DDCE, UTKAL UNIVERSITY, BHUBANESWAR, INDIA

A Journal of Arts, Humanities & Management
Board of Editors
Susmit Pani, M.A, Ph.D
Niranjan Pani, M.Phil, Ph.D
Prajna P Panigrahi, M.A, Ph.D
Mamata R Behera, M.A, Ph.D
DDCE
Education for All
DDCE, UTKAL UNIVERSITY, BHUBANESWAR, INDIA
Vol - I, 2007

Editorial Board
Prof. S. P. Pani,
Director,DDCE, Utkal University
Dr. N. Pani,
Reader, Public Administration, DDCE, Utkal University
Dr. M. R. Behera
Lecturer in Oriya, DDCE, Utkal University
Dr. P. P. Panigrahi
Lecturer in English, DDCE, Utkal University
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EDITORIAL
SEARCH, A Journal of Arts, Humanities and Management is a small and yet a
decisive step of the DDCE family in furtherance of its motto ‘Education For All’.
SEARCH would mirror the intellectual pursuits of our faculty members and other
distinguished academicians. In our maiden editorial, we reflect on ‘Education’.
Education is defined as the process of bringing up, instructions, teaching, training
and strengthening the powers of body, mind and soul. To be educated, is to be well
cultivated, cultured, knowledgeable, refined in judgment and taste and experienced.
Education has a twofold foundation-psycho-physiological and philosophical. Of
late the philosophical foundation has been relegated to insignificance and it is necessary
to restore the educational process to philosophical foundation. While search for
explanation and questioning is vital, a deeper understanding of life and the world order is
equally important. Education must ensure wisdom beyond knowledge and skill.
Education has evolved as a science of life beyond the horizons of Humanities, Arts,
Social Sciences, Physical Sciences and all other disciplines. The ‘Art of Living’ is the
‘Science of Education’. The ancient dictum ‘Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktaye’ (Education
Liberates) has to be widened beyond God realization. Today the scope of liberation
stands widened, it includes liberation from ignorance, hunger, disease, conflict and all
other negative aspects of life and world. The concept of progress must include physical,
aesthetic, mental and even spiritual components. Man, of all the animals has the highest
potential for he is the most dissatisfied species. Education must continue to be a search
for perfect perfection and chasing of dreams and utopias. Education is the only answer to
our search for complete understanding, harmony and development.
As a small component of the Utkal University, our Directorate aspires to work
towards the great motto of our University ‘Satyam Param Dheemahi’ (Seek the highest
truth).
Board of Editors

The ancient aphorism, education is that which liberates, is as true
today as it was before. Education here does not mean mere
spiritual knowledge nor does liberation signify only spiritual
liberation after death. Knowledge includes all training that is
useful for the service of mankind and liberation means freedom
from all manner of servitude even in the present life. Servitude is of
two kinds : Slavery to domination from outside and to one’s own
artificial needs. The knowledge acquired in the pursuit of this ideal
alone constitutes true study.
- Mahatma Gandhi

Contents
Sl. Topic Author Page
No. No.
1. Electoral Reforms: The Case for a Strong
Administrative Machinery
E.A. Narayana 1
2. Coalition Politics In India: Problems And Prospects S.S. Tiwana 6
3. Panchayat and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan C. Gnanapragasam 19
4. Empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions:
Maharashtra: A Case Study
Neelima Deshmukh 30
5. Right To Information And Citizen’s Jagannath Dash 39
Entitlements In India Manjusha Sharma
6. Sustainable Development and T.KrishnaKanth 47
International Law K.Lalitha Kumari
7. Nationalism and Regionalism:
A Case Study of Orissa
Subrat K. Nanda 58
8. Value Education: Relevance of Gandhian Concept Geeta Satpathy 70
9. Application of Distance Education Tools for
Effective Extension Education in India
Sarita Mishra
S.P. Pani
78
10. Finding Different Trajectories:
Women Writing About Women.
Prajna Paramita Panigrahi 87
11. Reinventing Public Sector Enterprises Niranjan Pani 90
In Orissa : Focus IDCOL Pratima Sarangi
12. Combating International Terrorism:
The Afro-Arab and Asian Experience
Jagdish P. Sharma 121
13. Research on HRD :
A Survey of Select Literature
Sujit Kumar Acharya 128
14. A Tribute To Mayadhar Mansingh Mamata Rani Behera 140
(A compilation)

Papers are invited for
A Journal of Arts, Humanities & Management– Volume – II 2007
Guidelines for contributors :
1. The Broad Theme for the next issue is EDUCATION.
2. Each paper be prefaced with an abstract not exceeding 300 words.
3. The article should be within 6000 words including references etc. It should relate
to the BROAD THEME OF THE COMING ISSUE.
4. MLA style sheet or Chicago style sheet should be followed.
5. Please use MSword and E-mail the article to : searchddce journal@yahoo.com. send a
hard copy by post in confirmation. Articles shall not be returned. Acceptance shall
be intimated. Contact Dr. P.P. Panigrahi, Lecturer in English, DDCE, Utkal University,
Bhubaneswar-751004, India for further details.
6. Authors may suggest names of Refrees who are specialists in the field.
7. Published material shall not be considered. Papers published earlier in abstract
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8. Authors are responsible for contents and views expressed in the article and DDCE
shall bear no responsibility.

Electoral Reforms: The Case for a Strong
Administrative Machinery
E.A. Narayana *
Since independence electoral reforms has been a hotly debated and seriously discussed
topic in India. Many believe that many defects in democracy in India have originated because of
the defects in the electoral process. Many efforts have been made to remove these defects. The
Goswami committee of 1991 made a comprehensive set of recommendations for electoral
reforms. Even earlier to that, the non-official Tarkunde Committee had gone into some of the
election issues. Practically all election commissions, from 1952 onwards, have come up with their
reports suggesting improvements in election-related and other laws, rules, procedures and
administrative arrangements. The Constitution Review Commission set up by the NDA
Government also went into these issues and made many recommendations. With vast experience
gained in several elections of Central and State legislatures conducted since 1952 and in the light
of recommendations of various Commissions and Committees a few steps have been taken in
recent times to usher in electoral reforms. Some of the steps taken for the smooth conduct of
elections are enumerated below :
1. The 91 st
Constitutional amendment fixed a limit on the size of the ministries apart from
making certain positive changes in the Anti-detection law.
2. By an amendment to the R.P. Act 1950, brought forward in 1996, the candidate’s security
deposits were raised to Rs.10,000/- for the Lok Sabha and Rs.5,000/- for the Assembly
elections.
3. All political parties were given access to the electronic media run by government during
elections. Earlier it was the monopoly of the ruling party.
4. Photo identity card system has been introduced by the Election Commission to prevent
impersonation at the polls.
5. The polls were conducted exclusively using the Electronic Voting Machines throughout the
country in the 2004 elections to the parliament and the Assemblies.
6. The contesting candidates have to file an affidavit declaring their assets and details of their
criminal record along with their nomination papers.
7. Model Code of Conduct will be enforced strictly during the period of elections i.e. from the
date of poll notification till the results are out. During this period, the ruling party was
restrained from announcing new policy initiatives intended to influence the voters. Also
misuse of official machinery and authority was prohibited.
8. The statutory limits pertaining to the elections expense of a candidate was fixed. A Lok
Sabha candidate can spend an amount of Rs.25 lakhs and the Assembly candidate rs.10
lakhs.
9. The computerized electoral rolls have been prepared.
10. Three types of election Observer’s namely general observers, Expenditure Observers, and
Special Observers have been deployed in the recently conducted elections.
11. Adequate security personnel have been deployed extensively to safeguard polling stations
and polling staff.
* Professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam -530 003, A.P., India.

Reform Proposals
The above steps constitute only a few measures and taken in only few areas. In other
words, some ground has been covered but much more remains to be done. The following
measures have also been proposed for electoral reforms.
1. Every citizen of India who attained the age of majority is entitled to exercise his voting
right. But unfortunately people in India particularly literate voters are not keenly interested
to exercise their voting right for several reasons. In order to avoid such situation like this
some people have recommended that voting must be made legally compulsory.
2. Two-child norm for contesting in the elections is also a desirable development that should
be introduced at the level of elections to state legislatures and parliament.
3. Public meetings and rallies should be banned during elections.
4. Election petitions should be settled within 6 months.
5. The accuracy of electoral rolls is still wanting. A considerable proportion of the voter
population is yet to be covered by the voter identity card system. It is also proposed to affix
photos of the voters in electoral list.
6. Ways must be found to regulate the functioning of political parties to ensure that they work
on democratic lines, observe financial discipline and demonstrate integrity.
7. Arrest warrants and filling of cases must be implemented before the notification of
elections.
8. The candidates elected to Parliament or Assemblies are vested with very important
responsibilities and duties of making laws, passing budgets and overseeing expenditures
incurred by governments. Hence, for them some minimum educational standards and some
experience of having held an elective office in a lower level democratic institution may be
considered before a candidates is eligible to contest as seat for the Parliament or an
Assembly.
Electoral Machinery
The Constitution provides for establishment of Election Commission under Article 324 for
superintendence, direction and control of elections to the Parliament and State Legislatures. The
Election Commission consists of the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election
Commissioners. All these Commissioners are appointed by the President at the behest of the
Prime Minister. The Chief Election Commissioner acts as the Chairman of the Election
Commission. To assist the Chief Election Commissioner in the performance of his onerous duties
there exists a large paraphernalia of the officers and the staff subordinate to him. Among them are
the Regional Commissioner, Deputy Election Commissioner, Secretary, Under Secretary,
Research Officers, etc.
To carryout its operations throughout the length and breadth of the country, the Election
Commission has to maintain election machinery at different rungs of the administration. At the
State or the Union Territory level there is the Chief Electoral Officer as the kingpin in the
electoral machinery. He is nominated by the Election Commission in consultation with the State /
UT Government. He is usually a senior executive or judicial officer of the state government. He is
assisted by the joint, deputy or assistant chief electoral officers as well as the rest of the joint,
deputy or assistant chief electoral officers as well as the rest of the staff appointed by him in
consultation with the state government.
At the district level the electoral duties are discharged by the District Officer or the
executive officer in addition to his normal routine administration. The responsibility for the
preparation and revision of electoral rolls is vested in an officer called the Electoral Registration

Officer. He may have under him Assistant Electoral Registration Officers. The officer of the
status of deputy collectors such as sub-divisional officer and executive officers of large Municipal
Corporations are designated as electoral registration officers and revenue officers junior to them
such as tahasildars are nominated as assistant electoral registration officers.
The election in every constituency is supervised by an officer known as the Returning
Officer nominated by the Election commission. The Returning Officer for assembly
constituencies is usually drawn from the cadre of sub-divisional officers while those for
Parliamentary Constituencies are district officers. The state government sends the list of officials
with their designation to the Election Commission, which after scrutinizing the same formally
designates them as Returning Officer for Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies. The staff
consisting of presiding and polling officers for the actual conduct of the polling is officers for the
actual conduct of the poll is appointed by the District Election Officer. The Presiding Officer
keeps order at the polling station and ensures the fair conduct of the poll.
The Need for a Strong Administrative Machinery
The election system-being one of the major instruments of translating political democracy
into action as well as instrument that reflects economic and social democratic system prevailing
in the country-needs to be adequately reformed and made flawless1 . The success of electoral
reforms depends upon, to a greater extent, on the ability of electoral administration, the basic
foundation of democracy, in tackling the important issues of elections i.e. effective enforcement
of the model code of conduct, giving effect to the voters right to vote, and many other issues
related to holding free and fair elections.
The electoral rolls are very often incomplete, inaccurate and defective. Lack of
consideration for the voter is apparent even in the preparation and maintenance of the electoral
roll. At every election, we have the spectacle of large number of voters being left out of the rolls.
The present system places on the voter the burden of ensuring the inclusion of his name in the
electoral roll. Any electoral system that does not guarantee the inclusion of the names of the
eligible voters in the rolls cannot be said to respect the voters constitutional rights2 . Special steps
need to be taken ensuring that these rolls are accurately prepared and updated from time to time.
Strong administrative action is needed to make electoral rolls accurate and upto date. The idea of
compulsory voting is not possible in the absence of an administrative machinery which will enroll
all the eligible voters and make them aware of the need to vote without fail. It is often alleged
that the model code of conduct is violated by all political parties. The limits on expenditure on
elections by candidates are brazenly flouted. Hence, the need for strictly enforcing model code of
conduct and expenditure limits is urgent and essential.
It is argued that an honest and determined effort in self-regulation of the conduct by all
political parties themselves may improve the situation in electoral process. However the
experience tells us that al most all-political parties are exploiting the situation during the lections
and indulging in electoral malpractices. We can’t expect too much in terms of voluntary
initiatives from the political parties.
There is also argument that the active involvement of people in the electoral process and
their vigilance against electoral malpractices would definitely improve the situation. But majority
of the Indians are poor and they are living below poverty line. There is acute unemployment in
India. In a country where there is accutee unemployment, absence of proper education, lack of
health are system and lack of proper housing, people cannot concentrate their energy on electoral
reforms inspite of their utmost necessity. The electoral reforms have, therefore, to be considered
in the background of the prevailing politico-economic situation in the country. A strong
administrative machinery would definitely achieve success in electoral reforms.

Apart from the Commission, the constitution or law does not provide for any other
permanent structure to administer the elections. Administrative officers at the state and district
level are assigned additional charge to look after the elections; some of them are temporarily
deputed to the Election Commission during the period of the general elections. This semiautonomous
and technically weak institutional apparatus cannot serve the Indian democracy. The
various types of challenges faced by the election Commission in conducting the 14th Lok Sabha
and some state assembly elections of 2004, also indicate that there is need for a strong
administrative machinery at all levels – central, State and district levels3 .
It is nevertheless, a matter of pride that democracy has taken firm roots in India to a largest
extent, due to faithful discharge by the Election Commission of the onerous responsibility
entrusted to it by the Founding Fathers of the Constitution and the people of India4 . The
increasing degeneration of politic over a period of 50 years had, however, put heavy pressure on
Election Commission in conducting free and fair elections. The Election Commission shall be
able to assert its role and stand up to the pressures extorted particularly by the Government of the
day5 . This could be realized by strengthening the hands of the Election Commission and plugging
those loopholes that permit the executive to interference with the working of the Commission.
More teeth should be given to the controlling power of the commission. The entire electoral
administration must be accountable to the Election Commission for its role and performance. The
problem of the civil servants connivance with the ruling parties at the time of elections is a cause
for concern. This makes it imperative that Election Commission must have control over all
officers and staff performing election duties.
The chief electoral officer and his team at the state level are temporarily appointed by or
deputed to Election Commission during the period of general elections, which means there is no
permanent administrative set up at the state level. There is a state election commission to conduct
local bodies elections in the state. The SEC may be recognized as an important agency in the
election process and entrusted the work of conducting Parliamentary and Assembly elections in
the state, of course, under the overall control of the Election Commission of India.
At present there is virtually no office or person to look after the election work at the district
level. The District Collector or his deputy will be asked to act as election officer or Returning
Officer during elections. A Bureaucrat who is other-wise busy with his routine work cannot
concentrate on election work not to speak of implementing electoral reforms at local level. Hence,
there is a need for a separate office or department at the district level, which will undertake
election related matters throughout the year. The above suggestions to make administrative
machinery stronger will go a long way to reduce electoral malpractices and cleanse the Indian
polity of different maladies.
References
1. K.L. Bhandari, India : Electoral Reforms, New Delhi, Election Archives, 1989, p.23.
2. M. Subramanian, “Electoral Reform and the Voter”, The Indian Journal of Public
Administration, Vol. XXXVII, No.3, July-September 1991, p.309.
3. E.A. Narayana, “The Problem of Violence in Electoral Process : Lessons from Fourteenth
Lok Sabha and Assembly Polls in Andhra Pradesh”, Conference paper for the Forty-eighth
Members’ Annual Conference, IIPA, New Delhi, October 17, 2004.
4. M.S. Gill, “Role and Function of Election Commission of India”, The Indian Journal of
Public Administration, Vol.XLIII, No.3, July-September 1997, p.420.
5. B. Venkatesh Kumar, “Critical Issues in Electoral Reforms”, The Indian Journal of
Political Science, Vol.63, No.1, March 2002, p.85.

Coalition Politics In India : Problems And Prospects
S.S. Tiwana *
Indian politics has witnessed the emergence of a competitive party system since
1990s. In the five successive Lok Sabha elections ( 1989 , 1991 , 1996 , 1998 , 1999 and
2004), no party has been able to secure a clear majority, resulting in the formation of
coalition / minority governments. It is alleged that Lok Sabha Elections, 1989 heralded the
end of one party domination in Indian politics Subsequent elections - both to the Lok
Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies - have further contributed to the emergence of
multiple centers of powers in the Indian polity.
Parliamentary democracy in India has shown a remarkable flexibility in different
kinds of political situations and has acquired a fair degree of stability, in spite of several
weaknesses that have crept into the polity. It needs to be stressed that while coalition
politics and power- sharing arrangements are quite common in parliamentary systems, the
nature of party system in India till the late 1980s did not require frequent experiments
with such an arrangement, at least at the national level.
In the first decades of its independence, India witnessed a stable and strong one
party rule and the evolution of a healthy parliamentary democracy which included an
interesting blend of western traditions and the native wisdom. During Nehru era, though
Congress dominated the entire political spectrum of India, there was a reasonable and
decent competition among various political parties and all of them together promoted the
d emocratic values of individual freedom, respect for political institutions and traditions,
respect for ethics and morality in political and civil life and adherence to the ideals of
secularism 1 .
Coalition Politics at State Level in India :
However, in the states, coalition governments have often been formed 2 , especially in
the post-1067 period. The model of coalition politics was a complete failure at state level
in India due to the lack of fair play among the coalition partners. The whole idea of
coalition or power-sharing is based on fair play. Neither the dominant political groups
accepted it nor the minority groups acted on this basis.
The Coalition Governments in Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh during 1967 –
1971 failed because the partners did not practice fair play and justice. Smaller groups
blackmailed the bigger groups and secured not only Chief Ministerships but also a
disproportionate share of the loaves and fishes of office. In Bihar, Mahamaya Prasad
Sinha and not Karpoori Thakur, the leader of the largest group SSP, became the Chief
Minister. Similarly, in West Bengal Ajoy Mukerjee and not Jyoti Basu leader of the
largest group, and in Utter Pradesh Charan Singh and not M.P. Tripathi of the largest
party the Jan Sangh, became Chief Minister. In 1977 also, Sharad Pawar, the leader of a
smaller Congress group, not only became the Chief Minister, but like Charan Singh,
seized a disproportionate number of Ministries. This tendency of smaller groups to exploit
the situation for narrow selfish gains is not conducive to stable coalition governments3 .
From 1975 – 1995, seventyfour minority / coalition governments were formed in
different states. Out of these, only 31 arose as a result of elections while as many as 43
came to the fore because of party splits or defections, an indicator of the weakness of the
* Professor & Head, Department of Public Administration, Punjab University, Patiala, Punjab, India.

party identification and opportunitistic politics. Only 11 among these coalition
governments completed their full term. Eight coalition governments were Left Front
Coalitions in States namely, West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala 4 .
There are not many examples of successful working of coalition governments in
India. Most of these coalitions have been ephemeral and in the end were discredited. The
only exceptions are : (a) the two Kerala Coalition Governments, one headed by Achutha
Menon in the seventies and the other by Karunakaran in the nineties, and (b) the West
Bengal Left Front Coalition 5 . The two Kerala experiments have been successful because
the Congress in Kerala had at last learnt effectively to control iyts leaping ambitions,
had realized its limited strength, and not only agreed to share power but had even given
loyal support to the CPI’s Achutha Menon as Chief Minister. Karunakaran, not really to
be compared to Achutha Menon, has always shown considerable talent for keeping his
team together.
The other successful coalition has been the West Bengal Left Front Government
which is twentyfive years old now. The late Pramode Dasgupta’s disciplined CPM steel
frame, its two-thirds majority in the Assembly, Jyoti Basu’s towering personality, his
penchant for practical solutions, his patience and ability to compose differences and
equitable s haring of power even with the smallest group are the causes for the successful
experiment.
Monistic Phase of Indian Politics:
The single-party rule in India, which is referred to as the Congress system, during
the regime of Indira Gandhi ( 1966-1977) and ( 1980 – 1984) has transformed the
political character of the Indian government. There was a total centralization of the power
both in respect of the national government and those of the governments of the states.
There was a gradual erosion of democracy in the parliament, Government and the Party
itself. Along with the parliamentary democracy, the federal system of the country also
suffered. Besides, the single party rule at the Centre also witnessed a serious assault on
the Constitution of India. The nightmare of emergency which India suffered was under
the Congress system only. This was the period during which there was the most blatant
abuse of democracy and constitution. Apart from the erosion of democracy in Parliament,
individual freedom including the freedom of the press was also crushed. The judiciary
was also not spread from the attack of the authoritarianism during this period. The single
party rule which turned out to be the worst dictatorship with the held pf the majority left
permanent scars on the image of Indian polity.
Coalition Government at Federal level:
The first event of Coalition Government in India began with British regime when
under the leadership of Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, “ Interim Government “ was formed with
the support of Muslim league. The Interim Government formed before independence was
as Maulana Azad aptly remarked, “ born in an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust
between Congress and Muslim League 6 ".
Maulana Azad held the opinion that the principal objective of League in joining the
Government was to sabotage every move it took 7 . He also felt that the experience of the
conduct of Muslim League members in the Interim Government was responsible for
Nehru accepting partition plan 8 . The 17 member Cabinet that assumed office after
independence under the leadership of Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru had six Ministers who were
non-Congressmen. But these Ministers were gradually marginalized and were either eased
out of office or resigned in protest from the ministry.

The first Coalition Government led by Janata Party at the national level was
formed in 1977 under the leadership of Morarji Desai. The Janata experiment of 1977 -79
tried to bring about a two party system in India. Though the response of the people to
the Janata experiment was encouraging, it was the political leaders and the political
parties which failed the experiment and proved that Indian polity was not ripe enough to
have a two party system. In fact, the Janata party which came to power in 1977
replacing the Congress party at the national level lacked the cohesion and commitment
and hence it fell out before it could fulfill the mandate given by the people, thus leaving
the field open to the congress (I) to come back to power. Thus the single party rule of
the Congress (I) alongwith its authoritarian trappings returned in 1980 and continued till
December 1989.
In the aftermath of the failure of the Janata Party in 1980, the split in the Janata
party and the emergence of different regional forces, there was a proliferation of political
parties both at the national and regional levels. The newly emerged political parties at the
national and regional levels have played important roles at the regional level as the
Congress(I) continued its single party government at the Centre till the end of 1989.
However, the erosion of the Congress (I)’s strength started in the 1980s only. But it was
mainly confined to the states.
Having suffered at the hands of the Congress party, the smaller national parties and
the regional parties operating in various states, started organizing themselves in the first
half of 1980s with a view to protect themselves from the onslaught of the Congress(I)
and to forge a consolidated strength of parties opposing the Congress(I). The Opposition
Conclaves organized by N.T. Rama Rao, the Telugu Deasam party supreme from Andhra
Pradesh, Farooq Abdullah from Jammu and Kashmir have , in fact, laid the foundation
for the emerging coalitions of the future. But the movement started by N.T. Rama Rao
and others was not sustained for long and the opposition solidarity movement received a
set back.
The Lok Sabha Elections, 1989 was not only the defeat of the Congress but the
enthronement of a unique type of U.F. Coalition Government led by V.P. Singh who
managed to collect a majority in Parliament by getting the support of the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) and the Left – all of whom were keen on keeping the Congress out of
power. This extraordinary experiment in governance did not last even a year. The BJP
pulled out its support as it whipped by a fanatic agitation for the demolition of the Babri
Masjid and the building of a Ram temple in its place. The fact that this demand was
turned down by the V.P. Singh Government and the massive attack on the Babri Masjid
was warded off by the police, led the BJP to withdraw its support to the government.
In the past, anti-Congressism was the glue that held together several coalitions.
When a coalition arrangement, its support base and logic of unity is defined in
essentially negative terms, the prospects of positive contributions in the form of decisive
policy initiatives become remote, as the irreconcilable contradictions come to the fore
sooner or later. On the fall of the V.P. Singh Government, the Congress backed Chandra
Shekhar to form a rump government which lasted only a few months 9 .
The coalition system which began with the coming of power of the National Front
Government at the Centre after Lok Sabha Elections, 1989 has gradually helped the
dissolution or dismantling of the Congress system in India which was in force for nearly
four decades . This gradually resulted in the emergence of several regional actors who
played an important role in determining the political discourse at the Centre.

In Lok Sabha Elections, 1991, the Congress Party emerged as a single largest party
with 244 seats in the Lok Sabha. The BJP emerged as second party with 119 seats ; way
behind was Janata Dal followed by the Left Front. A Minority Government under the
leadership of P.V. Narasimha Rao was formed in 1991. It was a Minority Government
from June 1991 to December 1993. During this period, P.V. Narasimha Rao created a
majority and alternatively sought the support of BJP Front soon after the e lections, was
rebuffed by his party. Thereafter, the Janata Dal and its leaders both became totally
disoriented and failed to pursue a coherent policy. Rao took advantage of the confusion in
the Janata Dal ranks and brought about splits in the Janata Dal. This augmented the
strength of the Congress Party in the Parliament. Other smaller parties were also splintered
and Rao succeeded in cobbling together a majority in the Lok Sabha.
The process of regrouping of the political forces at the regional level l and their
emergence slowed down during the Congress regime from 1991-1996, but it was
strengthened again during and after the Lok Sabha Elections, 1996. The result was the
down of the coalition era in the national politics with the regional parties or groupings
playing more prominent and crucial role in the power-sharing system and the decisionmaking
process at the Centre. The national parties, l which lacked the nation-wide
following, with the exception of two or three parties, acquiesced the intrusion of the
regional parties into the power corridors at the national level.
The Lok Sabha Elections, 1996 were historical as none of the political party or prepoll
combination of political parties could get a majority in Lok Sabha. The verdict
reflected a four-fold division of the people’s preferences. One, the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) emerged as a single largest party with 161 members and with its allies Shiv Sena
(15), Samanta Party (8) and Haryana Vikas Party (3), it has demonstrated an impressive
tally of 187. Akali Dal won eight seats in Punjab and decided to support Bharatiya
Janata Party in the formation of Government at the Centre. Second, the Congress Party
won 140 seats even less than what it got in 1977 in the Janata wave. Third, the United
Front, a combination of National Front and Left Front was also a loser in the elections.
Janata Dal got 44 seats. Samajwadi Party, an ally of Janata Dal got 16 seats giving a
total of 60 seats which Janata Dal alone got in Lok Sabha Elections, 1991. Similarly, in
the Left Front, the CPI (M)’s seats were reduced from 37 to 32, CPI’s from 14 to 13,
the Forward Block remained constant at 3, while RSP added one seat taking its tally to
5. Thus National Front-Left Front combination has 112 members in the Lok Sabha
having its presence in 11 States only. Fourth, the various regional political parties put up
an impressive show. The DMK won 17 seats, the Telugu Desam ( TDP) 16 seats, the
Tamil Mannila Congress ( TMC) 20 seats, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) 5 seats, Indian
National Congress , INC(T) 4 seats in the Lok Sabha Election, 1996 adding the strength
of 65 supported by 12 members of other political parties 10 .
Atal Behari Vajpayee, the leader of the single largest party ( the BJP), was invited
by the President to form the Ministry at the Centre and asked to prove majority on the
floor of Lok Sabha by May 31, 1996. Atal Behari Vajpayee was sworn as Prime
Minister on May 15, 1996. He resigned on May 27, 1996 without trying the strength of
his Ministry on the floor of the Parliament.
National Front-Left Front combination floated a United Front of regional political
parties, which included TMC , DMK , TDP , AGP , INC(T) supported by 12 members of
other smaller parties. All these combined took the strength to 190 at par with that of
BJP group. The 13 – Parties United Front formed Coalition Government with Deve
Gowda, the janata Dal Chief Minister of Karnataka, as the Prime Minister on June 1,

1996 11 . The Congress Party and the CPI (M) gave unconditional support from outside to
the United Front.
Under parliamentary democracy as it operates in Indian, the political strategies and
alliances that emerge in post-election scenario, invariably do not have the stamp of
popular approval. The opportunistic political alliances that were formed at the national
level in 1979, resulting in Charan Singh’s elevation as Prime Minister and again in 1991,
leading to Chandra Shekhar becoming the Prime Minister, are cited as clear examples of
how the instrumentalities of parliamentary governance permit such unstable coalitions
which have no popular mandate to control the reins of power 12 .
In 1999, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre led by the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under the Prime Ministership of Atal Behari Vajpayee was
formed. This Coalition Government was socially broad-based to a great extent. Though it
was dominated by the upper and middle castes, it had given representation to the weaker
sections including the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. Only the Muslims were
not fairly represented in the Coalition Government. However the Muslim dominated
National Conference from Jammu and Kashmir was a partner in the Coalition
Government. The Christians and the Sikhs were also represented. All the major religions
and castes were given representation 13 .
NDA led Coalition Government has a fairly large representation from the national
and regional parties from various parts of India. There were more than twenty parties
which were partners/ supporters of the Coalition Government. The Dravida Munnetra
Kazhagam (DMK), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) , Shiva Sena (SS), the Biju Janata Dal
(BJD), the Janata Dal (JD-U), etc., come from the south ; the National Conference (NC),
the Himachal Vikas Congress ( HVC), etc., come from the north ; the Trinamool Congress
(TC), the Samata Party (SP), the Janata Dal (JD-U) etc., come from the east ; and the
Akali Das (SAD), the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), etc., come from the west 14 . The
BJP, which was the main pillar of the Coalition Government, has representation in
seventeen States out of twenty-five States. Eight States in which BJP did not have
representation had only twenty-nine Lok Sabha seats. Out of these twenty-nine seats,
twenty seats belong to Kerala State where the Communist and Congress led alliances were
dominant. The BJP was successful in consolidating the anti-congress forces under the
banner of the NDA.
However, the coalition system attained a fair degree of maturity under the BJP led
Coalition Governments during 1998-2004. The earlier Coalition Governments at the federal
level became unstable and short lived because they were dependent on sizeable and crucial
outside support. On account of unpredictable outside support, the non Congress Coalition
Governments headed by Prime Ministers like V.P. Singh, Chandra Shekhar, H.D. Deve
Gowda and I.K. Gujral collapsed like a house of cards 15 .
The alliance that came to power after the 1998 and 1999 elections to the Lok
Sabha was favourable to N.D.A. , T.P.D. extended outside support to N.D.A. Government,
but it caused few problems in the alliance than some of the parties inside the
Government. Most of the regional parties that have joined the BJP led Coalition
Government at the Centre or lent it support from outside have done so not strictly on the
basis of ideological considerations but due to political exigencies as they perceived.
In 2004, the Congress led UPA Coalition Government was formed under the Prime
Ministership of Dr. Manmohan singh with the support of the Telengana Rashtriya Samiti (
TRS) in Andhra Pradesh, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar, the Nationalist
Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra, the DMK, MDMK and PMK in Tamil Nadu. All

these allies secured well in Lok Sabha Elections, 2004. The Congress party with 26.7 per
cent of the votes, was able to increase its share of parliamentary seats to 145. In turn,
BJP with 22 per cent of the votes, decreased it share of parliamentary s eats to 138, With
273 seats necessary to form a government, the Congress led U.P.A. Coalition was able to
cobble together a government with 220 seats, plus 121 additional seats pledged by parties
that supported the U.P.A. 16 .
The third largest vote gathers in Lok Sabha Elections, 2004 were the leftist parties. Largely
based on its performance in the States of Kerala, Tripura and the West Bengal, the CPI(M)
increased its shares of parliamentary seats to 43.
It has become apparent that the regional distribution of support has become crucial in an
era of multi-party governing coalitions in Lok Sabha Elections, 1999, BJP was able to form solid
alliances with regional players. This tactic enabled the BJP to govern a full term of office while
leading an unwieldy multi-party coalition. In Lok Sabha Elections, 2004, not all regional allies
of the BJP fared well. Some regional allies of BJP were victim to the sentiment of antiincumbency
that guided many Indian voters. Only one ally of N.D.A. coalition, the Biju Janata
Dal in Orissa was able to avoid the wave of anti incumbency. Others notably, the Telugu Desam
Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh, the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and Rashtriya Trinamool Congress
in West Bengal met an electoral debacle 17 .
Both Dr. Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi as UPA chairperson
and the Congress chief deserve kudos for not only successfully steering the ruling coalition
in the rough seas of Indian politics but also adroitly preserving the unity of the coalition
on the other hand and sustaining a fine balance with the supporting parties on the other.
The Congress had no experience of running a coalition, except in Keral Against that
backdrop, the manner of its handling of the UPA Coalition in the last one year has been
definitely outstanding.
Working of Coalition System in India
One of the most important positive aspects of the Coalition Governments that have
worked in India during the past one and half decades, is that they have very distinctively
and conspicuously maintained a democratic semblance in the policy-making and governing
processes. Respect for freedom of press, tolerance of dissent and promotion of consensus
or common approach to important issues have received due attention during the coalition
regimes.
Pluralist approach and federal spirit came to the fore under the coalition
dispensations right from 1989 till to date. Under the Coalition Governments, no single
party could take any unilateral decision without being questioned by the other partners in
the coalition. It is part of the “coalition dharma” that there should be periodical
consultations among the constituent parties before taking any decision concerning
important problems/ issues facing the country. Sometimes, for the sake of pluralism, the
largest partner of the group will have to sacrifice of suffer 18 .The contradictory pulls and
pressures that work in a coalition system certainly promote a pluralist approach rather
than a unilateral or dictatorial trend of the leading party.
Coalitions have the advantage of promoting the politics of consensus on issues of
national importance. In contrast to this, the single party rule generally follows the
unilateral approach. Coalition system has brought some sort of decentralized approach to the
governance at the national level even under the BJP led National Democratic Alliance rule, in
spite of the fact that some of the BJP leaders and the Sangh Parivar tried to impose their
ideology and will on the government. BJP under the NDA rule had to dilute its own

philosophy of Hindutva and the majoritarian approach for the sake sharing power with its
allies.
Parliamentary democracy under coalition Governments appeared to be more safe, as
the use or misuse of article 356 is generally restricted. The general tendency to use
article 356 to pull down the State Governments controlled by the political opponents is
checked under the coalition system. This was so under the coalitions which came into
existence in 1989, 1996, 1998 and 1999. The BJP led coalition tried to invoke article 356
on Bihar in September 1998 and March 1999 but it could not muster the requisite
support in the Rajya Sabha.
The coalitions have promoted federalism and respect for the constitution as hasty
and undesirable amendments to the Constitution have been avoided under these regimes.
Most of amendments to the Constitution have taken place during the single party regimes
upto late 1980s, and the first half of 1990s. It goes to the credit of the Coalition
Government under the National Front in 1990s to have revived the institution of Inter-State
Council to discuss the issues related to Centre-State relations periodically. The meetings
of Inter-State Council were held under successive Coalition Governments, led by NDA
under the leadership of Atal Behari Vajpayee and UPA under the leadership of Manmohan
Singh Thus, one of the fundamental pillars of the parliamentary democracy, i.e., the
Constitution, is safe under the Coalition Governments.
The regional issues which were either ignored totally or given scant attention in the
Parliament or in the national governance, started getting due recognition and importance,
thanks to the growing political power of the regional groups of the national parties or the
regional political parties. It has become apparent that the regional distribution of support
has become crucial in an era of multi-party governing coalitions. In Lok Sabha Elections,
1999, BJP was able to form solid alliances with regional players. This tactic enabled the
BJP to govern a full term of office while leading an unwieldy multi-party coalition. IN
Lok Sabha Elections, 2004, not all regional allies of the BJP fared well. Some regional
allies of BJP were victim to the sentiment of anti-incumbency that guided many Indian
voters. Only one ally of N.D.A. coalition, the Biju Janata Dal in Orissa was able to
avoid the wave of anti incumbency. Others notable, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP in
Andhra Pradesh, the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and Rashtriya Trinamool Congress in West
Bengal met an electoral debacle. The issues like the economic, social and cultural
deprivation of various regions of the country, imbalances in the economic development of
the country and the problems arising from natural calamities in various regions of the
country are being raised and discussed in the Parliament. The social and political
aspirations of the people in various States are given due preference in the formulation of
the plans and policies of the country. The hitherto neglected areas of the country are
getting more attention and more resources under the coalition system dominated by the
regional political parties, thus giving a true federal shape to the Indian polity.
Decentralization of the poser is the hallmark of any coalition which ruled India so
far. Concentration of poser which was the primary feature of the single party rule under
Congress in the first four decades of India’s independence, has no compatibility with the
coalition system, even if the Prime Minister or the leader of the coalition likes to have it
so. Decentralization of power both vertically and horizontally, was felt to be the need of
the hour in 1970s and 1980 so that Indian democracy could become more responsive
and more vibrant 19 . It was the Coalition Governments which have tried to make it a
reality to a reasonable extent.
One of the major beneficiaries of the emerging coalition system in India has been
the Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP, which was considered to be a political untouchable

oth at the national and the regional levels, has slowly gained some extent of
acceptability. Several national and regional parties which hesitated to join hands with the
BJP have come forward to be the partners of the NDA in 1999. Even a predominantly
Muslim party like the National Conference became a partner of the NDA. The Telugu
Desam, Janata Dal(U), DMK etc. which were the partners in the National Front and United
Front Governments of 1989 and 1996-98 have shared power with BJP during 1998-2004.
However the BJP too dilute its own party agenda, like the building of the Ram Mandir
at Ayaodha, scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution and the introduction of the
uniform civil code, which are considered the mainstay of its ideological foundations 20 .
Besides, the BJP could acquire an all India character, a s a consequence of its
coming to power through the coalition politics. As the leading partner of the NDA at the
Centre, the BJP caught the imagination of the populace in those parts of the country,
where it was a total non-entity before the emergence of BJP-led Coalition Governments
at the Centre in 1998 and 1999. BJP has surprisingly made inroads into the congress(I)
bastion States of Karnataka, North-East and even Kerala. Certainly, the coalition system
helped the BJP to assume an all-India character as it could make forays into new areas 21 .
This is a contributory factor for strengthening parliamentary democracy in India because
the transformation of the BJP as a party of all- India character and as a leader of a
coalition group has resulted in the evolution of the “Two – Coalitions System” as against
the Two-party system of UK and USA. A Strong opposition alliance is always a check on
the authoritarian trends of the ruling coalition a part from being a bulwark against the
fragmentation and fission of the political system. This trend is witnessed in the
parliamentary system of India at least since 1996, when the United Front Coalition came to
power.
The Coalition Governments at the national level in India have also created several
negative side-effects. The coalition politics in India, could not control the political corruption,
which started in the early 1970s and continued to grow through the past three decades. On the
contrary, the coalition politics, particular with the influence of the regional parties have helped in
spreading the malady of political corruption much more comprehensively throughout Indian
political system. In other words, due the influence off the coalition politics, with decentralization
and regionalization of politics, the corruption also got decentralized. Besides, the tolerance of
corruption also got decentralized. Besides, the tolerance of corruption by the powers that be has
increased under the compulsions of the ‘coalition dharma’, which further compounded the
problem. Almost all the regional and smaller national political parties which became partners in
the power sharing at the national level are using their position to earn money through
questionable sources.
Another negative effect of Coalition Governments in India in the past has been that
smaller coalition partners sometimes, do not hesitate to promote their parochial interests.
They blackmail the leading party in the coalition or even the entire coalition itself. The
defeat of BJP led Coalition government in the no-confidence motion on the floor of the
Lok Sabha in April 1999 due to Jayalalitha’s displeasure with the BJP was a classical
example of the caprice of the smaller partner in the coalition.
There is a general complaint that under the Coalition Governments, the political
system of the country is getting fragmented and is leading to anarchy. Though, the fear of
fragmentation or anarchy is unwarranted and unnecessary, a s the system of coalition
generally has an inbuilt check against any threat of authoritarianism and has a sobering
effect on the impetuous nature of some of the partners. However, it is vulnerable to the
excessive personalization of politics apart from relegating ideology and political ethics to
the background.

One of the most important drawbacks of the Coalition Government is that it is the
worst manipulator of the popular mandate. The coalition politics and the influence of the
regional parties in the process of forming the government undermine the mandate given by
the people. In fact, the coalition politics gives chance to every party or group to interpret
the public mandate to suit its own convenience. The very nature of the parliamentary
democracy undergoes severe changes with the formation of every new coalition
government.
Generally, the coalitions which come into existence and function on the basis of the
Common Minimum Programme, limits the policies of the government to short term goals,
because such governments lack the consensus on the long term objectives of the country.
The constituent parties are likely to have different perceptions about them. The regional
parties which play important role in the formation and power-sharing of the coalition
governments, often have short term goals before them. Therefore, the coalition partners
have to settle for the Common Minimum Programmes which are dominated by short-term
needs or goals of the polity. In other words, the polity under the coalition systems suffer
from the lack of a long-term vision.
Soon after the 1996 Lok Sabha elections, R.VEnkataraman, N.A. Palkhivala,
C.Subramaniam and H.R. Khanna called for the formation of a National Government in
view of the election results. The scheme outlined envisaged the Lok Sabha electing the
Prime Minister by means of a single transferable vote system. Political parties were to
be represented in the Council of Ministers in proportion to their strength in the House. A
Common Minimum Programme acceptable to most of the political parties if not all the
political parties must be formulated and placed before the two Houses of Parliament for
approval. A no-confidence motion to remove a Prime Minister should take effect only
when the Lok Sabha elected an alternative leader. The above scheme, it was felt, would
ensure “stability of administration, cooperation of all parties in the administration of the
country and elimination of rancour in the governance of the country”. The proposal for a
national government appears attractive, a deeper analysis of its implications raise questions
about the feasibility of the scheme. In UK , a national government has invariably been a
temporary arrangement to help tide over a major crisis/ emergency. Given the dynamics of
democratic politics and the sharp policy and perception differences between parities,
forming and effectively running a national government may prove illusive.
To conclude, India has entered a phase of coalition politics. It appears that coalition
government will be a natural phenomenon in India in the years to come. The reality of a
“Hung Parliament” has ushered in a new era of coalitional politics. The crisis of the
Indian polity in recent times is that structurally there is no one party or combination of
parties that could provide a stable and progressive Government. In order to meet this
challenge, political parties should learn how to organize a system of governance that will
enhance the level of people’s participation in a highly diverse and plural society. Coalition
of convenience will not endure as it will promote political instability in India. Political
instability in States has a constitutional cure-the imposition of President’s rule. But there
is no constitutional cure for political instability at the Centre. The only remedy is political
readiness of political parties to subscribe to coalition politics. Indian political system has to
evolve the culture of a coalition government. Consensus politics is the need of the hour.
The Lok Sabha Elections, 2004 have left the political parties and groups with no choice
but to evolve workable formulation of governance. The imperatives of coalition politics
have to be recognized and accepted by all political parties. The present coalition
spectrum from the Left to the Congress reflects a socio-economic political reality in which
no single party or ideology dominates. This is clearly evident from the fact that all the

partners of the new coalition have given up all their criticism of the days when they
were in opposition.
References
1. E Sudhakar, “Coalition Era in Indian democracy” Third Concept, New Delhi,
October 2004, p.7
2. The non-Congress Governments were formed in Punjan, Bhinar, Orissa, West Bengal,
Tamil Nadu and Kerala immediately after Fourth General Elections, 1967. In
Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and U.P., non –Congress Governments were formed
because of defections.
3. Madhu Limaya, “ Coalition Politics : Fair Play is Pre-condition”, Times of India,
Delhi, May 23, 1996, p.12
4. E. Sridharan, “ Coalition Politics”, Seminar, No. 437, January 1996, p.56
5. Madhu Limaya, n.3,p.12
6. Maulana Azad, India Wins Freedom, New Delhi, Orient Longman, 1988, p.179
7. Ibid, p.188
8. Ibid, p.201
9. S.S. Tiwana, “ Coalition Politics in India : Problems & Prospects”, Punjab Journal of
Politics, Vol. XX, No. 1 & 2, Amritsar, Guru Nanak Dev University, 1996, p.9
10. M.J. Vinod, “ The Indian Parliamentary elections, 1996 : The Message and the
Hope”, Mainstream, Vol XXXIV, No. 30, Delhi, July 20, 196, pp.13-14
11. A.K. Roy, “ Hung or Hanged ? State of Eleventh Lok Sabha “, Economic and Political
Weekly, July 13, 1996, p.1826
12. S.S. Tiwana, “ Crisis in Indian Parliamentary Democracy “, The Indian Journal of
Political Science, Vol LV, No. 1, Guntur, January - March, 1994,p.57
13. S.H. Patil, “ India’s Experiment with Coalition Government at the Federal Level “,
Indian Journal of Political Science, Vol 62, No.4, December 2001, p.592
14. Ibid
15. Ibid
16. Lawrence Saez and Rekha Saxena, “ The 2004 General Elections in India “,
Mainstream, December 25, 2004, p.95
17. Ibid
18. Vandana Mishra, “ NDA’s Debacle : what Went Wrong” Mainstream, July 10, 2004,
p.9
19. Rajni Kothari, State Against Democracy : In Search of Human Governance, Delhi,
Ajanta, 1988, p.134
20. The Hindutava ideologists of B.J.P. time and again revive these issues as they
believe that the Hardline Hindutava postu8res only secured support to the B.J.P.
from the majority sections of Indian population
21. Meenu Roy, Elections 1998 : a Continuity in Coalition, National Publishing House,
Jaipur, 1999 p.246.

Panchayat and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
C. Gnanapragasam* *
The participation of people is a necessary part of democracy. For participation education is
a necessary factor. Without education effective participation is only on paper. Participation is
always purely on the criterion of trust on government. It can be used as a means to obscure the
real seat of power, as well as to develop to façade of citizen political power where there is really
none at all. All political power is based upon the consent of the governed, namely people.
Political consciousness is an important contributing condition for political participation. Lane
defines political consciousness is “self esteem”. 1 It refers to a value oriented awareness of public
issues. Sense of community is a self-conscious phenomenon. That is, for a community to exist,
its members must think of themselves as members of a community. This self-consciousness is
the result of common ties. In an era in which large number of citizens are disengaged and also
alienated from government, policy tools that promote citizen participation and involvement are
generally thought to be beneficial to the authenticity of democracy. Once citizens are positively
oriented toward government and other citizens, they are more inclined toward contributing
toward the building of social capital. 2 As articulated by Robert Putnam. Social capital refers to
networks and relationships characterized by trust and co-operation. Putnam argues that
communities with higher levels of social capital are more likely to have citizens satisfied with
their government and more effective public services. Communities with active citizen
participation in policy initiatives such as poverty alleviation are more likely to be effective. More
recently, scholars such as Ronald Ferguson and Lavier de Souza Briggs have argued that
community development needs to be reconceptualized to emphasize the citizen involvement and
the building of co-operative social networks, if community development projects are to be
successful. 3
In India, the local bodies did not have Constitutional status till 1992. Their powers were
derived out of the laws enacted by the State Governments. The importance of conferring
Constitutional status for the third tier of the Government had been debated right from
independence but no headway was made till 1988. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment
Acts 1992 mark a watershed in the history of local body administration in the country.
Prior to the enactment of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, the Local Bodies in
the State of Tamil Nadu were largely governed by the provisions of District Municipalities Act,
1920, Madras Panchayats Act, 1958, and Madras District Local Boards Act 1920 as amended in
1950. While the Urban Local Bodies administrated by the District Municipalities Act 1920 had
by and large attained the goal of Local self-government, in the case of the Panchayats the Madras
Village Panchayats Act (X of 1950) and the Madras District Boards Act (XIV of 1920) as
amended in 1950 had clothed these Panchayats with adequate powers and they were truly local
self Government, as contemplated in Article 40 of the Indian Constitution. 4 The Madras
Panchayats Act 1958 reformulated the Panchayat Raj Institutions set up with two-tiers replacing
the district boards by advisory District Development Councils.
By the end of 1970’s, most of the Local Bodies in various parts of the country were
superseded due to one reason or other and the vibrant traditions of village republics were quietly
allowed to fall in disuse and even in Tamil Nadu, after a very long time, election to Local Bodies
were held in 1986, after a gap of nearly sixteen years and again when the next elections were due
in 1991, they were not conducted.
* Professor & Head, Dept. of Public Administration, D.D.E., M.K. University, Madurai, India- 625021

While all over the world the tendency was towards decentralization, in India alone, in
practice till 1992, it was found that re-centralization was going on. Realizing that the country of
continental dimensions such as India cannot be managed from New Delhi and various State
capitals, the Government of India brought the Constitutional Amendment in the year 1991, which
could not obtain the Constitutional Amendment Acts in 1992 containing provisions which are
diluted versions of what were originally contemplated in 1988 and 1991.
Thus, in this scenario, the Government of Tamil Nadu consequent to the enactment of 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts, enacted the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act 1994 and also
made amendments to the District Municipalities Act 1920 and also in the Municipal Corporations
Acts. It conducted the first election to the Local Bodies as per the 73rd and 74th Amendments in
October 1996.
India is predominantly an agricultural society; development basically meant the
development of rural India. The Constitution makers, through the provision of the Directive
principles of state policy, 5 sought to establish a system of village Panchayats to involve the people
at grass root levels in decision-making process.
In India, after Independence, the Community Development Programme launched in 1952,
provided opportunities for people’s participation in the planning and execution of the programme.
The Fifth Five Year Plan6 states, “ The involvement of the people and their elected
representatives is a prerequisite for effective planning. A plan which does not take into account
their aspirations and preferences can have no operational validity especially since its successful
implementation can be ensured only if the majority of citizens, functioning as entrepreneur,
decision makers in relation to consumption, savings, investments etc endorse the envisaged
policies and programmes by their whole hearted participation’. Thus the success of any
programme of action depends on the response to it of the citizens. People’s involvement and
participation required in decision-making, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and in
sharing the benefits of development programmes. The Sixth Five Year Plan7 also stated “much of
the benefits from infrastructure have accrued largely to the relatively affluent. Many segments of
population like the scheduled caste and scheduled tribes have not shared fully in the benefits of
growth. The Ashok Mehta Committee8 on Panchayati Raj Institutions in its report submitted
August in 1978, pointed out “ Panchayati Raj Institutions are dominated by economically and
socially privileged sections of society and have as such facilitated the emergence of oligarchic
forces yielding no benefits to weaker section. To make people’s participation meaningful and
useful in the democratic process the Grama Sabha should be revived”.
Relationship between Grama Sabha and Village Panchayats
It is necessary to examine the relationship between Grama Sabha and the village
Panchayat. According to a view point there is a great possibility for establishing direct
democracy at the village level wherein the Grama Sabha will function as the parent body and the
village Panchayat will function as its executive committee. The other view is that the Grama
Sabha and the village Panchayat should both be recognized as separate entities so that each one
can function independently within their respective statutory powers. Keeping in view the ground
realities, it is felt that both these institutions have to be recognized separately. However, it cannot
be denied that the Grama Sabha cannot function a powerful body unless it has power to control
the village Panchayat. If unrealistic and undemocratic to allow a village Panchayat to continue to
work it cannot command the confidence of the Grama Sabha. The problem is how to harmonies
this relationship. Village Panchayat becomes essential of Grama Sabha and working together for
the betterment of village people in Tamil Nadu.
Grama Sabha is the base of the governing body at the village level in Tamil Nadu. It is the
oldest traditional institution. This is referred in Tamil Literature as ‘Podiyil’ 9 ‘OOR’ 10 and
Mantram. 11 It can be referred to a similar institution ‘Moot’ in early Greek city-states. These

odies discharged purely judicial activities and subsequently looked after all the problem of
village administration. The Diwarkar Committee12 (Government of India, 1963), which made the
first all India study of Grama Sabha found the body in bad shape and advocated a more restricted
role for it in the short run and hoped that once real powers have been handed over to the Grama
Panchayat, the Grama Sabha would grow organically and find its rightful place in the Panchayat
set-up. Grama Sabha has got the statutory recognition only recently. 13 The major functions of the
Grama Sabha are to approve the village plan as also the annual budget of the Panchayat and
review the progress of work on the schemes entrusted to the Panchayat. Panchayati Raj
institutions functioned under the control of government officials for 10 years before the
introduction of Grama Sabha in Tamil Nadu. There was a lukewarm response in the initial years.
Then subsequently people realized the importance and actively participated in the Grama Sabha
meetings. The attendance of the meeting is encouraging one. The democratic process is followed
and has monitored by the official deputed by the District Administration.
Objectives
The objectives of the paper are,
1. To explain about Grama Sabha and its relation with Panchayat.
2. To bring out the participation of people in the Grama Sabha meeting.
3. To study the interaction of Panchayat and Grama Sabha.
4. To analyze the involvement of people towards the government policies and local problems.
Background
There are 31 districts in Tamil Nadu. One of the districts is Tuticorin District, which was
formed on 20.10.1986 from out of erstwhile Tirunelveli District and was named Chidambaram
District. The district played an important role in the Indian Independence struggle. It gave birth
to the famous Kattabomman, V.O. Chidambaranar and Subbramaniya Bharathi. One of Lord
Muruga’s temples in the famous Tiruchendur. The area of the district is 4621 sq. km. and the
population is 14,55,920. There are three Revenue Divisions, Eight Taluks, 12 Blocks, 2
Municipalities and 20 Town Panchayats, 408 village Panchayats, 468 Revenue villages and 7
Assembly constituencies.
The climate is hot and dry. The district has a coastal line of 135 kms and territorial waters
covering thousands of hectares. The district is a major salt producer in the state and contributes
30% of the total salt production of the country. Agriculture is the main occupation on which 70%
of the people depend. Large-scale industries like Madura Coats, Sterlite, Southern Petrochemical
Industries Corporation Limited, Tuticorin Alkalies Company Limited, Tharangathara Chemical
Industries, Kovilpatti Flour-mill, Cold Storages, Godowns and Thermal Power Station etc. are
located in the district. It promises for a bright future. Hundreds of ancillary units have also
sprung up. Textile units and match industries are the hallmarks of Kovilpatti area.
Methodology
In Tamil Nadu, there are 31 Districts. The District is divided into Panchayat Union
Development Blocks. There are 385 blocks in Tamil Nadu. Out of 12 Blocks, one Block is taken
for Investigation. The Empirical study has been undertaken in one development block namely
Kovilpatti Panchayat Union in Tuticorin V.O.C. District. There are 38 Panchayats in this block.
The selection is purely on random and a questionnaire was administered to collect data. Basic
data for this study is collected from the records and reports of the office as well formal discussion
with officials and informal discussion with the people. Categorizing the respondents as Panchayat
functionaries, literate, uneducated, farmers and other professions follows the stratified sampling
method. The President and members of Panchayat is the first category, Literate people who know
to read and write at the second category people who do not read and write are the thrid category.

Farmers refers only to those who own lands and the other profession refers to carpenters,
Goldsmiths, Blacksmiths, merchants and others. Two respondents were taken from each
category for data analysis.
Grama Sabha meetings, and other related problems have been studied. First location of
Grama Sabha meetings, timing, agenda, duration of meeting, nature of resolutions etc are taken
for investigation.
Issue of Location
One of the problems to conduct Grama Sabha meetings is the location of the venue. The
Act stipulates that the meetings will be held in a common place. Panchayats meeting can be
conducted only in village at a time, but 4 to 8 villages that constitute it. Members from other
villages have to travel. The attendance of the meetings is affected due to this people said that
they have to walk more than 2 or 3 miles to attend the meetings. In the Grama Sabha meetings
the president of Panchayat being the president of village education committee must make one
agenda regarding SSA scheme compulsorily in the Grama Sabha meetings other than the rest of
agenda.
Location
Village
Functionaries
48
(63.15)
28
(36.85)
Literate
50
(65.78)
26
(34.22)
Uneducated
30
(39.47)
46
(60.53)
Farmers
40
(52.63)
36
(47.37)
Others
Total
44 212
(57.89) (55.78)
32 168
(42.11) (44.22)_
Only 55.78 per cent of the respondents were satisfied with the location of the Grama Sabha
meetings. During seasons of planting, weeding and harvesting people find it difficult to attend
meetings. It is the problem of developing country, poor and below poverty line people
concentrate on their daily breed earning, and stay away from the Grama Sabha meetings. It will
be advisable to conduct the Grama Sabha meetings in all the villages on a rotation basis.
Timing
Another factor for higher participation is timing. Earlier Podiyil, meetings were conducted
under the shadow of the tree. The shadow will be available only few hours in the early morning.
The problem was disposed in few hours in the morning. The villages find no time between
10A.M. to 5 P.M. for discussion. The matters concern with Grama Sabha meetings are of urgent
nature and deserved for early decision and of common nature. The enrolment of students in the
schools must be made compulsorily by the village education committee. It is prescribed under
directive principles of states policy.
Timing
Village
Functionaries
50
(65.78)
26
(34.22)
Literate
46
(60.53)
30
(39.47)
Uneducated
28
(36.85)
48
(63.15)
Farmers
30
(39.47)
46
(60.53)
Others
48
(63.15)
28
(36.85)
Total
202
(53.15)
178
(46.85)
Grama Sabha meetings may be held without obstructing the work of village agricultural
activities. The timing may be arranged in a suitable manner as convenient to villagers as well the
officials who monitor the Grama Sabha meetings. The Podiyil time that is between 7A.M. to

9A.M. will be the suitable time for the Grama Sabha meetings. It has been observed that 53.15
per cent of the people have accepted this decision.
Number of meetings
Originally, the Act stipulates that subject to the orders of the government, the Grama Sabha
shall meet at least thrice in a year and that there should not be more than six months gap between
two meetings. In November 1998, the government directed that Grama Sabha meetings to be
convened at least four times a year – On January 26 (Republic Day) May 1 (May Day) August
15, Independence Day and Oct 2, Gandhi Acanthi. The number of Grama Sabha meetings can be
fixed by the Government and Panchayats can convene the meetings at their convenience, instead
on mandatory days fixed by the government. The Second Finance Commission14 hold that the
Grama Sabha meetings may be held bi-annually as in the case of Orissa so that the Presidents are
in a better position to show progress. Convening of the meeting in May and another in August,
the Presidents are put to inconvenience in answering queries on the resolution of the previous
Grama Sabha meeting. In each and every Grama Sabha meeting the school drop out list must be
monitored.
Village
Functionaries
Number 66
of
(86.84)
Meetings 10
(13.16)
Literate
60
(78.94)
16
(21.06)
Uneducated
50
(65.78)
26
(34.22)
Farmers
56
(73.68)
20
(26.32)
Others
Total
50 282
(65.79) (74.21)
26 98
(34.21) (25.79)
74.21 per cent respondents in this study have accepted the existing status of four meetings and
special meetings also can be conducted to endorse the acceptance of government proposals.
Attendance
The attendance in the Grama Sabha meetings is impressive. The President, Vice-President
and members of the Panchayats attend the Grama Sabha meetings regularly.
Attendance
Village
Functionaries
60
(78.94)
16
(21.06)
Literate
48
(63.15)
28
(36.85)
Uneducated
50
(65.78)
26
(34.22)
Farmers
52
(68.42)
24
(31.58)
Others
Total
40 250
(52.63) (65.78)
36 130
(47.37) (34.22)
More than 78.94 per cent of the elected representatives of Panchayats attended the Grama
Sabha meetings. The members of Panchayat Union Council and other voluntary society members
also attended the meetings. The personal command of the panchayat president is also a determing
factor for attendance. The traditional value of age, commanding respect of society and other
influence yield good results in the Grama Sabha meetings. Equal opportunity is extended to all
the members of the Grama Sabha. The effort of maintaining quorum does not arise. The
attendance has improved to 47% and the bulk participation of women self-help groups in the
Grama Sabha meetings is an added development. People voluntarily and enthusiastically
participate in the proceedings of the Grama Sabha. People meet the officials of the government
in the Grama Sabha meetings and ventilate their grievances.

Nature of Grama Sabha Meetings
The proceedings of the Grama Sabha meetings are normally conducted in a peaceful
manner. People express their problems as grievances and due attention is paid and these
grievances form as resolutions of Grama Sabha. Preparation of village plans and other future
perspective plans are approved without making any noise. The Grama Sabha is very keen to look
after the problems of below poverty line people. The programmes earmarked for the
downtrodden are approved. Social values like compassion and love, kindness, care for others
tolerance, unity irrespective of gender, caste, special concern for the poorest, special care for the
disabled persons etc. are respected. This inclusive approach for comprehensive development of
village emerges from the resolutions of Grama Sabha. The SSA scheme is practically helpful to
the village for education of all as well strengthening the infrastructure of the schools. Moreover,
the problem of adequate number of teachers, the training and other necessary orientation courses
can be offered to the teachers only during holidays and vacations.
Aged items relating to state government's development programs are placed first in the
Gram Sabha Meetings. The outlook of uniform development of the nation occupies the main
focus of Panchayati Raj. This is endorsed by 96% of the respondents. The Community
Development and the influence of Mahatma Gandhi are the backbone for the rural village
development. 60% of the respondents are satisfied with Road maintenance, 100% of the
respondents are satisfied with water supply, education, free electricity, comprehensive housing
programmes and 80% are satisfied with the resolutions on the downtrodden development and
88% of the respondents are satisfied with the welfare of the handicapped.
The most important functions of Grama Sabha meetings are to review the Panchayats
performance, monitor the progress of developmental activities and endorse the accounts of the
Panchayats. In the last Grama Sabha meeting (Oct 2, 2005), the following schemes were
reviewed uniformly in all the Grama Sabha meetings. They are, Namadu Gramam, 15 Sampoorna
Employment Scheme, 16 road, rural electricity, rainwater harvesting, solid waste management,
sanitation and eradication of child labour, disaster management measures on social security,
personal hygiene and environment. Transparency of the selection of beneficiary list under the
various schemes must be made public in the Grama Sabha meetings. The endorsement of village
Panchayat accounts and monitoring of the progress of development plans are debated hotly in the
meetings. Heated discussion on these issues and verbal clashes over charges against elected
functionaries are also witnessed in some of the Grama Sabha meetings. Robert A. Dahl observed
a town hall meeting of 200 persons ‘to assume that every citizen would want to speak is, of
course, absurd, as anyone with the slightest familiarity with town meetings knows. Typically a
few persons do most of the talking. The rest may refrain for any one of many reasons: because
what they intended to say has already been covered adequately; or they have already made up
their minds; or they suffer from stage fright, a sense of inadequacy, lack of a pressing interest in
the subject at hand, incomplete knowledge, and so on. While a few carry on the discussion, then,
the rest listen (or not), and when the time comes for a vote they vote (or don’t)’. 17 In the Grama
Sabha meetings people have registered their presence as well exercising their votes.
Participation and Political Parties in Panchayat Elections
One of the significant factors for enlarging participation in democracy is through political
parties. Political parties are the agencies to carryout the wishes of the people to the popularly
elected bodies. In this study area, People are happy about the entry of political parties to local
bodies election, and 92% of people accept the direct method of electing the President in
Panchayats. The government of Tamil Nadu has experimented to find the right method of
election, it had changed the system of election tour times. 18 But 73 rd Amendment dictated the
method of election and provided the machinery to conduct the election within the stipulated
period.

Even though the recognition is accorded to enter political parties at the Block and District
level local bodies, the independent candidates have occupied still a predominant place in the local
bodies election of 1996. The independent candidates have captured nearly 50 % of seats in all the
28 districts of the state. The number of wards captured by independent candidates is 5,088 out of
10,173 wards. The break of other political parties DMK19 2106, TMC20 1185, AIADMK21 999
wards. No nomination was received in 18 wards and elections were countermanded in four
wards.
The Panchayat election, 2001 in Tamil Nadu state, there were 226285 candidates
contesting for 97,377 seats of Panchayat members, 20,198 members i.e. 1:3 were elected
unopposed. In the case of President of Panchayats, 46,042 candidates contested 12,609 seats, out
of which 621 members were elected unopposed. The contest ratio is almost 1:3. The Panchayat
Presidents were elected directly by the people and political party symbols were allotted but in the
case of Panchayat members no party symbol was assigned. There no nomination for 194-ward
member and 5 Panchayat President seats. The highest poll turnout in the Rural Panchayat is
73.05 surpassing the Urban Corporation and Municipalities namely 41.07 and 55.44. The voter
turnout in Tuticorin is 63.46% and the same is reflected in the study area.
The reaction of the respondents for the Political Party wise election of the President is,
favoured by 43.24% in the overall average. Panchayat functionaries favored 18%., literate
favored 22% for illiterate, Farmers 12% and others 12%. It seems that people are able to identify
the process of election of members and President.
Democracy evolves from Public Administration in which individual citizens selfconsciously
serve other citizens in a shared process of change and development. In an interrelated
society, if any problem emerged, it is not likely to be cured at all through regulation or
behavioral management. This can be more amenable to love, compassion, listening and healing.
There are incidents people look at the Grama Sabha as a forum to harass the elected
representatives by exposing their defective activities, which in one way to helps to improve the
system. It leads to Transparency in Administration. The hostile atmosphere, emotional
expressions etc may create embarrassment to conduct the proceedings of the Grama Sabha. The
elderly advise and the participation of elders may solve the problem. Necessary steps must be
taken by the village President to motivate the elders to participate in the Grama Sabha meetings.
Conclusion
For any democratic organization to work successfully the people’s active co-operation and
participation are essential and indispensable. Towards securing this co-operation and
participation, a scheme of effective mass education should be formulated and implemented at
village level with the sole object of creating a political awareness among the villagers at all levels
as that is the only means to solve problems of village administration. In every village or groups of
small villages an active civic center should be organized.
The idea of establishing a civic center will be the suitable mechanism to solve the above
problems. Administration is continuous. This center will look after the problems of village
administration. It is not a third institution apart from Panchayat and Grama Sabha. The feedback
of civic center will be the guideline for the effective enrolment of students and avoid dropouts.
The civic center will be an active body. People can assemble at any time and the interaction of all
the villagers will be possible in the center. In Tamil Nadu, there are number of reading rooms
named after national leaders and cinestars run by the trusts to improve the knowledge of people.
Some of these may serve as the civic centres.
The civic center will be the centre for dissemination of Information. The policies of
government, visit of government functionaries, details of the existing development plans may be
available. People can talk about these schemes and monitor the progress of these plan projects in

their villages. Subsequently the evaluation and monitoring of schemes can be thoroughly
discussed in the Grama Sabha meetings.
People can solve their common problem with litttle support from the government. They
should be united with a sense of belongingness and must put in their best united efforts. The
villages are subject to the dominant influence groups. This is avoided by a vibrant body of
Grama Sabha. The Ninth Five Year Plan22 takes into account the national programme framework
for reorientation of the public administration towards decentralization, greater citizens
participation in development programmes and improving ethical standards in public
administration. The Plan recognizes that people’s participation in the development process has
hitherto been inadequate resulting in sub-optimal returns to substantial investment made by the
state in poverty reduction and basic social services programmes. The Plan further underscores
the need to create conditions by which the disadvantaged are not only empowered to take
advantage of the opportunities created by the growth process but also to contribute actively in the
process of creation of wealth and well being. The Plan focuses on the need to enhance citizens’
capabilities through education, information and access to appropriate technology. Empowerment
of women and the socially disadvantaged groups, and strengthening efforts to build self-reliance
and promoting and developing people’s participatory institutions such as Panchayati Raj (PRIs),
co-operatives and self-help groups are the key development objectives. It emphasises on direct
involvement of Panchayati Raj bodies in rural areas.
People cannot live in an isolated manner. People are social political in nature. The social
hierarchy in the rural areas is not rigid and the political division is gaining momentum. All the
political parties have their own unit at the village level, so problems of nations are addressed
through political parties. Political parties in Tamil Nadu have more influence in rural areas.
However, the influence is not exercised fully in the Grama Sabha meetings. However, the
selection of beneficiaries of the various schemes, village Panchayat accounts, quality of the
implemented development works are under the scan of political parties through the proceedings
of the Grama Sabha.
Karl Friedrich said ‘A democracy must begin at home and its home is the community in the
neighborhood’. The president and members of Panchayat and all the adult voters of the Grama
Sabha are involved in the resolutions of the Grama Sabha. Naturally, the local problems of
villagers are converted into resolutions . The Panchayat have to accept all the resolutions. The
follow up of resolutions are once again under the scan of next Grama Sabha meetings.
The weaker sections namely Scheduled caste/ Scheduled Tribes participation are
encouraging one and free atmosphere prevails in the Grama Sabha meetings. The participation of
women is fully realized after 73rd constitutional amendment and the emergence of women Self
Help Groups enlarged their participation by empowering themselves. It is necessary that there
should be an independent authority for undertaking social audit. Funds earmarked for weaker and
deserved sections of people must be utilized for only for the mentioned purposes. It will be in
many ways akin to performance Audit.
End Notes
1) James L. Wood., Political consciousness and student activation, Sage Publication,
California, 1974, P. 8.
2) Sydney verba, Norman H. NIE and JAE O Kin., Modes of Democratic Participation, Sage
Publication, California, 1971P. 45.
3) Lester M. Salamon., The Tools of Government – A Guide to the New Governance, Oxford
University Press, 2002, P.568.
4) Panchayat can be established in all the villages.
5) Part IV of the Indian Constitution.

6) Fifth Plan Period 1971-76.
7) Sixth Plan Period 1978-83.
8) Ashok Metha Committee appointed by the Government of India in the year 1977 to study
the Panchayat Raj.
9) Assembling under the shadow of the tree.
10) Common Meeting Place in a Village.
11) Organized Common Place to assemble for Meeting.
12) Appointed in 1963 to study the Grama Sabha.
13) 73rd Constitution Amendment.
14) Report on Second State Finance Commission, Government of Tamil Nadu, 2001.
15) Tamil Nadu state Government special scheme to develop the villages. In seven schemes in
association with the people.
16) Central Government Development Scheme.
17) Robert A. Dahl., On Democracy, East West Press, New Delhi 1998, P. 107.
18) Government of Tamil Nadu experimented the direct and indirect method of elections. Upto
April 1951, Panchayat members elected the President, After 1951, people elected the
President directly, 1961, Panchayat members elected the President, 1982,1996 people
elected President directly.
19) Regional Political Party in Tamil Nadu.
20) Regional Political Party in Tamil Nadu.
21) Regional Political Party in Tamil Nadu.
22) Ninth Five-Year Plan 1997-2002.

Empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions:
Maharashtra : A Case Study
Neelima Deshmukh *
It is more than fifteen years passed since 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act 1992 came
into force. Most of the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the country constituted under the Act are
now completing about a decade of their existence. Therefore it is an appropriate time, for
apprising the functioning of PRIs in different States so as to reflect the emerging trends and to
identify the impediments that have emerged in the process of much spoken democratic
decentralization.
The performance assessment of all the 33 ZPs (Zilla Parishad) in the state have been done
by the government. Of which, Sangli ZP stands first in the performance assessment while the ZPs
of Ahmednagar and Thane stood second and third respectively.
A. The status of these institutions can be reviewed against the following
paramemters
1) Conduct Of Panchayat Elections.
2) Devolution of Financial Powers.
3) Devolution of Functions and Functionaries.
4) Constitution Of District Planning Committees ( DPCs )
5) Status Of Gram Sabha.
6) Act 40 of 1996.
7) Checks and Balances over PRIs & Accountability.
8) Transparency in Administration
9) Training to the Public representatives
10) E Governance and Computerization
11) Participation of women in the Institution
12) Recall of Sarpanch if the majority decides.
B. Maharashtra – In the Forefront
Maharashtra has given utmost importance to Panchayati Raj bodies ever since its formation
on 1st May 1960. The three tiers Panchayati Raj set up is functioning very well in the State. PRIs
in Maharashtra have a long history, hence are well established by now and are being taken as a
role model by different states in the country. The State Govt. is keen in improving the system
further, towards its empowerment from various aspects, also amending Panchayat Act from time
to time as per needs of the people who are evincing keen interest in participating in decision
making programmes and the execution of the schemes. The Panchayati Raj set up as envisaged in
the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution was already functioning in the State for over 30 years.
The requisite changes as necessitated by 73rd Amendment were minor in nature and were made
applicable by amending by the legislation in April 1994.
* Reader & Head, PG. Dept Of Public Admin. & LSG, RTM Nagpur University, Nagpur, India.

Table No. 1
Division wise figures of Zilla Parishads & Panchayat Samitis
Sr. No Name of Division No. of Zilla No. of Panchayat
Parishads Samitis
1. Konkan 4 45
2. Pune 5 56
3. Nashik 5 54
4. Aurangabad 8 76
5. Amraoati 5 56
6. Nagpur 6 62
Total 33 349
* (1) Source: Assa Ha Maharashtra : Dastane publication 2005
C. Distinct features of Maharashtra PRIs.
In Maharashtra State the Zilla Parishad is an apex body having tremendous importance as
all the powers are concentrated around it, which is distinct from other states of India in the
following respects,
1) The district is accepted as the unit of devolution of powers. Panchayat Samiti the middle
tier is an executive body of Zila Parishad which has not been given corporate status.
2) Indirect representation is not advocated, so people are directly represented .
3) MLAs and MPs are kept out of Zilla Parishad making the apex level institution
autonomous in real sense
4) The District Collector is kept out of entire organization, which means Zilla Parishads are
not monitored by District in charge officers.
5) Representation is given to leading cooperative institutions such as Maharashtra State
Cooperative Bank or Krushi Uttpanna Bazar Samiti, APMC (Agriculture produce
marketing cooperative society) on block and Zillla Parishad levels.
6) Reservation is provided to SC, ST, Women by roaster system even in the position of
presidentship of Zilla Parishad.
D. Empowerment of Zilla Parishad
Identifying the importance of public participation and micro level planning in the process
of development, Democratic Front Govt. took some important decisions to ensure
decentralization of powers at grass root levels by way of delegation to appropriate tier in October
2000.
I) Transfer of schemes : In order to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions further. these
institutions have been empowered by the leadership that decided to have increased active
participation of public in local self govt, administration and decision making. To make these
institutions financially strong and viable, the State Govt. has transferred the subjects of Nine
Administrative Depts., which include Agriculture, Women and Child Development, Social
Welfare, Energy, Public Health, Water Supply, School Education, Cultural Affairs and Animal
Husbandry. 29 items of schedule IX are covered and transferred to local level ZPs.
In all 124 schemes of the above departments have been transferred to Zilla Parishads. With
the transfer of these schemes the local bodies will be implementing schemes covering 20 % of the
overall budget of the State.

Table No. 2
Details of the Schemes under Various Deptts .of State Govt. Transferred to Zilla Parishads
on 2 nd Oct. 2000 to Implement the Decentralization in Spirit
Sr. No. Name of Division No. of
schemes
No. of Employees
Transferred from
Head Quarter to
Field Offices
1 Agriculture 49 20390
2. Planning 01
3 Social Welfare 38 561
4 Women & Child Development 11 393
5 Energy 14 032
6 Public Health 07 6253
7 Primary / School Education 03 637
8 Water Supply & Hygiene 03 1262
9 Cultural Activities 03 -
TOTAL 129 29528
*(2 ) Source: Yashada Publication Pune: Training Programme 2005 Dec.
II) Financial Strength Building:
The Cess on land revenue levied by Zilla Parishad and a share in stamp duty in rural areas
under the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act 1961 are the main sources of
income of the Zilla Parishads. However some are directly collected by the revenue authorities and
credited in State consolidated fund. Further it is provided to ZP through the budget provision.
However since last 4-5 years they were not getting their legitimate share of income through
budget. Govt. has therefore decided to give less share in the stamp duty in rural areas, collected
by the Collectorate on behalf of Zilla Parishad to Zilla Parishads directly instead of routing it
through State.
Table No. 3
Zilla Parishads own Income & Grants from the Govt. for 10 years 1991-2000
(Rupees in Crores )
Sr. Year Z.Ps Government Total Own Government Per
No.
.own Grants Income Income Grants Capital
Income
of Z.P.
Income
(Rupees)
1. 1990-91 48.75 925.34 947.09 5.14 94.86 201
2. 1991-92 45.54 1133.28 1178.82 3.86 96.14 244
3. 1992-93 41.96 1307.10 1349.06 3.11 `96.89 279
4. 1993-94 52.79 1453.65 1506.44 3.50 96.50 311
5. 1994-95 56.72 1639.97 1696.69 3.34 96.66 351
6. 1995-96 71.54 2824.21 2895.74 2.47 97.53 729
7. 1996-97 75.09 3408.44 3483.53 2.16 97.84 729
8. 1997-98 107.19 3827.32 3934.51 2.72 97.28 813
9. 1998-99 145.54 4254.51 4400.06 3.19 96.69 909
10. 1999-2000 150.33 5199.35 5349.68 2.81 97.19 1194
TOTAL 795.45 25973.17 26741.62 - - -
Average 79.54 2597.31 2674.162 2.97 97.03 576
* (3) Source: Yashada Publication Pune: Training Programme 2005 Dec

Sr.
No.
Table No. 4
Panchayat Samiti ‘s own Income & Grants from the Govt. for 5 years 1995-2000
Year Cess
from
Land
Revenue
(Income of Panchayat Samiti)
Local Cess
on Grants
Other Total
Figures In Crores
Average Income
(Rupees in Lakhs)
1. 1995-96 06.59 04.33 01.77 12.69 03.98
2. 1996-97 06.31 04.74 02.21 13.26 04.16
3. 1997-98 13.30 05.10 02.11 20.51 06.43
4. 1998-99 11.32 07.50 03.27 22.09 06.92
5. 1999-2000 15.35 07.56 02.46 25.37 07.93
TOTAL 52.87 29.23 11.82 93.92 -
Average 10.57 05.85 02.36 18.78 05.88
* (4) Source: Yashada Publication Pune: Training Programme 2005 Dec.
The above table shows that the average income of the Panchayat Samitis in Maharashtra
State has increased from 3.98 to 7.93 lakhs, Figure of land revenue in the form of Cess also
shows growing trend from Rs.6.59 lakhs to 15.35 lakhs per annum because of their
empowerments leading to the effectiveness in tax collection which otherwise is a very difficult
task for the various practical constraints. Even the self generated income of Zilla Parishad has
been raised from 48.75 to150.33 Crores along with the matching grants from the Govt. which
have also been increased from 925.34 to 5199.35 Crores during this decade indicates their
enhanced financial capacities having large funds at their disposal for the developmental work.
III) Increase in Administrative Powers:
After implementing 73rd Amendment Act a number of schemes have been transferred to
ZP’s in Sate Of Maharashtra. Similarly it was necessary to increase administrative powers of
Zilla Parishads, authorizing them for calling Tenders and accepting them. The Govt. has
accordingly increased the powers delegated to the President of Zilla Parishad, Standing
Committee, Chairman of Subject Committee, Chief Executive Officers, Deputy Engg, besides
Block Development Officers and general body of the Zilla Parishdas and Panchayat Samitis to
face the teething troubles of the matter in this context.
IV) Powers to Give Technical Sanction :
Following powers of technical sanctions have been delegated to various officers and Heads
of the Departments.
a ) Chief Executive Officers / Additional Chief Executive Officers : Rs. 10 Lakhs
b ) Head Of The Department: Rs 3 Lakhs
c ) Block Development Officer: Rs. 2 Lakhs .
V) Gram Sabha to Undertake Development Work :
Power to people and micro level planning are the soul of democratic decentralization. In
order to implement the same in letter and spirit, Gram Sabhas have been assigned most important
role and holding of at least 4 Gram Sabha meetings have been made compulsory in an year where

holding of the decisions about development work as per the need of that particular, village are
taken by the village assembly. For the effective implementation of the Gram Sabha’s decision
following parameters have been adopted for financial sanction and awards, as per the set up
limits.
a ) Gram Panchayat having income between 10 thousand and above : Rs. 2 Lakhs .
b ) Gram Panchayat having income between 10, 001 and 30,000 : Rs. 3 Lakhs.
C ) Gram Panchyat having income more than 30,001 and above : Rs. 5 Lakhs .
VI) Gram Sachivalaya – Administrative Building Of Village :
The concept of Gram Sachivalayas in all revenue circles of the State has been translated
into reality in Maharashtra. The offices of Rural Development, Revenue, Agricultural, Irrigation
and Cooperation Departments have been located at one place. Such Sachivalayas have been set
up at revenue circle places where the citizens will get various certificates like 7/12, Income
Certificate’s, No-Due’s Certificate’s etc. required by them and information about action taken on
their grievances etc.
VII) Incentive Grants to Zilla Parishad’s and Panchayat Samitis:
As per recommendation of the 1st Maharashtra Finance Commission, the Maharashtra
Govt. has been giving the incentive grants of Rs. 25 Lacks and Rs. 10 Lacks per Year to one Zilla
Parishad and Panchayat Samiti in each revenue division respectively.
VIII) Tender Procedure Made Effective :
In order to have transparency and secrecy maintained in some works for every single work
assigned, separate measurement book will be maintained for practical purposes, which could be
accessed by any concerned person at any time.
IX) Contribution To Village Fund:
While fixing up the District Schedule of rates at the district level, including profit margin
indicator due attention and consideration was made for the contribution to Village Fund.
Therefore to have the benefits passed on to Gram Panchayat and to improve its financial position,
the State Govt. issued orders to deposit 5 % amount of cost of work in the Village Fund for the
work entrusted to Gram Panchayat.
X) Gram Sevak’s In Zilla Parishad On Contract Basis :-
For the effective and efficient implementation of the development schemes ZP appoints on
Contract basis the Gram Sevak’s. The terms and conditions of service includes consolidated
salary of Rs. 2500 PM.
XI) Honorarium To Sarpanch :
The Honorarium of Rs. 200, Rs. 300, Rs. 400 PM, is given to the SarPanchs of Gram
Panchayats having income of Rs. 10,000 Rs. 10,001 to Rs. 30,000 and above Rs. 30,000
respectively. Expenditure on account of SarPanch will be borne by the Govt.; incase of Gram
Panchayats with annual income exceeding Rs. 10,000, the expenditure will be equally borne by
the Govt. and Gram Panchayat concerned. If the post of Sarpanch is vacant, the Up-Sarpanch
will be eligible to receive the honorarium till Sarpanch assumes office.
XII) Gram Sabha To Approve The Beneficiaries:
Powers have been conferred upon Gram Sabha for selecting the beneficiaries for individual
beneficiary schemes for Selection of the beneficiaries, Gram Sabha approval is a must, who in
turn also maintains updated register of beneficiaries to whom the benefits have been given

previously, publication and display of the list, which reflects the transparency level in these
institutions. Powers to select beneficiaries for prestigious Indira Awas Yojna are vested with
Gram Panchayat, empowering it further.
XIII) Yashwant Gram Samridhi Yojna :
Apart from transferring a large number of schemes of the State Govt. to Zilla Parishad’s,
alongwith the budgetary provisions and manpower a scheme entitled “ Yashwant Gram Samridhi
Yojna “ has been launched in the memory of Late Deputy Prime Minister Shri Yashwantrao
Chavan, wherein greater directs public participation in development programmes are encouraged.
Gram Panchayat’s and Gram Sabha’s have full autonomy in the planning and setting priorities to
complete the development work of the villages. For this purpose the provision for availing funds
from the budgetary allocation for allocating to Panchayat Samiti’s by concern Departments has
made effectively made. The main focus of the scheme is to incorporate elements of popular
public contribution as in the development work aimed at all round rural development of
Maharashtra.
XV) Gram Panchayats empowered to remove encroachments
“Gram Panchayats in the state have been empowered to remove encroachments under their
jurisdiction irrespective of how old the encroachment is” * (5)
Earlier, the GPs were given powers to remove encroachments in their jurisdiction within
six months of the encroachments. To remove encroachments older than six months, it was
required to seek the permission of the district collector. However, the earlier restriction has been
removed and under the new provision, it can remove the encroachments without consideration of
the time of encroachment.
XV) Removal of Sarpanch on the recommendation of Gram Sabha
The GP sarpanch is supposed to submit the audited accounts of the Expenditure & the
Planning Account mandatory if the 20 percent of the voters demand same. If he fails to submit the
accounts then he has to give up his post if 20 per cent people in the Gram Sabha lodge complaint
against him for not providing report of planning and audit. However those demanding the
accounts should not have any outstanding taxes of the government against them.
For the removal of Sarpanch, the Gramsabha members will have to lodge their complaints
to deputy chief executive officer of the Zilla Parishad. The deputy CEO after making
investigation over the issue, will submit his report to the ZP CEO. The village officer can also be
held responsible if the sarpanch fails to submit the report of planning and audit.
XVI) Measures to ensure effective performance of the Employees
It has been observed that the employees have been working on deputation for a long period
in different places and number of posts have been lying vacant. This affects the performance of
the employees in meeting their commitment towards their parent organization of Panchayati Raj
Institutions. Considering this aspect followed by the in depth discussion of senior bureaucrats
recently the decision to cancel all the deputations with immediate effect was announced by the
State Minister of Rural Development. Further in order to boost up the morale of the employees
they will be paid their salaries regularly. Recruitment of 42000 employees has also been
announced. * (6)
The Government, in yet another decision to initiate reforms in the administrative
machinery of the Panchayat Raj Institutions in the state, has directed authorities, to absorb the
services of 10 per cent GP employees in the ZP.Further there are other issues which are central to
the effectiveness of PRIs as conducts for delivery of economic and social services, which include

participation, sustainability interface of PRIs with other parallel organizations operating at the
local level.*(7)
Increased Participation of women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions:
The 33% reservation given to the women in this institution has been implemented in letter
and spirit in the state of Maharashtra giving the opportunity to women in large numbers to enter
in to the political mainstream. In fact Maharashtra state ranks 2nd in the country in giving
representation to women in real sense as against Utter Pradesh which is Ist number wise but
percentage wise minimum 33% reservation has been implemented in reality in Maharashtra
where as in Uttar Pardesh the percentage varies from 24.07 to 25.55 % at different tiers of PRIs .
Following Table No 5 explicitly depicts the same. *(8)
Table No.5
Comparative Status of level of participation in Uttar Pradesh & Maharashtra.
UTTARPRADESH MAHARASHTRA
Total Women % Total Women %
GP 58605 80400 25.55 GP 28000 319056 33.88
PS 902 55750 24.07 PS 320 3524 33.31
ZP 68 2230 25.40 ZP 33 1450 33.31
Source : Kurukshetra : March 2001
Conclusion
A progressive image of Maharashtra has been further enriched by the grass root level
development through the Panchayat Raj Institutions. Since these PRIs are the organs of micro
level development these need strong based foundations to carry on the herculean task of all round
rural development, through local governance. Various measures adopted by the State Govt. to
empower these institutions have been effective enough to deliver the desired objectives of new
public management. The performance is evaluated at regular intervals by the State Machinery and
appropriate changes are made in the act from time to time if needed. Regular conduct of violence
free elections, Devolution of Financial Powers, Devolution of Functions and Functionaries,
progressive Constitution Of District Planning Committees (DPCs), increased status of Gram
Sabha, checks and balances over PRIs and Accountability, Transparency in Administration,
Effective Training to the Public representatives especially to women, Beginning of E
Governance & Computerization era, Meaningful Participation of women in the Institution, Recall
of Sarpanch if the majority decides, have been the exclusive features of Panchayati Raj
Institutions empowering them to carry on their functions effectively and to meet the objectives for
which they have been created . But still lot more needs to be done, particularly in the direction of
DPC formation and the criteria of revenue distribution, along with improved performance of
Finance Commission, which if done successfully will be the landmark in the history of ever
advancing state of Maharashtra.
References
1) Assa Ha Maharashtra : Dastane publication 2005
2) Yashada Publication Pune: Training Programme 2005 Dec.
3) Ibid

4) Ibid
5) Daily Sakal : Nagpur Edition Dt. 08/10/2006 PP 4
6) Lokmat Times : Nagpur Edition Dt. 08/10/2006 PP7
7) Ibid
8) Kurukshetra : March 2001 : quoted from M.P. Dube, Munni Padalia edited book
Democratic Decentralisation & Panchayati Raj in India 2002 PP.185.

Right To Information And Citizen’s Entitlements In India
Jagannath Dash *
Manjusha Sharma **
The most popular slogan of literacy campaign in Orissa has been: “akhi thau thau andha
kie-murkha loka” (i.e. despite having good eyes, an illiterate person is not better than a blind
person).Of course it is quite relevant in the contemporary right to information (RTI)campaign as
with out the required information regarding one's entitlements , an individual is virtually
incapacitated. Hence, RTI is an essential and vital empowerment for the citizens of a free
democratic country like India, indeed .Keeping in mind the importance of entitlements for a
citizen of our country, this article tries to analyze the inherent possibilities of RTI in facilitating
greater participation of citizens.
Right to information as we know is a facilitation of open and transparent governance. In a
democracy, the people are the real sovereign. In fact government of the people, by the people and
for the people requires that people should know who governs them and how they are governed.
However, secrecy constitutes one of the most common features of bureaucratic legacy. Despite it
being regarded as an outdated and undemocratic principle which promotes nepotism and
corruption ,officials always tend to keep their functioning and decision making intangible to the
common man ostensibly under the veil of ‘official secrecy’, that helps them in perpetuating
power. It is not only a feature of contemporary officialdom, rather its roots are well entrenched in
the feudal times. The Indian bureaucracy, for instance, has inherited administrative culture of
secrecy not merely from colonial legacy, but also from ancient Hindu Society.
Some lines from Kautilya’s ‘Arthashastra’ merit special mention here:
“The subject matter of a council shall be entirely secret, and deliberations in it shall be so
carried that even birds can’t see them; for it said that the secrecy of councels was divulged by
parrots, mainas, dogs, and other low creatures of mean birth. Hence without providing himself
with sufficient safeguards against disclosure, he (the king) shall never enter into deliberations in
a council. Whoever discloses counsels shall be torn into pieces.”(Guha Roy, 1996, pp131).
We all pay taxes, even a beggar on the street pays sales tax when he buys anything (which
comes under tax schedule) from the market. This money belongs to us. But where does this
money go? Why are there no medicines in the hospitals? Why the roads are in such pathetic
conditions? These are the questions which deserve immediate and thoughtful response. Moreover,
with globalization, liberalization are becoming the fashion of today’s society, information is
valued with high respect. An informed citizen can better ensure the protection of his own
interests. Information about various services, rules and regulations, rights, entitlements help the
people to make right choices and voice their opinions and problems. Martin opines that
information deficits are likely to limit the choices of the people, resulting in dissatisfaction and
also in low trust….. informed citizens make the service providers to offer decent services and
motivate service competition. (Vayunandan and Mathew, 2004, pp446).
Always there has been a continuous endeavour in the part of human beings to provide
themselves a better form of governance. Human history is a struggle for justice and human rights.
It is a continuous crusade against social injustice and economic inequity. Right to information is a
new innovation in this regard. Government gains legitimacy through popular assent and the later
* Junior Research Fellow Kurukshetra University ,Haryana, India.
** Reader in the Dept. of Public Administration.

can be conditioned through right to information. Therefore, ‘Right to Information’ is a concept
analogous to that of ‘Right to Education’, ‘Freedom of Speech and Expression’ etc. which
empowers the common citizen. It means the right to obtain information from any public authority
by means of inspection, taking of extracts and notes, certified copies of any records of such public
authority and diskettes, floppies or in any other electronic mode on through printouts where such
information is stored in a computer or in any other device.
UNO and RTI
UNO is an international organization representing the collective emotion and conviction of
the world. Its efforts in promoting world peace and good governance are time tested and all
appreciated. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed ‘Universal Declaration of Human
Rights’ in 10th December 1948 vide Resolution 217A (III) is a commendable and internationally
honoured benchmark of individual dignity and human rights. The fact implicit in it is
congregation of efforts made internationally in making this world a better place to live a dignified
and developed life. Right to information is also being endorsed as an important aspect of this
declaration. Article – 19 of this declaration is stated below-
“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom
to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas
through any media and regardless of frontiers (Sinha, 2002, pp158).”
Indian populace were aware of the importance of information to their lives. RTI as a
statutory provision might be of recent origin, but its essence was well felt since time immemorial.
If it is not so then there could not have utmost priority to secrecy in Kautilya’s ‘Arthassastra’ or
official secrets act. These were there only to deny the public access to official information.
Moreover our constitution makers were well aware of this fact. RTI has not been explicitly
mentioned in our constitution; nevertheless, it is implicit in it. The following articles of Indian
constitution merits mention here.
• Art – 19(1) (a) All citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression.
• Art 21 Protection of life and personal liberty- No person shall be deprived of his life or
personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.
RTI vis-à-vis CITIZENS ENTITLEMENTS
There are a lot of programmes for rural development and poverty alleviation being
implemented by the government. We have a constitution that equips us with the legal right to ask
for accountability to the incumbent government and authority for our genuine rights. All these
rights that we enjoy for being the targeted group of a particular programme or as a subjected party
to the law of the land are nothing but our legitimate entitlements i.e. citizens entitlements. In fact
to demand for good health centres, roads ,potable water, electricity , healthy environment, right to
education , right to employment all are but our entitlements. We can say citizens entitlements are
nothing but their official right to have something. However knowledge of the available facilities
is a prerequisite for the enjoyment of the same. Therefore the present article tries to put light over
the point which makes RTI an effective facilitator of citizen’s entitlements.
Nevertheless , in order to understand how RTI will work for citizens entitlements we need
to look at the benefits of RTI or its rationality.
The Rationale Behind The R.T.I.
There are numerous ways in which govt. information is at least in theory, already
accessible to members of the public. The parliamentary system promotes the transfer of
information from government to parliament and the legislatures and from these to the people.

Members of the public can seek information from their elected members. Annual reporting
requirements, committee reports, publication of information and administrative law requirements
increase the flow of information from the govt. to the citizen.
Notwithstanding this we need a legally enforceable act of RTI for the following:-
DEMOCRACY & RTI:
The dawn of democracy heralded the arrival of a new era in people’s government Unlike a
totalitarian governmenta democratic government needs to be based on the trust of the governed.
It should therefore function in public view as much as possible so that the citizens know its aims,
policies and programmes and help the government to accomplish them. RTI will facilitate this
very vital ‘trust of people’.
In this regard the observation made by the Government of India appointed working group
on RTI and promotion of open and transparent government can be cited here-
It observed-
Democracy is no longer perceived as a form of govt. where the participation of the people
is restricted merely to periodic exercise of the right to franchise, with the citizens retiring into
passivity between elections. It has now a more positive and dynamic content with people having a
say in how and by what rules they would be governed. Meaningful participation of the people in
major issues affecting their lives is now a vital component of the democratic governance and such
participation can hardly be effective unless people have information about the way government
business is transacted. Democracy means choice and sound and informed choice s possible on the
basis of knowledge.(Joseph,2001,pp268)
On the contrary secrecy in government functioning would tend to promote corruption,
public harassment, nepotism, misuse and abuse of authority. This on the other hand will alienate
the governed from the government and fan discontentment in the minds of general public which
is against democratic etiquette.
RTI – an Effective Antidote to Corruption
Now a days corruption is rampant in every field of public administration. Ordinary citizens
pay bribes totaling Rs. 21068 crore annually while availing of one or more public services, says
the ‘India Corruption Study – 2005’ released by Transparency International.(Times Of
India,BBSR,2nd July.2005) This situation could be remedied through practicing transparency in
administration.
As light is a guarantee against theft, so governmental openness is a guarantee against
administrative misconduct.(Massey,1995,pp384) RTI, as it ensures openness will be of great use
in weeding out the long chased menace of corruption. When there remains every possibility of
being exposed by a common man through RTI, an officer would hardly attempt to take illegal and
unfair decisions in official transactions with impunity.
RTI Makes Administration Responsive
A responsive administration is nothing but an administration which is citizen centric and
responsive to the citizens’ legitimate needs, aspirations and grievances. But how it can be made
possible? Of course through vigilant citizens. It is the eternal vigilance of enlightened citizens,
which facilitates accountability and prevents arbitrariness in the public administration and brings
it closer to the citizens.( Guha Roy,2003,pp313) There is no denying that the right to know is an
effective means for the citizens’ enlightenment as it is this right to know or right to information
which enables them access to government departments and documents and thereby acquire
knowledge of what is happening in the government.

Good Governance & RTI
Maja Daruwala, the director of CHRI says the RTI Act was fuelled by the energy of very
poor and vulnerable people who created a movement out of their desperation for good
governance(The Indian Express,1st oct.,N Delhi,2005).The role of RTI in ‘good governance’ is
being widely acknowledged. In fact we can’t conjure up ‘good governance’ without having
transparency and openness in the government itself. The ‘World Bank’ which has taken the
leading role of propagating the concept of ‘good governance’ and exhorting national governments
to adopt methods of governance consistent with that of ‘good governance’, has recognized the
significance of transparency in it. In its document on ‘Governance and Development’ published
in 1992, ‘World Bank’ has identified ‘Transparency and Information’ as on of the seven specific
aspects of governance. Therefore, RTI is the need of the hour. The concept of invisible
government has become obsolete in this age of liberalization and globalization (GuhaRoy, 1996,
pp128).Furthermore, the dissemination of public information is essential both to effective
democracy and good administration.
Citizen’s Empowerment
The power of information is well recognized world over. “Information is associated with
power that the govt. exercises. By restricting information, people in govt. become more powerful
than those who are outside it. Thus demand for transparency and information is also about sharing
of power. An informed citizen is definitely in a better position to exact accountability and
responsibility from the government. The former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee stated,
“information is power, the government wants to share power with the humblest; it wants to
empower the weakest.” Hence information is a potent power and by RTI we can empower
ourselves and further the cause of democracy.
RTI & Human Rights
‘Human Rights’ is a delicate and much shouted after issue to deal with. Every individual
does have some basic rights that needed to be protected to ensure his/her independent personal
development to the greatest extent. The real strength of democracy lies in the protection of
individual freedom and basic human rights. Freedom of Speech and Expression is a basic human
rights adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly Resolution 217A (111) of 10thDecember,
1948. As RTI is a prerequisite to correct speech and expression, so RTI is a human right. It is
high time that we should provide ourselves this basic human right
RTI and Rural Development
Rural development has been one of the high priority areas in the agendas’ of national
government as rural people are the most vulnerable to official negligence, social inequity, etc.
Coming to the point of vulnerability, it constituted anomalies in bureaucracy and exploitation by
insincere private individuals i.e. contractors, agents, etc. As the incidence of illiteracy and poverty
is high in rural areas, touts take advantage of this in salvaging their selfish interests at the cost of
innocent rural folks. The conspicuous discrepancy in paper work and real work done is reflected
in the under development of rural sector. Ignorance is the most discernible reason attributed for
this. In fact the failure in improving the rural scenario is attributed less to the formulation of
appropriate policies and more to their implementation. The problem lies in ignorance on the part
of the people about the details of the programme and prevalence of widespread corruption during
this execution.
It is in this context that the tool of RTI can make path breaking impact. The use of RTI can
spread awareness among the masses about various ingredients of development and welfare
schemes and bring about openness and transparency is their implementation in both policy
formulation and implementation (Baisakhi, 2005).

The above description gives a brief idea brief idea of how RTI could be useful in rural
development. Nevertheless, RTI inter alia, can effectively address the anomalies engulfing the
public distribution system and ‘poverty alleviation and Employment generation schemes’.
Besides the above mentioned advantages, it facilitates people’s participation in policy
formulation, e-governance, etc.
It would be better to present the version of Gareth Evans on RTI’s rationality. The
rationale of FOI legislation was summerised by the then Attorney General, Senator Ganeth Evans
(Bell and Watchins, 1988), in his foreword to the first Annual report to parliament on the
operation of FOI Act:
• To improve the quality of decision making by government agencies in both policy and
administrative matters by removing unnecessary secrecy surrounding the decision making
process.
• To enable groups and individuals to be kept informed of the functioning of the decision
making process as it affects them and to know the kinds of criteria which will be applied by
government agencies in making those decision.
• To develop further the quality of political democracy by giving the opportunity to all
Australians to participate fully in the political process.
• To enable individuals, except in every limited and exceptional circumstances, to have
access to information about them held on government files, so that they may know the
basis on which decisions which can fundamentally affect their lives are made and may
have the opportunity of connecting information which is untrue or misleading.
It is expected that providing public access to government information would lead to an
increasing level of public participation in the process of policy making and government itself. It is
pertinent to note the recommendations of the Mac Bride Commission in this regard
“Communication, it says, with its immense possibilities for influencing the minds and behaviour
of people, can be a powerful means of promoting the democratization of society and of widening
public participation in the decision-making process. This depends on the structures and practices
of the media and their management and what extent they facilitate broaden access and open the
communication process to a free interchange of ideas, information and experience among equals,
without dominance or discrimination (Viswam, 1990)”.
We can diagrammatically present the underlying basis of RTI as given below.
The foregoing analysis makes its relevance for the facilitation of entitlements to the
citizens quite conspicuous; indeed .RTI will make citizens proactive and more participative that
would work a lot for the establishment of a real welfare state. We all feel fortunate to have
enacted RTI law in India. To be very precise, the Act came into effect on October12, 2005. In
fact, now there are more than 68 countries around the world who have got laws to facilitate their
citizens right to information (http://www.freedominfo.org/countries/index.htm).
With increasing experience, there remains every possibility of unfolding various aspects of
RTI Act. Its ramifications and drawbacks will provide space for scholars to carry out further
research on it. Issues like RTI vis-à-vis social empowerment, RTI and democratic institutions
requires special and specific study by social scientists. As the discipline of public administration
is not static so also its concepts. RTI, being a new innovation in public administration have many
things, including merits and demerits, to be discovered.
Nevertheless, RTI could well complement to the realisation of political, economic and
social rights in a functional democracy like India. As an effective democracy requires informed
participation by all its constituents, RTI becomes quintessential for the present society. Moreover
it is essential to enable citizens to make informed electoral choice, participate in decision making

RURAL
DEVELOPME
NT
PEOPLE’S
PARTICIPATI
ON
HUMAN
RIGHTS
DEMOCRACY
RTI
GOOD
GOVERNANC
E
CITIZEN’S
EMPOWERM
ENT
RESPONSIVE
ADMINISTRATI
ON
ANTIDOTE
TO
CORRUPTION
processes and most importantly make themselves aware of their legitimate entitlements. It could
be instrumental in ensuring accountability, good governance and checking secrecy which is a
breeding ground for corruption, misuse of power and mismanagement .Besides these benefits,
RTI will certainly promote social auditing which is possible only when the benefiting citizens do
have the knowledge about their legitimate entitlements.
Works Cited
Baisakh, Pradeep, “Right to Information and Rural Development”, in Kurukshetra, ministry of
Rural Development, vol. 53, No.9, July 2005
Bell, Robin and Watchins, Helen, “FOI: The Commonwealth Experience”, Australian Journal of
Public Administration. Vol. XLVII, No. 4, December, 1988.
Guha Roy, Jaytilak, ‘Open Government and Administrative Culture in India’. In T.N. Chaturvedi
(edt) Contemporary Administrative Culture of India, IIPA, 1996.
Guha Roy,Jaytilak , “Right to Information: A key to Accountable and Transparent
Administration”, in Alka Dhameja (edt) Contemporary Debates in Public Administration,
Prentice Hall of India; 2003, p-313

Joseph, Vinod, “Right to Information on a Broad canvas”, IJPA, vol. XLVII, No-2, April-June
2001, pp-268.
Massey, I.P. “Administrative Law” ,Fourth Edition, 1995 (reprint) Eastern Book Company, pp-
384.
Sinha, P.C., “Encyclopaedia Of Human Rights”,Anmol Publications,N. Delhi,2002,pp158.
Vayunandan, E. and Mathew, Dolly, “People’s participation in Governance.” IJPA, Vol. L, No.2,
April-June 2004, P-466.
Viswam, S, ‘The Right to Information’, Selected Readings, New Delhi, IIPA, 1990.

Sustainable Development and International Law
T.KrishnaKanth *
K.Lalitha Kumari** **
The aim of presenting this paper entitled “ Sustainable Development and International
Law” is to underline the paramount significance of the theme sustainable development in a
rapidly changing world that the resources increasingly becoming scarce or dwindling.
Sustainable development in the words of the report of Gro Harlem Brundtland, Chairman
of the World Commission on Environment and Development is “ development that meets the
needs of present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs” 1 Another definition in the same report defines sustainable development as “a process of
change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of
technological development and institutional change are all in harmony and enhance both
current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations”(p.46). J.R.Hicks similarly
wrote, “the purpose of income calculation in practical affairs is to give people an indication of
the amount which they can consume without impoverishing themselves” 2 Even this definition is
elusive, because the maximum amount of consumption that an individual can expect to maintain
while keeping the initial level of wealth intact depends on his expectations of future prices and
interest rates”. 3
For those who study sustainable development and sustainability perhaps the only point of
widespread agreement is that the world’s present path of development is not sustainable. 4 A
second point of agreement might be that sustainability is increasingly being used as a criteria for
the evaluation of policies, plans or programmes, as well as projects. We notice this in national
activities, as well as internationally. For example, Canadian federal government obligations to
evaluate the sustainability of the projects with which they are involved is an example of the
former5 . And while Rio Declaration on environment and Development is an example of the
latter. 6
In this regard “the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism: A Sustainability
Assessment, should be cited. In December 1997 representatives from around the world reached
agreement on the terms the Kyoto Protocol. The purpose of this international treaty is to bring
about reductions in the net emissions of greenhouse gases. 7
The UN Conference on Human Environment, which took place in the year 1977 at
Stockholm, had taken note for the first time the issues related to environment were globalised .
The heads of the government had assembled to discuss the human assault on the biosphere. It was
the crucial principle number to maritime environment, it summed up the trend, i.e.:
States have, in accordance with the charter of the United Nations and the priciples of
international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own
environmental policies and the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or
control do not cause damage to the environment of other states or of areas beyond the limits of
natural jurisdiction. 8
For example, if sustainability were to mean that the total stock of natural and
environmental capital must be preserved and conserved, that exhaustible raw materials must be
handed on to future generations in their present amount and form, then we should have to aim not
at zero growth but at zero consumption and zero production. In this projected scenario, the
mankind would then quickly die out, while oil and iron ore would survive. Even the most ardent
environmentalist cannot want this to happen. If, on the other hand, we should be concerned not
* Associate Professor Dept. of Political Science,Kakatiya University, Warangal, India.
** Lecturer. Dept. of Political Science,University P.G.College,Kakatiya University,Warangal, India.

with sustaining the ingredients of well-being but its constituents, so that we are allowed to
exhaust raw materials as long as we substitute other inputs for them, then there is nothing new in
optimizing well-being into the indefinite future, which has always been the aim of economists.
But “sustainable” (compared with optimizing) is open to misinterpretation: assume there is a
choice between a fluctuating path of future wellbeing which consistently lies above a steady path
of expansion, or a plateau, and this lower but “sustainable” path, surely the former should be
preferred. Sustainability, on the other hand, suggests that the latter is better. Or assume a choice
between a lower-cost choice is the former, while sustainability may point to the latter.
Sustainable development has come to mean much more than maintaining intact the
physical capital that produces an income stream ( or increasing it in line with population growth,
technological developments, inter-temporal preferences, etc.). Maintenance, replacement and
growth of capital assets, both physical and human is certainly one aspect of sustainability
Physical wear and tear, technical obsolescence, and the depreciation of human capital have to be
taken into account. 9
Political Dimensions of Sustainable Development:
Sustainable development is an inter - disciplinary concept involving ethical, philosophical,
economical, social, technological and political dimensions. Among these, nature of political
dimension of the sustainable development . The Global Possible Conference in 1984 declared that
for the goal of environmentally sound development to be fulfilled, ‘a political transiton to a global
negotiation grounded in complementary interests between North and South and East and West’ is
essential.
At the national and local level also, political actions are essential for achieving sustainable
development. Environmental policymaking is an essential step in realizing the goals of
sustainable development. Policymaking is a volatile mixture of politics, economics and science of
environment in the field of sustainable development.
Requirements of a Strategy for Sustainable Development:
Realisation of sustainable development in a society requires thorough restructuring of the
society. The Brundtland Commission report recognizes the following requirements:
i. A political system that secures effective citizen participation in decision making.
ii. An economic system that is able to generate surpluses and technical knowledge as a selfreliant
and self-sustainable basis.
iii. A social system that provides for solutions for the tensions arising from disharmonious
development.
iv. A production system that respects the obligation to pressure the ecological basis for
development.
v. A international system that fosters sustainable patterns of trade and finance.
vi. An administrative system that is flexible and has the capacity for self correction.
The above mentioned requirements make sustainable development no small agenda. The
whole sub systems of the social system are to be Fundamentally reoriented and if necessary,
basically restructured to realize the objective of sustainable development. 10
It is in this manner we need to maintain and sustain the world resources. And it is not only
physical but also human capital and social capital have to be maintained. Some people would add
cultural capital. Technical, managerial and administrative knowledge and its dissemination
through education can be substitutes for physical and environmental, natural capital or they can
be complementary to it. The civil networks, the trust and the norms that comprise social capital
have to be built or maintained. In the ability of human inventiveness to substitute for exhaustible
resources lies the hope for sustainability.

Sustainability is therefore a multi-dimensional problem. It implies responsible behaviour
towards future generations, despite the fact that they have no vote and cannot put direct pressures
on policy-makers. The main concern of this paper is the third and fourth aspects of environmental
sustainability. “Sustainability by itself, is however not a clearly defined term. First, there is the
problem already mentioned, whether one should be concerned with sustaining the constituents of
well-being or its determinants, whether with the means or the ends. Clearly, what ought to matter
are the constituents, the health, welfare and prosperity of the people and not so many tons of
minerals, so many trees or so many animals species. Yet some of the writings on the subject
confuse the two. If in the process of curing ovarian and other forms of cancer the Pacific yew
trees ( or even the Northern spotted owl to whom the forests are home) had to be reduced in
number, in order to produce the drug taxol, people’s health must be given priority over trees. Of
course some would want to attach end values to man, of the determinants, in so far they are part
of “nature” ( such as Grand Canyon). This view might be called ethical environmentalism in
contrast with prudential environmentalism. 11
Threat to the environment of developing countries
The principal threats to the physical environment of the developing countries can be
grouped under the following headings:
1. Continuing rapid rates of population growth
2. Accelerating rates of urbanization with consequential air and water pollution
3. Atomic energy: accidents, waste disposal, sabotage
4. Damage done by persistent pesticides and other dangers to the food chain
5. Damage done by industrial trace materials and toxic waste disposal
6. Destruction of forests and soils, plants and animal life
7. Depletion of fisheries
8. Silting and salinization and the resulting loss of farmland
9. Air and water pollution
10. Global and regional transnational concerns about warming, the ozone layer, acid rain,
ocean pollution, etc.
It will be seen that this list overlaps, but is not identical, with a similar list that could be
drawn up for advanced industrial countries. The main concern of developing countries is their
local environment, contaminated water and polluted air, that of the rich countries is the global
environment. The rich worry about whether carbon-dioxide emissions may lead to a warmer
climate or whether genetically engineered crops may have unforeseen consequences for the
ecosystem. Whereas poverty is the main cause of environmental degradation in poor countries, it
is opulence in the rich countries. (This is not true of all form of environmental degradation. Urban
air and water qualify has shown a tendency to improve above a certain income level.) Poverty and
population pressure drive people to the cultivation of ever more marginal land. This erodes the
soil and depletes shallow water resources, causing growing poverty as crop yields fall and women
spend more time collecting firewood and fetching water. It is estimated that 14 million people in
the developing countries have become environmental refugees, driven from their homes by
environmental degradation. The poor are both the cause and the victims of environmental
degradation.
Of course, three things or trends blamed for the environmental problems – population
growth, urbanization and industrialization. The rapid rates of population growth are the
consequence of the introduction of modern death rates, resulting from modern death control, into
societies with little cheap and effective birth control, and hence with traditional birth rates. At low
income levels children are wanted because firewood and water have to be collected and many

household chores have to be done. Old people need sons to look after them. Even young parents
need many helpers. There is a vicious circle between the desire for large families, which leads to
environmental damage, and the need for more hands to overcome the damage. 12
The so-called demographic transition from one equilibrium, in which both death rates and
birth rates are high, to another, in which both are low, is both difficult and slow. The implications
of this demographic transition have been discussed at length, and all that is needed here is to note
that it involves heavy environmental pressures in the poorest societies. Population growth in the
developing countries is about five times as great as it is in the advanced countries in the second
half of the this century. The world’s population is increasing by around 85 million every year. It
has doubled since 1950 and will be around 10 billion in 2050. The share of people living in the
advanced countries has fallen from 35 per cent in 1950 to about 20 per cent today, and continues
to fall. The 80 per cent in the developing counties account for less than 20 per cent of the world’s
consumption. If present trends continue, world population will not stabilize until a size of 10 or
11 billion is reached. About 40 per cent of the population in the developing countries is less than
15 years old, compared with 30 per cent in the developing countries. The high dependency ratio
implied by such an age distribution puts a heavy burden on the working population, on social
services such as education, on the government budget, and on the ability to mobilize resources for
development.
The fastest growing cities are in the developing countries, where the ability to cope with
the strains of urbanization is weakest. It is estimated that between 2000 and 2025 the number of
people living in urban areas will double to more than 5 billion and that 90 per cent of that growth
will be in developing countries. Here again, the literature is large and it must suffice to mention
the high costs of urban services and the threats to the environment from pollution of air and
water, indoor air pollution, congestion, noise and disease transmission.
Industrialization also causes environmental problems. The move from agriculture to
manufacturing and the growing use of motor car cause pollution. The harmful consequences of
population growth, urbanization and industrialization in the developing countries are aggravated
by poverty and the failure to pursue sensible policies. 13
The dangers from atomic energy, on which many developing countries are embarking,
stem from the threat of the proliferation of nuclear weapon capability, reactor failures, the
difficulties of disposing of radioactive waste, the possibility of diverting plutonium by terrorist
groups, and the uncertainty about radiological standards. Less widely discussed, at least until the
attacks of 11th September 2001, but perhaps at least equally serious is the potential threat to civil
liberties that arises from the need to protect societies against terrorists and saboteurs.
The urgent advances of industrialization will tend to spread trace materials of industrial
origin: mercury, cadmium, polychlorinated biphenyls and other substances can have poisoning
effects on people. Paper that is chlorine bleached contains dioxin and other organochlorines,
which, in sufficiently large doses, are hazardous substances. Firms from advanced countries have
used developing countries as the dumping ground for their toxic waste.
A concern for environmental protection for developing countries is often met with hostility.
It is felt that the industrialized countries have achieved high levels of living and now wish to
prevent or slow down the same process of industrialization in the developing countries, for the
sake of preserving values that are mainly the concern of the rich. Sceptics of excessive
preoccupation with environmental protection can also say that preserving the environment has
many of the ingredients beloved of women’s magazine –animals a strong medical interest, and a
readily identifiable villain. It is a cause that appears to appeal to the most advanced sociologists
and to those who detest change in any form, to old women of both sexes and to the revolting
young of unidentifiable sex, to the silent majority and the screaming majority and the screaming
minority, to the young swingers and to the old danglers. The majority of respondents in a Louis

Harris poll in the USA rated a clean environment more important than a satisfactory sex life. No
wonder, then, that some spokesmen for the developed countries have said to those from the
developed countries: “you have enriched yourselves by rapacious exhaustion of scarce raw
materials and polluting the environment, and now you want to stop the world and want us to get
off. We shall worry about the environment when we have become as rich as you.”
It remains true that the rich countries consumption of energy is profligate. They enjoy
spacious houses with high heating and cooling costs, and sprawling cities with roads clogged by
two or three cars per family. The advanced countries produce about half of the 6 billion metric
tons of greenhouse gases emitted each year, with fifth of the world’s population. This is, of
course, a reflection of the very unequal distribution of wealth and income. All countries will have
to raise their energy efficiency and develop new and renewable sources of energy.
Regarding International Law, and Universal Rights for a keen and dispassionate
observer, the development of international law in the second half of the 20th century is one of the
outstanding achievements of the United Nations. But the dispassionate observers are few and the
critics are many. Ironically, debate centers around a contradiction that no one disputes: virtually
the entire body of international law has been created and enforced by those who stand most to
gain from breaking it.
By definition, international law seeks to regulate the behaviour of governments. It is
governments that must draft and vote for each piece of international legislation. It is also
government that must monitor their own compliance with international law and the extent to
which it is respected by other states. Yet the very nature of politics makes it inevitable that it will
be those same governments that seek to circumvent these obligations and in many cases openly
flaunt them. For example, present US attack on Iraq in 1991 and 2003. 14
And in international law, a distinction is often made between hard and soft law. Hard
international law generally refers to agreements or principles that are directly enforceable by a
national or international body. Soft law instruments range from treaties, but which include only
soft obligations to non binding or voluntary resolutions and codes of conduct formulated and
accepted by international and regional organizations, to statements prepared by individuals in a
non-governmental capacity, but which purport to lay down international principles. Thus, the
Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment which was rightly called the Magna Carta of
Environment, having realized the need for a common outlook and for common principles to
inspire and guide the peoples of the world in the preservation and enhancement of the human
environment, set out the goals in broadest possible terms. These proclamations and principles
ushered the agenda by delineating strategies for the sustainable environmental regime.
The Earth Summit was built upon the Stockholm resolutions by furthering the goal of
establishing a new and equitable global partnership through the creation of new levels of
cooperation among states, key sectors of societies and people and working towards international
agreements which respect the interests of all and protect the integrity of the global environment
and developmental system. The Rio Declaration realized mankind’s place at the center of
concerns for sustainable development and its entitlement to a healthy and productive life in
harmony with nature. Subsequent instruments like Biodiversity Convention on Climate Change
and Kyoto Protocol were intended to provide more detailed regulation in the particular fields
targeted in the original resolutions. For example, the 1992 Biodiversity Convention created a new
international body, the Committee on Sustainable Development (CSD), the CSD helps monitor
national compliance efforts by requiring member nations to submit annual reports.
The Committee on Sustainable Development (CSD) also provides a forum to discuss and
debate issues associated with global protection of biological diversity and forests. Some salient
features of Sustainable Development environment culled out from Brundtland Report and other
international documents are intergenerational equity; use and conservation of natural resources,

environmental protection, the precautionary principle, pollution pays principle, obligation to
assist and cooperate, eradication of poverty and financial assistance to the developing countries.
Of these, “ the right to a healthful environment, the precautionary principle” and ‘pollution pays
principle’ has made much normative progress. However recently there is distortion of polluter
pays principle also e.g. in the recently concluded Kyoto treaty, the North would buy Certified
Emission Reduction at cheaper costs and then give a little to the South for their adaptation
projects. The polluting North is liable to pay for the South’s adaptation need, but by taxing the
Clean Development Mechanisms, it literally amounts to stealing from the poor to give back to
them.
However, Dominic McGoldrick suggests that Sustainable Development can be structurally
conceived as having a pillared, temple like following structure. The three pillars are composed of
international environmental law, international human rights law, international economic law. The
attractiveness of such a simple is that it presents sustainable as integrating and interactive. It has
elements of an objective, a process and a principle. It overarches a broad range of discipline yet it
is separate. Its central pillar is international environmental law, a discipline of international law
that has seen enormous growth in recent decades. 15
In the eyes of the most virulent critics, therefore, suspicion inevitably surrounds the
rhetoric, resolutions and reports that follow in the wake of governments about respect for
international law. But in the eyes of those who look upon international law as the only long-term
underpinning for civilized behaviour among nations, the very fact that governments have begun
progressively to commit themselves to common standards of decent behaviour is a remarkable
and ultimately hopeful accomplishment. In the present juncture sustainability of international law
has immense significance in the international system. And what is beyond question is that the
body of international law is now immense. Almost all of it is the result of a mere half-century of
work, chiefly conducted through the UN. There is now a substantial body of treaties, declarations
and other standards to which states have committed themselves. These range over a vast body of
issues from the law of the sea, global economic and social development, world trade, the political
rights of women and abolition of torture, right down to specific restrictions on the use of certain
types of restraining implements in prison. 16
In this context international law under the UN supervision should help the third world
countries to gain their rightful place in the international system. The UN system should play the
role of a catalyst to minimize the big power domination in the international society.
A global accord
There is growing recognition of the need for mutual commitments and for accelerated
improvements in key development indicators. Support for the Millennium Development Goals,
which propose to cut the proportion of people in extreme poverty by half by 2015 is now
widespread. The goals set ambitious quantitative targets for reducing hunger, increasing primary
schooling, improving health, promoting arrangement in which developing countries take
responsibility for improved governance, and industrial countries help through more aid, debt
forgiveness, and market access. 17
Millennium Development Goals (1990-2015)
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
-Halve the proportion of people with less than $1 a day.
-Halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.
2. Achieve universal primary education
-Ensure that boys and girls alike complete primary schooling.

3. Promote gender equity and empower women.
-Eliminate gender disparity at all levels of education.
4. Reduce child mortality
-Reduce by two-thirds the under –five mortality rate.
5. Improve material health.
-Reduce by three-quarters the material mortality ratio.
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
-Reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS.
7. Ensure environmental sustainability.
-Integrate sustainable development into country policies and reverse loss of environmental
resources.
-Halve the proportion of people without access to potable water.
-Significantly improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers.
8. Develop a global partnership for development.
-Raise official development assistance.
-Expand market access.
-Encourage debt sustainability.
The Council of the European Union’s proposed Global Deal has many of the same
elements. In the spirit of these initiatives and to maintain the momentum of the Millennium
Development Goals beyond 2015, this Report calls for extending the following goals:
- To fully eliminate global poverty, and
- To put the global economy on a more sustainable development path by the middle of this
century.
Global institutions for the future sustainability
The two features added to existing initiatives are a deeper target over a longer time
horizon, and a greater focus on institutional development. It will require 10 or 20 years, of course
starting from now to build up the institutions that can help shift trajectories from unsustainable to
sustainable paths over the next 50 years. Many of these long-horizon initiatives will yield benefits
in the medium term in support of the Millennium Development Goals. But because many future
problems cannot be foreseen, it is important that institutional foundations be strong and that a
process and a framework be developed that are robust in picking up new signals, balancing a
broader range of interests, and maintaining commitments to the global vision. 18
Civil society has emerged as a major force in efforts to improve governance. High levels
of corruption are associated with poverty, inequality, reduced domestic and foreign direct
investment, and weak overall performance. Corruption control that ensures a well- functioning
government is substantially a public good and an intermediate input into the provision of other
public goods. This collective action problem is aggravated by difficult incentives; not only would
beneficiaries prefer to free-ride and not contribute to governance if others are contributing, but
the incentive to defect and engage in corrupt practices is stronger when other actors curb their
own illicit activities.
Civil society organizations (CSOs), such as Transparency International (TI), helped change
attitudes towards corruption in the 1990s. This organization’s basic approach is a

nonconfrontational effort to build “national, regional, and global coalitions that embrace the state,
civil society, and the private sector to fight domestic and international corruption. The objective is
pursued by building public awareness, lobbying governments, and facilitating agreements to
reduce corruption. These pacts and efforts are currently forging coalitions among bidders,
government agencies, and CSOs in about 50 competitive situations around the world and are
underpinned by transparency and disclosure procedures, independent third party oversight, and
specific sanctions for noncompliance. 19
Together the developed and developing countries must address the most urgent problems
facing humanity. Their joint responsibility is to establish a global partnership to set the rules for
making rules and the modalities of burden sharing. As the world becomes more interconnected –
environmentally, economically, socially - new institutions and rules must be agreed on and
implemented. These will include rules for international trade; rules to avert conflict; rules on
migration; rules governing the use of the biosphere; and rules affecting property rights in ideas,
technological processes, and genetic information. The consequences will be enduring. If these
institutions are to be effective, the rules for making rules have to be fair – in process and in
outcome.
Foot Notes
1. Our Common Future, Report of the World Commission on Environment and
Development, (Oxford University Press,1987).
2. J.R.Hicks, Value and Capital, 2nd edition, OUR UK,1946,p.172.
3. See Paul Streeten, “What Do We Owe the Future?” Resources Policy, March 1986.
4. Becker E, Jahn T and Stiess, “Exploring Uncommon Ground: Sustainability and Social
Sciences” in E Becker & T. Jahn (eds) Sustainability and Social Sciences(New York: Zed
Books,2000).
5. Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 1992 (Ottawa, on: Canadian Environmental
Assessment Agency) at http://www.ceaa-gc.ca/0011/0005/legal text e-htm: accessed 4
April 2001.
6. UN (1992a) Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, A/Conf. 151/26
(vol.1), 12 August(New York: UN General Assembly).
7.. Sonu Jain, “ Kyoto Treaty is Here, But Where Are We” The Indian Express,
July29,2001.
8.. Hurrel A,&Kingsbury,B(eds)., The International Politics of the Environment (Oxford:
Claredon Press).
9. “Sustainable Development in a Dynamic World: Transforming Institutions, Growth,
and Quality of Life”, World Development Report (Oxford University Press,New York
2003).
10. Robert Repetto(ed), Overview,The Global Possible, (IBH Publishing, New Delhi2002).
11. Jean-Mary Baland and Jean-Philippe Platteau,“Halting Degradation of Natural
Resources. Foot and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations”(Claredon Press,
Oxford) Available online at www.fao.org.
12. Jonathan Power., A Vision of Hope: The Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations
(Gordon House, London.1995).
13. Source: www.developmentgoals.org.

14. Peter Eigen and Christian Eigen-Zucchi., “ Corruption and Global Public Goods” in
Kaul, Inge, eds., Providing Global Public Goods: Managing Globalisation ( Oxford
University Press, New York.2002).
15. Rio Declaration(1992), Principle1; see also , Stockholm Declaration (1972), Principle.
16. Source: www.developmentgoals.org.
17. Frederik Galtung, “A Global Network to Curb Corruption: The Experience of
Transparency International”, in Ann M. Florini, ed., The Third Force: The Rise of
Transnational Civil Society.( Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington
D.C.)
18. World Commission on Environment and Development Report. Our Common Future,
1987.p.43.
19. Lorraine Elliot, The Global Politics of the Environment (McMillan Press,
London.1998)and see. also John Dryzek S., The Politcs of Earth- Environmental
Discourses,(Oxford University Press, New York.1997).

Nationalism and Regionalism: A Case Study of Orissa
Subrat K. Nanda* *
This paper examines the rise of nationalism and regionalism in India in general with
special reference to Orissa in particular. Set in a multicultural country, the Oriyas in colonial
India faced serious threats to their identity on account of territorial dismemberment of their
ancestral homeland. The fear of losing identity finally led to the rise of Oriya nationalism which
culminated in formation of separate state of Orissa in India. But soon regionalism gripped the
state of Orissa as the people of the relatively backward western region came into conflict with the
more developed coastal region of the state. Not only that, some people in recent times even
started demanding for a separate state for western Orissa on the basis of a new regional
nationalism. It is in this context, the study of nationalism and regionalism in Orissa within the
multicultural framework of India assumes great significance.
I. Nationalism and Regionalism: Conceptual Clarification
It is important to note that in multicultural/multinational countries nationalism in regional
context is quite often confused with regionalism. This confusion prevails partly because of the
conflation of nation with state (Oommen 1997), and partly because of the extreme use of the
sovereignty variable in the understanding of nation and nationalism.
A closer look, however, reveals that historically nationalism originated in Europe following
two models of nation-state formation: civil-territorial and ethnic-genealogical (Smith 1998). The
civil model popularised the universalistic political attributes of nation such as popular sovereignty
common citizenship, defined political boundary and common legal administrative system. The
ethnic model, on the contrary, emphasised the objective cultural attributes of nation such as
common language, common culture, shared history and ‘cultural homeland’. Stated differently,
the civil model gave birth to civil-political nationalism and the ethnic model to cultural
nationalism.
But unlike Europe in several ex-colonial multicultural countries such as India the civil
model of nationalism crystallised at the macro political level and the cultural model of
nationalism developed at the regional-cultural level. The civil-political nationalism in these
countries aimed at establishment of sovereign state at the macro level; whereas cultural
nationalism at the regional-cultural level was articulated to accommodate distinct nationalities in
provincial political spaces within a common sovereign state. This dual form of nationalism was
seen in India in colonial as well as post-independence times (Desai 1966); it continues to be seen
in India even today.
It follows from the above discussion that: (a) nationalism seeking sovereign state and (b)
nationalism seeking provincial state are found in the empirical world. The former is invariably
associated with the concept of sovereignty and nation-state, and the latter, by and large, is linked
with provincial self-rule and regional cultural identity. Furthermore, it suggests that nation and
state can be combined in a variety of ways and sovereignty is not essential for the existence of
nation. A nation can very well exist without being state endowed; similarly nationalism can very
well be directed at achieving provincial autonomy and not independence. It is in this latter sense
that nationalism is used here in the analysis of the Oriya situation.
Regionalism is significantly distinct from both civil-political and cultural nationalism.
Regionalism, as a sentiment or as a movement, emanates primary from a sense of relative
material deprivation accruing from socio-economic backwardness and political disadvantage of a
* Dept. of Rural Development & Agricultural Production, North Eastern Hill University,
Tura Campus, Tura-794002, Meghalaya, India. Email: nanda_subrat2@yahoo.com

egion. A region is a geographical area with distinctive physical, economic and social
characteristics which distinguish it from other areas. A region may form a part of a province, a
state or a nation, be conterminous with it, or may extend beyond it.
The distinctiveness of a region does not per se give rise to regionalism. Physical
characteristics and socio-cultural peculiarities like regional custom, speech, dialect, etc., certainly
provide the nucleus for regional identity, but it is the perception of material deprivation in socioeconomic
and political terms which holds the key to regionalism. Cohn (1967: 130) has very
rightly observed that regionalism is a set of ‘attitudes’ or ‘feelings’ or ‘action imperatives’ which
are used by a people inhabiting a contiguous region to promote their socio-economic, political
and cultural ends.
Uneven regional development in India persists since the colonial times. After
independence, although planned development continues in a big way, the underdeveloped areas
could not keep pace with the already developed areas and hence regional imbalance persists.
Given this scenario, regionalism calling for equal share in development and power would surely
emerge in the lagging regions.
In multicultural countries regionalism differs from regional nationalism in both content and
goal. While threat to cultural identity gives rise to regional nationalism in multicultural country,
regionalism purely emanates from unbalanced regional growth and unequal distribution of
political power and authority. Regionalism is opposed to centralisation of power, superiority of
mainstream culture and concentration of development in a particular region. At times a regional
movement may develop into a regional nationalism. In that case the regional identity is given up
and serious attempts are made to construct a separate regional national identity by differentiating
the regional culture in more distinct nationalistic terms. With this conceptual background, this
paper analyses the development of nationalism and regionalism in the case of Orissa.
II. Oriya Nationalism in Colonial India
The rise of Oriya nationalism was one of the leading examples of regional nationalism in
colonial India. Needless to say, Oriya nationalism emerged to protect Oriya identity in a
provincial space in India.
In pre-colonial era, the Oriya people enjoyed a distinct political and cultural identity within
a definite territory under successive regimes. But under British colonial rule the Oriya homeland
was systematically divided into British Orissa and Princely Orissa. British Orissa was
apportioned to different provincial administrations: the southern part was kept under Madras
Presidency, the coastal strip and the adjoining areas in the Bengal Presidency, and the western
part was placed in the Central Provinces (CP). On the other hand, Princely Orissa comprising 26
feudatory states was ruled by native rulers under British paramount power (Patra 1971).
The apportionment of British Orissa turned the Oriyas into insignificant cultural minority
vis-à-vis the dominant people in every administrative unit they were appended to. In the Orissa
division of the Bengal Presidency the Bengali migrants and intermediaries preponderated in all
important positions in administration, law, teaching and clerical services. Similarly, in the Madras
Presidency and in CP the Oriyas were economically dominated by the Telugus and Hindispeakers
respectively. But gradually the ‘outsiders’ posed serious threats to Oriya language and
culture. For example, the Bengali chauvinists vociferously tried to suppress Oriya language and
culture and absorb the Oriya people into the Bengali fold. They made frantic efforts to dub Oriya
language as a corrupt dialect of Bengali. This was followed by the replacement of Oriya by Hindi
language in the Oriya-speaking region of CP. Attempts were also made to replace Oriya by
Telugu in Madras Presidency (Mohanty 1984). The loss of language and culture meant loss of
identity for the Oriya people in multicultural India. Hence, the Oriyas reacted by asserting their
identity in distinct regional nationalistic terms.

The first signs of nationalistic unity among the Oriyas appeared during the language
agitation which was launched to save Oriya language and culture from extinction. This incipient
unity soon crystallised into a well articulated regional national movement under the aegis of the
Oriya national organisation, the Utkal Union Conference (UUC). Initially, the UUC pressed for
unification of Oriya areas under a single administration, but when the perceived danger in
maintaining distinct identity vis-à-vis any ‘alien’ nationality in a common provincial
administration was realised, it clamored for the formation of a separate Oriya province in British
India. Finally, on linguistic basis a separate Orissa province comprising six British-administered
districts of Balasore, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur, Ganjam and Koraput was formed in 1936 in
colonial India (Mishra 1983).
The formation of Orissa province partly fulfilled the nationalistic aspiration of the Oriya
people. Princely Orissa did not form a part of this Orissa province. Hence, the struggle for Oriya
unity continued till Princely Orissa was integrated with Orissa province. The integration resulted
due to the rise of massive popular unrest in Princely Orissa. Unlike British Orissa, there was no
apparent external threat to Oriya language and culture in Princely Orissa. Here, popular
nationalistic struggle emerged in response to the unprecedented feudal oppression and
undemocratic rule of the native Oriya princes.
Princely Orissa, popularly known as ‘Garhjats’ (dark land), was marred by illegal taxation,
excessive land revenue and cruel feudal claims and practices of ‘Bethi’ (forced labour), ‘Begari’
(unpaid labour), ‘Rasad’ (free ration) and ‘Bheti’ (tributes) (Pradhan 1986). The oppressive
feudal rule in Princely Orissa ultimately resulted in violent popular movements demanding
responsible government, civil liberties and finally the unification of Oriya princely areas with the
Province of Orissa. From 1938 to 1947 popular movements were launched under the banner of
Orissa States People’s Conference (OSPC). Prajamandals (People’s Associations) were formed to
mobilise popular support for establishment of democratic government and integration of Oriya
areas. However, the ruling Oriya princes strongly opposed the move for integration. But after
India’s independence, the widespread popular agitation in Princely Orissa finally paved the way
for its merger with Orissa province. H.K. Mahatab, noted Congress leader and the then Premier of
Orissa, left no stone unturned to unite both parts of Orissa under one provincial unit. Finally, on
the basis of linguistic unity, cultural affinity and geographical contiguity twenty-four Oriya
princely states joined Orissa province with effect from 1 January 1948 (Mahatab 1972).
With the integration of the two parts of Orissa the provincial political boundary of Orissa
state became nearly coterminous with the cultural boundary of Oriya nationality and with that
Orissa as a linguistically homogenous state emerged in independent India. Following integration
the number of districts in Orissa state rose from six to thirteen. The new districts were carved out
of the integrated Oriya princely states.
The Oriya situation reveals that when a nationality/nation is artificially divided and
assigned to different administrative units, the national sentiment may crystallise into nationalism.
This will aggravate if the administrative arrangement leads to economic exploitation and cultural
stigmatisation of the divided nationality. The Oriya experience further suggests that the
dissonance between the cultural boundary of nationality and administrative boundary may lead to
nationalistic mobilisation by a deprived nationality.
III. Rise and Growth of Regionalism in Orissa
The rise of Oriya nationalism certainly gave rise to the formation of Orissa state and the
consolidation of Oriya nationality. United Orissa contains two geographically distinct regional
units, namely, coastal belt and western region, which differ in respect of historical experience,
cultural practices, dialectal/speech forms, political advantages and socio-economic development.
Originally, the coastal belt comprised the undivided districts of Balasore, Cuttack, Puri and
Ganjam, and the western region included the undivided districts of Balangir, Kalahandi, Phulbani,

Sambalpur and Sundargarh. After the recent reorganisation of districts in Orissa in 1993 the
coastal region comprises the new districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Jajpur, Kendrapara,
Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khordha, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gaiapati; whereas the western region
covers the new districts of Balangir, Sonepur, Kalahandi, Nuapara, Boudh, Kandhamal,
Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh and Sundargarh. Gradually, regional discontents grew
in the western region as it continued to lag behind the coastal belt in matters of socio-economic,
political and cultural development.
The origins of regional discontent in the western region date back to the agitation against
the merger of Oriya princely states. The anti-merger activists rejected common linguistic grounds
as basis for merger of Oriya princely states. Instead, they advocated for a separate political
identity for Oriya princely states. The displacement of people and the lose of land and property
due to the construction of Hirakud Dam and Rourkela Steel Plant and the rise of the regional
political party, the Ganatantra Parishad (GP), also significantly contributed to the origins of
regional discontent in western Orissa. Against this backdrop, regionalism continues to thrive in
western Orissa due to regional cleavages and prevalence of socio-economic disparities and
political inequalities.
Because of their placement under different regimes the coastal and western regions of
Orissa acquired distinct historical personalities. In ancient times, the empire of Utkal-Kalinga and
the kingdom of Koshal-Hirakhand flourished in the coastal belt and the western region
respectively. In Mughal and Maratha period, the coastal belt was referred to as ‘Mughalbandi’,
and the western region was identified as ‘Garhjats’. In colonial times, the coastal belt developed a
distinct colonial identity under direct British administration, whereas the western region acquired
an oppressive feudal identity under native rule. The symbolic values and nostalgic sentiments
created by these regional histories considerably influenced the construction of regional identities
in united Orissa.
The cultural specificities of western Orissa also perpetuate regional cleavage in Orissa. The
culture of western Orissa, popularly called the Sambalpuri culture, is influenced by tribal cultures
to a great extent. The tribal influence is clearly evident in the speech pattern, food habits, beliefs,
customs, tradition, dance, drama, music, fairs and festivals of western Orissa. Folk songs like
‘Rasarkeli’, ‘Dalkhai’, ‘Jaiphula’ and the regional festivals like ‘Nuakhai’ and ‘Puspuni’ help a
great deal in the assertion of western Orissa regional identity (Senapati and Mohanty 1971).
Further, the people of western Orissa speak a mother tongue which is called Sambalpuri
speech. It differs from the standard Oriya speech spoken by the coastal Orissa people. The
western Orissa people consider Sambalpuri as a distinct language in its own right; but in official
and popular parlance it is perceived as a dialect or a regional variation of Oriya language (Joshi
1983). Be it as it may, Sambalpuri speech provides a typical ambience and a sense of solidarity
among western Orissa people and defines a line of separation from the mainstream coastal
Oriyas.
Another critical factor which boosts regional tension in Orissa is the political cleavage. In
the initial periods the regional political parties, namely, the Ganatantra Parishad (GP) and later
the Swatantra party polarised politics in Orissa along regional lines. The Congress was seen as a
party largely identified with the interests of coastal Orissa, and the GP/Swatantra was associated
with the interests of western Orissa. This regional polarisation of politics was very much reflected
in the elections to the Orissa Legislative Assembly. From 1952 to 1974, the Congress and its
splinter groups Jana Congress and Utkal Congress secured maximum seats from coastal districts,
while GP/Swatantra scored very well in the western region (Ray 1974). But during J.B. Patnaik’s
rule in the 1980s, the Congress leaders from coastal area dominated government and politics in
Orissa, while the leaders from the western region were completely sidelined. Congress
favouritism towards coastal Orissa resulted in regional factionalism within the party. The same

political cleavage, by and large, continued in the periods of the successive governments headed
by Biju Patnaik, J. B. Patnaik and Naveen Patnaik respectively.
In terms of representation in government and in decision-making bodies, the western
region always lags behind the coastal area. The post of Chief Minister of Orissa has mostly been
monopolised by coastal Oriya leaders. Only two persons from the western region, namely, R. N.
Singh Deo and Hemananda Biswal, held the post of Chief Minister for a brief period. Again, the
western region has been poorly represented in the state’s Council of Ministers except for the brief
coalition periods in 1959, 1967 and 1971. Moreover, in the state bureaucracy, judiciary and police
the share of western region remains comparatively low.
Besides political cleavage, regional socio-economic disparities played a crucial role in the
growth of regionalism in western Orissa. Barring few pockets, the rest of western region
experienced very low level of socio-economic development since colonial period. In postindependent
period though the situation has improved, yet the level of socio-economic
development in western Orissa remains relatively low vis-à-vis coastal Orissa. The western
region, by and large, lags behind the coastal area in the fields of agricultural development,
irrigation, education, transport and communication, employment and occupation.
The western region is larger in size, but it accounts for only 26.53 percent of the state’s
population which stands at 36804660 as per the 2001 census; the relatively smaller coastal region,
on the contrary, accounts for 47.82 percent of the population. In western region 48.47 percent of
people belong to SC&ST, while the coastal region accounts for only 23.95 percent SC&ST
people (Census of India 2001). The larger concentration of backward people in the western region
reveals a significant dimension of regional poverty in Orissa.
Disparity in the percentage of workforce absorbed by the agricultural sector is not much
between the two regions: 61.05 percent in coastal area and 70.18 percent in western region which
is little more than the state average of 64.77 percent as per 2001 census. In terms of agricultural
intensity the shares of coastal and western regions in 2001 were 164 percent and 145 percent
respectively. Since intensive cultivation depends upon a variety of factors like irrigation, climate,
topography, etc., low agricultural intensity in western region indicates an overall low agricultural
development there.
In the case of irrigation the western region barring few areas lags far behind the coastal
belt. In 2001, while the gross irrigated area in coastal area was 47 percent, the share of western
region was merely 24 percent. If one examines the general work participation rate one finds that
coastal area as a whole absorbs much less proportion, i.e., 24.66 percent of the workforce in
gainful activity compared to the 27.31 percent of the western region as per census of 2001
(Statistical Abstract of Orissa 2005). A relatively higher work participation in the western region
does not necessarily show a healthy economy because in the evolution of the economy a lower
proportion of the population should be engaged in work. A smaller percentage of workers in
coastal region indicate a better state of economy as lesser proportion of workforce is in a position
to support larger dependency. As regards workers engaged in registered factories, disparities
seem to be more intra-regional rather than inter-regional. A slightly higher proportion, i.e., 2.16
percent of workers in registered factories in the western region compared to 1.77 percent in the
coastal area is largely due to the presence of Rourkela Steel Plant in the former. But Balangir,
Kalahandi, Nuapara, Sonepur, Boudh and Kandhamal in the western region are industrially very
poor districts.
In the areas of education, healthcare, communication and rural electrification disparities
between the two regions are remarkable. These social amenities acquire more significance
because the state takes a greater responsibility in providing them. As far as literacy is concerned,
western region lags far behind the coastal area. In 2001, the rate of literacy in coastal region was

68.83 percent and in western region 57.77 percent, while the state showed an average literacy of
63.08 percent (Ibid).
Ironically, primary level educational institutions are relatively more in the western than the
coastal region. However, the coastal region is better served by secondary and graduate and above
level educational institutions. In 2001 as compared to 141 primary schools per one lakh
population in western region, there were 96 primary schools in coastal area. But at the secondary
level, while coastal area had 19 institutions per one lakh population, western region had only 17;
the figures for the graduate and above level were 2.04 and 1.81 per one lakh population in coastal
and western region respectively (Ibid). The better infrastructure at the primary level in western
region has not been translated into better response to literacy. This contradiction can be partly
attributed to the history of education and the existing socio-cultural and economic realties.
Further, the larger concentration of tribal and backward caste people also accounts for the low
response to education in the western region.
In the area of healthcare facilities the western region is relatively better served as compared
to the coastal area. In 2003 the number of hospitals and dispensaries per one lakh population in
coastal and western regions were little above 4 and 5 respectively, while the state had an average
of 4 per one lakh population. Similarly, the doctor-population ratio in 2003 for coastal region was
13 doctors per one lakh population, for western region it was 14, while the state showed an
average of 13 doctors in the same period. The hospital beds available per lakh population also
revealed a similar trend (Ibid).
Road density constitutes an important indicator of infrastructure development, and in this
respect the two regions show wide disparities. As per 2001 census, the coastal region is better
connected by roads as indicated by higher road density, i.e., 164.8 km per 100 sq. km compared
to 139.1 km in western region which is below the state average of 136 km. In the case of rail
connectivity, the disparities between the two regions are not substantial. In 2001 the railway route
length per 100 sq. km. of area in coastal region was1.86 km. compared to the 1.58 km. average in
the western region. In the area of rural electrification, the regional gap between coastal and
western regions is significant. In 2003, the figures of rural electrification for coastal and western
Orissa were 85.3 percent and 76.3 percent respectively, while the state showed an average of 77
percent for that period (Districts at a Glance 2006). The situation regarding rural electrification
remains precarious in Kalahandi, Nuapara, Sonepur, Boudh and Kandhamal districts of the
western region.
The rate of urbanisation in both the regions is more or less same. In 2001, the percentage of
urban population was 16.52 percent for western region and 16.34 percent for coastal region; while
the state’s average remained at 14.99 percent for the same period (Ibid.). However, barring few
pockets of urban areas like Sambalpur and Rourkela the remaining parts of the western region are
highly rural.
It follows from the above discussion that barring notable exceptions like primary schools
and health care, regional imbalance between coastal and western regions of Orissa exists in
agricultural development, education, employment, transport and communication and industrial
development. Moreover, in the western region the inter-district variations are very alarming.
Districts like Kalahandi, Nuapara, Balangir, Sonepur, Boudh and Kandhamal epitomize the
poverty of western Orissa. The concentration of huge tribal and backward class people in these
districts aggravates this situation further.
Thus, it can be said that regional socio-economic disparities along with political
polarisation and socio-cultural cleavages provide a suitable platform for the growth of regional
consciousness in western Orissa. The geographical peculiarities and the historical specificities of
the western region provide further impetus to it.

So far as regional mobilisation is concerned, two types of trends are broadly noticed in
western Orissa: ‘autonomist’ and ‘separatist’. The autonomists demand for greater regional
autonomy and equal development; but the separatists advocate for separate provincial statehood.
The autonomists raised different kinds of regional demands from time to time. Issues like
promotion of education, culture, industry and employment figured prominently in regional
demands. Some of these demands focus on: reservation of third and fourth grade services for
local people, administrative and judicial decentralisation, periodical sessions of Orissa Legislative
Assembly and Orissa Public Service Commission in western region, reservation of seats for local
students in medical and engineering colleges situated in the region and rehabilitation of persons
displaced by Hirakud dam project and Rourkela Steel Plant (Nanda 2007).
The establishment of the programme production centre at Sambalpur TV centre and the
opening of a circuit court of the Orissa High Court in the western region are two other long
standing regional demands of serious concern. It may be noted that Sambalpur TV centre in
western region only relays the programmes produced at Cuttack and Bhubaneswar which mostly
reflect the language, history, culture and agricultural practices of the coastal region. The demand
for circuit court also receives strong oppositions from the Bar Associations in the coastal region.
It is also alleged that the state government has done very little for preservation and
promotion of Sambalpuri speech and culture of western Orissa. In protest against the official
discrimination, ‘Sampalpuri Lekhak Sangh’, and ‘Koshali Bhasa Sahitya Parishad’ demanded the
following: (a) recognition of distinct status of Sambalpuri language, (b) government patronage to
develop Sambalpuri literature; (c) promotion of Sambalpuri cultural tradition; and (d) more TV
and Radio programmes in Sambalpuri language (Ibid).
Some autonomists pressed for a regional development council for western Orissa. The
development council demand aimed at decentralisation of political, legislative, administrative and
financial powers and ensuring regional financial autonomy and authority (Pati 1995).
Subsequently, the Western Orissa Development Council was established at Bolangir in 2000. The
autonomists, on the whole, strive to fulfill regional aspirations of western Orissa within the
framework of regional autonomy in the state of Orissa. They strongly maintain that the distinct
regional identity of western Orissa should be recognised by the state government and the people
of coastal Orissa.
The separatists, on the other hand, demand for a separate provincial state for western
Orissa. Initially, the demand was made on the grounds of economic backwardness and distinct
regional identity. But in recent times, the separate state demand has been made on the basis of a
separate regional nationalism called ‘Koshali nationalism’. The separatists maintain that the
people of western Orissa belong to Koshali nationality which is different from the mainstream
Oriya (Utkal-Kalinga) nationality. The shift in emphasis has been made precisely because: (a)
distinct regional nationality in India is considered to be an important basis of province formation
and, (b) collective definition of identity in regional nationalistic terms involves practical
advantages. The existence of a separate Koshali nationality according to them logically implies
the right to internal self-determination like several other nationalities in the Indian Union.
To realise their goal, some separatists, led by P.R. Dubey, an advocate from Sambalpur,
launched a Koshal party in 1991. He undertook a ‘Koshal Jana Jagaran Yatra’ throughout western
Orissa to mobilise support for the separate state. Some other organisations like ‘Koshal Sangram
Parishad’, ‘Koshal Liberation Front’, ‘Koshal Bhumi Mukti Sangathan’ and the ‘Western Orissa
Liberation Front (WOLF)’ strongly support the movement for separate Koshal state.
Subsequently, in 1992 the first ‘Koshal Sammelan’ was held at Bolangir to popularise the notion
of Koshali regional nationalism. A resolution supporting the separate state demand and a map of
the proposed Koshal state was approved at this meeting. (Koshal Sammelan 1992).

In the second ‘Koshal Sammelan’ at Sambalpur in 1993 the idea of Koshali nationalism
was placed in more explicit terms vis-à-vis Oriya nationalism. It is stressed at this meeting that
the merger of western Orissa (Koshal) region was done in violation of the linguistic principle of
province formation in India (Koshal Sammelan 1993).
To define the boundaries of Koshali nationality the separatists use selective historical,
linguistic and cultural symbols. The ancient and medieval glories of Koshal-Hirakhand kingdom
(Senapati and Mohanty 1971) are used to provide historical roots and nostalgia to Koshali
identity. As regards linguistic boundary emphasis is placed on Koshali language, which is a new
nomenclature for Sambalpuri speech of western Orissa. The separatists stressed that the Koshali
(Sambalpuri) language is a complete language with an independent grammatical structure and
alphabet of its own. In their perception both Oriya and Koshali languages have originated from
Sanskrit via ‘Ardha Magadhi’ and ‘Koshali Bibhasa’ (Joshi 1984). It is also argued that Koshali
can be written in either Oriya or Devanagri script.
In the cultural sphere, symbols like ‘Sakti’ worship and observance of regional festivals
like ‘Nuakhai’, ‘Puspuni’ and ‘Dalkhai’ have been widely used to distinguish Koshali culture of
western Orissa from mainstream Oriya culture. In addition, the rich cultural heritage and folklore
of western Orissa is highlighted to provide a distinct cultural basis to Koshali nationality.
The members of the second ‘Koshal Sammelan’ also submitted a memorandum to the
President of India urging him to grant provincial statehood to western Orissa on the basis of the
separate Koshali nationality claimed by them. The memorandum emphatically states that the
movement for separate Koshal state is not a struggle against regional imbalance; it is rather a
struggle for preservation of Koshali nationality through provincial self-rule within the
multinational framework of the Indian nation-state (Koshal Sammelan Memorandum 1993). In
support of their argument, they referred to the implementation of the linguistic reorganisation of
states which satisfied the regional-national aspirations of many Indian nationalities. Recently, the
‘Koshal Sammelan’ is rechristened as ‘Koshal Mahasabha’ and under its banner the agitation for
separate Koshal state is going on in some pockets of western Orissa.
The leaders of coastal Orissa, however, dismiss the Koshal state movement as a non-issue
raised by a few disgruntled politicians who have no social or political base in western Orissa. But
whatever way one may judge it, the fact remains that the mobilisation for Koshal state poses
internal threats to the unity of Oriya nationality and the integrity of Orissa state.
IV. Conclusion
The study of nationalism and regionalism in the context of Orissa suggests some broad
generalisations having far-reaching socio-political significance. First of all, the study reveals that
in multinational countries such as India regional nationalism clearly differs from regionalism and
macro-political nationalism in both content and goal. It also highlights that in India people’s
identity basically operates at macro, meso and micro levels. The macro identity operates at the
overarching Indian nation-state level and it represents all-India political nationalism; the meso
identity reflects regional-national identity and it focuses on loyalty to one’s culture, language and
homeland; finally, the micro identity embodies local-regional interests and it emphasises equality
and removal of regional imbalance.
The case of Orissa further points out that all forms of nationalism and regionalism in
multicultural/multi-national countries emerge in the context of identity and equality. In some
cases people call for equality on the basis of a pre-existing identity; in some other cases a new
identity is constructed for equality. In the case of Orissa, both integrative and alienative processes
are at work. The integrative process operates in terms of Oriya nationalism and mainstream Oriya
nationality, while the alienative process operates in terms of crystallisation of parallel regional
nationalism. The latter is clearly evident from articulation of separate Koshali regional

nationalism. The alienated group poses potential threats to the unity and integrity of the state. It
may, therefore, be realised that a united Oriya nationality and an integrated Orissa state can not be
built within the multi-national framework of India by perpetuating the dominance of the
mainstream coastal region and undermining the importance of the peripheral western region. For
one thing, the concept of Oriya identity and the state of Orissa can not be identified only with a
particular section of Oriyas or a particular region of Orissa.
Works Cited :
Cohen, B.S. 1967. ‘Regions Subjective and Objective: Their Relation to the Study of Modern
Indian History and Society’ in R.I. Crain (ed.), Regions and Regionalism in South Asia: An
Exploratory Study. Duke University Press, pp. 104-36.
Desai, A.R. 1966. Social Background of Indian Nationalism. Bombay: Popular Prakashan.
Government of India 2001. Census of India, Orissa (Series-22), New Delhi.
Government of Orissa 2005. Statistical Abstract of Orissa, Directorate of Economics and
Statistics, Bhubaneswar, Orissa.
Government of Orissa 2006.Districts at a Glance, Directorate of Economics and Statistics,
Bhubaneswar, Orissa.
Joshi, P.D. 1983. ‘Swatantra Koshali Bhasa (Oriya)’, Saptrashi, Vol.12 (11), pp.1-6.
1984. ‘Swatantra Koshali Bhasa (Oriya)’, Saptarshi, Vol.13 (9), pp8-14
Koshal Sammelan 1992. Resolution of the First Koshal Sammelan, 29 March 1992.
1993. Resolution of the Second Koshal Sammelan, 4 April 1993.
1993. Memorandum submitted to the President of India for formation of Koshal State,
Sambalpur.
Mahtab, H.K. 1972. Beginning of the End. Cuttack: Friends Publisher.
Mishra, P.K. 1983. Orissa (1900-1936): A Study in Political Development. Calcutta: Punthi
Pustak.
Mohanty, Nibedita 1984. Oriya Nationalism: A Quest for United Orissa. New Delhi: Manohar.
Nanda, Subrat K. 2007. Nationalism and Regionalism in India: The Case of Orissa. Delhi:
Kalpaz Publications.
Oommen, T.K. 1997. Citizenship, Nationality and Ethnicity: Reconciling Competing Identities.
Cambridge: Polity Press.
Pati, P.K. 1995. Draft Constitution of the Western Orissa Autonomous Development Council,
Sambalpur.
Patra, K.M. 1971. Orissa under the East India Company. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharilal.
Pradhan, S. 1986. Agrarian and Political Movements: States of Orissa (1931-1949). Delhi: Inter
India.
Ray, Amal 1974. ‘Sub-regional Politics and Elections in Orissa’ Indian Journal of Political
Science, Oct-Dec, pp.340-42.
Senapati, N. and B. Mohanty (eds.) 1971. Orissa Ditrict Gazetteers: Sambalpur, Cuttack.
Smith A.D. 1998. Nationalism and Modernism: A Critical Survey of Recent Theories of Nations
and Nationalism. London: Routledge.

Value Education:Relevance of Gandhian Concept
Geeta Satpathy * *
Today the rising spiral of Science, Technology and Production ( the STP spiral) is
contrasted with the rising spiral of Greed, Hatred and Delusion ( the GHD spiral). There
seems to be little regard for human values and sufferings of the poor and destitute. This
can be attributed only to the misdirected and mismanaged education. Morality is of utmost
importance and can be promoted only through education. 1 “ The most important human
endeavour is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very
existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life.
To make this a living force and bring it to clear consciousness is perhaps the foremost
task of the education. “(Einstein 1950) While recognizing the role of education we must
also recognize the changing times. The new generation seems to have negated the values
of life of yester years. It seems to be even value free. The changing times “transforms
their (new generations) customs, their garb, their work , their religion and their conduct, to
judge them in terms of the old code is as unfair and unhistorical as to force upon them
the corsets and bustles, the beards and boots of our ancient days”. ( Will Durant) Many
argue that values are eternal and survive changing times. The eternal values assume new
forms and new meanings in the saga of time. The present fear of loss of value needs to
be re-assessed and a contemporary module needs to be developed. There is a universal
consensus that value education needs to be emphasized in every quarter of educational
process. All the stock holders of education realize the need for value education. Mahatma
Gandhi ( Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi 1869 -1948) is one of the great icons of ethical,
moral and human values in modern times. This short paper attempts to reassess the
relevance of the Gandhian model, ideas and practices relating to value education in the
fast changing milieu of contemporary times.
At the outset , it is pertinent, to elucidate shades of meaning of value. Of several
shades of meaning, three aspect of value are universally emphasized : worth of anything
in terms of money or any other term for which the thing can be exchanged ; quality of
being useful or worthwhile or important and moral or professional standard of behaviour
or principles.
The values to be promoted are dependent on the aims of education and as such
aim of education are to be well defined. Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktaeye, Education For
Liberation is the highest goal of education. The meaning of liberation ought to be all
inclusive , liberation from the chain of birth and God realization, universalisation of self,
liberation from hunger, ignorance, superstition, imperfection , parochialism and from all
forms of limitations. Modification of behaviour and character building is a sacred
objective. The Hindu objective of life is four fold related with Artha,Kama, Dharma and
Mokhya . Artha demands that each should be equipped with the skill of earning a
livelihood, management of finance, for rearing a family and all other aspects of material
world ; Kama demands being equipped for love making , conjugal life and even fulfilling
finer aesthetic desires beyond love making and conjugal life ; Dharma demands
recognizing the laws of nature and of social life , Dharma demands knowledge and skill
to uphold the world order, it is not be confused with any religious or sectarian set of
rules and finally Mokhya demands freedom from the chain of rebirth, freedom from
ignorance about the true nature of cosmos, universalisation of the self and even God
realization. The Hindu view of life has individual, social, cosmic, terrestrial and extra
terrestrial goals. Education is interwoven today with social, national and universal goals of
* Head, Dept. of Humanities & social Sciences , KIIT Deemed University, Bhubaneswar, India.

mankind. The universal goals of education today would include, creation of a new world
free from terrorism, environmental hazards, intolerance and all negative traits. It demands
promotion of mutual appreciation, conservation of nature, securing the future of coming
generation, ensuring basic human rights including food, shelter, health care, right to
practice religion , faith, believe , basic socio-political-democratic rights etc. With
globalization, mankind now can’t rest with a capitalistic- free market world economy, but
must progress towards creation of free global society where basics are respected and
ensured. As a nation, we Indians, have similar responsibility of creating a better national
order, addressing all the above universal goals. In addition we must recognize our
national ills in terms of poverty, ignorance, illiteracy, lack of health care, environmental
hazards and the division of the society in terms of access to technology, production
resources and socio – economic – political disparity etc. It is worthwhile to illustrate how
great masters of India have viewed the issue. Sri Aurobindo asserts that “The past is our
foundation , the present our material , the future our aim and summit” 2 . In other words
his mission of education carries forward the past and the present to the future. Mira
Richards , his principal follower added, that “aimless life is a miserable life “ 3 “ Your aim
should be high and wide, generous and disinterested, this would make your life precious
to yourself and all other .” 4 “ To work for your perfection is the first step.” 5 The ancient
seers said Atmanam Viddhi , Know Thyself, self discovery is the aim of life and
education , they held.
For Vivekananda the aim of education was the manifestation of perfection already
in man. Knowledge is inherent in man and education is the process of flowering out of
the inherent knowledge and potentiality. He emphatically wanted an education by which
character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded by which we
can stand on our own feet. 6 .
For Gandhi that is true education which leads to freedom. Gandhi recognized the
following aims and objectives of education :
Self Realization and God Realization is the highest ideal.
Education must aim at inculcating nationalist spirit and removal of servile attitude.
Education must ensure training of the body and mind and built ability to earn and
discharge social responsibility . 7
Broadly the following values may be emphasized.
Education must bake bread. It must be skill and knowledge oriented to equip a
learner to earn a livelihood. It must work towards a more just world economic
order.
It must promote social values ( including family, community, religious tolerance,
concern for the poor, etc.) to ensure a better world order .
It must promote democratic values in the widest sense to create a better political
order everywhere.
It must create a better aesthetic, ethical and moral world. Sense of beauty, sense of
right-wrong , love for nature and mankind, sense of wonder, search for truth and
understanding the world order etc. needs to be promoted.
It must promote secular values and scientific temperament.
The above is only indicative not exhaustive.
Having identified broadly the generally accepted values, one may turn to Gandhi.
Truth occupies central position in Gandhian thought. “ Truth is the sovereign

principle which includes numerous other principles. The truth is not only truthfulness in
word, but truthfulness in thought also and not only the relative truth of our conception
but the absolute Truth, the eternal principle that is God” 8 For Gandhi everyman has the
right and the capacity to determine truth for himself and it is this essential value which
separates man from brute. Truth also rules out prejudice, evasion, secrecy, and deception
as well as exaggeration, suppression and modification of reality. Truth also implies mutual
toleration and avoidance of dogmatism and bitterness, for truth as discerned by man is
always relative and fragmentary.” 9 Gandhi’s concept of truth was not dogmatic and it
recognized the relative nature of truth.
Besides truth, non-violence or Ahimsa was the other cardinal principle for Gandhi. “
Ahimsa is a positive doctrine where love is central to the whole concept”. 10 Gandhi
firmly believed that creation is sustained more by love and sacrifice than by strife,
conflict and selfish interest. Ahimsa was also not a weapon of the weak, one will never
be able to sacrifice unless he is fearless. Ahimsa also meant faith in soul force, inner
strength and firm faith in the success of righteous. It implicitly and explicitly held that
change of heart not fear of force is the key and conviction not fear was his foundation.
Ethical laws or morality was the foundation for Gandhi. By religion he did not
mean any ritual, sectarian faith and division. “ All religions are founded on the same
moral laws, which bind men all over the world” 11 Just as ‘Dharma’ does not mean
religion for Indians, it means the moral principles of society which binds men , similarly
for Gandhi, sectarian religion carried no weight. He emphasized forbearance, justice,
fraternity, peace and all embracing love.
Satyagraha was the other side of Ahimsa, Satyagrahi ‘must have patience single
minded purposefulness and must not be swayed from the path of duty by anger or any
other passion. 12 Satyagrah demands complete withdrawal from all that is considered to be
wrong.
Swaraj was another corner stone of Gandhian value system. Swaraj was not limited
to political freedom or freedom from the imperialist English, it meant principally self
governance, self sufficiency and not being dependent on others as far as possible. Swaraj
also meant co-operative attempt, pride in ones ability and striving for self sufficiency
through self-help . “Swaraj for me means freedom for the meanest of our country man. I
am not interested in freeing India merely from the English yolk, I am bent upon freeing
India from any yolk whatsoever”. 13 “ If man only realize that it is unmanly to obey laws
that are unjust, no man’s tyranny will enslave.” 14 Minimalism was a great value with
Gandhi, he desired that man should possess those things which are necessary. Once he
reduces his wants, he can distribute the surplus. Prosperity should be within certain limits.
Stark disparity in wealth was bound to result in class struggle and hence Gandhi wanted
equitable distribution. This he believed can be achieved through voluntary limitations. He
wanted the rich to act as trustees, with concern for the poor and part with extra wealth for
the upliftment of the poor .
Humility was a necessary precondition for realizing truth . He writes “ the seeker
after truth should be humbler than dust. The world crushes the dust under its feet but
the seeker after truth should so humble himself that even the dust could crush him. Only
then, not till , then will he have a glimpse of truth” 15
Truth automatically demanded right means, Gandhi could never accept that means
are after all means. for him “ realization of goal is in exact proportion to that of the
means, This is a proposition that admits no exception” 16

Recognizing conscience and obeying its dictates was very important he says “ The
only tyrant he accepted in this world was the “ still small voice” within”. 17
Value education is confused with religion . Gandhi had a clear understanding and has
left no scope for confusion. Speaking on exclusion of religious instruction in the Wardha
Scheme . He was afraid that religions, as they are taught and practiced today, lead to
conflict rather than unity. “ On the other hand he held that truths that are common to all
religions, can and should be taught through words or through books. If the teacher live
up to tenants of truth and justice then alone can children learn that truth and justice are
the basis of all religions .” Gandhi was confident that the age of reason is widening its
horizon and no religion which is narrow and which cannot satisfy the test of reason will
survive the coming reconstruction of society.” He distinguished between personal religion
and public life , while he recognized the right of individual to practice any religion, he
strongly felt that it can never be divorced from public morality. Religion for him meant
self realization and knowledge of God.
From the above discussion the following Gandhian values emerge :
Truth (Honesty) ;
Non-violence (Love for mankind, service to humanity, Satyagraha, compassion,
universal love);
Freedom (Fearlessness) ;
Democracy (Rights, duties, responsibilities, national integration ) ;
Sarva Dharma Sambhava (Composite culture, reverence for other’s beliefs,
communal unity);
Equality (Removal of untouchability social justice, non-exploitation);
Self realization (Swadeshi, dignity of labour);
Purity of ends and means (Integrity between thought and action);
Self discipline (self control);
Cleanliness (Suddhi, simplicity of life, non consumerism, aesthetic life).
The above is indicative of the Gandhian thinking.
The Gandhian values as enumerated are contemporary, universal and applicable for
all societies. The outer forms of practice may vary from time to time and from place to
place yet the essence is not time place relative. For example respect for elders today
may not require the young to prostrate before the old and just because the young do not
, prostrate does not mean that they have no respect for the elders. Obedience would not
mean blind or irrational obedience. It would mean learning from the experience of the
aged, avoiding rash action, drawing conclusion with proper consideration and taking care
of the elders. Similarly each of the values that Gandhi promoted can be found to be
always contemporary. As to the strategy of imparting value education, the methods that
Gandhi himself adopted remains the only valid method. No teacher whether teachers of
educational institutions, parents, and society at large can teach a value which he does not
practice. Thus the older generation, the teachers and the high priests of education have to
practice the values that they want to promote. The true value of Gandhian module lies in
the fact that Gandhi advocated nothing which he did not practice. It is easy to dismiss the
Gandhian ideal on the ground that Gandhi could practice what he preached, ordinary
mortals like us cannot practice the high moral principles. This is not true; during the
freedom struggle thousands followed the Gandhian ideal. Gandhi himself recognized his failures
and attempted to strive for perfection.

The article is best rounded off with reference to scientific and technical education.
Based on the broad Gandhian ideal the specific values to be inculcated in engineering and
management colleges needs to be highlighted . Science and technology are not value free.
As science and technology are interwoven with human life and nature they can never be
value free. Science and technical education must work towards :
Unraveling the truth through understanding of nature, nature’s order and beauty and
the mystery of creation.
Working towards maintenance of nature’s harmony, preservation of nature and
environment, rational use of natural resources and guaranteeing the inheritance for the
coming generation. We must leave a beautiful and wealthy world for the coming
generation.
Science and technology must work towards removal of want and disease and
ensuring basic human rights.
Besides these responsibilities, science and technology must grapple with ethical
issues which arise with the new frontiers of science. For example ethical issues related to
mercy killing, genetic engineering, growth of life in lab condition, intervention in nature’s
process of evolution and inventions relating to atomic technology etc. must be dealt with.
Besides value education demands learning to respect the professional ethics. Just as doctors
must respect certain ethical principles, engineers, scientists, architects, and managers and
business managers ought to respect the ethics demanded by their profession. Professions
merely do not demand ethics, new technologies also demand ethics. Internet, Intranet,
mobile phones, digital cameras and every other modern gadgets demand some ethical practice.
The students of science and technology ought to develop and practice ethics demanded by
technology.
In a country like India the students of science and technology have the additional
responsibility of making India free of hunger, disease, disparity, social inequality etc. A
prosperous India healthy in body, mind and soul can be achieved only with appropriate
technology. While we must take our rightful place in the world community through strides
in science and technology, we must not leave behind our teeming millions in the villages.
It is as important to develop small power tiller for our fragmented plots of land , to
change the wooden wheels of our carts with pneumatics tyres and tubes, as it is important
for us to produce atomic power with the use of thorium. Appropriate technology and not
necessarily the latest technology should be the buzz word for India. The education in 21st century should translate the Gandhian dream of education through craft. One may not go
back to the idea of spinning wheel yet promotion of craft for creativity, for dignity of
labour, for livelihood, for self sustaining education etc. remain valid . Science and
technology education has to respect these basic Gandhian values and come out with
innovative modules in changing times. Skill component, respect for labour and education
for profession are valid considerations.
The only right approach to education can be holistic, education is always for man making,
education is a life long process and is not limited to the portals of formal educational
institutions. Value education is thus not the mere responsibility of teachers, though they
play a vital role . A fair dose of humanities and social sciences need to form a part of
scientific, professional and technical education. The language teachers and other social
science teachers have a great responsibility of making the student cognizant of the values
and their relevance. The Science and Technology teachers have additional responsibility of
promoting these values through science and technology . On the death of Gandhi , Einstein
doubted whether the future generation would believe that such a man of flesh and blood
ever lived. It is necessary to disprove the fear of Einstein . Let us remember that

Gandhi was a man of blood and flesh, he lived for high ideals, he also stumbled and
rose every time to live up to the ideals, which he had set for himself and mankind. Let
us also strive incessantly to live up to the ideals of mankind.
The ethical goals of life and education are coherent and not contradictory to the
goals of science and technology. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru aptly remarked; “can we combine
the progress of science and technology with the progress of the mind and spirit also ? We
cannot be untrue to science because that represents the basic fact of life today. Still less
can be untrue to those essential principles for which India has stood in the past
throughout the ages. Let us then pursue our path to industrial progress with all our
strength and vigour and , at the same time, remember that material riches without
tolerance and compassion and wisdom may turn to dust and ashes”. 18
References
1. Ahmed , Feroz & Garg Suresh, Forty Years of Kothari Commission, Reforms and
Reflections, Viva Books, New Delhi, 2006, p-165.
2. Pani, R.N., Theory and Practice of Integral Education, Asish Publishing House, New
Delhi, 1987 p-.
3. Ibid p- 40.
4. Ibid p- 42.
5. Ibid p- 44.
6. Pani S.P. & Pattnaik S.K., Vivekananda Aurobindo and Gandhi on Education,
Anmol Publishing House, New Delhi, 2006, P-59.
7. Ibid p-179.
8. Ibid p-163.
9. Ibid p-164.
10. Cenkner, Willam, The Hindu Personality in Education -91 .
11. Gaur V.P., Mahatma Gandhi, A Study of his message of Non Violence - p-346.
12. Verma V.P., Modern Indian Political Thought p-353.
13. Gandhi M.K., The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi Volume – X p-40.
14. Ibid.
15. Gupta, N.L., Encyclopedia of Modern Educational Thought , Anmol Publication, New
Delhi, Volume 5, p-29.
16. Gandhi, M.K., Young India, 17.7.1924.
17. Ibid 2.3.1922.
18. Ahmed , Feroz and Garg Suresh loc cit p-166-7.

Application of Distance Education Tools for Effective
Extension Education in India
Sarita Mishra *
S.P. Pani **
Distance education has evolved from traditional correspondence courses to online and
networked learning. Distance education is practised by a host of institutions including
universities, schools, government organizations, training institutes and even the corporate sector.
All these institutions are not necessarily involved with certification and degree examination
process. Distance education is not different from education. It involves distance learning
technology as the substansive or as the subsidiary tool. The distinction between face-to-face
learning tools and distance learning tools are increasingly getting blurred. The learning material
and the lecture notes of the teachers are available in the intranet of several educational
institutions. In other words, distant tools are used to supplement the face-to-face tools. Similarly
students of distance learning courses chat with their teachers and fellow learners on the internet.
Video conferencing and internet do create virtual classrooms. Distance learning institutions have
succeeded in creating face to face learning situation with technology. In this sense the gap
between distance and face-to-face learning is being bridged. Beside use of specific tools, distance
education is invariably linked with open learning and outreach education. The 10th plan document
of UGC use the term ‘outreach’ to include all aspects of distance, open and extension education.
Extension and distance learning are historically inter-woven.
Extension education means to make education reach those who need it; to take education
further, to provide additional input into education and provide for a longer period of time for
learners. Extension education increasingly recognizes educational activities conducted outside the
portals of formal educational institutions. Extension education connotes education for all,
covering both theoretical and application aspects of knowledge. It aims at solving everyday
problems relating to life including those of agriculture, economy, public health and industry etc.
It involves training, learning and teaching processes to help people on self-help basis and to bring
about desired changes in skills, attitudes and aptitudes. Extension education involves extension of
a system or service, designed to help people to improve educational standard with required
assistance. The word extension signifies extending sphere of any activity, to go beyond theories
for solving practical problems. The meaning of extension education may be further elucidated
with extracts from scholars.
Extension is an out of school system of education in which adults and young people learn
by doing. It is the partnership between government, the educational institution and the
people, which provides services and education designed to meet the needs of the people.
(Dahama O.P).
Extension is an education and its purpose is to change the attitude and practices of the
people with whom the work is done. (Exsminger D).
Extension education is an educational programme for the people based on their needs and
solve problems on a self-help basis. (Supe S. V).
Extension education helps people to help themselves in solving their present and future
economic, social and cultural problems. (Waghmare S.K.).
The extension education system tends to deal with practical information that is useful to
rural people in helping to solve their daily problems. By dissemination of knowledge, the
* Research Scholar, P.G. Dept. of Home Science, R.D. Women’s Autonomous College, Bhubaneswar, India.
** Director, DDCE, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India.

extension system may concern itself with a curriculum based on needs and interests of the
adult citizens of the area served. (Axinn George H, Throat Sudhakar).
The original meaning of ‘extension” – Where modern extension practice focuses on people
and the suitable expansion of their knowledge and skills, the original emphasis of extension
was on dissemination of messages regarding agriculture and health. Under conditions of
extreme need, there seemed little sensible argument against telling people exactly what
they must do, without fail, to avoid death by starvation or plague. (Maccreary Elaine
Kathryn).
From the above it may be summarised, extension education is an educational process, a
way for social change, media for dissemination of information, policy administration and broadly
a multi-channel process for all groups of society with emphasis on skill, knowledge, attitude and
understanding of society at large. In short extension education, like education itself is committed
to improvement of quality of life of one and all. Higher GDP and higher growth rate for economy
automatically does not ensure an all-round improvement in the quality of the life. Wealth creation
must be coupled with vigorous extension activities in health, education, agriculture and other
sectors for ensuring a better quality of life.
The extension needs of India are borne out by country profile of India.
Table – 1.1
Key Facts on Gender, Science and Technology (GST)
Human Development Index Rank - 115
Gender Development Index Rank - 105
Human Poverty Index Rank - 58
Food Production Index Rank - 120
Per capital income is Rupees 4285/annum
Population (1,027,015,247 – census 2000) density 271 per sq.km.
People below poverty line 44.2% (National poverty line – 35%)
48.1% women & 51.9% men, sex ratio 93 women to 100 men
Adult illiteracy rate 44.3, literacy as of male 66%
The labour force participation rate of women is 22.7%, less than half of the men’s rate of 51.6%
In rural India, agriculture and allied industrial sectors employ as much as 89.5% of the total
female labour
Bio-diversity – One of the 12 mega biodiversity countries,
Rich in traditional medicine systems, 7, 500 species of plants used in traditional systems.
Green Revolution – 203.04 million tones food grains/ annum
White Revolution – 74.40 million tones of milk/annum
Blue Revolution – 5.26 million tones of fish/ annum
IT Revolution – 11 million people generating US$ 17-18 Billion by 2008
Access to information/ 100 : Telephone-22; Televison-69; P.C.-3 & internet users – 0.01 (1998)
Non-access to safe drinking water 12.0%, Access to adequate sanitation 31.0%, Access to health
services 25.0%.
Electricity consumption : 173/ kilowatt hrs, fresh water withdrawals 588/cubic meters (1997).
Life expectancy at birth – female 63.3%
Prevalence of Anemia in rural women 53.9%
Infant Mortality rate 70%

Adult people with HIV (Both Men & Women) Women 0.82%
Source : Human Development Report 2000/2001 and
Indian Planning Commission Mid-Term Report 2000
Of the several sectors that need extension tools to improve few are identified, analysed and
application of distance tools are indicated. The following table details the few courses offered by
distance, dual mode and agriculture universities which serve the extension needs of India.
Table – 1.2
Courses offered by Universities
Sl. Name of the Course Number of Name of Course Fees
No. Universities Universities with Duration
Hours Fees
1. CFN – Certificate in food and nutrition. 7 IGNOU 6 Months 600/-
BRAOU
KSOU
NOU
TNOU
VMOU
MANUU
6 Months
2. CLD – Certificate in labour development 1 IGNOU 6 Months 600/-
3. CNCC- Certificate course in 3 IGNOU 6 Months 700/nutrition
and child care KSOU
U.P.RTOU
4. CWDL – Certificate course in 2 IGNOU
empowering women through
self help groups
TNOU 6 Months 1300/-
5. Diploma in textile designing 1 UPRTOU
6. 1. Agriculture diploma in 1 YCMOU 2000
- Fruit production -
- Vegetable production -
- Floriculture production -
- Agriculture business management -
2. Domestic Wireman - 2000
3. Mechanic – Two Wheeler - 2000
4. Plumber - 2000
5. Lathe Operator - 3000
6. Mason - 3000
7. Multi-skill vocational production - 3000
8. Mechanic – Radio and tape recorder - 3000
9. Fitter -
7. 1. Paddy cultivation 1 OUAT 6 Months 50/-
2. Ground cultivation 6 Months 50/-
3. Mushroom cultivation 6 Months 50/-
4. Vegetable cultivation 6 Months 50/-
5. Fruit Cultivation 6 Months 50/-
6. Dairy farming 6 Months 50/-
7. Fish Farming 6 Months 50/-

8. Poultry farming 6 Months 50/-
9. Bee keeping 6 Months 50/-
10. Vetelvine cultivation 6 Months 50/-
8. 1. Farmers, 2. Farm women 1 PAU
9. 1. Folk Arts
2. Handicrafts, 3. Theatre Art,
4. Folk Music
1 KU
Source : Distance Education Council IGNOU Handbook – 2003.
From the above table few facts may be observed.
The most popular course is Certificate Course in Food and Nutrition and this is offered by
only seven universities out of more than 300 universities of the country. And most of the
universities do not offer this to students without any qualification barrier. The courseware
is also mostly available in English language only. The reach is almost so small that the
course has very little impact on the country. The Agriculture Universities have to provide a
lead.
Yashbantarao Chouhan Maharastra Open University is the only university which is
offering a number courses meeting the needs of extension like Agriculture diploma in Fruit
production, vegetable production, Floriculture production, Agriculture business
management, Mechanic-Tow Wheeler, Plumber, Lathe Operator, Mason, Multi-skill
vocational production, Mechanic – Radio and tape recorder, Fitter.
Karnataka University is the only University which offers programmes on Folk Arts,
Handicrafts, Theatre Art, Folk Music.
Panjab Agriculture University is the only university which offers courses on farmers and
farm women.
Orissa University Agriculture and Technology is the only university which offers
agriculture distance education programme of a very low cost without qualification barrier.
As a whole, too little is offered for extension education by universities including open and
agriculture.
The percentage of literate population has grown from 27.16% to 75.8% (male) and 8.86 to
54 to 16 (female) from 1951 to 2001. However for the first time, the total number of illiterates
have fallen for the first time between 1991 to 2001. Thus we are in a path of improvement but a
lot of grounds need to be covered. Sarva Siksha Abhijan or the countrywide literacy programme
are showing results. However the present strategy is not likely to result with 100% literacy by
2020, as envisaged. For the illiterate youngsters would remain as illiterate adults and population
is still growing fast. Thus, it is important to achieve 100% literacy for the 6 to 15 age group,
notwithstanding regional disparity, gender disparity, social disparity and all others. Media has
been used extensively to spread the message of need for literary education. Yet, it is used very
little for literacy training itself. It is used for training the teachers and upgrading skills of trainers.
Media ought to be put into use for educating children. The national open school caters to the
needs of secondary school children. It ought to widen its horizon and take up primary and middle
school education. An action plan for imparting primary school education through distance mode
would call for a decentralized strategy in view of the mosaic character of Indian socio-cultural
makeup.
Developing courseware in Hindi and English alone could not do. Even courseware in the
scheduled languages would not suffice. If it is not possible to develop courseware in 1200 or

more dialects, at least the major ones have to be covered. Primary courseware, strong in local
component prepared at the district level, would only serve the purpose. With gram-sat, we can
reach vast territory but without local component in terms of courseware, teachers and voluntary
organizations etc, the goal cannot be achieved.
Adult education is the other side of primary education. Today’s child is tomorrow’s adult
and today’s adult was yester year’s child. If you take care of the child, future is thus taken careof.
Goals of adult education through multi-media kit can be more easily achieved. To day it is
possible to advocate education without literacy. In other words, one may not be able to read and
write but be able to acquire all other components of education in terms of knowledge and skill
relating to health, hygiene, child care, agriculture, rural life and simple professional skills.
Distance education tools in terms of television, radio, mobile, exhibitions, posters, periodicals,
visits of extension workers, phone in information centres and internet choupals etc, can achieve
these. This is not to suggest that literacy is not needed but to emphasise that notwithstanding
literacy, education can still spread. Both for literacy for children and adult education distance
learning centres are to be created. The block office which is the gram-sat centre necessarily does
not create the learning ambience. It is better to equip a school with technical infrastructure to
serve as a distance learning centre both for young and old.
India is predominantly an agrarian economy. Vast majority of people are dependent on
agriculture. The need for extension in agriculture is very high, in view of high illiteracy rate.
Besides illiteracy, India is yet to achieve global competitiveness in terms of cost of production,
per hectre output, use of fertilizers and improved variety of seeds and saplings. In addition
farmers are debt ridden and number of them commit suicide. The need for second green
revolution and the success of blue and white revolution are called for. These dreams can come
true only if extension activities become successful. There are a plethora of instruments for
effecting extension. These have had small success only. In order to supplement the existing
mechanism, distance tools need to be used more widely. The following can be explored in
addition to what is being done. The existing students on face-to-face mode from secondary to
post-graduate level may go through a value addition course in agriculture. The successful E.
Choupal experiment carried by ITC can be replicated by the government and educational
institutions. Keeping in view the high illiteracy rate, extension education should utilize
multimedia techniques. It is unfortunate that certificate, diploma and degree courses are not
available in distance mode. Even IGNOU, leading national university, is yet to enter into the
stream of agricultural science. Extension education, through conventional methods are quite
developed in India. Application of distance tools further, will improve the scenario. Mere
introduction of degree diploma courses in agriculture sector would not suffice. The agriculture
extension education programme presently carried out by radio, TV, demonstration farms, visit by
extension workers, adoption of villages by agriculture universities and fertilizer companies and
other corporate sectors are not sufficient for example, vast number of tribal farmers do not have
access to any programme in their language. Use of Hindi and the scheduled languages of India
are not adequate to reach out the vast majority of farmers. There are variety of local crops on
which literature including through multi media needs to be developed. Information on marketing
aspects, not mere procurement, need to be disseminated through distance technology, introduction
of courses and training programmes in food preservation, use of bio fertilizer, pest control and
soil management etc, would go a long way in increasing food output. The existing courses
relating to civil engineering offered by handful of universities should include water harvesting
structures. It is asserted that India needs a second green revolution. Green revolution has been
confined to Punjab, Haryana and patches of irrigated land spread over India. Green revolution has
to become a generalized feature of entire India and this dream can be translated into reality only
through agriculture extension education. Distance tools can be put to real good use. Distance tools
can be put to use not only for agriculture, health and hygiene and literacy and adult education but

also be helpful for extension activities relating to gender sensitivity, women empowerment,
energy conservation and a host of other sectors.
In the health and hygiene sector, the TV and Radio is widely utilized for propaganda and
dissemination purposes. However, availability of distance education programme in this sector is
limited to hospital management course, offered by a handful of universities. There is a
tremendous potential for offering post graduate courses in medical science though distance mode.
The Ministry of Health which conducts DM examinations partly to fulfill the requirement of post
graduate medical education can be well converted into full-fledged distance courses. Thousands
of practicing doctors in India working mostly in government hospitals are deprived of opportunity
for pursuing post-graduate courses. As in agriculture, the existing media attempts can be widened
and enriched. Extended activities must focus on removal of blind faith and myths relating to
health, dissemination of information relating to aids awareness, immunization, diabetic
management, nutrition, eye and dental care etc. Counteracting misinformation is equally
important.
Continuing education, training and re-training, skill upgradation of the vast man power in
both organized and unorganized sectors of India is an urgent requirement. Of late, distance
education tools are being applied in few sectors. IGNOU, NCERT and CBSE have joined hands
to train teachers, on new curriculum through distance mode. The gram-sat has provided an
effective platform for training rural extension workers and teachers. All these welcome initiatives
only touch the tip of an ice berg. A strategy has to be developed for skill up-gradation through
distance mode of skilled labourers of all categories like artisans, missions, carpenters, auto
mechanics, and other. The good HRD practices are seldom applied in the government sector. This
sector has been criticized for redtappism, un-imaginative administration and insensitivity.
Government sector employees are hardly provided on the job training and skill up-gradation
facility. There is a great need for giving them training in all aspects of administration including IT
application, effective communication, modern office management, techniques, book-keeping and
accounts and new laws etc., Distance tools will be the most effective way of reaching out the vast
number spread over the country. The scope is not limited to employees of the lower rung. Even
university professors, All India Service Personnel, Engineers and Doctors can all be covered. In
this connection it may be noted that multinational corporate sectors have already taken a lead in
providing re-training to their employees through distance mode. The Indian industrial and
corporate sector can also follow the lead. The following broad conclusions, may be drawn.
Specific areas for application of distance tools need to be identified for example, post
graduation courses for doctors can be offered through distance mode.
Skill upgradation for the technical and non-technical employees for the corporate sectors
can be achieved through distance mode.
All the universities including open, dual mode and agriculture should establish distance
learning centres and devote a substantial portion of their resources for extension education
programme. A number of extension education programmes cannot be commercially viable
and sustainable and hence would require governmental support, public and corporate
support.
The conventional and open universities hardly have an extension orientation. Though open
universities like IGNOU, BROU and YROU have developed member of courses for
meeting extension needs, they are quiet inadequate.
The government has started utilizing distance technology for partly meeting the extension
needs. Countrywide classroom, Gyan Darshan, Gram Sat, SITE programmes etc., are using
distance tools to an extent.
There is need for a more coordinated approach and wider application of distance tools.

Universities (conventional, open and Agriculture) need to develop extension courses free
from the examination degree paraphernalia to meet the extension needs of the country.
Distance education tools need to be utilized widely in view of the large population in India,
to cut down cost, to reach inaccessible territories and to educate largest number in the least
time with the most cost effective technology and media.
The challenge for use of distance mode involves content creation with local component, in
local dialect, and with local participants.
The large scale application of distance tool also involves the challenge of technology. The
latest technology is not necessarily the most appropriate technology. There is also the need
for developing appropriate technology and modifying the existing technology for effective
use.
The extension needs are varied and hence are to be prioritized and accordingly the
resources are to be allocated. Universal primary education, health and hygiene, agriculture
and child care are the universal requirements of the Indian society. Universal primary
education in particular, would automatically ensure fulfillment of many other needs.
The extension needs of employees of the government sector are very high. School and
college teachers, field level employees engaged in agriculture extension, soil conservation,
rural development, gram sevak, mid-wives, siksha sahayaks and a host of other categories
of employees need constantly to upgrade their skill and content knowledge. The vast
training needs of the government sector can be achieved through distance mode. A strategy
needs to be developed.
Sources
1. Distance Education Council IGNOU Handbook. 2003.
2. Dahama, OP, OP. Bhatnagar. Education and Communication for Development. New
Delhi: OXFORD and IBH Publishing House, 1985.
3. Datt Ruddar, Sundaram K.P.M. Indian Economy New Delhi : S. Chand and Company Ltd.
1984.
4. Country profile : India, key Facts on Gender, Science and Technology (GST).
5. Singh Uttam Kumar, Nayak A.K. Extension Education. New Delhi : Commonwealth
Publishers 1997.
6. Garg Suresh, Venkaiah V., Puranik Chambi, Panda Santosh, Four Decades of Distance
Education in India, Reflections on Policy and Practice. New Delhi : Viva Books Private
Ltd. 2006.

Finding Different Trajectories: Women Writing About
Women.
Prajna Paramita Panigrahi* *
Indian writing in English has gained immense popularity and recognition in the last two
decades of the century. From Raja Rao to Salman Rushdie, the fictional writers have
concentrated on changing societal patterns, transformation of values, and vastly, on the
individual’s predicament in a society in transition. Rapid industrialization, scientific revolutions
and upsurge of information technologies, have all led to a devaluation of ethics and crumbling of
culture. Indian writers have constantly tried to adapt themselves to the changing scenario.
Meenakshi Mukherjee justifies that:
Rushdie’s example, - his inventiveness, his irreverence, his audacity and above all his
success, became a liberating force for a large group of Indian writers living either at home or
abroad. (The Perishable Empire 178)
These writers created awareness among the reading public and highlighted the stand of the
Indian English novels. If Mulk Raj Anand, Bhabani Bhattachrya, R.K. Narayan, etc. were
confined to academia, the works of the new novelists became the symbol of upper-class elite,
bringing with it urban culture and sophistication. Upamanyu Chatterjee, Amitav Ghosh, Vikram
Seth, Raj Kamal Jha, Sashi Tharoor etc., are part of a hybrid culture, rooted in tradition and
embracing the West for its receptivity and flexibility. Indianness for them is only a window to
the outside world. Bharati Mukherjee reveals:
… Instead of seeing my Indianness as a fragile identity to be preserved against obliteration
(or worse, a ‘visible’ disfigurement to be hidden) I see it now as a set of fluid identities to be
celebrated…. Indianness is only a metaphor, a particular way of comprehending the world. (qtd.
in Mukherjee 181)
Though form, style, content and structure of the Indian English novels of the new
generation appear to be a lineage of the old form, a clear-cut bifurcation in attitudes can be
detected. If the male writers concentrated on the individual’s predicament, socio-economicpolitical
changes; and an over simplification of the feminine; women writers have concerned
themselves with the subtleties of oppression, issues of power in a patriarchal set up and the unjust
marginalization of woman. The multitude of women’s writing (from Sobha De, Gita Mehta, Gita
Hariharan et al to Arundhati Roy, Radhika Jha, Jhumpa Lahiri, etc.), is suggestive of the Indian
woman’s creativity in handling the form and language of the novel. Full of possibilities, growth
and grace, female writers have created characters who are strong, yet conforming to values;
vibrant, yet enduring pain; prominent, yet having an anchorage towards coercive togetherness.
They have broken silences, built bridges, filled in the gaps and still formed an identity of their
own.
The grumblings and stirrings of revolt, detected in the novels of Markandaya, Sahgal,
Jhabvala, Desai and others have become more pronounced; the lacuna is more prominent in the
writings of these new writers. The Indian woman emerges intact and whole, having underwent a
catharsis. Her voyage for freedom and space has come full circle. The journey from change
through conformity has ended with a change through understanding, patience and humanity.
Jasbir Jain explains:
* Lecturer in English, DDCE, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India.

Receiving its impetus from the feminist movements, a process of self-discovery and of recovery
of a female tradition has been set in motion. It is a journey of questioning of the form of
epistemological formulations and of personal awareness. (Women’ Writing 4)
After the gender revolution in 1970s, writing by women about women has become a sociopolitical
act. Women writers feel compelled to justify their fears, tensions, conflicts and
observations. With a strong element of protest, like their Western counterparts, Indian women
writers have deliberately sought the novel as their medium of expression. Through it, they
capsulize the situation of the modern woman. They question the oppressor or the social other,
analyzing the form, context and reasons for protest. The ‘other’ or the oppressor in the Indian
context is not just the husband, lover or any male member but the entire family, sometimes the
system or the society as a whole. Viney Kirpal analyses that the writing of new female writers is
feminist in character:
It is a frontal attack on patriarchy and its tools – the processes of socialization, traditional myths,
social customs and practices – that are responsible for the zero worth of women in our society.
Women have always been told to conceal, edit, and suppress the facts of their biological
experiences such as menstruation, sex, pregnancy and childbirth. Like Feminists in the West,
some Indian women novelists have begun to speak uninhibitedly about their bodily experiences
and to write as Mary Jacobus has said, ‘of what cannot be written’. (qtd. in Jain 171)
Intimate feelings and emotions of women are caught in great detail. If the major novelists
delineated the pleasure of motherhood, that contented and fulfilled desire that every woman
encounters, modern novelists would rebel against the idea. They focus on the maddening pain,
the feeling of being left with a raw wound, and the view that the social acceptability of
motherhood can be quite disheartening for a woman. Nayantara Sahgal in Rich Like Us, captures
the feelings of Nishi at childbirth, from this angle:
Her selves lay torn in jagged halves on the delivery table, under the masked indifferent scrutiny
of strangers and their implements…. It was night and a scientific light fell mercilessly on her
exposed and wounded flesh, her cry deranging no one but herself. Their announcement of
motherhood revived, fresh raw protest…. A stranger laid the child she hadn’t wanted…. By
morning … a wall shutting out the memory of the night’s violence had implacably, invisibly
encircled her. (234)
Subverting social dogmas, ethos, tradition, beliefs and looking at the world from a
woman’s point of view, is the crux of new woman fiction. There is nothing novel about their
experiences, but the ability to enliven the experiences and emotions on paper and narration of
private feelings as an insider to those experiences, enhances human sensibility. Women’s
writing, thus, seeks to rewrite history. It is continuously working for the transformation of the
female characters into assertive human beings. The literary work provides role models, instilling
positive sense of feminine identity and portraying women who are self-actualizing, having a
separate identity of their own. The characters of these women novelists are bold, courageous and
fight for their survival. They seem to have an aversion for dependence, vulnerability, selfabsorption
and pessimism. K. Meerabai opines:
… they aspire, attempt and strive to be their true selves. They rebel against sexist
discrimination, question the double standards, and refuse the dual morality. They continue their
struggle unmindful of the outcome. They are women who respect their selves and hence register
a vociferous protest against intimidation and humiliation meted down to them. They refuse to be
cowed down and crushed. (138)
Women, through their writing, have handled language which had developed through
masculine constructs. Men’s discourses had trapped women in a male-perceived truth. Women
were forced to adapt to their image, as conceived by the man. Under the patriarchal system of

society the female’s language was considered to be inferior, weak, trivial and uncertain. In
contrast, man’s voice was stronger, deliberately forceful, and objective. As Virginia Woolf in A
Room of One’s Own sketches “a plan of the soul” writes:
… in each of us two powers preside, one male, one female, and in the man’s brain the man
predominates over the woman, and in the woman’s brain, the woman predominates over the man,
(93-94)
Hence, a writer’s attitude is a replica of his narrative strategies. With immense courage
and sensibility, women’s writings have deconstructed literary forms and social constructs.
Moving out of cultural and disciplinary boundaries, it seek to bring forth the literature of silence,
all that had been submerged and suppressed in the clamour of male voices.
With the accessibility to education, the right to economic earning, the right to property and
the right to vote, women are fully aware of their rights, liberties and weaknesses. Women’s
writing presents the disturbing awareness of the precarious nature of woman’s position in society.
The upcoming of women’s pressures, the acknowledgement of publishing houses of women’s
writing and the financial help rendered thus, all sought to create a general awareness for women’s
literature. Viney Kirpal suggests:
Thus, in different though complementary ways, both male and female Indian English
novelists have sought ‘to light the torch’ to extirpate existing gender inequalities and transform
patriarchal society. (178)
Works Cited
Jain, Jasbir. Ed. Women’s Writing Text and Cpontext. Jaipur and New Delhi: Rawat
Publications, 1999.
Kirpal, Viney. ‘Rich Like Us: Text, Context and Subtext.’ Jasbir Jain ed. Women’s Writing,
op.cit.
Mukherjee, Meenakshi. The Perishable Empire and Other Essays. New Delhi: OUP, 2000.
Sahgal, Nayantara. Rich Like Us. London: Heinemann, 1985.
Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One’s Own. 1928. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1967.

Reinventing Public Sector Enterprises In Orissa : Focus
IDCOL
Niranjan Pani *
Pratima Sarangi **
Abstract
‘Public Sector Enterprise’ is a buzz word in 21st century along with disinvestment.
This global trend is introduced to revamp public sector for development. In this changed
scenario, Public Sector Enterprises in Orissa is analysed in detail. Side by side, focus of
the study is fixed on IDCOL - a prime PSE of Orissa.
Introduction
Growth of Public Sector Enterprises is a global phenomenon. Public Sector
Enterprises are vital instruments of public policy of a developing economy. After
Independence, Central as well as the State Governments in India have played an
important role in socio-economic development. They have also undertaken extensive direct
investments in social as well as economic activities, and occupies a crucial position in the
Indian economy, since fifties. In mid 1960s, it occupied “ the commanding heights” of
the economy of the country. Modern economy is a planned economy. The three important
reasons for the growth of Public Sector Enterprises in India are : (i) to transfer the
developing economy to a developed one, (ii) to promote development in terms of social
gain, not in terms of profit, (iii) to provide commercial surpluses to foster the industrial
growth. 1In a developing country like India, the growth of public enterprises can be defined
as per the standards of living.
Certain definitions are given below to know the meaning of Public Sector
Enterprises. According to S.S. Khera, “ Public Enterprise is meant the industrial,
commercial and economic activities carried on by the Central Government or by a State
Government and in each case either solely or in association with private enterprise, so
long as it is managed by a self-contained management”. 2 A.H. Hanson states that “ Public
Enterprises man state ownership and active operation of industrial agricultural financial
and commercial undertakings “. 3 Generally, Public Sector Enterprise is an agency of the
government , whether Central or State, through which the government manages its
commercial and economic activities.
Growth of Public Enterprises : Indian Scenario
In India, a large number of public enterprises were grown up during different Five
Year Plan period and Industrial Policy Resolutions. The government has set up public
enterprises with specific objectives in order to harness the resources. Public enterprises in
India cover a wide range of activities like, production, service and financial. So in the
absence of private entrepreneurs, the government through the public enterprises have to
create infrastructure base for the growth of economic process. The number of enterprises
in India have increased from five units involving an investment of Rs. 29 crores in 1950
to two hundred-forty three units with total investment of Rs. 10,00,000 crores in 1998.
The public sector enterprises in India are mainly classified into three types :
Departmental Undertakings, Government Company and Public / Statutory Corporations,
Departmental undertakings is the oldest and traditional public sector enterprises which is
*
Reader in Public Administration, DDCE, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India.
** Research Scholar Deptt. of Public Administration, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India.

created by an executive order under direct control of minister of the concerned
department. Government company is established under the ordinary company law without
the Parliament’s specific approval and funds are obtained from the Government. Public or
statutory corporation is created by a law of the competent legislature under a special
statute of the parliament, with its separate finance and it also prepares its own budget.
The growth of State level public enterprise are the vital instruments to accelerate the
economic development of the states. By the end of the Third Five Year Plan period, various
state Governments owned shares in public sector enterprises. The objectives of the state
level public enterprises vary widely across various states. The main objectives of the
public enterprises are to exploit the natural resources, to mobilize institutional finance, to
fulfill certain social purposes, to speed up the rate of growth in gross domestic product,
and act as a catalyst for the development of backward areas. State level public sector
enterprises are engaged in a wide spectrum of activities including power generation,
transportation, industrial development, infrastructure development, construction, financial
services, forest, fisheries, agro industries, consumer and industrial goods, minerals and
metals, trading and marketing textiles, tourists, services and engineering goods.
Public Sector Enterprises : Orissa Chapter
Orissa is one of the resource rich states in India. Despite its huge natural and human
resources, Orissa remains poorest state with a high rate of poverty in the country. Its
percapita income, agricultural growth, industrial development and rate of literary is lower
as compared to the national average. After fifty-five years of planned development
policies, the living standards of the people in the State have not improved. To overcome
economic stagnation, the State Government has opted for the State Level Public
Enterprises ( SLPE). The State of Orissa was born in 1936, with six districts only. For
administrative convenience, the State was divided into thirteen districts until 1992 and again
into thirty districts on 12 th November 1993. There are twenty six departments and three
hundred fifty eight subdivisions created for smooth functioning of the government. The
government had also set up Public Sector Enterprises in production, service and financial
sectors in the State. At the time of its formation, the State had no enterprise in public or
private sector. In the absence of private entrepreneurs, the State directly opted for
development through productive activities. The first Public enterprises in Orissa, the
Mayurbhanj Textiles Limited and the Titagarh Tannery Limited were established in 1943.
Different Five Year Plans from 1951 to 2002 were giving priority to the Public
Enterprises in Orissa. As on 31 st March, 2000, there were seventy-two Public Sector
Enterprises including 49 government companies, 20 subsidiaries, and 3 statutory
corporations. The total investment in the operating government companies and statutory
corporation was Rs. 8,543.62 crores. The investment in public sector enterprises as well as
their number have registered phenomenal growth. But the financial performance of these
public sector enterprises did not measure up to the expectations.
According to the latest Comptroller and Auditor General Report 2000, thirteen
Government companies had earned profit and fifteen government companies were loss
incurring. As to the other case, only one public corporation had earned profit and other
two were loosing concerns. 4 The poor working condition of the Public Sector Enterprises
became burden on the economy of the State. The State Finance has already gone to a
crisis point. In spite of vast natural resources, most of the Public Sector Enterprises failed
to have maximum utilization. During the last fifty years, the State has become poorer
compared to the rest of India on various economic indicators as is evident from the table
No. 1.

Table No. 1: Some Social Indicators of Orissa and for All India
Idnicator Orissa All India
Percapita Income ( New Series 1993-94) Rs. 6,767 Rs. 10,204
Infrastructure Development Index 98.90% 100%
Literacy rate 51% 62%
Population in Poverty 47.10% 226.10%
( Source : Observation of Public / Co-operative Enterprise Committee, 2002).
From the above discussion, as an inhabitant of Orissa, the researcher is interested
to examine the performance of the Public Sector Enterprises. Public Sector Enterprises are
an important device for managing public purposes in a systematic manner. But the real
development of public sector is hampered due to various problems. To know the various
problems of the Public Sector , the author has taken this topic for the paper. This study
excludes Departmental Undertakings and co-operative Enterprises. To make a review of
performance of Public Enterprises in Orissa the researcher has selected one government
company (IDCOL). In this research analysis of PSEs in Orissa with the wide ranging
reforms and restructuring programmes of the management, focus is placed on IDCOL.
Objective of the study
In describing the role of Public Sector Enterprises in Orissa, the main objectives of
the study are :-
To review the emergence of Public Sector Enterprises in Orissa through First Five
Year Plan (1951) to Ninth Five Year Plan (1997-2002).
To analyze the performance of the Public Enterprises in Orissa from 1995-2000.
To discuss the various problems which create obstacles on the way of the Public
Enterprises in Orissa.
To study the recent reforms and restructuring programmes in the Public Enterprises
of Orissa during the period of study.
Classification
There is no one ideal form of organizing Public Sector Enterprises. In general,
three main forms of organization, each with significant variations are now utilized for the
administration of public enterprises. The three forms of public sector enterprises are :
Departmental Undertakings
Government Company
Public / Statutory Corporation
1. Departmental Undertakings :
This is the oldest and traditional form of managing government enterprise. In the
beginning, distinction was made between public enterprises and traditional government
functions. 7 Generally, enterprises directly managed by a government department and
established by a government order are included in this category. The postal services,
tobacco, match and salt monopolies, telegraph and telephone service, railways are generally
financed and controlled as any other governmental department. 8 Telephone service is
privatized during the period of this study. Department undertakings is still commonly
implied when the main purpose of the enterprise is to provide revenue. The principal
characteristics of this form of enterprise , according to the Report of the Rangoon Seminar
of 1954,are :
(i) The enterprise is financed by annual appropriations from the Treasury and of the
annual budget. Its income is deposited with the government treasury.

(ii) The enterprise is subjected to the budget accounting and audit controls as applicable
to other government activities. 9
(iii) The staff of the enterprise are of civil servants and their conditions of recruitment and
service are the same as to the laws, rules and regulations governing the civil
services.
(iv) This form of enterprise may constitute a department in itself or may be an integral
part of a department.
(v) The enterprise is created by an executive order, not dependent on prior approval of
the Parliament. It is subjected to the direct control of the head of the department or
concerned minister. They are accountable to the parliament. The growth policy and
functioning of public enterprises are communicated to the parliament.
(vi) The investment in public enterprises under this form of organization is wholly made
by the government. Private parties are not allowed to invest money in such
enterprise.
(vii) A basic characteristic of the government department type of enterprise is the
sovereign immunity of the state and cannot be sued without the consent of the
government. 10
According to Krishna Menon Committee “ the requirements of this form of public
enterprise are : (a) Permanent staff is subjected to the rules and regulations applicable to
civil servants, thereby preventing both promotion on merit and prompt, disciplinary action
wherever necessary ; (b) tardy procedure for arranging funds ; (c) cash receipts have to be
put into government accounts and cannot be taken out without special sanction ; (d) the
system of accounting ; and (e) the departmental method of purchase of new materials and
sale of products and so on” 11
Specified structure of this type of public enterprise is helpful for easy administration.
The great advantage of departmental concerns is high degree of public accountability. The
enterprise is found to be inadequate as its rules do not give it too much autonomy. First
Five Year Plan (1951) stated that “successful conduct of such enterprises requires a great
deal of initiative and power to take quick decisions on the part of the executive in-charge,
and these can hardly be secured if the enterprise is under government department”. 12 This
form of organization is subject to executive and legislative interventions. Even for matters
of day-to-day operations as part of the government the enterprise is accountable to the
parliament. The departmental undertakings operate subject to the “procedures obtaining in
the administrative departments of government including the procedures that govern
budgeting, accounting and audit in these department”. 13 Government officials withhold too
much power with them which leads to centralization of authority and inadequate delegation
of powers. Pointing out the disadvantages of this form, Late Lord Raith, one time the
Director-General of the BBC, stated in the House of Lords that “ I would rather have
private ownership than nationalization, if nationalization means the conduct of public
services by a government department”. 14
This form of enterprise lacks individual initiative and quick decisions as various
rigid and strict rules and formalities are to be complied with. Under this type of
undertaking, “Public Enterprises have sometimes, become synonymous with red tape,
delays, inadequate service and insensitivity to consumer needs”. 15 Of course, many
governments have tried to eliminate these weakness by introducing new forms of structure
and giving autonomy to the management of these departmental undertakings.

2. Government Company :
Government company has become the most acceptable and popular form for public
sector enterprises in the country as well as state. This form has been extensively used in
management of industrial enterprises. Public enterprises incorporated as joint stock
companies, registered under the Indian Companies Act of 1956. The entire share capital is
owned by the government are classified as government companies . 16 Prof. A.H. Hanson
has defined the term ‘state company’ as “ an enterprise established under the ordinary
company law of the country concerned in which the Government has a controlling interest
through its ownership of all or some of the shares” . 17 Under Company Act 1956, section –
617, fifty-one percent of the paid-up capital is held by the central government or by any
state governments.
According to the Report of the Study Team on Public Sector Undertakings of the
Administrative Reform Commission , the central and provincial characteristics of this form
are as follows :
(i) Government company has most of the features of the private limited company.
(ii) It is a body corporate, created under general law, i.e. Companies Act partly or
wholly owned by the government.
(iii) It is created by an executive decision of the government without parliament’s or
state legislature’s specific approval.
(iv) It is governed by its Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association,
which lay down its objectives and rules of management.
(v) Government company obtains the funds mainly from the government and in some
cases, from private share holders.
(vi) It is exempted from the accounting and audit rules and procedures which are
applicable to government departments.
(vii) Its employees, excluding the deputationists, are not civil servants. The key personnel
are appointed by the company on its own terms and conditions which may be
different from those of government departments.
(viii) It can sue and be sued, enter into contract, and acquire property in its own name.
Though it does not enjoy the sovereign immunity of the state, it is free as a legal
person.
Next to departmental enterprises, government company is the one where the
government directly controls. The Mayurbhanj Textile Limited was created in 1943 as the
first government company in Orissa. Between 1956 and 1964 six government companies
with full ownership of capital by the state government were incorporated in Orissa. The
main objectives for which the corporation was established are : (i) to raise iron ore and
other minerals in the state, (ii) to maintain research laboratories in connection with the
exploitation of mineral wealth of the state, (iii) to open experimental workshops to conduct
test on the minerals available in the state. 18 The examples in respect of government
companies in Orissa are : Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited, Orissa
Forest Development Corporation, Orissa Agro-Industries Corporation Limited etc. As on
31st March,2000, there were 72 government companies out of which 33 were operational,
according to the Audit Report of Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
A government company enjoys a number of advantages like, it is easy to establish,
it is managed by professionally qualified people to operate efficiently. It also facilitates
private participation, foreign collaboration, nationalization and can run for profit-making
business. However, the government company form of enterprise has certain weaknesses.
First, it does not ensure the public accountability to the parliament. Second , in most
cases, employees of government company are not civil servants. A company determines the

conditions and other aspects of its employees without being restricted by civil service
rules and regulations. 19 It is apparently an autonomous agency, but the articles are so
framed and the boards so constituted that government influence can be easy and expensive.
20 The Administrative Reform Commission Study Team has also reported that “ the extent
of autonomy that is provides for can be materially affected or altered by executive
agencies of the government 21 . According to Prof. W.A. Robson, “ it is in no way an
instrument of democratic socialism but is rather a device for avoiding public control and
public accountability” 22 . For majority of the public sector enterprises, the company form
was adventitious for its necessary autonomy and flexibility. Above all this form of
enterprise has been accepted as a vital instrument of the public sector.
3. Public Corporation:
Public corporation is the most important form of public sector enterprise. The term
‘Public Corporation ‘ was first use in 1926, and remained popular after that, but it was
replaced by ‘Statutory Corporation ‘ in 1958 used by Prof. Ronald S. Edward and Mr.
Harry Townsend. The statutory corporation is a specific type of public organization for
business, while the term public corporation and public enterprise are used for wider
meaning comprising of all types of governmental enterprises in general . 23 According to
W.A. Robson “ Public Corporation is the most important innovation in political
organization and constitutional practice” M.E. Demock in his book ‘British Public Utilities
and National Development’ has defined “ Public Corporation is a publicly owned enterprise
that has been chartered under federal state or local law for a particular or financial
purpose”. In the words of H. Morrison, “ In public corporation, we are seeking a
combination of public ownership, public accountability and business management for
public ends”. All the above definitions state that the establishment of a public corporation
results from the decision taken by the legislature of organization “ clothed with the power
of government, but possessed with flexibility and initiative of private enterprise”, in the
words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in connection with the Tanneesee Valley
Authority (TVA) of the United State. Public corporation may be defined as “ an
autonomous commercial organization established at government insistence outside the frame
work of government departments and company legislation. 24
The United Nations Seminar (1954) enunciated the following principal characteristics
of a public corporation :
(i) Public Corporation is created by a special law of the parliament or state legislature
which defines its powers, duties and immunities, prescribing the form of management
and its relationship to the government departments.
(ii) It is a separate entity for legal purpose and is given greater freedom in making
contracts and acquiring the disposing off propriety than the government departments.
(iii) It is independently financed. The financial arrangements are not related to
departmental budgets. It can obtain funds through borrowing, either from the
treasury or market and revenues from the sale of its goods and services.
(iv) Public corporation is normally free from budget, accounting audit laws and
procedures applicable to government departments.
(v) Even though a statutory corporation is wholly owned by the state, the employees of
the corporation are not civil servants. The recruitment, remuneration and the terms of
working conditions are determined by the corporation itself. It is not conduct by
Civil Service Conduct Rules.

(vi) It is accountable to a concerned minister as the representative of government, and
is managed by a board whose members are generally appointed by the minister
concerned.
This form of enterprise is regarded as the best form for carrying out public business
because it is empowered with certain autonomy which makes free from the administration
and political interference in its management. According to Prof. W.A. Robson. “ The
public corporation is the most important invention of the twentieth century in the sphere of
government institutions”. 25 Robson states “The public corporation is in my judgment by
far the best organ so far devised in this or any other country for administering nationalized
industries or undertakings. Allowing for some teaching troubles which are still not entirely
cured, the public corporations which we have evolved is an outstanding contribution to
public administration in a new and vitally important sphere. 26 To quote a United Nations
Publication “Discussion about the relative advantages and disadvantages of these three
forms of organization continues unabated. Whereas there is general agreement that, other
things being equal, both the company and the corporation are superior to the department.
Such agreement, however, may not mean very much, as inter country comparisons are
difficult to make “ 27 The financial autonomy is the main advantage of public corporation.
However, Glentworth says that the laws governing public corporations are currently
inadequate and are under valued as a tool in achieving the right balance between control
and autonomy. 28 A statutory corporation is itself not a symbol of autonomy. The
autonomy of an public corporation does not simply depend on the provisions and conditions
laid down in the statutes, but also in the spirit of its dealings with a government
department, since a corporation is under the minister of concerned department. The
original status of autonomy exist in different parts of the world, in the United Kingdom,
the United States, Canada and France. Public corporations retain the operating and financial
flexibility but they have been within the frame work of central direction and control of
their governments. 29 In India, it was originally conceived that ‘ national activities, which
have a major economics, social and of a democratically elected parliament, should be
established as statutory corporations “. 30 The statutory corporation are under greater control
than those public sector enterprises set up under the companies act.
As per the Administrative Reform Commission, it is desirable to adopt a statutory
corporation form for public sector projects in the industrial and manufacturing fields. 31
Public corporation first time introduced in United States of America in 1904, the Panama
Rail road Company. In 1908, the Port of London Authority was established as the first
public corporation in Great Britain. In 1948, public sector enterprise in Orissa, the Orissa
State Financial Corporation was introduced in 1955-56, as first public corporation in
Orissa. The state of Orissa has only three statutory corporations as on 31st March, 2000,
excluding Orissa Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation. They are :
(i) Orissa State Financial Corporation
(ii) Orissa State Ware Housing Corporation
(iii) Orissa State Road Transport Corporation
Five Year Plans and Public Enterprises
On the eve of the First Five Year Plan (1951-55) there were eight state level
public enterprises in the state. Orissa had only one paper mill, one sugar factory and one
glass factory till the advent of independence. This five year plan was made to develop
infrastructure sector in the state. Government set up had given emphasis on development
of transport, power sector.
During the Second Five Year Plan (1955-56) two statutory corporations, viz, Orissa
State Financial Corporation and Orissa State Ware Housing Corporation are incorporated in

the state. The Orissa Mining Corporation was established as a government company
during this Five Year Plan. During this plan period, pilot project of small-scale industries
with share capital contribution of 90 percent was initiated. 32
The Third Five Year Plan (1960-66) created a new era for the growth of the state
level public enterprises. The government set up the Orissa State Electricity Board on 1st March 1961 under the Electricity Supply Act 1948. The Orissa State Commercial
Transport Corporation was formed in 1961 to transport iron ore from Daitary Mines to
Paradip Port and for handling import and export of Cargo of Paradip Port on behalf
various government departments. The government set up the Industries Development
Corporation of Orissa in 1962 with the objective of starting and promoting industrial
units and providing financial and technical assistance to other industries in the state. This
was the first of its kind in the public sector in Orissa, to develop rapid industrialization.
The Orissa Construction Corporation was established in 1962 to take up various
construction works of the government on contract basis and Orissa Forest Corporation in
the same year came up to explore the possibilities use of forest resources and to develop
forest based industries. Orissa Instruments Company was also incorporated in 1962. 33
During the Fourth Five Year Plan period (1968-63) three new undertakings were set
up. The Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Orissa Limited was
established for financing and promoting medium and large scale industries. The Orissa
Lift Irrigation Corporation was established for the creation of irrigation potential through
introduction of Lift Irrigation system.
During the Fifth Five Year Plan (1974-79) Public sector units developed rapidly.
Ten state level public enterprises were set up during this period in different fields such
as film development, handloom, fishing, textiles, cashew development, leather products,
maritime Chilika area development, seeds. The public enterprises developed during this
period are Mayurbhanj Textile Limited, the Film Development Corporation of Orissa
Limited, Orissa Maritime and Chilika Area Development Limited, Orissa State Handloom
Development Corporation, Orissa State Leather Corporation, Orissa State Seeds
Corporation, Orissa Tourism Development Corporation, Orissa Fish Seed Development
Corporation, Orissa State Cashew Development Corporation. There were 49 Government
companies in Orissa as on 31st March,1978. 34
During the Sixth Five Year Plan (1980-85) nine new public enterprises were
formed. The different areas in which these enterprises emerged , like television, electronics,
bridge construction, textiles, industrial infrastructure, tourism, police housing and social
welfare. 35 The Orissa State Civil Supplies Corporation, Orissa State Police Housing and
Welfare Corporation Limited, Orissa Textile Corporation Limited, Orissa State Electronics
Development Corporation, the Konark Television Limited, Orissa Bridge and Construction
Limited, Orissa Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation were instituted in the
state. According to 1983-84 Report of Comptroller and Auditor General of India, in
Orissa there were 62 government company as on 31st Masch,1984. 36
On public enterprise, Orissa State Export Development Corporation Limited was set
up during the Seventh Five Year Plan Period (1985-1990) to promote the plantation
development. As on 31st March,1987 , there were thirty-three state level public enterprises
in the state.
In the Eighth Five Year Plan (1992-97), four public sector enterprises were
established in the power sector, agriculture sector and housing development sector. They
are GRID Corporations, Orissa Hydro Power Generation Corporation Limited, Agriculture
Promotion and Investment Corporation Limited, Orissa Rural Housing and Development

Corporation. Due to power sector reform GRID Corporation was instituted instead of
Orissa State Electricity Board in 1995-96. 37
During the Ninth Five Year Plan, one public enterprise, namely Orissa Pisciculture
Development Corporation was formed w.e.f. 15th October,1998. But the corporation was
merged with Orissa Maritime Chilika Area Development and Orissa Fish Seed
Development Corporation. Upto 1999-2000 there were 36 public sector enterprises
registered under the companies act or created under specialists of the state legislature are
operation in state. 38
The growth of Public Enterprises in Orissa during different Five Year Plans are
indicated under different sectors in the following Table No.-2.
Table No.-2: Growth of Public Enterprises During Five Year Plans
Sector 1951-55 1955-56 1960-66 1968-73 1974-79
1980-85 1985-90 1992-97 1997-02 Total
Production - - - - 3 4 - - 1 7
Service 1 1 2 1 - 5 1 2 - 12
(merged)
Financial 2 2 1 2 7 - - 2 - 17
Total 3 3 3 3 10 9 0 4 1 36
(Source : Public Enterprise Profile, Government of Orissa, F.Y. 1996-97)
Size of Public Enterprises :
Government of Orissa have set up thirty-six public enterprises in production, service
and financial sector of the state in relation to its socio-economic policies since the year
1951. 39 The development of public enterprises in the state sector has been the result of
the priority according to them in the Five Year Plans, as in the case of the Central
Public Enterprises. 40 There are 77 government companies (including 20 subsidiaries, 3
companies are deemed) and four statutory corporations. However, 32 government
companies are working and among non-working companies 15 are under liquidation, 21
are under closure and 2 are merged as on 31st March 2000. 41 During the period 2001-02 ,
there are 32 government companies and 3 statutory corporations working in Orissa. The
public sector enterprises with their year of incorporation are shown in the following Table
No.-3.
Table No.-3: Public Undertakings with year of Incorporation
Name of the Undertaking Abbreviation Year of Incorporation
A. STATUTORY CORPORATIONS
Orissa State Financial Corporation Ltd. OSFC 1956
Orissa State Warehousing Corporation Ltd. OSWHC 1958
Orissa State Road Transport Corporation
Orissa Industrial Infrastructure
OSRTC 1974
Development Corporation
B. REGISTERED COMPANIES
IDCO 1981
Orissa Mining Corporation Ltd. OMC 1956
Orissa Agro Industries Corporation Ltd. OAIC 1961
Orissa Forest Development Corporation Ltd. OFDC 1962
Orissa Instruments Company Ltd. OIC 1962
The Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Ltd. IDC 1962

Orissa Construction Corporation Ltd. OCC 1962
Orissa State Commercial Transport Corporation Ltd. OSCTC 1964
Orissa Small Industrial Corporation Ltd. OSIC 1972
Orissa Lift Irrigation Corporation Ltd.
Industrial Promotion and Investment
OLIC 1973
Corporation of Orissa Ltd. IPICOL 1973
The New Mayurbhanj Textile Ltd. NMTC 1976
The Film Development Corporation of Orissa Ltd. FDCO 1976
Orissa State Leather Corporation Ltd. OSLC 1976
Orissa State Handloom Development Corporation Ltd. OSHDCL 1977
Orissa State Seeds Corporation Ltd.
Orissa Maritime and Chilika Area
OSSC 1978
Development Corporation Ltd. OMCAD 1978
Orissa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. OTDC 1979
The Fish Seed Development Corporation Ltd. OFISEED 1979
Orissa State Cashew Development Corporation Ltd. OSCDC 1979
Orissa State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd.
Orissa State Police Housing &
OSCSC 1980
Welfare Corporation Ltd. OSPH&WC 1980
Orissa State Textile Corporation Ltd. OSTC 1981
Orissa State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd. ELCO 1981
The Konark Television Ltd. KTV 1982
Orissa Bridge and Construction Corporation Ltd. OBCC 1982
Orissa Textile Mills Ltd. OTM 1983
Orissa Power Generation Corporation Ltd. OPGC 1984
Orissa State Export Development Corporation Ltd. OSEDC 1990
GRIDCO GRIDCO 1995
Orissa Hydro Power Generation Corporation Ltd. OPGC 1996
Agricultural Promotion and Investment Corporation Ltd. APICOL 1996
Orissa Rural Housing and Development Corporation Ltd. ORHDC
Financial Performance : Key to of Public Enterprises Survival
1994
The total investment in public sector enterprise was Rs.7,92,868.35 Lakhs, out of
which the State Government’s contribution was Rs.162993.76 Lakhs in terms of loans as
in 1999-2000. 42 In the financial year 1990-91 there were only six enterprises earned profit
where as eight enterprises earned profit continuously in 1981-87. Among the 33 public
enterprises there were ten, earned profit in financial year 1992-93 and 1993-94
respectively. The report of the Cabinet Sub-Committee , formed in 1995, stated that out
of 36 public enterprises, 15 public enterprises earned profit during 1994-95. Out of the
35 public enterprises only 13 enterprises earned profit as on 31 st March,2000. 43
In the financial year 1990-91, among 33 public sector enterprises twenty-five
enterprises were loosing concern. During the years 91-92, 92-93 and 93-94 the number of
enterprises incurred loss were 21, 20 and 22 respectively. There were seventeen, twelve
and thirteen public enterprises incurring loss in 94-95, 96-97 and 97-98 respectively. Out
of the 35 public sector enterprises 20 enterprises were loosing concern in the financial
year 1999-2000.44

According to the CAG Report forty government companies and two statutory
corporation incurred an aggregate loss of Rs.411.90 crore and Rs.42.99 crore respectively
while sixteen companies and one corporation earned an aggregate profit of Rs.321.86
crore and Rs.1.24 crore respectively. Out of remaining 13 companies, 5 companies did
not prepare their accounts, 3 companies did not start their commercial production and
other 5 companies had no profit and no loss as these were under closure / liquidation
since September 2000. 45
Out of the three statutory corporations only one corporation, Orissa State
Warehousing Corporation (OSWC) earned profit of Rs.1.24 crore during 1997-98. The
other two corporations, the Orissa State Road Transport Corporation and Orissa State
Financial Corporation had accumulated losses of Rs.114.13 crore in 1991-92 and Rs.286-
82 crore in 1998-99. 46
During 1998, Orissa Instruments Company (20.3.98), Orissa State Commercial
Transport Corporation (30.5.98) and Orissa State Leather Corporation (18.6.98) were
closed. Out of these 36 public enterprises 17 enterprises faced continuous loss for the last
five year. The financial performance of the 36 public sector enterprises with total profit /
loss are given in the following Table No.-4.
Table No.-4: Profit / Loss (-) of the PSEs in Orissa from 1990-2000
(in Crores)
1990-91 -13.62
1991-92 0.15
1992-93 91.2
1993-94 -61.05
1994-95 -75.28
1995-96 82.07
1996-97 -124.44
1997-98 -121.24
1998-99 -258.92
1999-2000 -207.62
(Source : White Paper on State Finance, 1999-2001 and Report of Cabinet Sub-
Committee, 1996).
The contribution of the public sector enterprise to the state economy is
unsatisfactory. The performance of the thirty-six public sector enterprises are monitored by
Department of Public Enterprise. The Government of Orissa has created Industrial
Policies, Cabinet Sub-Committee and Department of Public Enterprise to regulate and
investigate the performance of public sector enterprises in Orissa.
Industrial Policy of Orissa, 1996 :
Pointer to PSEs
The Industrial Policy, 1996 formulated by the State Government is to spell out the
objectives and strategies and to translate this commitment into concrete action. The State
Industrial Policy 1996 states that the state public sector enterprises will undertake
rationalization of their existing man power. They will also seek more commercial
borrowing instead of depending on budgetary support from the State Government. The
general policy would be continue the promotional public sector enterprises and to
strengthen them to play their role effectively. Commercial undertakings could be
privatized while profit making commercial public sector enterprises would be suitable for

partial disinvestment to the extent of 51 percent or more in order to infuse private
management and capital for revival. 47
Cabinet Sub-Committee,1996 :
The Scrutinizer
In view of the dismal performance of the public sector enterprises, the state
government constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee in 1995-96 to oversee implementation of
this industrial policy. The committee was formed to examine the functioning of the public
sector undertakings and the enterprises under co-operative sector and to recommend wide
ranging reforms and restructuring programme including closure of some enterprises. If
necessary, it can suggest privatization / joint venture in appropriate cases including nonviable
/ loss making units. The committee has been formed to decide about the future of
all public sector undertakings. 48
Department of Public Enterprise :
The Regulator
The state government created the Department of Public Enterprise on 4 th January,
1991 in order to oversee and regulate the functions of state public sector undertakings
and to render required advice for their efficient management and control in the financial
areas, such as finance, production, organization and marketing. At present this department
is acting as the nodal department of thirty-five public sector enterprises of the state of
Orissa. 49
Public Enterprises : Stumbling Blocks
From the above pinpointed discussion it is evident that the public enterprises are
full of various problems. Due to certain problems the public enterprises in Orissa have
not performed well. The major short comings of public enterprises are :
i) Employment of surplus staff in all most all the public enterprises.
ii) Obsolete technologies are being adopted in these units.
iii) Absence of long term corporate planning.
iv) Low operational efficiency.
v) Controlled by many institutions like government, concerned ministers etc.
vi) Constraint for mobilizing additional natural resources for their operational activities.
vii) Lack of professional manpower.
viii) Real autonomy is not given to the public enterprises.
ix) Lack of competitiveness among the units
x) No clear cut objective is mentioned in public enterprises. They have service as well
as commercial motive.
xi) Frequent change of chief executive.
xii) Delay in execution of projects.
xiii) Faculty pricing policy by the units.
xiv) Faculty estimation of capital expenditure.
xv) Poor utilization of capacity.
Public Enterprise : Redefined
Historically, the Public Sector Enterprise have played a key role in the growth of
the economy of the state. Public sector was occupying the “commanding heights” of the
Indian economy. After Independence, the government in Orissa set up a number of public

undertakings to accelerate the pace of economic development. Specific objectives are not
fulfilled by public enterprises. Majority of the public enterprises have not performed well
and have failed to achieve their objectives.
There are 68 public sector enterprises comprising 64 government companies and 4
statutory corporations as on 31st March,2001. Out of 64 government companies, 30
companies are now working companies,34 non-working companies (9 are under
liquidation, 23 are closure and two have been merged). While public enterprises have
played very important roles in the past, these enterprises at present have also become
burden on the economy of the state. In promoting social justice and helping the weaker
sections, some public enterprises are incurring loss. 50
To improve the performance of the public sector enterprises, government of Orissa
has accepted programme on restructuring / reform as a part of its economic and
development policy. The main objectives of the reform programme by Government of
Orissa are : to create competitive market condition; to eliminate budgetary support; to
prevent loss of capital by public enterprises and to facilitate higher productivity etc. 51
True, certain programmes are achieved by the government. Such restructuring programmes
are noted below :
1. Privatisation
Orissa Tiles Limited (defunct since 1976) are now with private share holders.
Orissa Pump and Engineering Company Limited, a subsidiary of Orissa Small Industries
Corporation Limited, was taken over by private management. The subsidiaries of GRID
Corporation of Orissa Limited (GRIDCO), i.e., North Eastern Electricity Supply Limited
(NESCO), Southern Electricity Supply Limited (SOUTHCO), Western Electricity Supply
Company Limited (WESCO) was privatized from 1st April 1999. Here private company
holds 51 percent equity, GRIDCO hold 39 percent and 10 percent rest with he trustees.
Subsidiaries of Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited (IDCOL), viz Rerolling
mills, IDCOL Piping and Engineering Works Limited, IDCOL Cement Limited,
Ferro Chrome Plant, Challenge Iron Works were privatized from October,1999.
2. Liquidating Companies :
Konark Processing Works Limited and Challenge Steel and Wire Products Limited
were finally dissolved on 22 March and 3rd May,1996 respectively by the orders of
Honourable High Court.
New Creation :
A new subsidiary of Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited in the
name of IDCOL Software Limited was created on 26 th November 1998. 52
3. Disinvestment
The next important restricting programme was Disinvestment in the power sector.
Orissa was first of the states to initiate the process of Disinvestment even before the
Government of India announced its policy of liberalization in 1991. The first unit
disinvested was the charge chrome plant of the OMC Alloys Limited, which was sold to
TISCO. The rationale behind Disinvestment are to “raise resources and encourage wider
public participation”. 53 It is imperative to restructure these public enterprises and can
secure from privatization.
There is a need to reform the public sector enterprise. No doubt, measures towards
opening up of the economy announced there years. 54 Recently Voluntary Retirement
Scheme (VRS) and Voluntary Service Scheme (VSS) of the restructuring programme of

the government are reducing the problem of overstaffing. Reforms and restructuring should
improve the efficiency, not only of the markets, but also of the public sector enterprises,
making it more accountable and participatory so that a rupee spent delivers a rupee’s
worth of benefits. 55 Public sector in Orissa should be developed to achieve the new
challenges of economic scenario, through the sympathetic reform and restructuring
programmes.
IDCOL : A STUDY
In an under-development economy, the states have to play the role of a catalyst to
foster the economic growth by creating public sector enterprise. In Orissa, large number
of Public Sector Enterprises were set up with the specific objectives. Some of them have
fulfilled the objectives and some other enterprises have become liabilities for the state
economy.
To examine the performance of the public enterprises, it is meant to study them
individually. This part of the study deals with a case study of Industrial Development
Corporation of Orissa Limited, in Orissa. Out of 36 public sector enterprises, the
researcher had take one enterprise on a lot to analyse precisely. Due to limitation of
time, the author selected one public enterprise form the production sector.
Back Drop
The Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited is a government
company. The Government of Orissa had set up the Industrial Development Corporation
of Orissa Limited (IDCOL) as separate company in 29th March 1962 for industrialization
of the state at a time when the entrepreneurial skill and infrastructure facilities were
lacking. The state with its large resources of mineral and other natural resources, had not
entered into the field of industrial development. It was incorporated to promote heavy and
medium scale industries in the state. Thereafter , the corporation worked out for setting up
industries and providing employment in different parts of the state. 56
The corporation started its activity with the engineering workshop of the Hirakud
Dam Project which it took over in April,1962 to develop the workshop to modern
engineering works. The said workshop, now known Hirakud Industrial Works Limited at
Hirakud with a maiden turnover of Rs.1 lakh has achieved a highest turnover of Rs.80
crores acquiring the capacity to execute jobs in power transmission sectors.
Since date, Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited has not looked
back. The corporation set up its own industries with the financial support from
government at various places through out the state particularly in economically backward
areas which, in addition to contributing substantial revenue to state and central exchequer,
created enormous employment opportunities and helped in developing ancillary industries.
In addition, the corporation has also promoted industries . In addition, the corporation has
also promoted industries in joint venture in association with private entrepreneurs acting
as a catalyst for rapid industrialization of the state.
Objectives :
The objectives with which Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited
was set up are explained in the few lines :
(i) To set up, and promote industries both public and private sectors in the state for
optimum utilization of mineral resources available in the state.
(ii) To aid rapid infrastructure development of the state.

(iii) To establish and execute industrial projects either directly managing it or through
other parties under the joint management.
(iv) To promote and finance industrial undertakings in both sectors with capital, credit
and means of resources 57 .
Management Structure :
The Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited is the second largest
public sector enterprise in the state. The head office of this government company is
situated at Bhubaneswar. The corporation is managed by a board of directors, whole a
time chairman and a whole time managing director, both of whom are senior-officers of
the Indian Administrative Service. The board of directors consists of members, of whom
8 are I.A.S officers and 4 other officials. The secretary, personnel officer, administrative
officer, financial adviser, chief accounts officer, controller of costs, civil engineers,
development engineer, superintendent, training officer, industrial engineer and assistant
publicity officer are working in the head office. All are reporting directly to the managing
director in seven production units. These departmental heads have supporting junior
officers and lower level personnel in their respective departments. Each of the production
unit of this corporation is headed by a general management, financial management and
production or technical management. The head office as well as each of the production
units appears to have a flat type of organization 58 .
The present organizational structure of IDCOL is given in the following chart . 59
Organisational Structure of IDCOL
Board of Director-12
CHAIRMAN – CUM – MANAGING DIRECTOR
E.D (C) E.D. (T) G.M. (P&A) Dy. G.M. (F) I Dy.G.M. Co.SECY C.V.O.
(II) G.M.(G)
S.D.M.(C) SDM D.G.M. S.D.M(F)-1 S.D.M(F)-3 DM-1 A.M.(2)
SR.MGR (SYST) DM Sr.Mgr. A.M.(F)-2 D.M.(F)-2 A.M.-1
Dy.Mgr.(C) S.D.M.(4) A.M.(F)-3
D.M.(F)-2
C – Commercial
T – Technical
P&A – Personal & Administration
CVO – Chief Vigilance Officer
G- Geology
(Source : IDCOL Office, BBSR)
List of Industrial set up and promoted by t his corporation along with product,
capacity and employment generated is given in the Table No. 5.
Sl. Name of Date of Product Capacity Employment
No. the Unit Production per Annum
1 (a) Hirakud Ind. April ‘62 Fabrication eraction
Works Ltd. Hirakud of transmission 8,000 MT 527
line towers
(b) Hira cable Works Nov.’67AAC & ACSR Conductor
128

2 IDCOL Cement Ltd.
& BLQ, Bargarh 9,65,000 MT 933
(a) 1 st & 2 nd cement Mill Feb.68 Cement 3,96,000MT
(b) 3 rd Cement Mill Explan.1 Nov.’85 Cement 1,69,000MT
(c) Modernization 1996 Cement 4,00,000MT
3 IDCOL Pining & Engg.
Works Ltd.
(a) Fabrication Unit April’8 Fabrication Piping,
Bend, elbows, tees etc. 2400 MT
(b) SST Project March’91 Stainless Steel tubes 1600 MT
4 ORICHEM Ltd. Talcher May,1982 Sod dicrom at3300 MT
Closed
Sod. Sulphate 1520 MT
5 ABS Spinnin Orissa Ltd.
(a) Aska Spinning May, 1982 Fine cotton yarn & 24, 752 670
Mill Aska synthetic if yarn
(b) Baripada Spinning March’87 Cotton Yarn25,080 spindles
917
Mill, Baripada
(c) Sonepur Spinning March’83 Cotton Yarn25,080 spindles
713
Mill, Sonepur
6 Konark Jute Ltd. Feb’ 79 Heavy less cement bags,13,240 MT 1421
Dhanmandal BT will bags Ltd.
7 S.N. Corporation 1985 High Textile Fastners 3,000MT
Ltd. Dhenkanal
(Source : Report from IDCOL)
The employment position of the above seven units of the corporation is not on a
current date. Besides the above, the corporation also operates limestone mines, chromite
mines and mines and iron and manganese mines. The Industrial Development Corporation
had about 4,000 personnel in its head office and its seven units in 1962-63. As on 31st March, 2000, the corporation has 2258 personnel where 333 are managerial executive, 341
are supervisory/ clerical, other are 1570 and temporary or adhoc are 14 in number. 60
Performance of the Corporation : Its Success Indicator
The Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited was started with an
authorized share capital of Rs.50 crore divided into 50,00,000 shares of Rs.100 each. 61
With increased activities the corporation has the unique feature of earning profit between
1979 and 1993 continuously. During 1990-91, the profit before interest and depreciation
has gone up marginally over last year against which the annual plan for 1991-92 envisages
an increase of 100 percent. 62 The corporation continues to maintain the pattern of growth
and achieved a gross turn over of Rs.193.04 crores during the year 1990-91 which is
higher by 16 percent over the past year. In 1991-92, the corporation was set to achieve a
turn over of Rs.275 crores i.e. an increase of 42 percent. The value of production from
Rs.180 crores during 1991-92. In the financial year 1994-95 and 95-96 the corporation
had earned profit of Rs.756.87 lakh and Rs.2493.27 lakh respectively.

But the corporation had made loss in 1993-94 and from the financial year 1996-97
to 1999-2000 . During the year 1996-97 the corporation had created its position there in
between the list of top five loss making enterprises in Orissa.
The profit in 2001-02 has increased due to transfer of assets of units : Challenge
Iron Works, Ferro Chrome Plant and Rolling Mill to the respective subsidiary companies
on 31st March, 2002. It may be mentioned that all the units were first set up as units
directly managed by Industrial development Corporation of Orissa Limited and
subsequently, all have been converted into subsidiary companies at different points of time.
Now all units are managed by this corporation through subsidiary companies. Though
Industrial development Corporation limited was a profit making organization, it has felt the
brunt of economic slow down, impact of open market economy and globalization etc. The
paid up share capital of the corporation stands at Rs.57.12 crores.
Some of the units like Spinning Mills, Konark Jute Limited, Orichem Limited, S.M.
Corporation etc. which were incurring loss since inception, has been suffering the most.
The continuous loss has eroded the entire working capital fund totally jeopardizing the
operational activities of the units. The performance of the corporation since 1995-96 is given
below in the Table No.-6.
Table No.6: Performance of IDCOL SINCE 1995- 2002 Rs. In crores ;
Loss is indicated as (-)
Year Net Profit / (Loss) Accumulated Profit/(Loss)
1995-96 +1596 5250
1996-97 -1241 4010
1997-98 +2450 1559
1998-99 -3295 -1717
1999-2000 -1495 -3195
2000-2001 -1418 4613
2001-2002 +4501 112
(Source : Annual Reports of IDCOL and Other Reports of IDCOL)
IDCOL :Its
Subsidiary Companies:
There are eleven subsidiary companies operating through Industrial Development
Corporation of Orissa Limited. A brief account of each of the subsidiary companies is
given below :
IDCOL Cement Limited :
IDCOL Cement Limited was established as subsidiary company of Industrial
Development Corporation in February 1993. It is isolated in Bardol, Bargarh. Moderation of
the old cement plant was completed in 994-94 enhancing the production capacity from
5.65 lakh tons per annum to 9.65 lakhs tons per annum. IDCOL Cement Limited became
sick in March,1998. The accumulated interest on the loan availed from financial
institutions made the company sick. However, the total accumulated interests the total
accumulated interests fully waived by the financial institutional Development Corporation
of Orissa Limited through issue of bonds guaranteed by the State government. The company
then became free form sickness and earned profit due to waive of interest by financial
institutions. The capital investment in company in Rs. 329 crores as on 31st March 2002.
Deloitte . Touche Tohmastu (DTT) has been appointed as advisor to the same of IDCOL’ s

share holding in IDCOL cement. Advertisement has already been released on 17th Novemeber, 2002 Inviting Expression of Interest (EOI) from prospective bidders. The last
date for receipt of EOI is December, 2002. It may be mentioned that IDCOL holds 86.80
percent(Rs.230 crores) and UTI HOLDS 13.20 percent (Rs.35 crores) in the equity capital of
ICL. Now with the recent government decision, action has already been initiated for
privatization of the company. 63 The performance for the last five years of the IDCOL
Cement Limited refocused in the following table No. 9.
TABLE NO. 9
1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-03
Upto Sept.
Net turn over 6479 12016 9377 16282 16208 9036
Profit (Loss) (6.157) (4218) *13457 (97) 7851 (710)
Cash Profit/(Less) (5214) (3177) 14503 954 (6755) (180)
(Source : Reports form IDCOL)
IDCOL Kalinga Iron Works Limited
The IDCOL Kalinga Iron Workds Limited was created as subsidiary company of
IDCOL at Barbil. The company is negated in the production of furnace no.1 on April,
1963. Furnance No.2 in April, 1969, Furnace no.3 in February, 1971, furnace no.4 in
September, 1991. The Spun Pine division (SPD) was functioned from March, 1982. The
capacity of the Pig Iron Division (PID) is 2 lakhs tons per annum and the Spun Pipe
division (SPD) is 31, 200 MT. Capital investment in this company is Rs.66 crores. The
employment position lf the company is 1188. The performance of the IDCOL Kalinga Iron
works Limited for the last five years are given in the table no.10
TABLE NO. 10
1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-03
Upto Sept.
Net turn over 11158 7640 10534 12323 12441 4538
Profit (Loss) 1205 1596 272 1995 1838 479
Cash Profit/(Less) 965 1379 85 1770 1613 370
(Source : Documents of IDCOL)
Hirakud Industrial Works Limited
The Hirakud Industrial Works Limited one of the subsidiary companies of IDCOL is
located at Hirakud. The product of this company are towers and structures and aluminum
conductors for transmission line towers. Commencement of production development in
April, 1962. The capacity of towers and structures is 600 MT per annum and aluminum
conductors is 3000 MT per annum. There approximately 440 employees, are working in
this subsidiary company. The financial performance of the company is loss, incurring from
1999 to 2002. Though offer was received for privatization of Hirakud Industrial works
Limited in 1999-2000, the same could not materialize. However, as per the government
decision, action has already taken for inviting expression of interest(EOI) for take over of
the company. The last date for receipt of EOI is 30th November, 2002. The performance
of the Hirakud Industrial Works Limited with profit/losss are given in the table no.11

TABLE NO. 11
1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-03
Upto Sept.
Net turn over 4738 6417 7199 3982 1684 591
Profit (Loss) 135 4 -117 -157 -182 -216
Cash Profit/(Less) 168 44 -75 -115 -141 -196
(Source : Reports form ICOL)
IDCOL Ferro Chrome and Alloys Limited
The IDCOL Ferro Chrome and Alloys Limited was established as a subsidiary
company of IDCOL in November, 1969 at Jaipur road. High carbon Ferro chrome is the
product of this company. The capacity of the company is 19000 MT per annum Capital
investment in this company is Rs.60 crores. It has two furnace, furnace-I with capacity of
13,000 MT per annum and furnace-II with capacity of 6,000 MT per annum. The major
cost of production is power constituting 50 percent of the variable cost of production. It
operates Tailangi Chromite Mines hear Sukinda. It has high fixed over head, the major
being salary and wages.Rs.5,000 per ton of finished goods. As per the government
decision advertisement has been released for inviting EOI for privatization. The last date of
receipt of EOI is both December 2002. The performance of the IDCOL Ferro chrome and
Alloys Limited for the last five years are given below in the Table No.12.
Table No. 12
(In lakhs)
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03
Upto Sept.
Net turn over 3580 3840 3740 4344 3325 1606
Profit (Loss) -467 -649 -227 -805 -1501 -328
Cash Profit/ (Less) -235 -398 -83 -661 -1360 -270
(Source : Reports of IDCOL)
IDCOL Rolling Mill Limited
One subsidiary company of IDCOL, the IDCOL Rolling Mill Limited is located at
Hirakud. It was started in 1969. The products of this company are for steel, angles, rounds. The
capacity of this company is 25,000 Tons per annum. The total capital investment in this company
is Rs.229 lakhs. The employment position of the company is 52. IDCOL Rolling Mill Limited
(IRML) took over the IDCOL Rolling Mill w.e.f. 1st August, 1998. Steps were taken earlier for
privatization of the unit. Now as per the decision of the government ,advertisement would be
released on 20th November, 2002 for inviting expression of interest (EOI) by 18th December, 2002
for privatization. The performance of the IDCOL Rolling Mill Limited is unsatisfactory. The
available data on performance of the company since three years are given in the Table No.12.
Table No.12
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000
Net turn over 2038 954 128
Profit Loss (-) -346 -353 -227
Cash Profit/ Less (-) -260 -348 -271

(Source : Reports of IDCOL)
ABS Spinning Orissa Limited
ABS Spinning Orissa Limited is another subsidiary company of IDCOL. It has three
spinning mills at Aska, Baripada and Sonepur. The spinning mill at Baripada and Sonepur was
started in 1983. The Aska spinning mill was started in 1987. The capacity of each of the company
is 25,080 spindles. The total capital investment in the company is Rs.2820 lakhs. The
performance of the units were becoming negligible. All the accumulated loss is more than Rs.100
crores. The company, after becoming sick, is now under wining up. The mills had stooped their
production since 1990. The mills were running since that date under conversion arrangement.
Now none of the mills is in operation. Major employees of these mills have taken Voluntary
retirement (V.R.). Only principal liability to Bank is rs.8.00 crores and to FI’s Rs.7.00 crores and
to FI’s Rs.7.00 crores under innocence. There is no data available on the performance of
Baripada Spinning Mill. 64
Boiler Piping and Engineering Works Limited is located in Mancheswar Industrial Estate,
Bhubaneswar. It has two divisions. The Fabrication Division was incorporated in March, 1983.
The SST Division of this company was started in March, 1991. The product of the company are
bending of pipes and stainless steel tubes. The capital investment in this subsidiary company is
Rs.3700 lakhs. The employment position of the unit is 70. This company has been incurring loss
since inception. The accumulated loss is more than Rs.100 crore. The company is sick under
Board of Industrial and Finance Reconstruction (BIFR). Earlier major efforts for privatization are
taken and failed. State government has guaranteed the term loan of the company. Cases have been
filed Banks and F.I.S in DRT for realization of money. Recently, the government have settled
principal dues of IFCI at 70 percent. The financial performance of this company were
unsatisfactory and not available in the Industrial development Corporation of Orissa Limited.
S.N. Corporation Limited
S.N. Corporation Limited was located in Dhenkanal in 1985. This company was set up in
1982 by Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Orissa Limited (IPICOL) in Joint
Sector. As per the government decision Industry Development Corporation of Orissa Limited
(IDCOL) took over the company from IPICOL in 1989. The high tensile fasteners are the product
of this company. The capacity of the company is 3000 MT per annum. The total amount of
capital investments is Rs.994 lakhs. The number of employees in the S.N. Corporation is now 7.
The performance of the company is negligible. Total accumulated loss is Rs.28 crores. It is a sick
company under Board of Industrial Financial Reconstruction since 1990. The company is having
liability within Rs.1.50 crore. Due to continuous loss the operation of the company was closed
w.e.f. 23rd November 1998 with the approval of the government.
No data is available on the performance of S.N. Corporation Limited. Effort is being made
to run the company under lease and license arrangement.
Konark Jute Limited
Konark Jute Limited was located in Dhankandal, in November, 1979. It is engaged in the
production of jute yarn. The capacity of this subsidiary company is 13240 MT per annum. The
total amount of capital investment in the company is Rs.1015 lakhs. The employment position of
the unit is 1176. The Konark Jute Limited has been incurring loss since inception. The total
accumulated loss is more than Rs.20 crore. A modernization programme is undertaken during
1995-97 with financial assistance for state Government (Rs.734 lakhs) and MAFED (Rs.100
lakhs). Due to want of working capital the operation of the company was closed from March,
2001. During the period of study the company running to full capacity under leave and license
arrangement from April, 02. The overall performance of Konark Jute Limtied is not satisfactory.

As per the terms and conditions of the revival package, the dues of financial institutions
was rapid under OTS and existing plant and machineries were modernized in March, 1997. The
performance of the company suffered mainly due to two reasons i.e. (i) want of adequate working
capital (ii) labour absenteeism and labour unrest. The company became a subsidiary c0ompany of
IDCOL w.e.f. September, 1996 with IDCOL’s holding at 69.52 percent. Initial holding of IDCOL
was 35.89 percent. The company has the potential to achieve the rated capacity production. Its
products are well accepted in the market. The company faces no problem from marketing front. It
supplies to various government organization through DGS and D. Presently, the company is
performing excellent under leave and licence arrangement by a private entrepreneur.
ORICHEM Limited
ORICHEM Limited, as a subsidiary company of IDCOL, was taken over in 1989, from the
private promoter. Actually, it was started in May, 1982 at South Balanda, Talcher, by the private
parties. Sodium Dichromate and Basic Chromium Sulphate are the products of this company. The
total capital investment in the ORICHEM Limited is rs.600 lakhs. It was incurring loss since its
inception. It is a sick company under Board of Industrial Financial Reconstruction (BIFR).
Efforts for privatization taken earlier had failed. Now the company is under closure as per the
government order w.e.f. October, 2000. Recently, effort is made to run the company through
private entrepreneur. 65
The performance of Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited with its ten
subsidiary company is unsatisfactory. Due to certain problems the corporation is loss incurring
since 1994-95. The obstacles of the corporation are discussed in the next chapter.
DEVELOPMENT OF ORISSA LIMITED : IDCOL A LIABILITY
The dismal performance of the Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited and
its subsidiary companies have become liabilities on the economy of the state. Various problems
are becoming the obstacles on the developmental path of these companies. As such the present
problems on the IDCOL are analysed below.
Out of fourteen industrial undertakings, seven undertakings are not in operation and one is
managed by a private entrepreneur through leave and licence arrangement. In order to carry
business of software development and export, a new subsidiary company of Industrial
Development Corporation of Orissa Limited (IDCOL) in the name of IDCOL Software Limited,
which was created on 26th November 1998. 66 All these above companies are sick by Board of
Industrial Financial Reconstruction (BIFR). They have huge outstanding liabilities in addition to
Bank borrowings.
IDCOL has borrowed about Rs.300 crores for repayment of some of their loan and meeting
their fund requirement. About Rs.250 crores has been borrowed through State Government
guaranteed Bonds which will be due for repayment soon. Out of the total bond issue, an amount
of Rs.121 crores has been utilized for repayment of term loan of IDCOL Cement Limited. With
the outstanding that the said bonds would be retired out of the privatization proceeds of IDCOL
Cement Limited. 67
Despite serious liquidity problems, IDCOL has been able to augment the production
capacity of Kalinga Iron works. Ferro Chrome Plant and is taking steps to ensure full capacity
utilization in operational units. The following reasons can be accounted for the adverse results of
IDCOL.
(i) Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited has old model plant and
machineries with old technologies.

(ii) Acute market recession mainly in steel and Ferro alloy products prevailing in the country
for last five to six years.
(iii) IDCOL increased input cost like power, fuel, wages, etc. with proportionate increase in the
prices of the products of the company.
(iv) Diversification in non-core sectors like Spinning Mill, Jute Mill and Chemical Mill etc.
(v) Research and development activities of the IDCOL are inadequate to the economic
scenario of the state.
(vi) Over staffing is the main problem of IDCOL and its other subsidiary companies. Excellent
manpower creates unnecessary burden on the company.
(vii) Till 1990s the Industrial development Corporation of Orissa Limited were operating
without captive mines.
(viii) The government withdrawal its patronage both in capital investment and marketing of this
company.
(ix) In the post liberalization era, inherent rigidity of state sectors to adjust and adapt.
(x) Continuous budgetary support from the government to the company creates dullness in its
performance sector. 68
Apart from the above problems of the Corporation, it is also affected with other general
managerial problems like, control of government, personnel problems, objective and project
problems etc.
ATTEMPTED RESTRUCTURING : RECOMMENDATION OF THE CABINET SUB-
COMMITTEE
In the Cabinet Sub-Committee Report 1996, the following recommendations are put forth
to utilize IDCOL.
(i) The Re-Rolling Mill and Hira cables being closing units having remote chances of
improvement may be privatized. The other alternative could be to privatize Re-Rolling Mill
and integrate Hira Cables with Hirakud Industrial Works, a profit making subsidiary of
Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited to provide tune key service to GRID
Corporation, PGCIL etc. for erection of substation and transmission lines.
(ii) Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited piping and engineering works
should be privatized/ converted.
(iii) Action should be expedited to convert ABS Spinning Mills into Joint Venture immediately
as it is losing heavily.
(iv) ORICHEM, under Board of Industrial Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) rehabilitation,
needs to be converted a Joint Venture in due course.
(v) All the shares of Industrial development Corporation of Orissa Limited in S.N. Corporation
incurring heavy losses should be divested in favour of a suitable private entrepreneur.
(vi) In due course Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited should induct a
reputed private entrepreneur to convert IDCOL Cement Limited, into a joint venture
continuing IDCOL’s share holding to not more than 49 person since the interest burden, on
account of expansion/ modernization, the difficult service.
(vii) The Board of Industrial Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) package for the Konark Jute Mill
should be implemented quickly. In view of request labour unrest and poor work culture,
efforts should be made to convert it into a joint venture or to privatize it unless discipline
improves substantially and it is possible to run the unit profitably on a sustained basis.

(viii) The Ferro-chrome/ KIW plant should be modernized and diversified as they are running in
profit, if necessary by way of partial privatization. 69
RESTRUCTURING OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION : PRESENT
STATUS
As per the Public Sector Enterprises restructuring Policy of the State Government of
Orissa, Industrial development Corporation of Orissa has initiated all necessary steps for making
divestment of its interest in its own units as well as subsidiary companies. The following steps
have been taken :
(1) To reduce surplus manpower, a Voluntary retirement Scheme (VRS) is under active
implementation.
(2) The unit has been converted into subsidiary companies. Industrial development
Corporation Limited has started functioning as the holding company only. The subsidiary
companies are :
• Hirakud Industrial Works Limited (HIWL)
• ABS Spinning Orissa Limtied (ABSSOL)
• IDCOL Piping and Engineering Works Limited (IPEWL)
• S N Corporation Limited (SWCL)
• ORICHEM Limited (ORICHEM)
• Konark Jute Limited (KJC)
• IDCOL Kalinga Iron Works Limited (IKIWL)
• IDCOL Ferro Chrome & Alloys Limited (IFCAL)
• IDCOL, Rolling Mills Limited (IRML)
• IDCOL Soft Ware Limited (ISL)
(3) Steps have been taken to settle the dues of the Financial Institutions/ Banks under OTs
scheme.
(4) Information memorandum on each subsidiary company of IDCOL is being prepared to
effect the divestment.
It may be mentioned that steps have already been initiated for Disinvestment of IDCOL
Cement Limited, IDCOL Ferro Chrome and Alloys Limited, IDCOL Rolling Mill Limited and
Hirakud Industrial Works Limited. For other sick units, leave and licence management is being
finalized soon to make them operational. The government has taken other steps to overcome the
problems of IDCOL. Reconstruction and Innovation programmes are going ahead by the
Government of Orissa.
END NOTES :
1. A Seminar Report, Role of Public Enterprises in Industrial Development, Indian Journal of
Public Administration, p.47.
2. S.K. Khera, Management and Control in Public Enterprises, Asia Publishing House,
Bombay, 1964, p.10.
3. A.H. Hanson, Public Enterprise and Economic Development, Routledge and Kegan Paul
Limited, London, 1954, p.115.
4. Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, 2000.

5. Public Enterprise Profile for fly 1996-97, Department of Public Enterprises, Bhubaneswar,
Government of Orissa, p.1.
6. A. Avasthi and S.R. Maheswari, Public Administration, educational Publishers, Agra, 24th Edition, 2000, pp.106-107.
7. Jagadish Prakash Rao, Shukla, Administration of Public enterprises in India, Himalaya
Publishing House, Seventh Edition, 2000, p.97.
8. Opp. Cit. R.C. Roy, State Public Enterprises in India, 1985, p.56.
9. Opp.Cit. A. Avasthi and S.R. Maheswari, Public Administration, 2000, p.107.
10. Opp.Cit. R.P. Sharma, 1987, p.23, see also, Opp.Cit. R.K. Sapru, 1987, p.356 and Opp.Cit.
J. Prakash, 2000, p.98.
11. Opp.Cit. R.C. Roy, 1985, p.57.
12. India, Planning Commission, The First Five Year Plan, New Delhi, 1951, pp.429-430.
13. Administrative Reforms Commission, Report of the study team on public sector
undertakings, Government of India, 1967, p.12.
14. Quoted by R.S. Arora, Administration of Government Industries, New Delhi, Indian
Institute of Public Administration, 1969, p.43.
15. Some Problems in Organization and administration of Public enterprises in the industrial
field, Rangoon Seminar Report, United Nations, New York, 1954, p.6.
16. S.S. Khera, Management Control in Public Enterprises, 1st Edition, Asia Publishing House,
Bombay, 1964, pp.93-97.
17. A.H. Hanson, Public Enterprise and economic development, Routledge and Kegan Paul
Limited, London, 1954, p.237.
18. Opp.Cit. R.P. Sharma, 1987, pp.228-230.
19. Opp.Cit. J. Prakash, Rao, Shukla, 2000, p.111-112.
20. V.V. Ramanadhan, The Control of Public Enterprises in India, Asia Publishing House,
London, 1964, p.12.
21. Opp.Cit. ARC Report, 1967, p.13.
22. W.A. Robson, Nationalized Industries and Public Ownership, London, 1960, p.29.
23. M.P. Sharma and B.L. Sadana, Public Administration, 1984, p.265.
24. United Nations Publication, Sales No.E.74 II. H.4, Organization, Management and
Supervision of Public Enterprises in Developing Countries, p.63.
25. Opp.Cit. W.A. Roboson, 1960, p.28.
26. Opp.Cit W.A. Roboson, 1960, p.493.
27. A.H. Hanson, Organization and Administration of Public Enterprises : Report of
Preliminary study, United National Publication, Sale No.E.68, II. H.I. Para-58.
28. Garth Glentworth, Public Enterprises in developing Countries, Some Suggestions on
Creation, Organization and Control, in Journal of Administration Overseas, Volume-XII,
No.3, July, 1973, P.191.
29. A. Hanson, Nationalization : A Book of Readings, New Delhi, 1962, pp.80-85, see also,
Opp.Cit. A. Avasthi & S.R. Maheswari, 2000, p.115-118.
30. Mira Ganguly, Nature and Control of Public Corporation in India, Calcutta, 1968, pp.5-6.

31. Report on Public Sector Undertakings (Administrative Reform Commission), Government
of India, 1967, pp.12-14.
32. Opp.Cit. T.L. Sankar, r. Nand Gopal, R.K. Mishra, 1992, p.191.
33. Opp.Cit. T.L. Sankar, R. Nand Gopal, R.K. Mishra, 1992, p.191. See also, Opp.Cit Public
Enterprise Profile of Orissa, FY, 1996097.
34. Opp.Cit. Public Enterprise Profile, Government of Orissa, 1996-97.
35. Opp.Cit. T.L. Sankar, R. Nand Gopal, R.K. Mishra, 1992, p.192.
36. G. Prasad, K.V. Rao, Financial Management in Public Sector enterprises, New Delhi,
1989, p.15.
37. Opp.Cit. Public Enterprise Profile, FY. 1996-97, Government of Orissa.
38. Economic Survey, Government of Orissa, 2002, p.1-14.
39. Opp.Cit. Public Enterprises Profile for FY. 1996-97, Government of Orissa, p.1.
40. Y. Saraswathy Rao, Public Enterprises (A State Level Perspective), 1986, Delhi, p.2.
41. Audit Report (Commercial) of Comptroller and Auditor General, 2000, Government of
India.
42. Economic Survey, Government of Orissa, 1999-2002, p.1-12.
43. Report of the Cabinet Sub-Committee, Reforms and restructuring Programme for Public
Enterprises and Co-operative Enterprise, Government of Orissa, 1992, p.3.3 and Opp.Cit.
Public Enterprise Profile, FY. 1996-97, Government of Orissa.
44. Ibid, pp.2-8
45. Opp.Cit CAG Report, 2000, p.9.
46. Ibid, p.10.
47. Industrial Policy of Orissa, 1996, Industrial Promotion Investment Corporation Limited,
Government of Orissa Undertakings, p.1.
48. Opp.Cit. Report of the Cabinet Sub-Committee, 1996, Government of Orissa, pp.3.9.
49. Report on the Activities of the Department of Public Enterprises for the year 2000-2001,
public Enterprise Department, Government of Orissa.
50. White Paper on Public and Co-operative Enterprise, 2002, department of Public Enterprise,
Government of Orissa.
51. Ibid.
52. Audit Report of the Comptroller Auditor General, 2000, pp.10-20.
53. S.N. Mookerjee, The Hindustan Times, 5th November, 1998, p.3.
54. A Seminar Report, Prof. Nand Dhameja, Indian Institute of Public Administration, New
Delhi, p.10.
55. Arjun Sengupta, Reforms and Development (Improve Efficiency of Public sector), The
Times of India, 30th December, 1999, p.12.
56. Opp.Cit. R.P. Sharma, 1987, p.168.
57. Opp.Cit. R.P. Sharma, 1987, p.169 and other Reports from department of Public
Enterprise.

58. Opp.R.C. Roy, 1985, p.19.
59. Reports from the IDCOL.
60. Report from IDCOL and Department of Public Enterprise.
61. Opp.Cit. R.P. Sharma, 1987, p.169.
62. Orissa Review, March, 1992, p.12.
63. Public Enterprise Profile by 1996-97, Government of Orissa see also Annual Report and
other documents of IDCOL.
64. Annual Reports of IDCOL and other Documents on IDCOL from department of Public
Enterprise, Government of Orissa.
65. Opp.Cit. Reports of IDCOL and other Documents on IDCOL from Department of Public
Enterprise Government of Orissa.
66. Opp.Cit. Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, 2000.
67. Opp.Cit. Reports of IDCOL.
68. Opp.Cit Profile of Public Enterprises, 1996-97, and other Reports of IDCOL.
69. Opp.Cit. Report of Cabinet Sub-Committee, 1996, p.22.

Combating International Terrorism:
The Afro-Arab and Asian Experience
Jagdish P. Sharma* *
In a firm move aimed at reassuring the Muslim community, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan
Singh has made it clear that the muslim community should not be targeted in the fight against
terrorism. He described terrorist as, “Traitors and Frauds” and emphasized that terrorism should
be stamped out at any cost. Talking to muslim religious leaders and intellectuals he sought their
cooperation in the task. At the same time, he said that any action against terrorism should be
based on concrete evidence 1 . In his Independence Day address Dr. Manmohan Singh asked
Pakistan to take concrete steps to end cross-border terrorism to enable the peace initiatives to
succeed.
“We have taken several initiatives ... to be successful, these initiatives need an atmosphere
of peace. It is obvious that unless Pakistan takes concrete steps to implement the solemn
assurances it has given to prevent cross-border terrorism against India from any territory within
its control, public opinion in India, which has supported the peace process, will be undermined 2
“said Dr. Singh.
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort after unfurling the tricolour on the
occasion of 59 th Independence Day, 15 August 2006, the Prime Minister said all countries in our
region must recognize that terrorism anywhere is a threat to peace and prosperity everywhere “It
must be confronted with our united efforts.” 3 .
Observing that there was a larger constituency for peace and shared prosperity “among our
people and we must work together to build on that,” 4 he said the dream of a South Asian
community could hardly be realized if terrorist violence and politics of hate and confrontation
continue to cast a dark shadow.
“We are prepared to work together with all our neighbours to usher in an era of peace and
prosperity for our peoples” 5 , he said.
In a similar vein, Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has asked General
Parvez Musharaff to “do more” against terrorism and extremism. In an interview to a British TV
channels, she said General Musharaff needed to do more to limit the influence of religious parties
and militant groups to tackle extremism. “We need to create a climate within Pakistan where the
moderate forces can triumph. At the moment I see that religious parties are gaining strength and
the militants, despite several crackdowns are intact”, she said. In a travel advisory, the Australian
department of foreign affairs and trade urged Australians to reconsider plans to visit Pakistan
“due to the very high threat of terrorist attack” 6 .
For years the Pakistani intelligence agency the ISI and other outfits have been harbouring
fundamentalist militias to further their agenda in Kashmir. For years they have been fighting a
proxy war against India in the Kashmir valley using terrorists. The terrorist groups like Al Qaeda
and the other militant varieties like Lashkar-e-Toiba, whose founder had been put under a formal
house arrest in Pakistan have made it their lives’ mission to kill at random and cause destruction
of property in the name of an unholy “Jihad”. While the open support and the moral and material
assistance extended to sustain and develop these groups in the early stages of their formation have
receded into the background on account of growing international condemnation of their activities,
the evil has not been eradicated. Many terror outfits are still active, some of them even being able
to indoctrinate and misguide youth to undertake terrorist missions. Rashid Rauf, a Briton
identified by Pakistan as a key suspect in the London airliner terror plot has links with outlawed
Pakistan militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed and is related by marriage to its leader Maulana
* Head, Deptt. of Afro- Asian Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi - 110007, India.

Masood Azhar who was freed by India in Kandahar in 1999, an intelligence official of Pakistan
said7 .
Today the world faces three major challenges: the challenges of poverty and under
development, the challenge of environmental sustainability and the challenge of security posed by
international terrorism. With about 200 innocent railway commuters killed in Mumbai on 11th July 2006 and over ten times that number of air passengers reportedly targeted to be blown up in
mid-air, (the plot was foiled by British intelligence). Panic buttons have been pressed for civilians
in all walks of life. Given the fact that 17 terrorist organizations have been using suicide bombers
in 14 countries including India, accounting for over 50 percent killings, no security system in the
world is equipped to tackle suicide terrorism that targets civilians. From the comprehensive
database provided by Professor Robert Pape, it can be seen that suicide terrorism is not primarily
a product of Islamist extremism, as is often believed in view of 9/11 and 7/7 attacks in the US and
UK respectively (refer : The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism) 8 . The ‘Secular’ Tamil
Tigers (LTTE), with their localized operations, figure as prominently in his database as the
fundamentalist Al-Qaeda. The most prominent among victims of suicide attacks and
assassinations were President Anwar Sadat of Egypt in 1981, Rajiv Gandhi, Former Prime
Minister of India in 1991 and Ranasinghe Premdasa, President of Srilanka in 1993, and Abu
Jihad, the second most important Palestinian leader after President Yasser Arafat by the state of
Israel in 1989. Fifteen years later in 2006, the LTTE officially admitted to the killing of the
former Indian Premier and apologized for its unpardonable act, thus exposing its mindlessness.
Atleast four major terror plots have been thwarted since the July 7, 2005 attacks in London,
It was revealed recently as investigations into the conspiracy to blow up US bound flights showed
that terrorists were planning a wave of “apocalyptic” strikes on land and air. Security sources in
London estimate that as many as 1,200 people are actively involved with terrorism and that the
country is still under “very severe” threat from other potential plots9 .
As terror plots unfold, bomb scares abound throughout the world. In post-blasts Mumbai,
Many people have opted to travel by the state run BEST buses. A large number of West-bound
leisure travelers have postponed their trips after the Heathrow airport scare. British Airways and
Air India recorded a sharp dip in passengers as families cancelled trips to avoid harassment at
European and US airports. Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist strikes on World Trade Centre
in New York and the subsequent tragic events in India – attacks on Indian Parliament, attacks on
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, the 2005 Pre-Diwali bombings in Delhi and the recent bombings
in Mumbai which killed more than 200 people and injured more than 500, as well as the grenade
attacks in Srinagar, the threat to peace and stability of Asia and particularly India has assumed a
dangerous proportion. Terrorism has emerged as a global menace and is an assault on human
decency. After September 11, 2001, it assumed a global perspective. It is important to note that
even before September 11, India had reminded the world about this problem. Nobody was
bothered to listen to the Indian point of view then. But, now things have changed, the whole
world has realized the potential threat of terrorism. All the major powers including the Afro-Arab
and Asian world are facing the threat of terrorism. And the fear of nuclear weapons falling into
the hands of the terrorist organizations has put all the major powers of the world on tenterhooks
in the war against terrorism.
The world is steadily realizing the fact that terrorism needs to be dealt globally rather than
locally, and it is no longer a threat to one or two country, but to the whole human civilization. It is
creating new political equations in the global politics.
Terrorism is actual or threatened use of violence for political and economic goals, directed
not only against the victims themselves but also against larger, related groups. International
terrorism has acquired the character of undeclared war between the sovereign representative of
the victim states and the organized militancy of international fanatics. There are plenty of terrorist
groups around the world. The list includes Abu Sayyaf Group (Philippines & Malaysia, 1991),

Ansar al-Islam (Iraq, 2001), Armed Islamic Group (Algeria, 1992), Asbat al-Ansar (Lebanon,
1990), Aum Supreme Truth (Japan & Russia, 1987), Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA, Spain,
France, 1959), Al Gamaa al-Islamiyya (Egypt, 1973), Harakut-al-Mujahiddin (Pakistan, 1985),
Jaish-e-Mohammed (Pakistan, 200), Jemaah Islamiya (Southeast Asia, 1990), Al-Jihad (Egypt,
Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan etc., 1970), Kahane Chai (Israel, 1994), State sponsor’s of terrorist
acts like the state of Israel (1948 onwards), Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (Pakistan, 1989), Lashkar I
Jhangvi (Pakistan, Afghanistan, 1996), Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Srilanka, 1976), Al-
Qaeda (Afghanistan, 1980), The Salafist Group for Call and Combat (Algeria, 1992) and
Sendero Luminoso (Peru, 1960).
The term terrorism implies action by non-governmental militant groups or by secret units
operating outside the usual parameters of warfare aiming at destruction. Terrorists have no fixed
territorial limits, no legitimate sovereignty, no visible army, and no known sources of financial
income. They operate from their hideouts anywhere in the world. Terrorists indoctrinated with
blind belief in fanaticism and radical thinking, use the force of religion to bring into their fold
young adolescents and youths and give their minds a thorough brain-washing. The origins of
terrorism in West Asia and Arab Africa can be traced to the establishment of the state of Israel on
the Arab-Palestinian land and blind and biased economic and military support of the United
States to Israel against the Arab-Palestinians. From 1948 to the present crises in Lebanon (The
consistent Israeli invasion of Arab-Palestinian lands) the pattern of U.S. support to Israel, right or
wrong, has been persisting. This has contributed to increasing militancy in the region.
The Problem of Insurgency in Afro-Arab World
Algeria
The problem of insurgency in Algeria, Egypt, and Nigeria have been dealt with in fuller
details in this following paper.
It is very unfortunate that religion and politics are mixed together to produce a violent
cocktail, which should have no place in setting the social, political and economic problems of
civil society. There was something sinister in the way Pakistan supported terrorists attacked the
Indian Parliament, the heart of Indian Democracy on December 13, 2001. All the justifications
for violence claimed by Jihadi militants and Pakistan cannot blur the fact that the net results of
such activity is sorrow and despair to the innocent population, particularly women and children.
Islam as a great religion sought to create an egalitarian social system where poor and
vulnerable would be treated with respect and dignity. This Jihad was indeed a spiritual, political,
social and economic struggle. During colonial period, Jihad was essentially a struggle for
freedom, justice and equality. The religious solidarity was there in organizing and mobilizing the
people. It was a fight, like in the case of Arab Palestinians (against Israeli occupation) of entire
people to decide there own destiny. But today, it has narrowed down to violence, extremism and
fanaticism. Notwithstanding his denials Osama Bin Laden is still considered as one of the leading
and prime suspects of international terrorism.
During the Cold War period, the use of terror in the name of Islam was promoted on
pragmatic grounds, to enlist the help of political Islam by the west, particularly the US, which
helped hammer the final nails in the coffin of Communism by defeating the Russian Red Army in
Afghanistan, led to catastrophe – first for the Afro-Arab Asian world and later for America itself,
as was so shockingly brought home by the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and
Washington. After the collapse of Communism, religious extremism or terrorism in the name of
Islam is viewed as a major threat to world peace and new global economic order. The Islamic
militants gained prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a reaction to what was perceived
as the failure of Afro-Asian socialism, Marxism, liberalism and capitalism.

On the occasion of Algeria’s Independence day in 1999 President Abdalaziz Bouteflika granted
pardon to thousands of prisoners convicted of providing support to Islamic radicals, fighting the
government. The release of prisoners was the result of deal between President Bouteflika’s newly
elected democratic government and the head of Armee Islamique Du Salut(AIS), Madani Mezraq. The
commitment of President Bouteflika to democratic and people oriented socio-economic and political
policies and pragmatic approach have been succeeded in bringing the terrorist revolt in the country
under control. The terrorist insurgency in Algeria which had been simmering for long erupted with a
heightened violence when in December 1991 elections, Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) won the first
round. The second round of elections was halted mid way and the FIS was dissolved by a court order
in March 1992. The head of state, Mohamed Boudiaf was assassinated on 29 July 1992 and a
campaign of terror was launched by Islamic radicals, which had continued till the recent years. It is
estimated that more than 150,000 lives have been lost since the war between the government and the
Islamic radicals began in 1992.
Egypt
The triple blasts (April 2005) that ripped through an Egyptian resort brought anguish and
calls for an end to violence from Arabs across the Afro-Arab region, many of whom questioned
why Muslims have now become a prime target for terrorists. The 26 April 2005 bombings
shattered a long national holiday weekend in Egypt, killing at least 24 people – at least 21 of them
Egyptians – and wounding more than 60 people.
“They want to change our Government and break our people”, said Mustafa Mahmood, 24
who works at a travel agency across the street from the American University of Cairo.
Mohieddine Joueidi, a 51 year old lawyer in Sidon, Lebanon, said the attacks seemed “designed
to weaken Egypt’s role in the region and spread panic and terror throughout the region.” 10 Since
the last three decades. Egyptian rulers have grappled with the resurgence of Islam that has
significantly challenged the State. The Egyptian experience has witnessed radicalization and
institutionalization of Islam socially and politically. In 1979, Muhammad Abdul Salam Faraq,
leader of the Egyptian Jihad organization pronounced the government to be apostate and an entity
to be fought through a holy war by believers; a return to Jihad was the only way to redemption.
Islamic resurgence in Egypt and the Afro-Arab world began with the formation of the society of
Muslim Brothers or Islamic brotherhood, Jamiyyat al-Ikhwan al-Muslimin by Hasan al-Banna
(1906-1949) in 1928.
Hasan al-Banna’s central concern was to analyse the reasons for the decline of Islam in
Egypt and elsewhere and to work out a comprehensive and effective remedy. The eviction of the
Arab-Palestinians and the establishment of Israel on Palestinian soil had deeply troubled al-Banna
and has remained a concern of the Muslim Brotherhood thereafter. With its large size of
population, Egypt seems to be vulnerable to this emerging radical Islamic movement. The mass
appeal of Islamic radicalism has its roots in wordly frustrations and denials, and those frustrations
and denials have been given a religious idiom. In Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan
and elsewhere, Islamism is basically an indigenous response to prevalent socio-economic and
political problems. Islamism here is a product of the failed modernization policies of the past 50
years, which resulted in unfulfilled expectations and consequent militancy. The Hosni Mubarak
Government is trying to tackle this problem through socio-political and economic reforms.
Nigeria
The recent developments include a major terrorist strike in Nigeria. Thousands of Nigerian
muslims protesting against the publication of caricatures of Prophet Mohammad attacked
Christians and burned churches in northeastern Nigeria, killing atleast 45 people in February
2006. It was the first major protest to erupt over the issue in Africa’s most populous nation. Three
children and a Catholic priest were reportedly among those killed. Nigeria, Africa’s most
populous country of more than 130 million people, is roughly divided between a predominantly

Muslim north and a mainly Christian South. Thousands of people have died in this West African
country since 2000 in religious violence fuelled by the adoption of the strict Islamic or Sharia
legal code by a dozen states in the north which is seen by most Christians as a move to impose
religious hegemony on non-Muslims. The religious cartoons, which first appeared in a Danish
newspaper in September 2005, set off violent protests around the Afro-Arab-Asian world
sweeping through Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan and other Countries.
Conclusion
The challenge of insecurity and terrorism must be addressed first by socio-economic
measures securing and commiting greater resources to the poorest countries and regions of the
globe. The growing disparity between the rich and the poor on our planet and the gross
misallocation of limited resources to vested interests and imposed wars can not be allowed to
continue. If they do, we can expect even greater threats and challenges ahead. We need a global
glasnost – openness, transparency, and people to people dialogue – on the part of nations,
governments and citizens today to build consensus in meeting these threats. In the words of
former Soviet President Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev, “We need a policy of preventive engagement:
international and individual solidarity, and action to meet the socio-economic roots of the threat,
that is, poverty, disease, income disparity and conflict in sustainable and reasonable way.
Terrorist groups challenging established authority surely need to be put down. Equally
important is the political aspect and in this context the efforts to establish a separate independent
State of Palestine could be a major factor in ending militancy in the Afro-Arab and Asian region.
Although all major powers of the world accept terrorism as a major problem and have
taken many steps to save the world from this deadly problem, a lot needs to be done. The whole
world should cooperate in nabbing the terrorists who take safe haven in the friendly countries. In
the sub-continental context the threat posed by the Taliban terrorists has spread beyond Pakistan’s
borders. The Pakistani rulers seem to realize that it should not develop into dangerous proportions
in their own country. All the countries in the Afro-Arab and Asian region including India, Iran,
Karzai’s Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Central Asia, Russia, Algeria, Egypt and Nigeria have a
common stake in keeping the terrorists at bay. Religious bigotry and terrorism is not going to
serve any religion.
End Notes
1. Quoted in the Asian Age, New Delhi, August 22, 2006 from the speech of Dr. Manmohan
Singh, Prime Minister of India, on 15 August 2006, Independence Day Speech.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. The Indian Express, August 18, 2006.
8. Pape Robert, The Strategic Logic of Sucide Terrorism.
9. The Indian Express, August 14, 2006, Also see International Herald Tribune, August 14,
2006.
10. Jamal Halaby quoted in The Pioneer (New Delhi) April 26, 2005.

Research on HRD : A Survey of Select Literature
Sujit Kumar Acharya *
Organisation, be it commercial, industrial or educational, comes into existence with
clearly defined objectives and with a committed group of human beings. Organisation runs
successfully if there is some one to manage its activities. Organisation is also known by the type
of people it employs. It is the human asset, which is the central force, that converts all other
resources into productive output. Human resource adds value, while other resources add to the
cost in the organisation. It is a fact that a machine reaches the maximum value on the day it starts
producing but man never reaches the same throughout his lifetime, because he has the ability to
grow and change till the end. Success of an organisation mainly depends on the quality of its
manpower and its growth perspectives. Therefore, there is a need for effective manpower
planning, motivation, human resource policy and dynamic leadership in a conducive
organisational climate, adoptable to the changing and dynamic environment, that results in
Human Resource Development (HRD).
Management has the responsibility for development of human resource. Productivity is the
first and foremost component of management and its first responsibility can not be achieved
without its key resource. Human resource if not properly cared, maintained and developed may
not be so effective, as expected. Therefore, this is the central task of the management to be
concerned about. Human resource management is the process of managing people of an
organisation with a humane approach, i.e., to consider them as assets, not as mere helping hands.
Human resource approach to manpower enables the manager to view his people as the most
important resource and it emphasises on HRD on one hand, and effective management of people,
on the other.
The core concept of human resource management is human resource development (HRD).
The concept of development covers not only the individual but also other units of organisation,
like the groups. Groups like teams, task forces, committees, functional departments require
attention and development for increasing collaboration amongst people working to achieve the
organisational objective(s). The definition of HRD covers both abilities and attitude of
individuals along with the relationship between the self and organisation.
HRD is the most important responsibility of human resource managers to develop a system
in the organisation, in which individuals grow and allow the orgnisation to grow by their total
commitment. It helps people to acquire new capabilities, required for the achievement of the
corporate as well as individual goals. HRD believes that individuals in an organisation have
unlimited potentials and the same can be developed and multiplied through appropriate and
systematic efforts. Given an opportunity and by providing right type of climate in the
organisation, individuals can use their potentials, contributing to the achievement of the
organisational goals. Investment in human beings is another underlying concept of the human
resource system. Organizations accept that the development of human resource involves
investment of time and conversion of resources for growth in a proper climate. The climate
depends on:
good work relationship,
committed executives,
motivated work-force,
*
Associate Course Coordinator, Management Programme, DDCE, Utkal University,
Bhubaneswar, India.
The author can be reached at sujit_acharya@hotmail.com

democratic leadership, and
better scope for training and development.
During the past three decades HRM, the function, has witnessed dramatic changes.
Widespread usage of the term ‘HRD’ in place of ‘HRM’ symbolises such change. In the days
gone by, line organisations used to be happy with having a middle level manager heading the
personnel department, whereas today most organisations have seniormost managers taking care of
the activities through a separate department. The human resource function has acquired a unique
status and reputation in all most all public and private sector undertakings including the service
sector organisations like banks, insurance, finance, telecom, IT, etc. Over the years, HRD
function has enriched itself, by including the ‘development’ dimension into it and thus moved
from a ‘reactive’ and ‘maintenance oriented’ function to a ‘proactive‘, path breaking,
development oriented function. Today, personnel people talk of linkages with corporate
planning, HRD approach to industrialisation, HRD climate and budgets, development oriented
appraisal system, multiple reward mechanisms, re-engineering work cultures , etc. HRD deals
with creating conditions that enable people to get the best out of themselves and their lives.
Development is a never ending process. As people develop themselves in new directions, new
problems and issues arise, requiring them to develop new competencies to meet the changing
requirements, aspirations and problems. There are however some universal goals towards which
all human resource development efforts aim at.
At the individual level these goals may include developing capabilities for ensuring a good
quality of life through enrichment of social, political, economic and psychologial life of
individuals, therefore, the study has its importance.
At the organisational level the goal of HRD is to have competent and motivated HR to
ensure higher level of productivity, profitability and growth of the organisation. Organisations
normally direct their HRD efforts towards the development of competencies and commitment in a
proper work culture and favourable climate.
The prime objective of this work is to study the effectiveness of HRD policies, that lead to
competency development and improvement of HRD climate in it. National Aluminium Company
(NALCO), a public sector undertaking based in Orissa has been identified by the scholar for the
study. NALCO has been successful due to its effective manpower. HRD is the thrust area of
NALCO which believes that the growth of an organisation is possible through the growth of the
people. This is well reflected in its mission which says. “To achieve growth in business with
global competitive edge providing satisfaction to the customers, employees, shareholders and
community in large”. NALCO translates these into reality by developing and utilising the
capabilities and potentials of its employees. Training and development has been the priority area
for NALCO from the very beginning. It has the manpower strength (as on 31.03.2006) of 7,406
which includes both executive and non-executive employees. The company has earned the name
of a pioneering organisation with human resource development as the core area of activities.
Being considered as one of the best organisations of the country, the company not only
promotes the interest of its internal stakeholders but also cares for the development of the
periphery and the society. It is therefore important to study the HRD climate of the company in
detail for reference of practitioners, academicians and researchers.
In this paper the scholar attempts a brief survey of literature on HRD with the objective of
facilitating further research.
Rao(1993) 01 threw light on the complexities of managing human beings in the present day
organisations. He has dealt with different aspects of training, organisational development,
employee participation, etc. The effects of training and employee developmental activities have
also been put to close examination. It has attempted to find how the employee-related activities

flourish in various other sectors like urban government, co-operative, informal sector and small
scale sector.
Subbarao(1993) 02 , presented various developments in the HRM in a comprehensive form.
He attempted to look into the current trends in the Human Resource Function with a view to
outline the future developments that are likely to take place in the years ahead. While discussing
job analysis, job evaluation, employee benefits, recruitment and selection, line staff conflicts,
social responsibility policies, etc. he has also analysed the organisational culture and climate,
organisational policies, organisational effectiveness, follower-ship, participative management,
dual career problems, quality of work life, quality circles and organisational development in
detail.
Jogaiah (1990) 03 has presented an in-depth analysis of training and development of
executives in the Indian Power Sector. Apart from providing a strong theoretical and conceptual
observation on training and development of executives, it highlights on problems and prospects
concerning personnel policies, HRD policies and practices relating to executive training and
development and institutional training network in the power sector.
Nair and Rao (1990) 04 focussed on views and experiences of Chief Executives on HRD.
They also dealt with the philosophy, importance of HRD along with macro level issues, involving
managers and workers.
Rao (1991) 05 , in an edited volume presented a conceptual framework of development and
integrated HRD along with an account of research in HRD. The contributions of authors relate to
the HRD instruments like performance appraisal, potential appraisal, counseling, training
rewards, etc. and their implementation strategies in different organizations. They dealt with HRD
in government systems, primarily focusing on the educational system.”
Misra (1992) 06 , has made an empirical study of Orissa Education Service. This elaborates
the aspects of human resources and education, in detail.
Charumathi (1994) 07 conducted a comparative study on HRD in select public sector and
private sector banks in Tamil Nadu. While conducting the study in selected banks, she has
analysed the human relations aspect as well as the team efforts in detail.
Gunasekharan (2000) 08conducted his study on HRD practices in Chennai Port Trust.
Among the other things he found that Employees have accepted the concept of HRD in the
organisation realising the need for it. He observed that systematic HR Planning and development
help the port to reach the target, systematically.
Dey, (2000) 09 described the importance of HRD programme. To him, HRD emphasizes on
1. Controlling Obsolescence, both individual and organisational, (preventive) 2. Compensating
insufficiencies of knowledge and professional skills (curative) 3. Designing adjustments with
Socio-technological, environmental changes (adaptive) 4. Creating a new outlook, an ethological
version of quality excellence and accomplishment (promotive) and making a total man with new
cultural attributes (transformative).
Clutuer (1999) 10 described the importance of HRD as “Take away our factories, take our
trade, our avenues of transportation, our money. Leave us nothing but our organisation and in
four years we shall have re-established ourselves.” It is this concept which emphasises “People
are significant”.
Rudrabhasavaraj (1998) 11 pointed out : or that “our experience is that the Indian worker is
dedicated to his work and genuinely wants to do a good job if he is given a supportive
environment.” This emphasizes on human resources development as the most important factor
of the organisation.

Rao & Verma (1988) 12 opined that HRD is the process of increasing knowledge and
capabilities of all the employees in the society. In the macro or national context , HRD is the
process by which the people in various groups are helped to acquire new competencies
continuously so as to make them more self reliant and simultaneously develop a sense of pride.
Ghee (1986) 13 viewed that “ HRD should not refer only to the physical well-being of
people such as life expectancy, infant mortality, rates of mortality and levels of nutrition, but also
to the sociocultural aspects, including education and employment, social cohesion and stability,
political expression, cultural diversity and even ecological harmony. In fact, the only dimension
of intrinsinsic value in development is the human dimension in its totality “
Corner (1991) 14 in the Asia- Pacific context , described HRD in three ways : The first
adopts a supply of orientation and uses the phrase as a synonym for manpower planning and
development. This approach emphasises on the contribution of human capital to economic
growth. The second emphasises on ‘quality of life‘, which is considered as an output of
development. In this approach, HRD is defined as social development, particularly at the
individual and social level. The third is an integrated view which is the contribution of and
combining the first two approaches seeking a relationship between economic and social
development.
Bacchus (1992) 15 stated that ‘the ultimate goal of human resource development in any
country is, or should be, to improve the quality of life of all its people’. He suggested that a
human resource development strategy is not concerned merely with providing individuals with
necessary skills which will allow them to secure employment or at least more active participation
in the labour force. This encompasses the activities those lay the foundation for a fuller and more
productive utilisation of the total human resources (both actual and potential) of a state.
Hawavitharana (1992) 16 , from the study of HRD efforts observed that ‘ Policy making for
HRD in the developing countries is generally characterised by a lack of appreciation of the need
of an integrated - thematic approach to the subject ... Although HRD policies exist in the region ,
their coverage in the absence of comprehensive vision, remains restrictive and sporadic. In one
instance, HRD policy has been restricted to a conglomerate of projects in the education & training
and health sectors, along with other marginal additions. In another instance, the plan documents
treat HRD as a separate sector, which by itself affects integration. It includes sectors like
manpower development , education , health, population planning and special poverty alleviation
programme, but not social welfare. Some sectoral policy statements treat HRD peripherally,
mainly from manpower development perspective. A special ministry of HRD has been
established in India and it covers only education, culture, sports and youth affairs, women and
child welfare. Programme relating to health, employment and science technology are left outside
its preview. The same pattern is seen in the assignment of sectoral responsibilities among the
members of national development planning agencies.
Desatrick & Bennett (1977) 17 , described that the key action areas of HRD are: manpower
planning, recruitment and selection , organisation of manpower, training and development ,
compensation, participation and measuring effectiveness. The recommendations highlight the
need for humanisation of human resource approach in an organisation. It has created an
international awareness.
Willard (1985) 18 , revealed that the training and the management development
programmes as the important concepts in the field of HRD. Further he also mentioned that for
effective utilisation of the management development programme, the following conditions may
be followed:-
management development programme should be used two or three times a year;

management development needs to be readily accepted by people who have several years
of conventional training ;
the subject - matter should be carefully chosen as applicable to the specific areas;
the leader/manager should stress that the application of the ideas should be at the option of
the individuals based on their respective situations.
Crawford (2000) 19 viewed that the centre of gravity in employment is moving fast from
manual and ministerial workers to knowledge workers, who resist the command and control
model that business took from military, 100 years ago. Human resource is the Human Capital
which refers to the knowledge, education, training, skills and expertise of a firm’s worker and in
recent trends, it has become more important than it has ever been.
Dessler (2005) 20 opined that HRM is the process of acquiring, training, apprising and
compensating employees and attaining to labour relation, health and safety and fairness. Further
he concluded that, the concept and techniques which need to be carried out by a HR Manager are
: conducting job analysis( determining the nature of each employees job), planning labour needs
and recruiting candidates, orienting and training new employees, managing wages and salaries
(compensating employees), providing incentives and benefits, appraising performance,
communicating (interviewing, counselling, disciplining), training and developing managers. To
formulate and implement these techniques the HR Manager should know about Equal
Opportunity and affirmative action, Employee health and safety, Handling Grievance and Labour
Relations.
Henn (1985) 21 opined that for formulating a strategic HR plan, it is required to identify,
analyses and balance the company’s external opportunities and threats and its internal strengths
and weaknesses. Formulating plans requires competitive intelligence and supply of information
about the existing human resource. Details regarding new competitor’s incentive plans and
information about pending legislation like labour laws or mandatory health insurance are some
examples. Further more, he suggested that from public information and legitimate recruiting and
interview activities, you ought to be able to construct organisation charts, satisfying levels and
group mission for the various organizational components of each of your major competitors. Your
knowledge of how brands are shared among sales divisions and who represents to whom can give
important clues as to a competitor’s strategic priorities. You may even know the track record and
characteristic behavior of the executives.
Dayal(1991) 22 viewed that HRD involves the better ways to adjust the individual to his/her
job and the environment. This will create interest and maximise the involvement in the work and
ultimately this will maximise the capabilities of the individuals.
Schneider and Snyder(1975) 23 stated that HRD is an integral part of organisational climate.
Organisational climate is the summary perception which people have about an organisation.
Organisational climate is a relatively enduring quality of the internal environment that is expected
by its members, influences their behavior, and can be described in terms of the values of a
particular set of characteristics of the organisatuion.
Pattanayak(2001) 24 examined the changing internal environment in organisations for better
understanding of human resource management. He stated that the culture or climate of an
organisation is made of traditions, values, habits, ways of organising, and interrelationships at
work. Organisational culture is reflected in organisational structure, strategy, systems, power and
reward distributrion, conformity, development process, motivational dynamics, organisational
clarity, warmth and support received by employees, leadership styles, standards of performance,
and shared subordinate values. An effective work culture is flexible, integrated, decentralised,
performance-oriented, quality conscious, co-operative, and supportive. The major elements of
HRM strategy and functions can be related to organisational culture. The Corporate mission /

philoshopy and strategic plan give birth to culture in organisations. Further the fundamental
concept of HRD depends on the organisationl culture. In his research finding he concluded that
there is a considerable need in the present scenario of the business to start corporate ethics
programmes. To start with, a great deal of guidance is to be given to Indian managers on creating
an ethical organisation with the motto of setting up the HRD aspects. He suggested that a
“Panchasheela Model” of organisational ethics audit programme The model as described,
comprises of five steps;
First is the psychological preparedness to accept moralistic approach to corporate
excellence.
Second is the need for ethics audit: this is a scientific method of self assessment of the
present moralistic values within the organisation in order to give an appropriate Organisational
Developement (OD) intervention in future.
Third is the need for publicly stated expectations about the employee behaviour. This
includes proliferation of the company codes of ethics.
Fourth is the need for an organisational structure, and to support the ethical behaviour,
ethics committees should be created.
Fifth is the need for the ethical behaviour to be supported by the management through a
reward system.
Paster (1984) 25 offers an approach on human resource development based on four steps.
First, there is a need to look for ethical questions. Second, rational principles are to be applied to
produce ethical strategies and procedures. Third there is a need to coordinate the ethical strategies
and procedures with other demands, interest and constraints. Fourth is the implementation of
agreed ethical strategies and procedure which should take place. This produces action such as
‘good deeds’ and involves an integration with every way of doing things.
Koffka (1935) 26 six decades ago had suggested that individual behaviour could be better
understood if it was related to the behavioural environment as perceived and reacted to by the
subject.
Lewin (1935) 27 discussed the impact of environment factors on behaviour. He maintained
that psychological atmosphere is an empirical reality and a scientifically described fact.
Murray (1938) 28 pointed out that the behaviour could not be described without reference to
the environment in which it occurs. Murray described the relevant characteristics of the
individual as “needs” and the relevant characteristics of the environment as “press”.
Hackman (1976) 29pointed out that substantial knowledge is now available about the
attributes of individual, but less is known about the organisational side of the equation.
Payne and Pugh (1976) 30 expressed that the traditional concerns are gradually getting
transformed into more general interests in the study of organisation as the environmental setting
influences both individual and group behaviour. Discovering the organisation as a
psychologically meaningful environment for its members which has led to the concept of
organisational climate they said, there has been intensive and diverse efforts to conceptualise and
measure the organisational climate construct.
Schneider and Reichers (1983) 31 were of the view that the climate construct provides a
useful alternative to motivational explanation of behaviour at work and also needed emphasing on
the importance of group phenomena in organisational research.
Schneider and Hall (1972) 32 viewed organisational climate as the conceptual linkage
between organisation and individual that intervenes between specific situational attributes or

events and individual perceptions, attitudes and behaviour. The concept of organisational climate,
therefore, encompasses both organisational and individual characteristics and attributes.
Stern (1970) 33 explored the association between a person’s needs and his perceptions of
climate using Murray’s needs-press theory as a framework for both a personality measure and a
climate measure. Joint factor analysis of the two measures showed little overlapping between
them.
No one working in an organisation can fully comprehend the entire organisational
environment because of its variety and diversity, and yet every one thinks and feels that he knows
that organisational climate is bound to vary from person to person as each of them perceives the
same organisation from his own position, experience and point of view. Perception, then, is that
psychological process that seeks to bring order and meaning out of a complex situation. The
picture that a person has formed in his mind about the organisation works as a measure of the
organisational climate. This mental picture, in turn influences a person’s motivation and
behaviour within the organisation.
The fact that perceived organisational climate may not correspond exactly to objective
reality, does not in any way diminish its importance. It is by now well-established that human
behaviour is influenced not so much by the objective environment. In other words, human
conduct is influenced more directly by subjective perception of reality than by reality itself.
Under the circumstances, the concept of organisational climate is entirely subjective. The
importance of the concept lies in the fact that we can explain human motivation and behaviour
with the help of this vital :”intervening” variable i.e. organizational climate.
Payne (1971) 34 defines organisational climate as a moral concept, reflecting the content and
strength of the prevalent values, norms, attitudes, behaviour and feelings of the members of a
social system, which can be operationally ,measured through the perception of the system,
observational and other objective means.
Pritchard and Marasick (1973) 35 defined organisational climate as a relatively enduring
quality of an organisation’s internal environment, Distinguishing it from other organisations,
which (a) results from the behaviour and policies of members of the organisation, especially in
top management, (b) is perceived by members of the organisation, (c) serves as a basis for
interpreting the situation, and (d) acts as a source of pressure for directing activity.
Hellriegal and Slocum (1974) 36 defined organizational climate as a set of attributes which
can be perceived about a particular organisation and/or its sub-systems and which may be induced
from the way that an organisation deals with its members. Several themes are implicit in this
definition of organisational climate: (a) perceptual responses sought are primarily descriptive
rather than evaluative, (b) the level of inclusiveness of the items, scales and construct are macro
than micro, (c) the unit of analysis tends to be attributes of organisation rather than the individual,
and (d) the perceptions of organisational climate have potential behavioural consequences.
Schneider (1975) 37 is of the view that the concept of organistaional climate rests on certain
assumptions which are associated with the Gestalt School of Psychology and the school of
functionalism. These assumptions may be stated as follows: (a) human beings attempt to
apprehend order in their environment and create order thorough thought, and (b) human beings
apprehend and or, attempt to create order in their environment so that they can effectively adapt
their behaviour to the work environment. Thus climate perceptions represent meaningful
apprehension of “order” in the perceiver’s world based on direct clues as well as inferences
regarding the presence of psychologically equivalent clues. The apprehension of order, then, has
direct implications on behaviour.

As suggested by Heider (1958) 38 , people do have “theories” about the way the world is
ordered and they use these theories as a framework for their behaviour. Thus, it can be conclude
that people (a) apprehend order in their world of work based on perceived and inferred cules, and
(b) behave in ways that fit the order they apprehend
Litwin and Stringer (1968) 39 , through their experimental studies found that a given
leadership style produced a characteristic climate which, in turn, aroused a particular motive as
measured by the TAT. This shows how we can create and alter climate in a group, and how
climate can then arouse a motive appropriate for its demands. Changing the overall climate of an
organisation is the primary objective of many programmes of organisational change. In general,
such change efforts are made by those who call themselves Organisational Development (OD)
specialists and consultants.
In an article on strategic planning for work climate modification, Ginsberg (1978) 40 has
outlined how changes in climate can be planned in a systematic function. The approach is based
on an objective method for assessing and evaluating performance in the area of human resource
management. The strategy consists of clearly defined objectives, identification of programmes to
meet them, and specific action plan. The climate should then be surveyed on a regular basis in
order to monitor progress against the plan and to assess the effectiveness of the chosen
alternative.
Any organisation that would like to be dynamic and growthoriented has to pay attention
to the development of its human resource. People must be continuously helped to acquire
capabilities for effective performance of new roles, functions or tasks that may arise in the
process of organisational growth and change in the environment. Thus HRD becomes crucial for
organisational dynamism and growth. In the recent past, mechanisms like performance appraisal,
counselling, organisational development, potential appraisal, job enrichment have been
introduced in various organisations. A development oriented climate is essential for the success
of these programmes.
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A Tribute To Mayadhar Mansingh
Compiler: Mamata Rani Behera* *
Distinguished as a lyricist and a trend -setter in Oriya Poetry, Mayadhar Mansingh
was a multi-faceted writer and critic. though he was the first Oriya to hold a Ph.D.
Degree in English literature from Durham University, his writings echo strains of
nationalism, love for country life, esoteric and spiritual aspirations . His famous lyrics
Konarka, Upekhita, Dhupa, Hema Puspa, Matibani etc. perfected the art of lyricism. The
publication of Dhupa ( incense) - a collection of love poems, in 1931, catapulted him to
a great literary fame. The poems are replete with intense longings for the beloved, rich in
ferver, and unparalleled in style. Though influenced by English romantic poetry he was
acutely sensitive to the Orissan tradition and heritage. The reflecting melancholism and
love for nature makes his work almost spiritual in famous. In his Buddhist ideology. His
voyage from the sensuous to the mystic world seems complete. Behind all his major
manifestations, lies the poet’s urge to release the ultimate reality. In memory of the great
soul, a brief analysis of his life , achievements in complied. The reader can have a look
at the lyrics ; which have initially been translated by M. Mansingh.
DR. MAYADHAR MANSINHA
(1905-1973)- A CHRONOLOGY
Date of Birth - 13.11.1905
Place - Nandala, Parikuda, Dist-Puri.
Father’s Name - Padma Charan Mansingh.
Mother’s Name - Subhadra Devi.
Primary Education - Parikuda Minor School.
M.E. - Banpur School-1922.
High School Education - Khurda High School-1922
Intermediate - Ravenshaw College, Cuttack-1928
B.A. English (Hons.) - Ravenshaw College, Cuttack-1930.
M.A. English 2nd Class - Patna University-1932.
Marriage - 08.05.1932
Wife’s Name - Hemalata Mansingh
B.Ed.
Teachership at Satyabadi
- 1933
High School, Sakhigopal
Teachership at Nimapara
- 1934
High School
Teachership at Bhawanipatna
- 1934
High School - 1935-1938
Went London for Ph.D. - 1938
* Lecturer in Oriya, DDCE, Utkal University, Vanivihar, Bhubaneswar, India.

Ph.D. from Durham University
Educational Advisor Eastern
- 1939
State Agency - 1946-47
Adult Education Officer - 1947
School Inspector - 1947-49
Principal, G. M. College
Sambalpur
- 1949-56
Editor Oriya Encyclopedia
Family :
He had 5 children
3 Sons
- 1957
Dr. Lalatendu Mansingh - Professor Geo-Physics.
Lalitendu Mansingh - I.F.S.
Labanyendu Mansingh
2 Daughters
Nibedita & Sanghamitra
Works :
Kavya of Mansingh
- I.A.S.
Upekhita
Nikwana
- 1928
Sadhabajhia - 1929
Subhadrusti - 1930
Jema - 1942
Kamalayana
Play and Poetic Plays
- 1946
Barabati - 1926
Rajakabi Upendra - 1928
Puspita - 1930
Pujarini - 1932
Hastanida - 1938
Puspabhinaya -
Sasan Chakra - 1951
Buddha - 1951
Durbikhya
Poem Collection
- 1956
Dhupa - 1931
Hemasasya - 1933

Hemapuspa - 1935
Premasasya - 1945
Matibani - 1947
Jibanchita - 1947
Baputarpana - 1948
Swarajya Sharama - 1952
Sindhu O’ Bindhu - 1962
Akhyata, Konark, Gita-renu, Kishore Kabita.
Novel - Anwesana - 1957
Travel Books - Paschima Pathika - 1947
Translation - Dharmapada (with introduction)
Srimad Bhagabadgita (with introduction)
Mahatbani
Gramonanatira romancharkar kahani
Essays & Criticism - Kabi O’ Kabita-1948
Jibana Patha- 1949
Autobiography -
Odia Samaj O’ Sahitya- 1951
Sikhya Sikhyaka O’ Sikhyayatana-1953
Matira Mahakabi Sarala Das- 1958
Gita Mahatmya- 1969
Oriya Sahityara Itihas- 1967
Saraswati Fakir Mohan- 1972
Sarbajanina Gita, Sahitya Prava
Sikhyabitra Gatha 1965.
English Writings
Editing
- Citizen Education (1942)
The History of Oriya literature-1962
The Ripples of Mahanadi (1971)
Comparative study of Kalidas and Shakespeare.
The saga of Lord Jagannath (1971)
Fakir Mohan Senapati (1976).
Urmi - (1929)
Arati - 1940
Sankha - 1945
Meher Pradip - 1955
Jhankar
Aloka
Swaraja
- 1961-62
Utkal Sahityara Nutan Prastha

Extracts From Mayadhar Mansinha’s Writings
UNDER THE MANGO TREE *
Mayadhar Mansinha
Under the mango tree during that tryst,
When the bangle-bedecked arms of the sweet one
Entwined round my neck, and
Pressed me to her bosom in balmy embraces,
The very moonlit night appeared cheered up
With the touch of the zephyr that blew soft,
And while a wild bird on the wing was piping a melodious note.
The very earth looked mystic with shadows and moonshine,
From under this mango tree of our cloistered bliss.
2
The lamp in the city were fading
With folks retiring for nocturnal rest,
Crickets were chirping a drowsy note,
Filling meadows and fields with deep resonance.
And my timid fair one, casting glances all around,
Kept furtively pouring out in spilling-over measures
The red wine of love from her soft rich lips
In hurried kisses,
Under the blissful shadow of this mango tree.
What soulful efforts there would be from us both,
To merge into each other, deeper and deeper, and
Keener and keener ever more
To excel in the barter of body and mind,
Oblivious of all the world, far and near !
That moment, rendered eternal by love
Brought me heavenly music
As I listened to the jingle of her bangles,
Under this mango tree of shade and sheltered bliss.
The sweet restive creature
Even while she filled my whole being.
With the wine of love,
Started up once from my bosom,
Loosening the twining,
3
4

And looking straight into my eyes ;
Asked with lips vibrant and tremulous
“Swear by me and speak out, my dearest, my all,
Do you .........................................
do you really love this creature who,
For your sake, is bearing this cross of infamy,
For love, true and eternal ?”
Mine arms just pressed her closest to my bosom, in reply,
Under this mango tree of shade and sheltered bliss.
The air beneath the tree had spread around the perfume
Of her body and her scented tresses, eager for kisses,
Had loosened about her creamy shoulders, in wild dishabille,
But the cool moonbeams of the midnight
Grew colder,
Gently forbidding us to further unsheltered love,
The zephyr whispering, “ Be gone, reckless ones,
Now that you have had your fill
From the brimming cup of love !
Many a time more will you meet
Under this mango tree of blissful shade .”
But did that spot witness, alas, any more of our dalliance ?
Did it any more inhale her fragrance wafted about,
In another moonlit night ?
Never again did we meet, alas,
Thrilling each other’s limbs and filling each other’s hearts
With that abandon of love ;
torn apart as soon we were, by society, placing between us two,
Miles of fields, forests, hills and rivers,
With no dance ever of another tryst
Under this mango tree of bliss.
Many moonlight night since then,
Must have come and gone, oh tree,
In many a spring,
The cuckoo’s note must have thrilled your green foliage,
The bangles of many a lovely one
5
6
7

Might have sweetly gingled here,
Lips of many a fair one must have been soaked profuse
With the impassioned kisses of impetuous love
Under this mango tree of blissful shade.
But tell me, Oh blessed tree,
The happy shelter of lovelorn creatures,
If you ever knew that flaming passion,
That thrill volumptuous,
In the eyes of any other daughter of Eve ?
From the thrilled heart of another fair one,
So rapturously lost in love, as was my darling ?
Say also, if you met another damsel, so determined
To absorb the adventurous love,
In all-forgetting embraces ?
Has there been any more such ardent union of hearts
And fusion of spirits,
Under your shade and sheltered bliss, as were ours,
Oh Tree ?
9
Mute witness of tremulous tableaux of love,
Problem to the Universe, will you not
That no other amour could match the ecstasy of ours,
None there is in the whole world,
To equal my loving one in beauty, grace and beneficence,
And none so abandoned to love, as was my moon of delight.
Say, comrade, that the few moments of bliss
That she gave me here under you
Has set forever an indigent poet on a monarch’s throne,
and never has it been the lot of any mortal
to drink such nectar of love
As my love poured out unto my lips
Say that, will you not, again and again,
To this disconsolate lover
so forlorn under your shade,
that the lifelong pangs of separation
May be assuaged,
In the waters of remembrance ?
8

THE DESCENDING
I remember now,
At this last lap of our earthly journey,
How, darling, at that golden moment
Of innocence and fresh youth,
Scintillating with rainbow of dreams,
You lifted the veil with throbbing of hesitancy,
To mingle your young, eager eyes with mine,
With the fullness of you immaculate soul
As our hands were tied by the priest
Over the pedestal of proclaimed love.
Memories keep flowing out
Over these last few miles of life
The reminiscences of all those exchanges,
All those mistakes and wranglings for petty claims,
Or seeming victories,
and burning petulance over defeats,giving
rise to one single query of all,
II
III
And could it be, I had accepted, darling,
All these vexations futilities that is Life,
For those few fugitive moments of ecstasy
Born of four mutually seeking eyes
Of two souls, mutually pining, life after life ?
IV
Have we been coming, again and again,
And been accepting with nonchalance
All the concomitants of Existence,
For that rare joy of vibrant vision of each other
At the golden threshold of life’s spring time,
And to realise in those eyes expectant with hopes,
The total meaning of our earthly journeys ?
And driving out all other memories of many an exciting moment
Of gains and victories and reputations
In the battle-fields of life ;
V

Of accumulations and petty feelings of self-complacence
Only the one of that first fugitive moment
Looms outstanding and pervasive.
When a fresh feminine flower
Opened out the petals of her soul,
To pour out all her honey and fragrance,
Into mine,
Through a soft, intense and vibrant gaze ?
VI
Could that be really true, dear one,
That I have been coming down unto the earth,
Again and again for all these aeons
Just for that fleeting ecstasy
Of a pair of young, fresh innocent eyes,
Delivering all at once into my eager hands,
A whole immaculate soul,
Dedicated in vibrant love ?
Could this be our story, darling,
Behind our life-play, birth after birth ?
BLOSSOMS OF DEATH
Seek I not Light from Darkness
Nor Immortality, leaving Death forever behind,
Leaving Maya, for the Terra firmas of Truth,
For freedom from the tangled illusions of the Moment,
for the dispensations of Eternity.
I plead Father, that you just illumine mine Present Darkness
Kindling the here and now with Thine touches,
Infusing Eternity into the passing Moment
And transforming this base Earth where I stand
Into a land of gold.
Let not the invisible distant tempt me,
But let the Holy spirit alight
On this, mine contemptible Present,
Meeting the sinner at the doorstep
Of his humble cottage
And let Thy Truth be revealed
In and through his very Delusions.

Seek I, not Immortality,
But through every Death of mine
May a flower blossom
On the dreary shores of Life.
BOATING UP THE MOONLIT MAHANADI
Never did I dream
That you had such treasures of beauty in your store, Mother Orissa,
Till I sailed up the blue waters of the moonlit Mahanadi, as I do now,
(A)
II
Mute with the silvery moonbeams,
And speechless with the glory of Nature all around,
Lost am I in trying to describe,
The wondrous splendour of it all.
III
Like the wide-flung veil of a nocturnal bride,
The moon shines bright over vast horizons
The lovely landscape made all the lovelier
By a mysterious passion.
IV
The mahanadi looks like a piece of the sky
The waters scintillating with the Moon’s starry kisses
Or is it a mirror placed
For the damsels of Heaven to view their faces in ?
V
Bathed in moonlight, the lines of trees on both banks,
Look dreamy, drowsy and indolent,
And drunk, as though with the wine of the Moon,
The wind too blows soft and sweet.
VI
The simple song of a distant boatman,
Is wafted down the wide bosom of the river,
And look, how with each stroke of the oars,
Million silver flowers flow down, behind our boat.
VII
The wide expanse of silvery waters,
Lie behind us up to the distant horizon,
And in front of us, rise serrated hill ranges,
Their blue bodies frosted over with moonbeams.

VIII
Beyond the hill-tops rises the white firmament,
Peaceful as a nun’s face,
And below it, the nocturnal bride, lies, calm,
Swathed in the gossamer garments of moon-shine.
IX
In the mystic vision of this vast gallery of Nature,
I stand bewildered with dense splendour on all sides,
And feel as though I would lose myself,
Drinking in the serene beauty of this river,
And of this enchanted moonlit night.
(B)
X
Alas, my dearest Utkal,
Why indeed should you be so miserable,
With such beauty enchanting
In all your fields, rivers and mountains -
Mountains so rich, and rivers so bounteous,
and fields so abundant ?
XI
How could I believe that one so divinely beauteous
Could be rated poor and contemptible ? and
why shall she be pitied by arrogant neighbours,
she, whose very breath is like wine to me ?
XII
How could this dear land so gloriously clothed,
In the eternal greenery of lovely wood-lands,
with her feet ever kissed by majestic oceans and
Standing with such mighty dignity in her own charms,
be treated as cursed among Nations ?
XIII
My imagination, perforce, sadly unrolls
The long scroll of her glories
As I sail up this mighty and beauteous river, -
The mute witness to her wonderous history, which
Till yesterday, saw her kings build castles
Rivalling high mountains on both her banks,
And with hearts as wide as herself,
who piled glories upon glories,
with victories of mind and arms.
XIV
Those kings, alas , are gone, and gone are their castles,
And gone also from this land those hearts courageous
Leaving behind only a prestigious past,
As but cruel mockery to the despondent present.

(C)
XV
My boat sails below the historic fort of Barabati,
Stop, Oh boatman, stop punting awhile,
That I might kiss the stones of its ramparts,
And learn of new values in this worthless existence of mine.
XVI
Beauteous princesses must have walked down those steps
To grace the ghat-stones with crimson-marks of their delicate feet,
Making the dead slabs throb with joy
From their royal touches.
XVII
That time, Orissa’s Queen in ceremonious dignity,
Must have welcomed home her victorious son,
Returning from distant battle-fields,
On these very stones, kissing warmly
The hero’s fair, broad brow.
XVIII
The city wives must have welcomed also,
Here on these very steps,
The boats that brought pearls from Ceylon,
Or bade farewell to sons going to battles in far-off lands,
Restraining woman’s tears, those brave mothers of heroes
XIX
Where have those days gone, Oh dear historic stones
When the shadow of this gigantic castle
On this mighty river
Created illusion of night for the water fowl,
And this nation did not know the fear of death ?
Has all that departed forever, never to return ?
XX
Will Orissa’s great Kings, Queens and Heroes
Never return to their dear Land ?
Will not the city-wives gather again on these sands
To welcome home the nation’s ships returning from seven seats ?
XXI
Tell me, my Muse, what spectacle these waters would present
On a night like this, in those glorious yesterdays,
How wonderful this river must have looked,
With hundreds of pleasure boats laden with the capital’s elite.
XXII
Up there on the topmost balcony of the castle
The great queen of the Land
Silhouetted against the golden lamp silently burning
Viewed the happy spectacle on the waters of the river below
The glory of her lord, the pleasure of her subjects
Muted with joy.

XXIV
Drums must have sounded on the castle ramparts,
The hills on the opposite bank reverberating,
Chambers in the castle answering back,
Making the waters of the Mahanadi ripple with fresh thrills
And making the royal boat, dance in sheer joy.
XXV
How I wish I were there that day,
To sing full-throated the glories of my people before m king
And to receive worthy needs from royal hands
At the end of my warm minstrelsy ?
XXVI
Are we to return now to the dingy darkness
Of stone-houses ?
Back again to the vexations of life ?
Can’t we have even a few moments of respite, like these,
To just forget life’s miseries ?
XXVII
The moon is high up in the sky, by now
And down below flow tranquil, the waters of the Mahanadi
The moonlight having covered, in the meantime, with a delicate mantle
The vast firmament above.
XXVIII
In this great silence and under the vast expanse of this moonlit sky,
Bewildered with all this silvery splendour,
I feel in me an ineffable touch of the great Invisible,
And how to Him, the unseen Creator of all this bliss.
XXIX
Truth and Good and Beauty also is He, in this existence of ours,
And behind every atom is He, in this vast universe,
The great Director of the unending Leela of Life,
The Builder and Destroyer of History
I have found here at last the noblest altar for His worship.
XXX
Here, on the bank of this great water-course
That has witnessed all the glorious achievements of my people
Flows out my whole soul to Him,
Under this silver canopy of moonlight and the vast open sky.
In reverent humility.
XXXI
How I wish this night would never end
But that under perpetual moonlight like this
I could keep sailing up this river
Till my days on earth were done,
Seeking that Great Starter and Finisher of History.

POET’S PRIVILEGE
If I ever be born again on this Earth,
I ask, My Lord, only this little favour of you,
That you may put a lyre again in my hands,
And give me a seat in the world’s assembly of poets,
I ask not mine own deliverance or happiness,
Make me only a poet, birth after birth,
That I might breathe Truth and Goodness in songs,
and awaken the Divine in Earth’s million muddy breasts,
And when mankind, insane with ignorance,
would rush to push cruel sabres into one another,
I singing Thy name on the Lyre,
Might prevent the sheer brutalities,
is not the poet’s heart Thy seat ?
And what except the poet’s words
shall make thy glory blossom on this clayey world of ours ?