OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development
Open access peer-reviewed journal
Right to Education: Significance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to Reach Out to
Browbeaten Sections in India
Abhinav Gaur a, Vikram Shah b
a, b Symbiosis Law School, Noida, India.
Volume 06, Issue 07, Pg. 12-20, 2013.
Abstract: It is undisputed that most of the enrollment growth in the coming several decades will be in developing countries and India will contribute a significant proportion of that expansion.
India by enacting “Right to Education Act, 2009” has set out on a go-getting path to provide free and compulsory education to all children in the 6 to 14 age group. As a result the number of students enrolled in elementary schools in far flung villages would definitely see a colossal jump. Challenges of funding, availability of qualified teachers, and building a sustainable academic culture and school infrastructure are significant and real.
The primary aim of the paper is to delve into the various revolutionary aspects of ICT in Education in reaching out to the browbeaten sections in India. Providing access to the free education for the children of browbeaten people like tribals, lower castes, and dalits is a complex issue in India wherein the fragmentation in the society along religious, ethnic and linguistic lines is entrenched. In addition, rampant poverty which is the root cause of child labor leaves no time for the affected children to undertake formal schooling.
India has always been an interesting and tractable case study for the actual and potential impact of constitutionalizing the right to education. In a nutshell the enrolment rate in rural areas nationwide was only 71%, with a gender disparity of 0.84, meaning a 16% lower rate for girls. In some states the levels are considerably lower. In Bihar only 59% are enrolled and in Rajasthan the rate is 61% with a gender disparity of 46% for girls.
Henceforth, in this paper we review various facets of and challenges in providing access to universal elementary education for the children from socially weaker sections in India. The paper also studies social divisions in India which are considered as a primary reason for creating education hindrance even now. The paper gives a critical view on how people in rural areas are still away from their basic right of education and even today the gap between poor and rich is widening by each passing day, since unfortunately education is believed to be a game of riches. The paper delves into various aspects of this ambitious aim and suggests measures for mitigating the risks and pitfall in India’s march towards achievement of 100% literacy of over 1 billion people. We also explore the ways in which the strengths of ICT can be leveraged in achievement of the goal.
Keywords: Browbeaten sections; ICT; India; Right to Education.
Corporate Social Responsibility: A Need Of Present And Future
Shubham Jain a, Shruti Jain b
a Symbiosis Law School, Noida, India.
b University Five Year Law College, Jaipur, India.
Volume 06, Issue 07, Pg. 22-32, 2013.
Abstract: Corporate social responsibility is the heart of business practices in today’s era. It can be defined as “The persisting commitment by business to behave ethically and achieve its development by improving the standard of life of its labour force and their families as well as of the local community and society at large”. We all have responsibilities towards society, community and country. Same forms the very base of corporate responsibility. It is a voluntary act of the companies. It can be said that main aim of a business organization is to keep people happy i.e. the Society. If this end is not achieved, it cannot survive for long. Today it is being exercised at both national and international level as merits of providing CSR programmes is being realized at large. It is not just only a responsibility of a company but, an effort to work upon sustainability of business operations and their dealings with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. Then, there is also a concept of ‘yield making’, which is a crucial aspect in escalation of a firm. So, here emerges CSR, with which the gains of a firm are analyzed in combination with social riches for enhanced growth and sustainable development of the same.
Corporate social responsibility focuses on the duties of business organizations towards the interest of society rather than just towards its stakeholders and customers as it is a well known fact that a business corporation is dependent upon the society for the want of technical assistance, finance and market. By practicing corporate social responsibility, a corporation generates ways to gather both financial and social benefit and business which is socially responsible is much more stable. It is important that both internal CSR i.e. welfare of workers, stakeholders, investors as well as external CSR i.e. welfare of society and local community should be carried on hand in hand if sustainable development of CSR is to be achieved.
The core elements of CSR can be summarized as follows: (a) Companies should develop mechanism to respect the needs of stakeholders, customers and its investors. (b) They should not engage in business practices that are abusive, unfair, corrupt or anti-competitive. (c) Healthy, safe and hygienic conditions of work should be provided at workplace and no discrimination should be exercised on any ground in providing employment opportunities. (d) Human rights of company’s labour force should be protected by company. (e) Such activities should be taken up by company which is conducive to the overall development of its workforce like educational, social, cultural welfare activities particularly targeting towards the disadvantaged section of society. (f) Measures should be taken by every company to check and prevent environment pollution. For this, paper bags should be used instead of plastic bags and waste should be properly managed and recycled.
Thus, in today’s context, concept of Corporate social responsibility has been widened from mere a profit making formula to economic and social development of society and to encourage a affirmative bang through its behavior on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the municipal field. Furthermore, CSR-alert businesses would advance the public concern by cheering community expansion and development, and removing behavior which can cause damage to municipal sphere and valuable natural resources, despite of legitimacy. CSR seeks to deliberately include public interest in corporate decision making so that company can easily and efficiently achieve its tri fold interest which are public, profit and planet.
Thus corporate social responsibility is enjoying a valuable status today but still in a country like India, it is at developing stage and has a long path to travel before they finish into tangible course of action. It is prototypical to build up the CSR principles appropriately and a legal machinery should be evolved which should be utilised to give effect to these principles in order to render them effective. Business is carried out for profits. There is scope for huge profits and even if a small part of those profits is utilized for public benefit, society would surely be a better place to live in.
The aim of the instant paper is to expose the role of CSR in country’s development and its association with legal and environmental issues. The paper also examines the concept of CSR in detail focussing towards the reasons for its introduction in India and its consequent benefits and co-related drawbacks.
Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Social Development, Society, Welfare.
Human Rights Approach to Sustainable Development
Rashmi Nagpal
Nirma University Ahmedabad, SG Highway Ahmedabad, India
Volume 06, Issue 07, Pg. 30-41, 2013.
Abstract: The Present day consensus reflects three foundational aspirations. First, that human beings should be able to enjoy a decent quality of life, second, that humanity should become capable of respecting the finiteness of the biosphere, and third, that neither the aspiration for good life, nor the recognition of biophysical limits should preclude the search for greater justice in the world. In a planetary system of finite resources, human activities motivated by an attitude of rampant consumerism and unsustainable patterns of production and consumption have never been as inhuman and callous towards environment as in the modern era of scientific and technological innovations. Man’s greed attacks nature, environment and ecology and wounded nature backlashes on the human future. During the past few decades numerous incredible and devastating events have focused the domestic and global attention to the impending danger of environmental devastation, the depletion of resources, and a massive extinction of species. Issues such as climate change, trends in global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain, deforestation, desertification, toxic wastes and loss of biological diversity have resulted in increasing global awareness of the problems facing the planet earth. An unprecedented rise in human population has overburdened ecological and social systems. The foundations of global security are threatened. The global concern has been aptly echoed in the preambular assertion made at the Earth Summit in the year 1992.
Humanity stands at a defining moment in history. We are confronted with a perpetuation of disparities between and within nations, a worsening of poverty, hunger, ill health and illiteracy, and the continuing deterioration of the ecosystems on which we depend for our well-being. Earth’s resources are finite and there are ecological limits to growth which, unless we alter our ways, will sooner rather than later be exhausted. Environmental crisis involves social, political and economic aspects and also poses a philosophical problem. The most vital task is to build an environmental ethics that constructs an adequate theory of intrinsic value of nature as a whole. Many theorists therefore suggested that environment management be approached from a human rights perspective. It is undeniable that the ecological balance is disturbed by human activity, yet humans are the ultimate victims of such degradation and therefore approaching environment management from a human rights point of view would go a long way in tackling the ecological concerns. Additionally, such an approach would help solve the aforementioned problems as human rights represent a core space which the State is obliged to respect and help effectively realise The concept of sustainable development was placed on the international agenda with the release of the report Our Common Future by World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Report) in 1987, where it was envisaged that
Human survival and well-being depends on success in elevating sustainable development to a global ethic.While economic development should not be allowed to take place at the cost of ecology or by causing widespread environment destruction and violation; at the same time the necessity to preserve ecology and environment should not hamper economic and other developments. Both development and environment must go hand in hand, in other words, there should not be development at the cost of environment and vice-versa, but there should be development while taking, due care and ensuring the protection of environment. To resolve this issue, the experts worldwide have come up with a doctrine called ‘sustainable development’ i.e. there must be a balance between development and ecology. In the past several years the field of sustainable development has shifted to an integration of international economic, social and environmental law with the goal of reducing poverty in developing nations.
Ever since man came on this earth, there has been an in born and intrinsic tendency to save his person and property. Expressed differently, the protection of one’s person and property is inherent in the nature of man. Human rights are those rights, which any human being on this earth must enjoy because of his being a human being. The most fundamental of all rights is threatened by environmental degradation and unsustainable development — the right to life. Right to life being foremost human right implicates right to live without deleterious and perilous invasions of pollution, environmental degradation and ecological imbalances. Environment today is no longer a scientist’s esoteric but one of the paramount legal concerns, jurist’s curative commitments and focal agenda of modern socio-legal order. A legal system, therefore, is expected to rise to creative heights to indoctrinate environmentalism, deep ecological values and eco-centrism to augur an equitable and sustainable socio-legal regime.
Keywords: environmental degradation, biophysical limits, health and literacy
The Need for Change in the Approach towards Global Climate Change & Environment Protection Plans to Secure Sustainable Development
Namit Bafna a, Shambhavi Ravishankar b
a, b School of Law, Christ University, Bangalore, India.
Volume 06, Issue 07, Pg. 42-53, 2013.
Abstract: Mahatma Gandhi once said ‘The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed’. The environmental problems plaguing the world today bear a direct resemblance to this. The selfish attitude of every individual State has led to collective problems, which equally affects everyone in the international community. As a consequence to the Westphalia Treaty, the world witnessed the birth concept of sovereignty, which was later expanded to mean Absolute Sovereignty. In the first part of this paper, it will be shown how sovereignty has been misused to the effect that challenges like that of the infamous Tragedy of Commons, have come to be. It will be dealing exclusively with why international cooperation where the environment is concerned has largely failed. From the perspective of the Environment, cooperation has become difficult due to the inequalities in the status and position of nations, with developing nations feeling a sense of injustice at having their developmental plans curtailed or criticized by already developed nations. This paper hopes to show that there is a need for nations to view themselves as a part of ‘One Community’ whereby the actions of one country have an intimate effect on the existence of other nations. This will foster a sense of inter-dependence and mutual benefit amongst nations, which will result in peace and cooperation rather than blame and dictation of terms.
The Second part of the paper aims to focus on the mechanism by which new international environmental agreements can be implemented (once cooperation is achieved). There are mainly two approaches to tackle climate change viz, “top down approach” and “bottom up approach”. However this paper will suggest the use of Flexible Bottom-up Approach as it intends at synthesizing the benefits of all the approaches that exist for international environmental protection to tackle climate change. This section also hopes to propose an alternate model or approach for fostering International Cooperation among nations where the need for rationalizing standards for environmental protection will come from both, grass root level and international level, the synthesis of which will be a source of international peace and security. The Flexible Bottom-Up Approach will, as shown in this paper, be the key for setting across equal and reasonable standards that will facilitate the economical development interests of countries while simultaneously ensuring environmental protection and conservation. The flexible bottom–Up Approach aims at working on the drawbacks of global comprehensive plans to tackle climate change and putting across novice attempts towards sustainable development.
Keywords: Climate Change, Global Peace & Security, International Cooperation, One Community, Sustainable Development.
Effective Communication Facilitates Partnering With Parents: Perception of Supervisors and Teachers at Preschool and Primary School Levels
Kamini Prakash Rege a, Nirmala Almeida b
a, b Department of Human Development , College of Home Science Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai, India.
Volume 06, Issue 07, Pg. 54-73, 2013.
Abstract: Multiple benefits have been documented, when parents are actively involved in their children’s education. Dearth of research on the nature and extent of home-school partnership at the preschool and primary school levels in the Indian context served as an impetus for the current research. Communication with parents refers to the basic obligations of schools to improve the communications from school to home and from home to school about school programs and students’ progress, including the use of letters, memos, report cards, newsletters, conferences, and other mechanisms. Activities and ideas include conducting an orientation/ giving information to parents of children who have just joined the school, helping and encouraging parents to give information to the school and obtain information from the school, developing communication with those parents who are educated in a Non-English medium and do not understand English or who are illiterate/not educated, conducting teacher education programmes to facilitate communication with those parents who are illiterate/educated in a non–English medium, sending the child’s work (class work/homework) to their home, encouraging contacts between parents and school when concerns arise, providing training sessions/input sessions for parents and teachers that focus on the importance of home-school partnership, using technology to foster communication with parents and producing a school newsletter. Observation of several experts indicates that the level of communication, in the urban Indian context, is minimal. The objective of the study was to ascertain the perception of supervisors and teachers regarding communicating aspects essential for promoting optimal home-school partnership at the preschool and primary school levels in Mumbai. The sample consisted of 80 participants (20 supervisors and 60 teachers) from 10 schools located in Mumbai. An interview schedule (using open-ended items) was employed to elicit the desired information. Results revealed that, A substantial majority of the supervisors and teachers stated that their school conducted an orientation program for parents of children who were new entrants (supervisors [85%]; teachers [80%]), particularly developed communication with those parents who were educated in a non-English medium of instruction/illiterate (supervisors [90%]; teachers [86.7%]) and encouraged contacts between parents and the school staff when concerns arose (supervisors [100%]; teachers [95%]). While more (supervisors [70%]; teachers [58%]) acknowledged that their school used technology to improve communication, only a moderate number (supervisors [55%]; teachers [46.7%]) indicated that their school produced a newsletter. Fathers were perceived to be involved in the “communicating” level of home-school partnership, to either a moderate or small extent, but mothers were viewed as being involved to either a large or a moderate extent. Parents and PTA representatives assigned a moderate rating to the “communicating” level of home-school partnership [parents (M=12.70; SD=4.63); PTA representatives (M=14.40; SD=3.85)]. The following areas focusing on the communicating level of home-school partnership have been highlighted: a) arranging for an orientation session / program for parents; b) developing communication with those parents who speak little or no English / educated in non-English medium/ lack literacy skills; c) encouraging contacts between parents and school staff in general and when concerns arise; d) using technology to foster, increase or improve communication with parents; e) producing the school newsletter to foster, increase or improve communication with parents; f) providing input sessions for teachers and parents on effective two-way communication techniques and the importance of home-school partnership. Home and school are the two settings where children spend the majority of their time. When the links are supportive between home and school settings, the more potential there is for healthy development. Home-school partnership is defined as the participation of parents in every facet of their child’s education and development from birth to adulthood, recognizing that parents are the primary influence in the lives of their children. Home-school partnership is the support and participation of parents at home, in the community and at the school site, which directly and positively affects the educational performance of all children. Sheldon (2002) loosely defined parent involvement as the investment of resources in children by parents. Coleman and Churchill (1997) provide a more descriptive definition stating that family involvement can include many different components including a program providing parents with emotional support, providing parents with skills and knowledge and communicating to them about the child.
Keywords: Communicating, Early Childhood Education, Home-School Partnership, Parent Involvement, Preschool and Primary School.
Sustainable Development For Indian Mining Sector
Daizy a, Niladri Das b
Department of Management Studies, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, India.
Volume 06, Issue 07, Pg. 72-84, 2013.
Abstract: Corporations in India are under growing pressure from internal and external stakeholders to achieve corporate sustainability and consider the economic, environmental and social implications of their activities. Sustainability reporting is gaining momentum globally as an important communication tool for companies to disclose their sustainability plans and performance and enhance stakeholder confidence. From the beginning of human civilization, mining is anticipated as a “dirty” and polluting industry, amenable to corruption and illegal operations. Mining is an activity which requires a special consideration, especially from environmental activists and civil society groups. The Mining sector is essential for economic development but mineral extraction tends to have considerable negative effects on environmental and societal. Historically, the extraction of mineral reserves has always resulted in varying degrees of environmental resource degradation and social impacts all across the globe. It has been facing severe criticism on several issues relating to its performance vis-à-vis sustainable development. The present study is an attempt to examine various issues and initiatives on sustainable development in the context of the Indian mining sector. The author finding suggests that the Indian mining sector is having various issues related to social and environmental aspects as well as gender issues, to solve these issues Indian mining sector must adopt the principles of sustainable development that seek to balance economic, social and environmental and for the bright future of the mining sector . Undoubtedly India has an elaborate legal framework with a large number of laws relating to environmental protection such as the Water pollution Act (1974), Air pollution Act (1981) etc. In Indian mining sector, there is strong need to create more agencies as a Draft MMDR Bill 2011 proposes to do through the creation of more regulatory bodies and new mechanisms for coordination among them. Moreover this study highlighted that the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) under the Ministry of Mines, Government of India has the responsibility of monitoring the proper enforcement of the rules. However this study contends that Indian mining sector have been showing positive signs in embracing the principles of sustainable development that seek to balance economic, social and environmental well being now and for the bright future for mining sector. Recent policy development, government policies, laws and procedures as well as industry behavior and practices to these principles shall also encourage the reporting efforts in Indian mining sector.
Keywords: Environment, Mining sector, Social , Sustainable development.
Recycling And Reuse Of Construction And Demolition Waste For Sustainable Development
Snehal Anilkumar Kumbhar a, Anilkumar Gupta b , Dadaso Balaku Desai c
a, b, c Civil Department, Dr. J. J. Magdum College of Engineering, Jaysingpur, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India.
Volume 06, Issue 07, Pg. 84-93, 2013.
Abstract: As we are living in 21st century, new technologies are being invented in almost every sector to make human life fast and easier. Beside this we are still finding the solutions to problems related to our environment, energy and natural resources.
Construction industry produces large amount of waste throughout the year. Most of the time construction and demolition waste ends up in landfills disturbing environmental, economical and social life cycle. Construction and demolition waste is the waste materials that are produced in the process of construction, renovation or demolition of residential or non-residential structures. Components of construction and demolition waste typically include concrete, asphalt, wood, metals, gypsum wallboard, roofing, paper, plastic, drywall and glass.
Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs; and can be considered as one of the solution to solve construction and demolition waste problem. Sustainable development in construction will help a lot to reduce the problems related to environment and natural resources as construction industry is a major user of world’s resources. Sustainable design, proper use and reuse of the resources/construction materials will make construction industry more economical and green.
Concrete is the second most consumed material after water, so recycling of concrete can save construction costs also it will help to keep environment healthy. Concrete collected from sites is put through crushing machine, usually uncontaminated concrete i.e. free from wood, plastic, paper and other unwanted materials. Metals such as rebar are removed with the help of magnets and other sorting devices.
In many countries like Japan, United States, United Kingdom various recycling techniques are being used and returning good results. Process of recycling construction and demolition waste includes storage, sorting, collection, transportation, recycling and disposing. Recycling methods used in japan are heating and rubbing methods, eccentric-shaft rotor method and Mechanical grinding method.
Recycling of Construction and demolition waste has many benefits such as reduction in transportation cost, it keeps environment clean and reduces natural resource exploitation. To promote recycling and reuse of waste, awareness about its effects and benefits should be communicated with people, contractors, engineers and architects. More numbers of recycling plants should be installed and allowing the use of recycled aggregate instead of natural aggregate for some purpose.
In this paper I am going to focus on different recycling techniques and reuse of construction and demolition waste.
Keywords: Construction & Demolition waste; Recycling; Reuse; Recycling techniques; Sustainable development.
Crime Against Indian Women – Women Crime Susceptibility Indexes (Wcsi):
A Principal Component Analysis
Prarthna Agarwal Goel a, Vandana Yadav b
Delhi University, India.
Volume 06, Issue 07, Pg. 94-103, 2013.
Abstract: This paper assesses the women vulnerability to crime across 28 different states and 7 Union Territories of India on the basis of various indicators, Rape, Kidnapping and Abduction, Dowry Deaths, Cruelty by husband and relatives, Assault with an intent to outrage modesty, Insult to Modesty, Immoral Trafficking and Dowry cases. Principal Component analysis has been adopted to combine these variables to form Women Crime Susceptibility Index. The Index ranks the regions according to exposure and defenselessness of females to crime. A higher index value is indicative of higher crime susceptibility. The paper also briefly relates the index to selected different demographic patterns. Thereby, besides building the crime susceptibility in a clean framework, the paper is directionally indicative of policy actions to reduce women susceptibility to crime. The paper also aims to reflect on the contribution of different factors to the final index. Thereby would provide guidelines as to the areas that need attention in different states as each region is facing different issues with differing intensities. The major findings of the analysis are West Bengal and Assam rank highest on women susceptibility to crime followed by Tripura and Delhi. The safest states for women are Goa and Mizoram.
Keywords: Crime against women Index; Principal Component Analysis; State Female Population Proportion; State targeted policies; Women Laws
Adoption of Green Construction in India: A Road Less Travelled
Namita Rajput a, Nitish Bagdi b , Simple Arora c
a, b Sri Aurobindo College (M), University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
c Shyam Lal College (M), University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
Volume 06, Issue 07, Pg. 104-110, 2013,
Abstract: The rationale of this paper is to present the existing situation of green construction in India and emphasize the key drivers and challenges faced by the Indian construction industry. This paper uses secondary data available upon findings of a workshop organized in New Delhi to assess the current state of green construction in India which was conducted through two sources; a survey and a facilitated brainstorming session. The data provides a prospect to evaluate practices in India in relation with international trends and provides a podium to assemble data on more experiential knowledge about green construction in India. Some of the major findings of this research paper are: there is an consciousness concerning green construction in India; It is principally motivated by the governmental and global set of laws; with the current energy crisis customers in India are actually eager to pay additional funds for going green; and there is a lack of accurate lifecycle cost assessment models which results in misconceptions about connected costs of going green. This paper depicts the present state of green construction in India. It also point out major challenges and drivers for implementation of concept of going green in construction industry in India. This research work can offer practitioners, regulators, and academician’s acquaintance about way to spotlight their future efforts in implementation of going green concept in Indian construction sector.
Keywords: India, Construction industry, Waste reduction, going green, lifecycle cost.
Ethical Marketing in current times: Social Responsibility in Indian context
Prateek Satish Kanchan
B.K. School of Business Management, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India
Volume 06, Issue 07, Pg. 112-123, 2013.
Abstract: It is often said that Marketing and ethics cannot go together. Those supporting the argument always have a long list of marketing activities from various companies which make even a die-hard marketing fellow feel guilty about his/her profession. On the other hand, critics of the argument can also come up with numerous marketing activities from various companies which can make the worst critic of marketing activities doubt his/her own criticism. So where does the debate goes from here. It only intensifies as more and more companies in every category of products and services are always making efforts to increase their market share through marketing strategies which they call innovation oriented but others call unethical thereby generating arguments within them as well as in the minds and hearts of consumers as well as potential consumers. This paper looks at the consumer perception about the degree of ethics in marketing followed by companies across all categories of products and services and its impact on the society on the one hand and company growth on the other hand.
Keywords: Criticism, Ethics, , Innovation, Marketing and Society.