, which appears from Monday to Saturday. The articles in this column mainly talk about Hindu scripture Vedas or Reiki, Feng Shui (an ancient Chinese practice of arranging space to achieve harmony with the environment), and Vastu Shastra (traditional Hindu canons of town planning and architecture), etc. The daily also carries a special page on Sundays, Mind Over Matter, which normally features articles by famous New Age gurus like Deepak Chopra or those who advocate using spirituality for enhancing management skills and success in worldly matters. The Hindus column, Religion, also runs from Monday to Saturday. The newspaper has its own writers for this column, which invariably talks about Hinduism. The articles do not carry a byline. Only on festivals celebrated by other religions does it feature articles by clergy or writers from other religions. Until recently, The Indian Express had a biweekly religion column Faithline, but as of now, it does not have any religion column. Conclusion The trends in the way religion and religion-related issues are reported in India give us at least three inferences: First, the Indian media give substantial coverage to religion and religion-related issues, but highlighting mainly the negative and divisive aspects which perhaps is the case in general reporting too. For instance, many religious communities are doing commendable social work, but their work rarely gets the attention it deserves. This is perhaps a result of most media being market-driven, rather than having an agenda, which compels them to use only stories that are potentially sensational and can sell. Second, there is a decline in seriousness in the various religion columns in newspapers. Maybe this only reflects popular Indian religiosity, which seems to lack spiritual substance. Third, generally speaking, the Indian media promote false spirituality. Perhaps the popular Indian gurus, who seem to be very shallow in the spirituality they preach and practice, are good in public relations skills and are aggressive evangelists. It would be nave to expect that the media leadership will take any initiative to deal with these predicaments, but it is possible for individual reporters and editors to do their bit in bridging the gaps in reporting religion as news.

SESSION X: The agrarian crisis and food security: Why are farmers , who constitute the bulk of Indias population, committing suicide in large numbers? What has globalisation meant for Indian agriculture? With examples of how the media is covering this field and what are some of the methods/sources to research it for the media. Introduction : The Draft Plan of Action for the UN Food Summit to be held in Rome in November 1996 categorically stated that 'trade is vital to food security'. Trade liberalisation and globalisation of agriculture are supposed to increase production of food, increase efficiency of food production, improve the economic situation of farmers and improve patterns of food consumption. In country after country, trade liberalisation is leading to declining food production, declining productivity, declining conditions for farmers in the North and in the South, and declining food security for consumers of the North and the South. In her welcoming address which was on the theme 'Globalisation and Food', Dr Vandana Shiva, a leading environmentalist said, 'The US and other industrialised countries of the North are trying to change the meaning of food security from being a fundamental human right to participation in global markets, which excludes the

large number of poor without adequate purchasing power 'They are also trying to redefine food security to exclude food safety issues. Food security has always meant adequate, safe, nutritious and culturally safe food. While this meaning was inscribed in the earlier draft plans of action, it has been removed in the current draft of the World Food Summit,' she said. Dr Shiva said the structure of governance that was being shaped 'is governments without rights, but with exclusive responsibilities for food security, and international organisations like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organisation (WTO) with absolute rights and no responsibilities. Since these organisations are controlled by the G7 group of countries, this structure has built into the North-South asymmetry of Southern governments with the largest number of poor and hungry people carrying responsibilities without rights for food security, and Northern governments pushing rights of their corporations without responsibilities for food security.' Referring to the situation in India, she said, 'Land reforms (which put a ceiling on land holdings) are being undone in state after state to allow corporate superfarms for..... luxury production for international markets. Massive displacement of farmers is taking place, which can rapidly turn into a socially and politically explosive situation.' A paper on 'Globalisation and Agriculture in India' by Dr Vandana Shiva, Ms Radha Holla and Ms Kusum Menon showed through field studies how food production was being undermined by trade liberalisation policies. Food-growing land is being diverted to non-food crops such as flowers or luxury commodities such as shrimp. Farmers are being displaced on a massive scale and natural resources are being over exploited. Corporatisation of agriculture which is being pushed under trade liberalisation as a successor of the Green Revolution is leading to new poverty for small farmers as unequal and unfair contracts lock them into a new forms of bondage. Farmers of Punjab who were contracted by Pepsico to grow tomatoes received only Rs.0.75 per kg while the market price was Rs.2.00. First the farmers rejected Pepsico and now Pepsico has abandoned Punjab and sold its tomato processing plant to a subsidiary of Levers. Trade liberalisation is supposed to bring benefits to national agricultural economies. However, the beneficiaries are neither farmers nor governments of the Third World. A recent editorial of a business daily in India had the heading 'Freeing Wheat'. It is significant to ask what wheat is being freed from and whom it is being freed for.

The details of the impact of structural adjustment on agriculture and food security and also developed the sustainable alternatives available to ensure safe and adequate food for all. In spite of all evidence pointing to the high diversity, productivity and sustainability of small family farms, globalisation is wiping out these efficient systems and replacing them with inefficient and unhealthy industrialised food systems under corporate control. What Globalization means for Indian agriculture There is an intimate connection between globalisation and insecurity. When globalisation started two promises were offered. The first was farmers' incomes would grow because they would have export markets since the Northern countries would be forced to bring down subsidies. The second was everyone would have food, as it will become cheaper with competition and the poor would have better access to it . Neither of those promises have come true. Local domestic markets of farmers are disappearing. Their incomes are falling dramatically, the costs of production are increasing because the seed sector has been liberalised and between the joint pressure of the rising cost of production, declining earnings the suicide factor is an indicator of how much globalisation is costing farmers. In addition the case in WTO, which forced us to remove quantitative restrictions allowed the artificial prices created by huge subsidies of $ 400 billion to destabilise our domestic market. For the poor globalisation meant the dismantling of our universal food security and the rising of food prices as food subsidies were withdrawn. Even for those who are so-called targets we have done a calculation that their diet is a starvation diet of 100 calories a day. Even the Nazi concentration camps gave their people 1700 calories per day. Those who are excluded are being made to starve, those who are so-called included are also being made to starve. The entire dependency is now on imported genetically engineered corn and soya and ready-to-eat mixes of strange things that are not supposed to be eaten. They are not safe, not culturally appropriate and they are not generating economies locally. They are generating market for the Monsantos while pushing our people further and further down into malnutrition on a persistent level but even when they are getting food they are falling ill. What kind of solution is this? CASE STUDY Farmer suicides : Thousands of farmers have committed suicide in Maharashtra in recent years, saddled by debts they could not repay. The state and the

federal government together pledged more than $1bn to provide relief to farmers in distress. Some 10,000 farmers a year are estimated to commit suicide in India. A report, prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, says there have been "serious efficiency lapses in implementation of the relief schemes". "Considering the deficiencies noticed in the various components of the packages, underutilisation of available funds, important areas of agrarian distress not being covered under the packages, and coverage of only a fraction of distressed farmers, reduction in farmers' distress in Vidarbha region does not inspire confidence," the report says. In 2005, the Maharashtra state government announced a relief package for "farmers in distress" after the number of suicides went up from 146 in 2003-2004 to 455 the next year. In 2006, the central government also announced a "special rehabilitation package" which covered the six most affected districts in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra and 25 other districts from four different states. Vidarbha is the area of Maharashtra where the farmer suicide problem is worst. But, according to official records, the deaths in Vidarbha region increased to 1,414 between April 2006 and March 2007. The report says there were more than 600 deaths in the first six months of 20072008. According to official records, in 2006, 1.3m of 1.76m farmers in Maharashtra were declared "distressed", of which 434,000 were declared under "maximum distress". But the implementing agency did not ask for this data, resulting in inefficient and erratic execution of relief, the report says. The report also blames the government for not spending funds on educating farmers about the rights. Nearly 75% of farmers were unaware of the "ban on illegal money lending" and many farmers continued to pay high interest rates despite these debts being declared illegal, the report says. There have been also instances of banks claiming higher interest rates than permitted, it adds. In many cases, banks did not give out fresh loans to farmers which meant they ended up without having enough seeds and other farming assistance. The worst-hit states for farmer suicides are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra. How The media is covering this field and what are some of the methods A journalist is supposed to be good at observing facts, reporting them accurately and

objectively, and telling stories. A journalist is not a post-trauma counsellor, therapist, medical assistant, or someone who can compensate victims financially or represent them legally. Accepting this circumscribed role requires humility: Journalists are neither qualified nor elected to play roles requiring different skills. And yet, in a scathing indictment, distinguished journalist P. Sainath has criticized his colleagues for their lack of outrage and compassion over Indias rural crisis, and for paying attention to frivolous stories, such as fashion shows. In a recent address before the Editors Guild of India, the Magsaysay Award-winning journalist said the media is charmed by frivolity because of a fundamental disconnect between mass media and mass reality. The poor, he argued, are structurally shut out from the media. Corporate agendas dictate the media, and the institution has become more elitist than the other estates of democracythe legislature, the executive and the judiciary The tragedy of farmers deaths cannot be denied. But on a scale of outrage and compassion, is it the most important story of the day? What about the victims of the Bhopal gas disaster, or the oustees of the dams on the Narmada river? Or the Sikh survivors of post-Indira Gandhi assassination massacres in 1984? Or the victims of the Gujarat pogrom, a group I feel compassion for, after the failure of Narendra Modis administration to protect civilians? Who, if not the Indian media, kept those stories alive? In any case, how sound was Sainaths analysis of rural India and the solutions he offered? Was the narrative, in each case, one of debt-ridden farmers, driven by hunger and poverty, taking their lives? But then, in The Times of India, earlier in April, Mohammed Wajihuddin wrote of alleged murders passed off as suicides to get compensation from the state, making real the morbid fears of perverse incentives the governments compensation package created. Economists had already pointed out potential moral hazard by loan waivers; few had predicted that the word moral would be in its original, and not economic, sense. Sainath also lamented that eight million people have given up farming in the past decade, and many are looking for urban jobs that are not there. Really? As the informal sector of unorganized workers is far largerand undocumentedon what basis can one conclude that there are no jobs for migrant labour in towns and cities? And whats wrong with a few million farmers giving up farming? Many economists have shown that Indian farm productivity is low because the land-holdings are too small, making efficient farming unviable. There are too many Indians trying to work

as farmers and many would prefer to do something else. The land is not productive; agricultures share of Indias wealth is declining, and the sector is not growing rapidly. A transition to services or industry is a good thing. Finally, Sainath returned to his perennial theme, rural hunger. He said that per capita availability of certain foodgrains had declined, implying that farmers committing suicide was a tragic consequence. He said, The availability of foodgrain has fallen from 510g a day in 1991 to 422g in 2005a fall of 88g for one billion people for 365 days a year! That means your average family is consuming 100kg less of foodgrain than it consumed a decade ago. Where is your outrage? Example:From January to March 2006, the CMS Media Lab monitored six television news stations for coverage of agriculture news in general and 12 farmer suicide news in particular These six channels were: Sahara Samay, NDTV India, DD News, Aaj Tak, Zee News and Star News. Results showed that only three channels presented agricultural newscoverage: Sahara Samay, NDTV India and DD News, and only one reported farmers suicides. The headline of DD News on a suicide in Punjab read, Farmer commits suicide due to financial problems.The failure to include analysis or links to larger systemic issues in the agrarian economy made the story read as if the farmer brought about his troubles due to his own money mismanagement. This six-minute, 13rural news report was dated February 11 2006.From January to March 2006 there were at least 44 farmer suicides in Vidarbha alone. The Indian Express reported seven farmer suicides on March 10 , five on March 19 , five more on March 23 and another five on March 26 of 2006.However, there was no TV news report on the 14 these incidents. The highest recorded areas of TV news focus were national politics, sports, legal news, international news, cinema/ entertainment and business & economy. Furthermore, agricultural news was seldom.

Session XI What is the state of our Public health care system? What are the critical issues in public health today? With examples of how the media is covering this field and what are some of the methods/sources to research it for the media These are the notes that the speaker Anand Phadke had left behind for the class Health and Development Health status is basically shaped and determined by socio-economic development and less by Health Care. Decline of infectious diseases in the West due to improved living conditions, even before the advent of antibiotics, vaccines. Proliferation of new diseases due to unhealthy development obesity, accidents, cardio-vascular diseases, cancers, addiction induced diseases, HIV. In India - double burden of diseases - older diseases- malnourishment, TB, malaria etc. as well as new diseases. What is the solution? Paradigm shift from pathological to healthy model of development, including improvements in direct determinants of health like -Water supply, sanitation, supplementary nutrition, housing, safer working conditions, gender justice, prevention of pollution, etc. etc. WE NEED Higher budgetary support for such non-medical interventions, Wide availability of health education in user friendly ways, Wide availability of gymnasiums etc. A system of environmental monitoring Peoples monitoring, participation and control Alma Ata Declaration Health for All by 2000 In this conference in 1978, official representatives of 134 nations in the world committed themselves to Health for All by 2000 by adopting the Primary health Care Approach ( PHC approach). The Alma Ata declaration clearly statedHealth is a fundamental human right; ------- Governments have a responsibility for

the health of their people, Existing gross inequality in the health status of the people particularly between developed and developing countries as well as within countries is politically, socially and economically unacceptable. Economic and social development, based on a New International Economic Order, is of basic importance to the fullest attainment of health for all. People have the right and duty to participate individually and collectively in the planning and implementation of their health care. Moving away from the Alma Ata Declaration NHP 1983 -Lip Service to the Alma Ata Declaration

Later after 1990 s, -Retrogressive policies Reduction in Public Health Expenditure from 1.3% to 0.9% of GDP during 1985 to 2003, Under supply of medicines - Public Health Facilities manage 20% patients but account for less than 5% of drug market! Globalization, Privatization, Liberalization (GPL) Double burden of diseases in developing countries vehicular accidents, degenerative diseases, HIV, mental illness, VAW Further inroads by Atomization and consumerism Communication revolution has created possibilities of Peoples empowerment, decentralization. I. Agenda for the 21st Century Reaffirm holistic perspective, Question the GPL Question the pathological model of development Reaffirm the role of the paramedics, CHWs, Health care as constitutional, legal right Regulation of private sector and a system of universal access to health care. Strategy to face double burden of diseases II. National Health Policy 2002 Complete omission of concept Primary Health Care and Alma Ata Declaration.

 Increase in public health investment from 0.9% to 2% of GDP was promised , but not implemented Shift towards privatization of public health services. Contradicting the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural rights that states States must ensure provision of health care Promotion of User fees, though it is known to deny services to poor. Privatization of the secondary and tertiary sectors without considering implications for primary health care Ignoring the implications of corporatization of the private sector in terms of costs technology etc Promotion of medical tourism

III. Survey of 144 PHCs in Maharashtra, done in 2004 by the Jan Aarogya Abhiyan Deficiencies in Staffing In 55 % PHCs (79), there was only a single medical officer In almost 50% PHCs, MOs did not stay in the PHC premises. 72 % PHCs did not have a woman doctor. 40 % PHCs lacked availability of drivers. Infrastructure and supplies 50% of PHCs did not have regular water supply. 82% did not have an ambulance in working condition. In only 25% PHCs, all medicines are given free; in 75 % PHCs one or the other medicine has to be purchased from outside. 31% of the PHCs lacked anti snake venom. Clinical services 75% of the PHCs did not have facility for internal required gynaecological examination. In 80 % PHCs facility for MTP was not available. Only 40 % of the PHCs were not managing low birth weight babies and were equipped to manage pneumonia in children. 40 % of the PHCs were not equipped to manage the cases of dehydration due to diarrhoea. Laboratory services

 40 % of the PHCs were not providing the simplest service of haemoglobin estimation. 45 % of the PHCs were not equipped to do the Sputum examination for diagnosis of TB. In 30 % of the PHCs the simple test to detect the presence of albumin in pregnant women was not done. Recent data for different states available in the 'common review mission' report and the people's rural health watch report IV. We Need a Quantum Jump in Public Health Care Budget We have a million plus doctors; all of them cannot be employed by the State. But in the 21st century, we must more towards public financing of all Health Care. We need to Increase Public Health Expenditure to 3% of GDP by 2009 and to 5% by 2013. Levy Special Health Tax proportional to income if 5% of GDP is not enough to ensure Health Care for All. Last three years, more than 20% rise in Central Health budget, but is still 1.1% of GDP, compared to commitment in Common Minimum Programme of 3% of GDP by 2009. To remedy this We need a quantum jump in Public Health Care expenditure. Problem of lack of absorption capacity can be solved if there is political will. Adequate funds can also be generated if there is political will. Rich now pay comparatively less tax. Tax GDP ratio in India has to increase from 15% to 25%. Tax GDP ratio in developed countries is 25-40%. Public Health System needs to be substantially changed, made more accountable to people and more efficient. However privatisation is not the solution to problems of Public Health System.

V. National Rural Health Mission Launched from April 2005 by the newly elected UPA Each of the three budgets since 2006-07 by the UPA have increased Central Govt. Health Care budget by > 20%

 Strengthening the PHC structureRs. 50,000 for maintenance/improvement Substantial increase in drug budget Rs. 10,000 unattached funds for sub centre Rs. 10,000 unattached funds for each Village Health Committee Guaranteed Services, 24x7 policy The ASHA ASHA to be chosen through local consultativeProgramme in 18 states processes, accountable to Village Health Committee set up for Village Health Planning Village Health and Sanitation Committee to oversee implementation and monitoring of the village health plan Provision for Citizens charter Strengthening the Rural Hospitals Indian Public Health Standards Substantial increased drug budget Effective integration of health concerns through decentralized management at district level. Community Based MonitoringTripartite Monitoring Committees at Village, PHC, Block, District level Report Card Jan Sunwais VI. Peoples Rural Health Watch of NRHM by Jan Swasthya Abhiyan Data received in 2007 from MP, UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. ASHA is being largely trained and used for only RCH-related work, not as a `community health volunteer, largely as assistants to the ANMs/AWWs Nearly 75 per cent of the ASHAs did not receive any money Almost 70 per cent of ASHAs did not have drug kits ANMs/MPWs overburdened due to acute shortage of staff. At least 50 per cent of the sub-centers had not received the untied grant Out of Rs. 10,00 untied grant Rs.5000 had been given to them in the form of equipment purchased at district level without any consultation with ANM or Sarpanch. Anti-rabies vaccine not available in many PHCs-CHCs.

 Anti-snake venom too was not available regularly. In Chhattisgarh 80% of the PHCs had to buy medicines from private shops, in Rajasthan - 50% Overall, very little improvement on the ground till 2007 VII. National Urban Health Mission Currently no State wide network of Urban Health Facilities; matter left to Municipalities National Urban Health Mission seeks to correct this However, NO expansion in the Public Health Facilities Banking on Public Private Partnership without any concrete plan for regulation of the Private Sector Health Insurance as the main mechanism Predominance of Private or Public Health Insurance? For the BPL families, State to pay most of the installment VIII. We Need to Regulate the Private Sector 80% of medical care is given in the private sector. Studies by scholars and experiences of patients shows Quality of private medical services in India is extremely variable, on an average poor There is wide prevalence of Unnecessary investigations, Unnecessary medications, Use of Irrational drug combinations all this constitute huge waste; more than half of expenditure borne by patients is a waste This waste is disastrous in India because Wide spread poverty results in heavy borrowing for medical expenses at very high interest rates About half of hospitalized patients borrow or sell their assets About one third are pushed below poverty line due to a hospitalization A central Act to regulate the private sector is being talked about for some years. Transparent, rapid progress in needed in Maharashtra about new rules under the Bombay Nursing Home Regulation Act 1949

 Public Private Partnership Private sector regulation is indispensable precondition to PPP. This is because we want to Harness private resources for Public health goals. Otherwise the reverse would happen i. e. use of public resources for private profits.

IX. Health care in 21st century Human Right or a Commodity? Modern health care emerged and developed as a commodity. However, now in the 20th - 21st century, Health Care must be considered as a human right and not a commodity. Nehruvian paradigm was a step towards it. Now GPL policies are reversing whatever partial progress that was made. In the Post Nehruvian era we must have Major improvement and greater accountability of the Public Health System and Social regulation of private medical care to build a National Health System ensuring access of Health Care for All, irrespective of ability to pay. We need a Public Health Act to govern both Public and private sector and to establish health care as fundamental human right. We do not cherish a dream of ever expanding health care industry to manage everexpanding range of illness! We need developmental policies and Public Health System to prevent illnesses as much as possible. YET

Session XII What are the persistent and the new environmental issues in a globalising world? What are the politics of water and other natural resources? With examples of how the media is covering this field and what some of the methods/ sources to research it for the media. New environmental issues in a globalizing world:Global warming: - Scientists have determined that a number of human activities are contributing to global warming by adding excessive amounts of greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere. Greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide accumulate in the atmosphere and trap heat that normally would exit into outer space. Hurricanes: - Rising air and water temperatures worldwide are creating more frequent and severe hurricanes. Paper and Plastics: - Plastic bags are hard on the environment--littering the landscape, contaminating soil and water, killing hundreds of thousands of marine mammals, and using millions of gallons of oil annually--and paper bags aren't much better. Pros and cons of solar power: - The sun is a virtually endless source of clean, renewable energy, which should make solar power a logical alternative to finite fossil fuels that pollute the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Global warming affects wildlife: - The key impact of global warming on wildlife is habitat displacement, whereby ecosystems that animals have spent millions of years adapting to shift quickly. Ice giving way to water in polar bear habitat is just one example of this. The Impact of Rising Sea Levels :- According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, made up of leading climate scientists, sea levels have risen some 3.1 millimeters per year since 1993. And the United Nations Environment Program predicts that, by 2010, some 80 percent of people will live within 62 miles of the

coast, with about 40 percent living within 37 miles of a coastline. Litter Trashes the Environment :-Litter is more than an eyesore on city streets and alongside highways. Litter pollutes waterways and leaches toxic chemicals into soil and groundwater as it breaks down. Most litter begins with a careless or thoughtless act by a single person who tosses away a cigarette butt or an empty soda can. Malnutrition & Overpopulation:-Global pollution combined with population growth is leading to widespread malnutrition and making millions of people more susceptible to a range of infectious diseases--from measles and influenza to malaria-according to researchers at Cornell University. Malnutrition currently kills 6 million children annually, and affects 57 percent of the world's people. Melting Glaciers & Earthquakes:-Melting glaciers caused by global warming will lead to an increasing number of earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions, according to geologists who have been studying the likely effects of global warming on the surface of the Earth. The politics of water with case study WATER is as hot a political issue as it can get in Kerala's elections this scorching summer. The issue of the extraction and exploitation of this resource, once abundant but now depleted across the State, touches a raw nerve especially in semi-urban and rural areas that don't have the luxury of piped water. Nothing illustrates this better than Plachimada, a village close to the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border in the Chittoor Assembly constituency of Palakkad district, which has been in the eye of a storm for the last four years. The struggle by its residents against Coca-Cola, which started operations here in March 2000, brought it international media attention. Palakkad is a `rice bowl' of Kerala. Though Chittoor falls in a rain shadow area, the Coke unit was set up here with an eye on its rich groundwater potential. The area depends on the inter-State Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) for a major share of its irrigation needs. But in monsoon-deficit years this water is not available. After a year of the company's functioning, residents found that their wells were contaminated or going dry. A tribal colony of 100 families live along the eastern wall of the unit. Water from a well here rapidly turned brackish and milky white.Residents complained of upset stomachs after drinking the water, which was by then unfit for cooking or for drinking. They had no alternative but to fetch water from distant wells. The company said Coke was being singled out for attack, while other industries in the area consumed more water. During the April-June peak soft drink season, it consumed only 6 lakh litres a day while during the off- season it was 3.5 lakh litres, it said.

However, as the water shortage intensified, the local people started an agitation, which gradually attracted a confluence of socio-cultural and voluntary organisations. Perhaps this went parallel with the `water wars' elsewhere in the world. Soon, international organisations and activists reached Plamchida. In Plachimada, the direct effect that the State Government's action had on the lives of the people has been the source of a lot of distress and anger. The issue is very much alive across the constituency and the question of the rights of local communities over natural resources is being hotly debated. The neighbouring Pudussery panchayat in the Malampuzha Assembly constituency, where a Pepsi unit is located, has a CPI(M) MLA. Though an agitation was started here too along with Plachimada, it did not gather the kind of momentum that the one in Plachimada did. Local sentiment is running high on the issue and political parties are certain to seek to make it a weapon in electoral battle. At the same time, the closure of the Coke unit has left nearly 300 workers, about 200 of them local people, jobless. They have complained that the LDF has denied them job opportunities. Ironically, these two companies were brought in during the tenure of the previous CPI(M)-led Government. Media is covering the environmental issues:With today's ever improving information and communication technology, media has the advantages of both speed and reach . Such potential for communication should be exploited to the fullest, to educate the ASEAN citizens and promote positive action for the environment. For example: First, the media can be the source of information that is balanced, accurate and comprehensive that will inform rather than confuse readers and viewers, which sensationalized stories and biased reporting tend to do. Second, the media can educate the public on environmental issues beyond the crude use of scare tactics. Coverage should not be limited to highlighting environmental problems. There is a need to promote the public's appreciation of the inherent values and benefits that the natural environment provides. Environmental issues such as climate change are often complex and laden with scientific/ technical jargon. Journalists on environmental issues can demystify the issues for the public and facilitate their understanding. Third, the media can facilitate positive popular action for the environment in encouraging people to take initiative in contributing to environmental sustainability. For example, the media can help promote the practice of the 3Rs - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Additionally, good environmental reporting stimulates public interest

and gives citizens the basis to make informed decisions, whether it be to insist on better management of natural resources by their governments or to call for businesses to adopt more sustainable practices.

SESSION XIII Even sixty years after independence, at least one half of our population cannot access education , why does this problem persist? With examples of how the media is covering this field and what are some of the methods /sources to research it for the media Introduction "We are bumbling along with this out modeled system of elementary education, which is a real shame." These are the words of Krishna Kumar, director of the Central Institute of Education in New Delhi, India. According to the 2005 United Nations development program report, the literacy rate of India is 61.0%. This is definitely an improvement over the literacy rate of India a little more than ten years ago (1997) which stood at 50%. However it is imperative to note that literacy and education are two very different things. Anyone who can sign their own signature is considered to be literate in India. This method is both defective and flawed. Education on the other than can be considered as acquiring knowledge that helps one to think, analyse and apply that knowledge to be emotionally and monetarily independent. Therefore a person who is literate (by the standards set by the Govt of India) neednt necessarily be educated and independent. The 86th amendment in the constitution of India. In 2002, through the 86th Amendment Act, Article 21(A) was incorporated. It made primary education as a fundamental right. It says that " to the children in the age group of six to fourteen years shall be provided free and compulsory education " by the state. Until then the right to education was under the Directive principles of State

Policy. Right to education Bill 2005 The 86th Constitution Amendment Act added Article 21A affirming that every child between the age of 6 and 14 years has the right to free and compulsory education. The Right to Education Bill seeks to give effect to this Amendment. Highlights: 1) The State shall ensure a school in every child's neighbourhood. Every school shall conform to certain minimum standards defined in the Bill. 2) The State shall ensure a school in every child's neighbourhood. Every school shall conform to certain minimum standards defined in the Bill. 3) Government schools shall provide free education to all admitted children. Private schools shall admit at least 25% of children from weaker sections; no fee shall be charged to these children. Screening tests at the time of admission and capitation fees are prohibited for all children. 4) Government schools will be managed by School Management Committees (SMC), mostly composed of parents. Teachers will be assigned to a particular school; there will be no transfers. 5) The National Commission for Elementary Education shall be constituted to monitor all aspects of elementary education including quality. India a young country Facts: 1) Total population of India: Population: 1,129,866,154 (July 2007 est.) 2) As per the Census of India 2001 the population under 34 years was around 41%. 3) Total population under the ages of 14: 35.4% The Indian economy is at tipping point. And the youth of this country will determine the direction the economy takes. Some experts refer to this large proportion of youth as demographic dividend. Others refer to it as demographic disaster. In the early 1980s China was in a position that India finds itself today. And Chinas current economic boom is said to be the direct consequence of the large proportion of youth in its population. According to some estimates the current proportion of population under 25 years in India is 51% and the proportion under 35 is about 66%. This predominance of youth in the population is expected to last until 2050. While the average age of an Indian in 2020 is expected to be 29 years, the average age for China is expected to be 37. Therefore it can be established that India is rich in human resource but it would be useless if the youth of India do not have basic education and skill sets to be productive to the society.

The great divide Problems that plague the educational system in India Poverty 1) 36% population lives under the poverty line in India. 2) 50% of the population is estimated to live under $1 per day. 3) 68% of the population lives below a more realistic poverty line that takes into account caloric value. How poverty affects education Many children in India do not have access to basic necessities such as nutrition, security, protection, development and education. They are forced into child labour or worse and often drop out of schools. Estimates show that out of every 100 children enrolled in schools only 31 go to high school and only 10 pass out of high school.

Infrastructure of Government schools In India, three out of four children attend Government schools. However, most government schools lack proper infrastructure. These are some of the problems faced by common government schools: 1) Bad conditions lack of boards, chalk, books etc. 2) Poor teacher attendance 3) Teacher attitude Survey done against Child Labour in 2006, showed that 65% of children dropped out school because of harsh punishments by teachers. 4) Irrelevant syllabus. 5) Imperfect evaluation methods. Lack of books and other reading materials seem to be a widespread problem. The use of high-tech devices such as computers is very rare. Another condition of the schools is the inadequate facilities the classes are actually taught in. Some schools are located in warehouses while others in small houses. Many of the rural schools operate without electricity. However private schools that constitute a far less proportion have much better facilities but only a small percentage of the population has access to it. This is the great divide. Family Surveys show that most parents realise the importance of education (Probe study) but the realisation alone is not enough. Disillusionment with the educational system, familial responsibilities, economic restraints (hidden costs of government schools), and early marriages of girls are some of the reasons for guardians and parents pulling their wards from schools.

Media Coverage Media is considered to be the watch dog of the society. It is the role of media to inform and educate the masses about important social issues. When highlighting problems relating to education, media should cover the following aspects: Access. Enrollment Retention Learning quality. It would be wrong to highlight just one of these aspects and not pay attention to others.

Case study 1: Idea advertisement This is an advertisement featuring top bollywood actor Abhishek Bacchan that advocates the need to provide education to every single child. Pros: It shows children having fun learning even though it is through a mobile phone. A child from an impoverished background is shown winning the best student award thus highlighting the fact that caste, creed, class etc does not matter. Cons: The advertisement is highly impractical and can never be implemented. It is heavily biased against quality education. It pretends to be pro-poor but it actually anti-poor. Children from backward classes are shown in shoddy huts and are not allowed inside the main school. Instead they are made to study through mobile phones. Thus this advertisement is more harmful than otherwise. What can be learnt from the Idea advertisement? The media should and ought to propagate every individuals right to education; however it must not send any kind of derogatory messages. It is imperative for the Indian media to treat this issue with sensitivity and compassion. Case Study 2 Times of India Teach India campaign The recently launched Teach India Campaign by the Times of India group is a good example of good advocacy. The campaign propagates the idea that every individual should take time to teach. This campaign features another leading bollywood actor Amir Khan.

Pros: The campaign focused. It does not provide illogical solutions to big problems. It propagates the idea of finding a small solution for a small portion of a bigger problem. It is sensitive, and empathises instead of sympathizing. Cons: The children from poor backgrounds are portrayed as dirty kids who are intelligent. The children are also shown against an impoverished environment. What can be learnt from the Teach India Campaign? Media should focus on the micro problems that lead to the main problem in the macro level. The Teach India campaign is considered a success because it doesnt pretend to solve all educational problems faced by India, instead it provides a simple situation to rectify certain problems. The campaign has received 40 times more volunteers that expected. Where does media fit in? These are some of the questions the media should ask themselves before reporting a story that concerns education and literacy in India: 1) What are the facts? 2) What is the background? 3) Do I have an opinion? -It is important for a journalist to always have an opinion 4) Whose side am I on? Am I on the side of the school, children or the government? 5) What is my purpose and what is the purpose of this story? This is the most important question that can be asked by a journalist. Without a fixed purpose the story would be redundant. Hope still exists At the time of independence in 1947 there were 19 universities in India. In 1997 there were 219 universities or institutions at university levels. The larger universities have many colleges affiliated to them. Numerically India has almost 24 million university graduates. India is also among the few countries in the world to launch satellite and has proven its nuclear capability. Because of this high number of academicians and their good knowledge of English, many technology companies (especially in the computer field) from around the world have arrived in India. It is time for India to rise and it can only rise on the shoulders of the educated youth.

Session XIV The world of television is intensely competitive. With time and space constraints , how does a reporter go about doing a story on a social change issue The world of television is intensely competitive. There is today an apparent abundance of news. This can actually be attributed to the easy accessibility of news on television. According to the Indian Newspaper Society (INS), which has 850 member publications registered with it, fifty new newspapers have been launched in the past one year and 67 news channels have sprung up in the last nine years in various languages. Although the print industry is huge, one must note that print and television are two different media in numerous aspects. In print, the subscriber only knows whats there in his newspaper. But in television, the competition is very fierce and it takes just one click of the remote button to move to another channel in search of news. TRPs (Television rating points) measure the viewership of programs. They are of prime importance to all the stakeholders in the television entertainment industry namely the advertisers, broadcasters, and content producers and are key in determining the television channels success. How to go about reporting a story on a social change issue Sources: Sources are key to a reporters success. Good sources who provide accurate information can help a journalist track a particular issue. It is also imperative for the source to be reliable. If a false story gets published based on a tip from an unreliable source, then the reporter and the newspaper publication could be held responsible for providing the public with false information. Therefore the journalist should also have more than one source to carry his/her story forward. Research: Research helps discover, interpret, and develop methods to understand the social issue that the journalist has to cover. It gives the reporter in-depth

knowledge that pertains to the subject and helps them cover the story better. Interaction with the people involved: People make news. Issues that concern people and issues that affect human life are of prime importance and therefore for any social change issue be it community development, advocacy or political activism getting the peoples perspective in key. Projecting all aspects of the story: Social change issues are oven interrelated or have numerous factors that they depend on. Therefore getting every side of the story is crucial. Look at the issue at micro level and then connect it to a macro problem. Keep abreast of laws that pertain to the particular issue Case study The newspaper "Janavani" (People's Voice) was created in January 2004 to share news about Orissas rural poor in India. "The Janavani Charitable Trust that runs Janavani on a purely voluntary basis has been developing this idea for the past five years. 'During that time, we ensured that around 800 young men and women from rural and tribal-dominated areas were trained and equipped with the necessary reporting skills,' says Behera. Besides providing training to field reporters, staff and journalists from NISWASS also train panchayati raj officials. Reporters positioned in every village and block headquarters report on development in their village and the villagers' problems." According to the author, until the creation of the newspaper, "the problems, needs and experiences of the rural masses and the marginalised rarely find a voice in the mainstream national and local media. Few people realise that information can be an effective instrument in ensuring the participation of rural people in the development process." The subject matter of Janavani ranges from: "safe drinking water supplies, health and infrastructure facilities, sanitation, firewood, forests, housing, electrification, vocational training programmes, people's demands and aspirations, population growth, corruption, primary school education, primary health centres, education for girls, the status of women, etc." The five major themes of the paper include: social development and poverty alleviation, women and development, child rights, dalits and tribal/indigenous people and human rights. A former editor of Janavani, Professor Krushna Charan Behera, describes target readers as those who are "underdeveloped and deprived of the benefits of development" and that the newspaper serves as a source of news based on their problems and experiences providing useful information as well as stories describing

people's participation in development projects. According to a farmer from Khandapa village, Dayanidhi Behera, The newspaper has not only provided information on a number of issues about which we were unaware, but it has also provided an opportunity to poor people across the state to voice their problems and needs. Aside from providing development information, one of the goals behind Janavani is to help people understand their rights and entitlements. A founder-coordinator of the Bhubaneswar-based National Institute of Social Work and Social Science (NISWASS) says of people, they "often remain passive just because they are uninformed or ill-informed. Our job is to empower them by giving them adequate and necessary information.

Session XV What constitutes a good public service advertisement? What is a psa A public service announcement (PSA) or community service announcement (CSA) is a non-commercial advertisement broadcast on radio or television for the public good. PSAs are intended to modify public attitudes by raising awareness about specific issues. Public-service advertising is generally sponsored by a nonprofit institution, civic group, religious organization, trade association, or political group. Typically, it is directed at some humanitarian cause, philosophical ideal, political concept, or religious viewpoint. Matthew Parris, columnist for The Times, having 25 years' experience and awardwinning campaigns, said there is no single public service' methodology of advertising, and any attempt to frame one would quickly founder. Times, models, messages and audiences are changing fast. Guidelines for a PSA campaign design Campaigns utilize three basic types of messages to get the desired response from the target audience: awareness, instruction, and persuasion. The emphasis on the three types of messages will vary at different points of the campaign and for different target audiences, because the pathways to impact depend on the existing pattern of knowledge and attitudes of the audience. Most campaigns present messages that attempt to increase awareness: raising

consciousness about the topic and informing people what to do, specifying who should do it, and cuing them about when and where it should be done. A key role of awareness messages is to arouse interest or concern, and to motivate further exploration of the subject. Messages should include elements designed to prompt active seeking from elaborated information sources such as web sites, hotline operators, books, counselors, parents, and opinion leaders. Facilitating informationseeking extends the exposure to the campaign material, the content and style of the messages will target individual needs and tastes and the capacity of these channels enables access to more extensive. In many campaigns, there is a need to provide "how to do it" information that produces in-depth knowledge and skills acquisition. If the behavioral components are elaborate or complex, messages can educate the audience with a detailed blueprint. If certain individuals lack confidence to carry out the behavior, messages can provide encouragement or training to enhance personal efficacy. Persuasion messages Beyond awareness and education, the campaign needs to present messages featuring reasons why the audience should adopt the advocated action or avoid the proscribed behavior. The classic case involves attitude creation or change, usually via knowledge gain and belief formation. For audiences that are favorably inclined, the campaign has the easier persuasive task of attaining reinforcement of predispositions: strengthening a positive attitude, promoting post behavior consolidation, and motivating behavioral maintenance over time. The promoting and attacking approaches used in persuasive campaign messages are generallyaccompanied by corresponding positive or negative incentive appeals. Aspects that constitute a good PSA Qualitative Factors that constitutes in an effective message design The effectiveness of public service advertising campaigns is fundamentally determined by qualitative factors encompassing the content, form, and style of the individual messages such as compelling arguments and provocative portrayals. Sophisticated message design includes strategic selection of substantive material, mechanical construction of message components, and creative execution of stylistic features. The central component of successful persuasive messages is the presentation of incentives. Rather than simply exhorting individuals to act in a specified way, it is preferable to present message content that links the desired behavior to valued attributes or

consequences that serve as positive incentives. Types of appeals The incentive appeals for complying with a recommendation should build on existing values of the target audience. The basic dimensions of incentives include physical well-being, time/effort, economic, psychological/aspirational, and social. Appeals can emphasize either of the two basic components in the expectancy-value formulation: the subjective probability of a consequences occurring or the degree of positive or negative valence of that outcome. For unhealthy behaviors, the operational formula is vulnerability x severity, positing that the audience is maximally motivated by a high likelihood of suffering a very painful consequence. The prime communication strategy is to change beliefs regarding the probability component. If there is a difference between the audiences expectancy estimate and the actual likelihood,the message should stress the higher-than-expected probability. A second communication strategy is to emphasize the severity of negative consequences (or the positivity of benefits) or to raise the salience of those components of the expectancy-value equation that the audience already regards as advantageous (e.g. positively valued and likely consequences of a recommended practice) so that each of these components is weighted more heavily in the audiences decision making. Fear appeals. A strong fear-arousing message typically combines a severe negative physical consequence with an intense stylistic presentation (emotional, vivid, and involving). A mild fear appeal uses a toned-down style to threaten a more likely but less serious outcome. Fear appeals can be risky because there may be boomerang effects or null effects due to defensive responses by the audience members who attempt to control their fear rather than control the danger. Despite these problems, the research indicates that well-designed fear appeals are quite effective in changing behavior (Stephenson & Witte, 2000). Threats are more successful if the message provides self-efficacy instructional material (demonstrating how to perform behaviors and boosting the confidence that the individual can do so successfully) or response efficacy material (convincing the individual that the recommended behavior will reduce the danger). Negative appeals. This approach encompasses messages featuring threats of a less severe nature and negative incentives beyond the physical health domain. In the case of drug campaigns, minor negative physical incentives might be loss of stamina, weight gain, or physiological addiction.

In the social incentive category, drug campaigns can present negative appeals about looking uncool, alienating friends, incurring peer disapproval, losing trust of parents, or deviating from social norms. The constellation of psychological incentives might include reduced ability to concentrate, low grades, feeling lazy and unmotivated etc. Among the economic incentives related to drugs are diminished job prospects, fines, cumulative cost of purchasing drugs, and inability to spend on other needs and desires. Messages can also highlight penalties for violating laws and policies, such as incarceration, loss of drivers license, or suspension from school. Positive appeals. Campaigns should diversity by presenting a higher proportion of positive incentives. For each of the negative consequences of performing the proscribed practice, there is usually a mirror-image positive outcome that can be promised for performing the healthy alternative (e.g., avoiding drugs or enjoying a drug-free lifestyle). In the physical health dimension, messages can offer prospects ranging from a longer lifespan to enhanced athletic performance. Positive social incentives include being cool, gaining approval and respect, forming deeper friendships. On the psychological dimension, messages might promise such outcomes as gaining control over ones, positive self-image, and attaining ones goals, feeling secure, or acting intelligently.

Multiple appeals. Rather than relying on a handful of incentives in a public service campaign, its advantageous to use multiple appeals across a series of messages to influence different segments of the target audience (especially in media channels where precise targeting is difficult) and to provide several reasons for the individual to comply. In selecting incentives, the key criteria are the salience of the promised or threatened consequences, the malleability of beliefs about the likelihood of experiencing these outcomes, and potential persuasiveness of the arguments that can be advanced. Pre-production research can test basic concepts to determine the absolute effectiveness of each one and to examine optimum combinations, and pretesting research can compare the relative influence of executions of various appeals. In designing a public service advertisement the designer can use several other message qualities that increase effectiveness: Credibility is the extent to which message content is believed to be accurate and

valid; this is primarily conveyed by the trustworthiness and competence of the source messenger and the provision of convincing evidence. The messenger is the model appearing in message that delivers information, demonstrates behavior, or provides a testimonial. The source messenger is helpful in attracting attention, personalizing abstract concepts by modeling actions and consequences, bolstering belief formation due to source credibility, and facilitating retention due to memorability. When the credibility of the source messenger is low the provision of evidence has great importance for the success of the PSA. The type of evidence featured varies according to each audience; sophisticated and highly involved individuals are more influenced by messages that cite statistics, provide documentation, and include quotations from experts, whereas dramatized case examples and testimonials by respected sources work better for those who are less involved. The message should demonstrate how the evidence is relevant to the situation experienced by the target audience. Engaging styles and ideas help attract attention, by using stylistic features that are superficially attractive and entertaining (or arresting), and substantive content that is interesting, mentally stimulating, or emotionally arousing.

Atkin (1994) discusses guidelines for constructing key elements: Theme line (concise representation of main idea with headline, slogan or question) Continuity devices (distinctive symbols providing common thread across message executions) Verbal copy (understandable vocabulary, sentence length, copy density) Arrangement of message elements (primacy vs. recency of key arguments) Physical dimensions (size of print messages or length of broadcast messages) Audio and visual factors (use of music or pictures) Technical production quality (sophisticated techniques and devices). Understandability of the message contributes to recipient processing and learning via presentation of material in a comprehensive and comprehensible manner that is simple,explicit, and sufficiently detailed. To influence behavior, the presentation must be personally involving and relevant,

such that the receivers regard the recommendation as applicable to their situation and needs. Audience Segmentation and Targeting and how it helps make a better PSA There are two major strategic advantages of segmentation. First, message efficiency can be maximized if subsets of the audience are ordered according to importance (substantively: Who is most in need of change?) and receptivity (pragmatically: Who is most likely to be influenced?). Second, effectiveness can be increased if message content, form, and style are tailored to the predispositions and abilities of the distinct subgroups (Atkin & Freimuth, 2000; Dervin &Frenette, 2000; and Dozier, Grunig & Grunig, 2000). Its often valuable for campaigners to supplement the direct approach by influencing other target audiences who in turn can exert interpersonal influence or help reform environmental conditions which shape behaviors of the segment to be changed. An important strategy in a multi-faceted campaign is to stimulate interpersonal influence attempts by inspiring, prompting, and empowering influencers, especially those who are hesitant to wield their authority. The influencers are likely to be responsive to negative appeals that arouse concern about harmful consequences to those theyre trying to help behave appropriately. Thus, some campaign messages should be designed to motivate facilitators and enforcers to take A promising campaign thrust involves carefully-targeted efforts designed to influence policymakers who can change the environment that impinges on a health practice. Conclusion: Conceptually, channel selection is dictated by the usage patterns of the target receivers and the nature of the message. Pragmatically, the limited resources of the campaigner also play a role. Its usually more feasible to stage a pseudo event that generates news coverage than acquire time or space in the ideal media vehicle, its more feasible to achieve a minor product placement in an entertainment program than to capture the whole plotline, and its more feasible to place a PSA on a lowrated mature adult radio station than a hot teen station.

Session XVI-XX Documentaries as social change communication and issue of censorship DOCUMENTARY FILM AND SOCIAL CHANGE Introduction Communication is an essential element. Social change communication is an umbrella term involving strategic use of advocacy, media, interpersonal and dialogue-based communication, and social mobilization to systematically accelerate change and create impact. All communication activities should be combined and interlinked within one unifying communication strategy that addresses individual knowledge and behaviour, collective attitudes or norms, societal level policies and regulations. One of the most effective and frequently used tools in social change communication is Documentary. According to James Monaco, Documentary is a term with wide latitude of meaning, basically used to refer to any film or program not wholly fictional in nature. Documentary is a non-fiction text using 'actuality' footage, which may include the live recording of events and relevant research materials (i.e. interviews, statistics, etc.). This kind of text is usually informed by a particular point of view, and seeks to address a particular social issue which is related to and potentially affects the audience." A program, which is a creative treatment of actuality other than news, current affairs, sports coverage, magazine, infotainment or light entertainment program.

Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. Although "documentary film" originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and digital productions that can be either direct-to-video or made for a television series. As the digital video revolution has exponentially expanded access to cameras and editing software, new forms of distribution have followed apace. As a result, films that don't break into the theaters or get airtime on TV are increasingly reaching audiences thanks to festivals, netflix.com, youtube.com, and independent distribution and screening networks. But what is perhaps most interesting about the moment are the mutually beneficial ways that filmmakers are working with activists, advocates, and organizers to give new and exciting meaning to the term cinema verit.

The Indian Documentary a Social Change - Pre - Independence Era The Indian documentary may be traced back to the 'Factual films' or Topicals as they were called. Initially these 'Factual films' were confined to the installation functions and weddings of Maharajas, Dusserah Festivals, day-to-day life of people in various parts of India, snippets from Parsi Theatre etc. Dadasaheb Phalke though known as the father of the Indian fiction film did try his hand at this genre of 'Factual filmmaking.' He even made a documentary Chitrapat Kase Taya Kartat (How Films are made) in 1917 wherein he showed himself directing the cast, shooting and editing a film! In 1920, a newsreel was made of the funeral procession and cremation of Lokmanya Tilak. Soon general sessions of the Indian National Congress were covered. Some of the earliest pioneers of the topicals were Narayan G. Devare, the Patankar brothers, Hiralal Sen Some of the early topicals were films on the sessions of the Indian National Congress where leaders like Gandhiji addressed the nation, a solar eclipse, the Viceroy's Cup Race, inauguration of the Tata hydroelectric station etc. Initially the cameramen of those days would get what scenes they could, then the photographically bad shots or camera stops would be removed and the scenes be joined together. There was little concept of editing leave alone creative editing. In the mid 1930s the Quetta Earthquake took place. The Imperial Film Company of

Bombay made a film synchronized to running commentary - an appeal for funds for those suffering as a result of the eathquake. Following this Hirelekar began an Indian Newsreel unit. 16 short reels off the Congress Session at Faizpur were shot. In 1938 Wadia Movietone and Chicago Radio in a combined effort covered the Haripura Congress session where Netaji was the president. With the breaking out of the Second World War in 1939, the documentary movement got a breakthrough. The British with their distinctive tradition in the Documentary movement decided to provide suitable infra structure for the Documentary in India to boost the War effort. The British introduced a Film Advisory Board (FAB) in 1940, which had JBH Wadia as its Chairman and Alexander Shaw as Chief Producer. Though making films mainly for the war effort, Shaw did produce films like Women of India and Industrial India, which were not directly connected with War Effort. The Tree of Wealth, made by A. Bhaskar Rao was one off the earliest documentaries to win awards abroad. After Shaw left the FAB, Wadia persuaded V Shantaram to take over as Chief Producer. Shantaram did make a few films for the FAB but when Gandhiji gave the call of " Do or Die" in 1942, he resigned and Ezra Mir took over. The Government realized the FAB wasn't enough. To expand and consolidate Film Production and Distribution Units, on February1, 1943, The Information Films of India (IFI) and the Indian News Parade (INP) were formed. Keen that War Propaganda should reach maximum number of people, exhibitors were compelled to include 2000 feet of film approved by the Government. Thus the British Government laid the basis of compulsory distribution from which the Films Division was to benefit later on. Further, the Government charged a modest rental depending on the size and category of the cinema thus exploring the revenue earning potential off these films. While Mir was in charge of IFI, William Moylan an enterprising cinematographerdirector was in charge of INP. Bewteen 1940 and 1946, the FAB and the IFI produced more than 170 films apart from the INP newsreels. Though mostly designed to promote the War effort, a few documentaries were also made on Arts and Crafts of India, Indian Classical dances and major Indian Industries. The IFI under Mir had a sizeable technical and administrative staff. Documentaries were got from other countries and dubbed in Indian languages. But in 1946 the IFI came to an abrupt end. The Interim Government in the transfer of power to Indians, composed of the nationalist elements, cut down the grant to IFI and INP to a token rupee remembering their role in the War Propaganda films. A consequence of this was that for almost two years there was no official production of

documentaries. Thus at the time of India's first Independence Day, there was no official film unit to cover this event! The Indian Documentary a Social Change - Post - Independence Era On the historic midnight of Independence of August 14/ 15 1947, India finally became independent. But there was no official film unit of the Government of India to record the midnight ceremonies and subsequent nationwide celebrations. It was left mostly to newsreel cameramen of London, New York, Paris and other cities to converge to New Delhi to record the events. Dr. P.V. Pathy managed to coax Ambalal J. Patel, a multi-purpose film unit with two cameras and sound equipment. Thus it was left to 'Independents' to film Nehru's 'tryst with destiny' speech along with international newsreel cameramen. It was in December 1947 that the Standing Finance Committee of the Government of India approved of the scheme for the revival of a film producing and distributing organization as a mass media unit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. In 1956, Ezra Mir took over charge as Chief Producer of Films Division. During his 5 year tenure, Films Division produced over 400 documentaries. The coming of Jehangir Bhawnagary for a second time in 1965 (he was earlier Deputy Chief Producer of Films Division from 1954 - 57) was like a shot in the arm. Many talents and exciting films surfaced under him at Films Division - S.N.S. Sastry's I am 20, Fali Bilimoria's The House That Ananda Built, Sukhdev's India 1967 and M.F. Husain's Through the Eyes of a Painter among others. With the advent of video and particularly DV, today the entire scenario of documentary filmmaking of India has changed. More and more independent filmmakers and organizations are making their own documentaries. While continuing to make documentaries, Films Division organized the inaugural International Film Festival for documentaries, short films and animations in both film and video formats at Mumbai in 1990, where much of this work was seen along with short films, animations and documentaries made internationally. The Festival, competitive in nature, also includes retrospectives of Master Documentary Filmmakers. Censorship in India mainly targets religious issues. It is justified by the government as necessary to maintain communal harmony, peace and tranquility, given the history of communal tension in India. Analysis Filmmaker Anand Patwardhans award-winning documentary War and Peace was cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). On April 24, the Mumbai

High Court ordered that it be passed without any cuts or changes, bringing to an end a year-and-a-half-long struggle to obtain a certificate of release. For Patwardhan and several other documentary filmmakers facing problems with the censors, the judgment is a vindication of their efforts to uphold their freedom of expression. It is a very strong judgment. This order vindicates our stand. It shows that in spite of deliberate efforts at suppressing critical voices, which often speak the truth, there is some manner of justice after all. But it shouldnt be this way. Freedom of speech and expression is our constitutional right, Patwardhan. Filmed over a period of three years following the 1998 nuclear tests in India, War and Peace (Jang aur Aman in Hindi) is a three-hour documentary that explores the rise of Indian jingoism, militarism, and the globalization of the arms trade. It begins with the [1948] assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, a moment of violence that is deeply etched in the minds of almost every Indian, and follows the rise of fundamentalism and the spread of nationalist propaganda. The portrayal of the glaring sense of misplaced patriotism instigated by politicians is striking. Aakrosh, a 22-minute documentary on the carnage in Gujarat [in February 2002], has been denied a certificate of release. The film, which is a narrative of what happened during the riots, does not have any scenes of violence. But the CBFC maintains that public screenings of the film will instigate trouble. Ramesh Pimple, the producer of Aakrosh, believes that the government is trying to black out Gujarat from public memory. He feels that anybody who tries to document riots or communal issues objectively would be targeted. Some of the cuts demanded of War and Peace, like removing visuals of the prime minister or the president who are giving speeches at public functions, are utterly ridiculous. Even news channels cover those events, says Ramesh Pimple. In yet another instance, the moral police have targeted a film by Bishakha Datta on sex workers. Its release is being held up by the CBFC. Renowned documentary filmmaker Rakesh Sharma who won the Special Jury Award for his hard-hitting 'Final Solution', on the Gujarat communal violence of 2002 said in an interview about Censorship said that he was saddened by the ugly shadow of censorship which continued to mark the National Awards, leading to its boycott by a section of documentary filmmakers. Sharma says there should not be any censorship on documentary films. 'The censor said the film attacks the basic concept of our republic, i.e., national integrity and unity. Certain dialogues involve defamation of individuals or body of individuals.' 'Final Solution' was rejected by the Mumbai International Film Festival

(MIFF) 2004 on the ground that it wasn't good enough. The organizers refused to screen it. Case Study Anand Patwardhan Anand Patwardhan is a documentary filmmaker from India. To name few of his works: Waves of Revolution 1974, this film first of his films was on government repression in Bihar Movement. 'A Time to Rise' (1981) Concerns Indian immigrant farm workers efforts to unionize in Canada. Won Grand Prize at Tyneside International Film festival in 1982; Silver Dove at Leipzig International Film Festival in 1982. 'In Memory of Friends' (1990) On rebuilding communal harmony in Punjab. Won National Award, India for Best Investigative Documenatary, 1990; Special Jury Award, Mannheim International Film festival, 1990 "It is not a record of events," he points out, "while the documentary is a proof." According to him, you are working with found material. You take other people's voices and you go across class, caste, religion. "The documentary gives you the ability to make those bridges, it is closer to activism." Coming from a family of activists, it was probably just natural for Patwardhan to be drawn by issues that were integral to a certain point in time.

REFERENCES Mass Communication in India Keval J Kumar http://indiatogether.com/2007/nov/med-mediaind.htm http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/23/stories/2006102304041300.htm

 http://thehoot.org/web/home/story.php?storyid=2879&pg=1&mod=1ionId=21&va lid=true http://thehoot.org/web/home/story.php?storyid=2546&pg=1&mod=1ionId=21&va lid=true http://thehoot.org/web/home/story.php?storyid=2288&pg=1&mod=1ionId=21io nname=MEDIA%20ACTIVISM&valid=true http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=140824 https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/in.html National Readership Survey 2006 A research paper, Supreme Court of India, Hinduism and Hindutva, by Dr. John Dayal, a member of the National Integration Council of the Government of India, discusses the complexity of defining Hinduism: http://tinyurl.com/35sopp. Constitution bench to hear quota case, The Hindustan Times, July 26, 2007, discusses a quota granted to the OBCs in the Supreme Court of India: http://tinyurl.com/39h3lp. Minorities quota will turn reality, The Hindu, July 6, 2007, discusses a proposed quota for religious minorities: http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/06/stories/2007070657600100.htm. Spell out stand on quota for Dalit Christians: court, The Hindu,July 20, 2007, gives the latest development in the case pending before the Supreme Court of India: http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/20/stories/2007072055861400.htm. Indian Missions Association report of 1997. A report on the Hindu Nation agenda of the RSS is available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/655722.stm. The RSS and the BJP: A Division of Labour by A.G. Noorani explains the links between the RSS and the BJP. [19] Hindutva: Exploring the Idea of Hindu Nationalism by Jyotirmaya Sharma (New Delhi, Penguin, 2003) deals with the Hindutva ideology. [20] The Terrorism Research Center (www.terrorism.com) has branded the RSS as a terrorist organization. The fortnightly Tehelka on January 20, 2007, featured an article by Delhi University professor Apoorvanand criticising the new textbook brought in by the Rajasthan government: http://www.sacw.net/HateEducation/apoorvJan07.html.

An agenda of Indianisation, The Frontline fortnightly, October 28-November 10, 2000: http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1722/17221150.htm. Conversion is an Act of Violence by Swami Dayananda Saraswati is available at http://www.swamij.com/conversion-violence.htm. Dubious Reconversion Movement Expands, Compass Direct News, March 13, 2007: http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=24498&sec=51&cont=4. Communalism Combat, March 1999. Reported by the Pioneer newspaper on December 18, 2006. Political Fears Spur Anti-Christian Violence, Compass Direct News, October 4, 2006: http://tinyurl.com/3cunph. Forms of Collective Violence: Riots, Pogroms, and Genocide in Modern India, Paul R. Brass (Three Essays, 2006). The tragedy of Ayodhya, Frontline, June 24-July 7, 2000, deals with the issue of Ram Janmabhoomi: http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1713/17130170.htm. http://www.rediff.com/news/ucc.htm. Indias Anti-Conversion Laws Linked to Higher Persecution, Compass Direct News, February 28, 2007: http://www.spcm.org/Journal/spip.php?article6959. Indias Highest Court Accepts Christians Plea for Adoption Rights, July 23, 2007, International Christian Concern: http://tinyurl.com/32hsuu. The report is available at http://tinyurl.com/y4hu8s. The Indian Express, July 6, 2007