Pornography and Sex Education

India is a country where parents seldom talk about sex (sexual intercourse or about the body) to their children (I don’t know about other countries). Sex is seen as an evil in the sub-continent. Let us also accept the fact that pornography is out there and it’s almost inevitable to come across it. Children are exposed to pornography probably near the ages of 13 to 18. Thus pornography is their first form of sex education. What sort of porn can one come across? Just google keywords like porn, sex videos, xxx videos or something likewise. You’ll be baffled at the results displayed. Almost all of the websites contain ‘hardcore pornography’. According to Wikipedia “Hardcore pornography contains graphic sexual activity and visible penetration” (It’s actually more than that). It is disgusting compared with sexual intercourse.

Let’s talk about pornography. Sex is a beautiful part of human life, but pornography makes it vulgar. Hardcore pornography or most of the porn out there portray women and men having endless sex in unimaginable ways. It displays many things which are not part of sexual intercourse. Simply put, it’s nothing more than rape. Gender discrimination is not alien to this industry, male ego runs through the vein of pornography too. It shows women doing things beyond our wildest imagination, oral sex (which is acceptable and practiced by many couples) is taken beyond boundaries, anal sex, fisting…. The list goes on.

We lack sex education, which takes things to the next level. Teenagers and men (yes it’s mostly the male gender) take it for granted that pornography and sex are one and the same. Naturally, they expect what they see from their partners. Women are abused, men (even boys) want to satisfy their sexual desire, which leads to rapes.

Pornography is a billion dollar industry, supported (indirectly) by ISPs, Search Engines and Telecom Networks.  So thinking about cutting off access to children is too late, it’s like a deadly incurable virus. It is available in anyone’s fingertips these days. Of course, several filters can block access to these websites, but the question is, for how long? Won’t He/ She come across it through some means or the other? The sad part of the story being the cold response from the Government, Judiciary and DoT to address this issue. At least they could have stopped people from uploading self-shot or leaked videos (by accident or purpose). It will cost a lot to put a check on these, but I believe it would be worth every single paisa spent.

Sex is not a bad thing, it is a natural phenomenon. So, talking to children about is not bad either (doesn’t mean one has to provide graphic details). They need to know the right thing, they must respect their own bodies, boys (men too) must respect women’s bodies and vice versa. Parents do have limitations when it comes to matters like this. But when faced with a question of “how I was born?” they can to do better than “you came from the belly”. Tell children “you were born because of our love” when they get bigger talk to them about it, let them know that doing what they see in porn can lead to pregnancy. Let girls say “No” to their boyfriends until they think they are ready to do it, or let them do it properly with precautions when they do it. (By no means I’m suggesting that we should have a sex oriented society or highly westernised views or that we should encourage pre-marital sex. Also I’m not of the view that it is a crime to fall in love and chose a mate to share one’s life with). Having a formal form of sex education is the need of the hour (proper use of technology can also be taught). It could possibly save the coming generations. It might stop rapes to a certain level in the coming years. Children must know and realise the ill effects of porn, and what it does to the brain. They must distinguish between right and wrong. We have to check the uncontrolled toll porn takes.

I sincerely hope that Government(s) would take up these issues seriously and do something about it with all due importance it deserves.
                                    
(Comments are welcome :) )

2011 Census: A Brief Summary

According to the provisional results of the 2011 census, released on 31^st March 2011, India’s population as on first March 2011 was 1210million. This is a humongous population, than the size projected by experts and professional organisations.

Population Growth

Between the census years 2001 and 2011, the absolute addition to the population was 181 million. The average annual growth rate was 0.33% points less than the rate observed during 1991 – 2001. If the fall in growth rate over the last two decades continues, then there is every reason to believe that, the rate of growth of population would be much lower in the coming decades.

Though the growth rate has declined compared to the previous decade of 1991 – 2001, there was only a marginal decline in the absolute number of people added to the population total. This is not unexpected as there is still a growing number of women entering the reproductive ages (the result of high fertility in the past). This inbuilt tendency for India’s population to grow will continue at least until the middle of this century.

The average annual growth rate of population declined in all major states except in Tamil Nadu, it may be the result of growth in net in-migration into Tamil Nadu during 2001 – 2011. The other notable in-migration major states are Haryana, Maharashtra and Gujarat. In contrast, Kerala continues to be a net exporter of people to elsewhere in India and overseas.

Literacy

The provisional population figure of 2011 census shows a marked improvement in literacy rate. The effective literacy rate (literacy rate in population aged above 7 years of age) increased from 64.8% to 74% over the decade 2001 – 2011. Although the improvement was significant for both males and females, females gained more than males (increase of literacy rate from 75.3% - 82.1% for males and from 53.4% - 65.46% for females).

Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir had a lower achievement level in literacy in 2001, ranking low at the bottom; they all stood at higher ranks with respect to improvement in literacy during the decade 2001 – 2011. On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan performed poorly with respect to other states.

Gender Composition

The overall sex ratio at the national level has increased by 7 points to reach 940 at census 2011 as against 933 in census 2001. This is the highest sex ratio recorded since 1971 and a shade lower than 1961. Increase in sex ratio is observed in 29 states/Union Territories. Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar and Gujarat have shown decline in sex ratio as compared to census 2001. Kerala with 1084 has the highest sex ratio followed by Puducherry with 1038 while Daman and Diu has the lowest sex ratio of 618. The most important contributor to overall increase in sex ratio is improvement in survival rate among women.

Decline in Child Sex Ratio 

As was the case during the 1990’s the increase in population sex ratio was almost entirely due to the increase in sex ratio among the population aged 7 and above. But the sex ratio for the population aged 0-6 years continued to decline from 945 females per 1000 males in 1991, to 927 in 2001 and further down to 914 in 2011. In spite of an increase between 2001 and 2011, Punjab and Haryana have the lowest sex ratio (less than 850) among 0-6 year olds in 2011. All the major states except Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu recorded increase in male population in their under seven population. The largest decline was in Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Conclusion

The provisional population figures of the 2011 census do suggest that India’s population growth is slowing down. Although the total population size exceeded more projections, the growth rate has slowed compared to the 1990’s. This is largely due to further declines in fertility throughout the 2000’s in the populous states in Northern India.

Studies have consistently shown that the long-term solution for eliminating discrimination against female discrimination against female children lies in bringing about transformative changes in social institutions and family. The continuous gains in female literacy over last two decades are signs that far-reaching social changes are under way. Early 20^th century experience shows that secondary education for all is essential for women’s empowerment. In women’s empowerment lie the answer to India’s population and developmental problems.   

Water Pollution

Water Pollution, contamination of water by foreign matter such as micro-organisms, chemicals, industrial or other wastes, or sewage. Such matter deteriorates the quality of the water and renders it unfit for its intended uses.

MAJOR POLLUTANTS

The major pollutants of water are the following:

• Sewage and other oxygen-demanding wastes (largely carbonaceous organic material, the decomposition of which leads to oxygen depletion).
• Infectious agents.
• Plant nutrients that can stimulate the growth of aquatic plants, which then interfere with water uses and, when decaying, deplete the dissolved oxygen and produce disagreeable odours.
• Exotic organic chemicals, including pesticides, various industrial products, surface-active substances in detergents, and the decomposition products of other organic compounds.
• Petroleum, especially from oil spills.
• Inorganic minerals and chemical compounds.
• Sediments consisting of soil and mineral particles washed by storms and floodwater from croplands, unprotected soils, mine workings, roads, and bulldozed urban areas.
• Radioactive substances from the wastes of uranium and thorium mining and refining, from nuclear power plants, and from the industrial, medical, and scientific use of radioactive materials.

Heat may also be considered a pollutant when increased temperatures in bodies of water result from the discharge of cooling water by factories and power plants.

EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION

Notable effects of water pollution include those involved in human health. Nitrates (the salts of nitric acid) in drinking water can cause a disease in infants that sometimes results in death. Cadmium in sludge-derived fertilizer can be absorbed by crops; if ingested in sufficient amounts, the metal can cause an acute diarrhoeal disorder and liver and kidney damage. The hazardous nature of inorganic substances such as mercury, arsenic, and lead has long been known or strongly suspected.

Lakes are especially vulnerable to pollution. One problem, eutrophication, occurs when lake water becomes artificially enriched with nutrients, causing abnormal plant growth. Run-off of chemical fertilizer from cultivated fields may trigger this. The process of eutrophication can produce aesthetic problems such as bad tastes and odours and unsightly green scums of algae, as well as dense growth of rooted plants, oxygen depletion in the deeper waters and bottom sediments of lakes, and other chemical changes such as precipitation of calcium carbonate in hard waters. Another problem, of growing concern in recent years, is acid rain, which has left many lakes in northern and eastern Europe and north-eastern North America totally devoid of life.

SOURCES AND CONTROL

The major sources of water pollution can be classified as municipal, industrial, and agricultural.

Municipal water pollution consists of wastewater from homes and commercial establishments. For many years, the main goal of municipal sewage disposal was simply to reduce its content of suspended solids, oxygen-demanding materials, dissolved inorganic compounds (particularly compounds of phosphorus and nitrogen), and harmful bacteria. In recent years, however, more stress has been placed on improving the means of disposal of the solid residues from municipal treatment processes. The basic methods of treating municipal wastewater fall into three stages: primary treatment, including grit removal, screening, grinding, flocculation (aggregation of the solids), and sedimentation; secondary treatment, which entails oxidation of dissolved organic matter by means of biologically active sludge, which is then filtered off; and tertiary treatment, in which advanced biological methods of nitrogen removal and chemical and physical methods such as granular filtration and activated carbon adsorption are employed. The handling and disposal of solid residues can account for 25 to 50 per cent of the capital and operational costs of a treatment plant.

The characteristics of industrial wastewaters can differ markedly both within and among industries. The impact of industrial discharges depends not only on their collective characteristics, such as biochemical oxygen demand and the amount of suspended solids, but also on their content of specific inorganic and organic substances. Three options (which are not mutually exclusive) are available in controlling industrial wastewater. Control can take place at the point of generation within the plant; wastewater can be pretreated for discharge to municipal treatment systems; or wastewater can be treated completely at the plant and either reused or discharged directly into receiving waters.

Agriculture, including commercial livestock and poultry farming, is the source of many organic and inorganic pollutants in surface waters and groundwater. These contaminants include both sediment from the erosion of cropland and compounds of phosphorus and nitrogen that partly originate in animal wastes and commercial fertilizers. Animal wastes are high in oxygen-demanding material, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and they often harbour pathogenic organisms. Wastes from commercial feeders are contained and disposed of on land; their main threat to natural waters, therefore, is via run-off and leaching. Control may involve settling basins for liquids, limited biological treatment in aerobic or anaerobic lagoons, and a variety of other methods.

Lowest Child Sex Ratio Ever

 Child sex ratio, measures the number of girls for every 1,000 boys in the 0-6 years age group.


According to the 2011 census of India we can find the worst child sex ratio ever, after India became independent. The  child sex ratio of India stands at 914. And what exactly does this mean? Indian's are still preferring male child over the female child. Does female foeticide, abortion etc... exist? It is really a question worth asking.

so what can we do?


India still lags behind in basic education and health facilities, and there lies the solution too Educate the masses and provide them good health facilities. Educating the girl child is very important too.




I'll upload a detailed analysis of India's Census 2011 in a few days.  

Human Development Report 2010

United Nations has released its HDR 2010

Human Development Report 2010 —20th Anniversary Edition

The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development

The first Human Development Report in 1990 opened with the simply stated premise that has guided all subsequent Reports: “People are the real wealth of a nation.” By backing up this assertion with an abundance of empirical data and a new way of thinking about and measuring development, the Human Development Report has had a profound impact on development policies around the world.

This 20th anniversary edition features introductory reflections by the Nobel Prize–winning economist Amartya Sen,............................ click here to read

Food Inflation in India

I am not targeting this article for Economic students alone, so I will try to make it simple and easy to understand yet strong.

A GENERAL INTRODUCTION

So to begin with, I must describe to my readers what inflation is?.. Inflation in simple terms can be defined as a general rise in price level. And for budding economists I will put forward the definition given by Wicksell, Hansen and Keynes: ‘Inflation is the result of excess demand over full employment’. Also one by Caul Bourn who says: ‘Inflation is a situation where too much money chases too few goods’. Inflation may arise because of two main reasons: 1. Demand increases over the supply of goods and services (Demand pull Inflation). The demand for goods and services increases well above its supply..... naturally price rises. 2. Cost Push Inflation – A situation where price rises on account of increasing cost of production for any reason. When price of various factors of production like land, labour etc... increases, cost of production is bound to increase and so is the case with finished final goods and services. Let me also inform you that there are two measures of Inflation that are commonly used. 1. Wholesale Price Index (WPI) and Consumer Price Index (CPI).In India we use WPI as the common measure of Inflation. Let me not bore you with more economic facts and get to the point straight away......

Food Inflation based on the WPI for food articles & food products reached double digits in April 2009 and have crossed the 20% level by December. We must have in mind that Inflation in retail level is more important than the wholesale level because it is what matters in the case of consumers. This is true in the case of all Economies. In order to maintain the consumption pattern or level, Indian consumers should spend about 20% more on food compared to previous years. This is surely going to worsen food and nutrition deficiency, which remains at a very high level.    

THE GENERAL TREND OF INFLATION

The average annual inflation based on the WPI (1993-94) was close to 6% during 1994-95 to 2004-2005. But during these periods, food inflation varied between 4% to 7% and comparatively it was lower than that of normal inflation rate. But the scenario changed after 2005; food prices increased at much faster rate than non-food items.

It is to be noted that food inflation touched near to 20% in January 2010. The annual average of food inflation during the period 2006-2009 was very much higher than that of ordinary inflation. Statistics show food inflation was 80% more than ordinary inflation during this period. The highest inflation is observed in the case of pulses and the lowest in the case of edible oils. Now let me throw some light on the reasons behind the current food inflation.

FACTORS AFFECTING FOOD INFLATION

The acceleration in food inflation towards the end of 2009 have been caused by several factors , relating to a shock in supply, trade, global prices, food management, speculative activities and demand.

                        
          (1)Production

In India, food inflation commenced accelerating in the beginning of 2008, even though production was double than that of the domestic demand. But a major portion of this did not enter domestic market (supply). As global price soared in 2007 and 2008, exports seemed attractive. The share of exports in domestic production of food increased from 6.2% during 2003-04 to 2005-06 to more than 10% during 2006-07 to 2008-09. This resulted in the seeping in of global prices to the domestic market to a certain extent. The main cause of an increase in food prices during 2008 was the influence of exports led by high global prices.

Global food prices cooled down considerably during 2009. The FAO Food Price Index in 2009 was 20% lower than in 2008. In contrast to the global trend, domestic food prices followed a rapid increase through 2009. The main factor underlying high food inflation during 2009 and beyond is that, growth in food production during 2008-09 fell short of demand. Contributing to these woes large parts of the country experienced deficiency of 2009 southwest monsoon resulting in draught, which caused considerable loss to kharif output. According to the advance estimates issued by CSO, food grain product in 2009-10 is estimated to decline by 8% and oilseeds and sugarcane by 5% and 11% respectively. The decline in food production was bound to occur since we have no mechanism to promptly correct the imbalance in demand and supply.

                        
          (2)Trade and Global Prices

Changes in international prices exert direct and indirect influence on domestic prices. However this influence varies greatly across commodities. The prices of edible oil in India turned out to be lower than that in 2008, even though the domestic production fell by 5%. Imports which meet around 40% of domestic demand for edible oil is the major factor holding edible oil prices at low level.

Then how come the prices of rice, wheat, egg, sugar, pulses, meat, fish etc... have not decreased? In commodities like pulses, the global market is very thin. The total trade in pulses is around 10 million tonnes, out of which India imports about 30%. The global market does not seem to be having the capacity to meet India’s rising demand for pulses.

The lack of cooperation between the centre and the states further complicates the likelihood of a quick execution of the import option to meet the domestic shortage, as was seen in the case of sugar recently.

CONCLUSION

It is relevant to ask whether proper food management could check this high inflation levels. India needs to be stronger in food management like keeping more buffer stocks and utilising it properly. Proper implementation should be in order and the gap between desired action taken and actual action taken should be minimised to a great extent. India needs to invest heavily in expanding storage capacity for various types of food in public and private sectors. A food market regulator should be established to check hoarding and speculative trade. To keep food inflation at low levels, India must develop improved technologies for raising food production to meet the ever increasing demand.