Prison reforms in India

Q.  Administrative skill and political will are required to bring about
jail reforms in India. Express your views on the subject.
Ans. The fact remains that both institutions and administrative entities like
prisons have deteriorated in India. The clashes between the prison inmates
and their official custodians is not a matter to be glossed over but a subject
that needs urgent and immediate attention and corrective action. Some
deaths of jail inmates in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail bring to the fore the
deplorable state of affairs, not only in the premier prison, but elsewhere in
the country also. The time and tendency to sit back is over. Now the crying
need of the hour is to sit up and exhibit political will and administrative skill
to come to grips with the all-pervasive problem of prison-reforms.
Over the years a number of commissions have gone into the challenges that
continue to confront the jail administrations. The latest in the series is the
‘Moily Panel Report’ that says reforms in prison administration require
modernisation of jail infrastructure as well as procedural reforms in the
entire criminal justice system.
Overcrowding in jails is a very big problem that leads to confusion, chaos
and conflicts resulting in a virtual breakdown of services. The problem is
endemic and widespread. It should be understood both by political
leadership and bureaucratic set-up that a prison is not a hell with no proper
amenities, but an institution of reforms. The State cannot deny the inmates
their basic right to life and a speedy trial. Unfortunately, our prisons house
more undertrials than convicts. In order to reduce pressure on the jail
administration, expeditious trials are the only way out of the “traffic-jam-like
situation”.

It is also time for a uniform national policy on prisons. Why not shift prisons
from the State List to the Concurrent List as recommended by the Mulla
Committee? Its other proposals, if implemented, could go a long way in
bringing about the much needed prison reforms in the country.

Making road travel safe

Q.  In the present age of speed, it is imperative that all modes of
travel, especially the road travel in India is made safe for all
categories of people. Comment.
Ans. For all those who feel for India and its people, the number of deaths on
Indian roads as a result of accidents, collision, negligence, rash driving et al,
is both shocking and stupefying. When knowledgeable people describe
Indian road as ‘death traps’ it does credit neither to road makers nor to
those whose duty it is to see that roads remain free from all types of hassels
and harrowing happenings.
Unless and until the Ministry of Surface Transport, Traffic Regulatory
Agencies/Police etc. put road safety under the scanner and devise
meaningful and result-oriented ways and means to render road travel a
pleasant experience, things would not improve. Strict adherence to traffic
rules and regulations is just one of the measures that can bring about
perceptible change in the situation. Unfortunately, the series of accidents
that occur on Indian roads day in and day out brings home the terrible truth
that raising the safety bar on Indian roads remains a pipedream. When the
tools of high technology are readily available and there is no shortage of
funds, it is not comprehensible why this vital area of transport, both goods
and humans, remains vulnerable to accidents.

Ironically, while new roads are being built, and newer, supposedly safer
automobiles—with safety features like airbags, crash sensors etc—race out
of the factories, the country’s road safety record remains abysmal. No
doubt, several factors contribute to the appalling statistics that tell the sorry
state of affairs on roads. In India, this is particularly true since the facilities
available for non-motorised users are poor or even non-existent. It is high
time the authorities did more than indulge in “traffic drives” to book errant
drivers.

Only a zero tolerance policy on a sustained basis to educate people on good

road sense will work. The test of this is the way road users put on their best
behaviour during the “Safety Week” every year. This is the one period when
the number of accidents come down significantly.

Urbanisation of India
Q. India is getting urbanised faster than the rest of the world. On
the basis of your reading, knowledge and experience state the
implications of rapid urbanisation.
Ans. The state of the “World Population 2007” report points out that, for the
first time in history, more than half of the world’s population will be living in
towns/cities by 2008. The same report further tries to bring home a
message of caution in a world in which population growth is being
accompanied by urbanisation that could lead to congestion. unlike Thomas
Mathus’s fears of high population growth leading to scarcities and conflict,
the UNPFA Report simply cautions such countries as China and India that the
future course of dealing with population-growth-cum-rapid urbanisation may
not prove as smooth and easy as a cakewalk.
The implications of urbanisation in India getting faster than in the rest of the
world, holds a cup of both promises and problems. People migrating to
urban areas in search of better opportunities and amenities, real or
imaginary, would certainly, though temporarily, reduce pressure on land and
agriculture in rural India. It goes without saying that rapid but unplanned
urbanisation in India leading to a spurt in slums and degrading living
conditions of slum dwellers, even worse than those of the rural poor.

Strangely enough, the population of towns and cities in developing countries

like India is set to double in the space of a generation. While the urban
population in the developed world is expected to grow relatively lower. With
the state of health services, sanitation, housing, education etc. already
under tremendous pressure in urban India, the scenario in future holds no
big and pragmatic promise of coping with ever increasing migration from
rural India to urban India. We cannot lose sight of another fact that climate
change can result in higher migration rate, leading to further growth in
urbanisation with all possible consequences, both sour and sweet. Besides,
what should be of particular concern to India, is the warning provided by the
report on the drought, flooding, and the other fallouts of climate
change/global warming, which would not only hit drier cities like Delhi, but
also modify the migration patterns of rural and urban areas.

The report rightly points out, “the future of those in developing countries,
and humanity itself will depend on the decision of policy-makers today.”
Therefore, the approach to urban growth of India and China—who happen to
have 37 per cent of the world’s slums between them—becomes critical for
the world’s future.
Legalising sting operations
Q. It is time that sting operations carried out by media and others
are legalised in India. Express your views.
Ans. From ‘Watergate’ (USA) to Tehelka, to ‘Cash for Questions’ the invisible
camera has cut short the political career of many a big-wig politicians and
made their real faces visible to the people. No doubt, sting operations
carried out by the media (both print and electronic) and others in public
interest merit to be legalised so that their findings command due respect
and recongnition in the courts as well as in the perception of the people at
large. The exposure of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats is the primary
responsibility of not only the investigating agencies like the CBI and VB but
also of the ever vigilant media, provided the operations are done not to
settle personal scores but in the national interest.
Soaked in scams and scandals, the power brokers/wielders, whether
politicians or bureaucrats or both, deserve to be thoroughly exposed and this
onerous task can be performed only by persons of strong conviction and
confidence. Since ‘sting operations’ tend to impinge upon the dubious
dealings of powerful persons, they should be undertaken with utmost
diligence and dexterity, coupled with objectivity, and not vendatta or
vengeance.

Needless to reiterate that ‘sting operations’ not only play a major role in
unearthing the nefarious designs and deeds of corrupt politicians and
bureaucrats but also reaffirm the faith of the masses in a free and vibrant
media. If the investigating agencies of the government can trap culprits,
why can’t the media be allowed to do so?

For more descriptive questions with answers visit

PRIVATISATION OF EDUCATION
The public choice strategy proposes that functions that are not being carried out properly/efficiently or have
received a lackadaisical approach towards them must be delegated to the private sector. The world has been
seeing a wave of privatization sweep across many spheres. It is sometimes not only essential but also the only
choice that remains when breaking the monopoly of the government is concerned, especially in infrastructure.
The impact of privatization on education could not be contained either, as it seemed to help a cause and
diversify choice of resources available. At the school-level, privatization has become a very normal
phenomenon. 

Even though privatization is a necessity, it does not come without drawbacks. The process involves private
sector in the ownership or operation of a State-owned enterprise. In reality, the ideals that are upheld by the
State in its enterprises has been overtaken by the underlying mantras of business enterprise— profits and more
profits. It becomes necessary at this stage to understand that when the Constitution has laid down free and
compulsory education for children until they complete 14 years of age, why is the State not able to meet its
responsibility. And subsequently, even if it does involve the private sector to reach its goals, why is it unable to
hold the ideas of social equity and service to the deprived sections! Is privatization of education really going
to help or is it just another up-scale factory turning up nose on the natives?

Miss A  At the time of independence, Nehru’s vision to make India a socialist country placed immense
responsibility on the shoulders of the State to establish and oversee the expansion of educational institutions.
The highly ambitious goals of literacy achievement have been shouldered by the State-run schools so far. In
the rural pockets, the elementary schools are State-aided and so are the majority of schools in the urban areas.
In the present times, the presence of private enterprise is being felt much in the area of school-level education
concentrated in the urban areas only. Even at the colleges and the university levels, the State’s contributions
loom large over the country’s education scenario. Now the time has come when India’s burgeoning population
demands more resource allocation and larger infrastructure to combat illiteracy and promote education. With
the paucity of funds being an almost permanent feature of the departments of State, privatization has to be
resorted to on a larger scale if the targets are to be met. In this scenario, the unrealistic burden that has been
cast upon the State can be effectively met, too. 

Mr B There are many myths about the private enterprise in education and how it can aid the government’s
efforts in scaling down illiteracy and building up a veritable force of educated human beings. It must be
realised at the very outset that the motives of the two organisations are at cross-purposes and one cannot
substitute for the other. It has been seen a lot many times that corporate/religious bodies take up the onus of
contributing to the field of education. There is a great exhibition of the philanthropic spirit in the beginning,
but it soon fizzles out. In reality, these are the image-building exercises of these trusts, which transform into
commercial activities guided by motives of profit-making and diversifying operations to garner more
resources. In this arena also exists the misnomer of ‘public schools’, which are completely run by private
bodies or trusts. These schools have English as the medium of imparting education and are churning out
children from the upper class exclusively, while the lesser mortals continue to go to the State-aided schools.

Miss C The quantum of knowledge available to the world has increased rapidly in the past few decades and
that itself is a pointer to the fact that knowledge is power. It is of utmost importance that the developing and
the underdeveloped must focus on the education for keeping the knowledge gap between themselves and the
developed nations to the minimum extent possible. Even the World Bank has corroborated the view, stating
that the knowledge explosion is fast dividing the world into fast moving rich economies and the slow moving
poor ones. Now, that this is the true state of affairs, education is no longer considered a part of social service. It
is a necessary area that needs careful investment that will be a greatly contributing factor to the human
resource development. The value of human capital has dawned upon the world and it is much more important
to invest in human being than to invest in assets of any other sort. There can be no doubts about the required
contributions of the private sector in the enhancement of the education, as they are sure to benefit from such a
move. Technological developments across the country have fostered a need for skilled and knowledgeable
manpower. Without adequate infrastructure we will not be able to meet up the challenges, therefore the
intervention of the private sector is required. 

Mr D It is true that we need a large and competent infrastructure to meet the demands of the new times and
that the current system will need a great revamp. However, calling for the contribution of the private sector in
a field like education can have serious ramifications. One has to consider several aspects here. When the State
undertakes the onus of educating the masses, a certain non-partisan character of education can be guaranteed.
But when the management is in the hands of people who are private entities, they could have agendas for
fulfilment through education, ranging from generation of profits to promotion of an ideology, to mould the
children’s characters in tune with certain specific values, to mention a few. In that the government think tanks
have to get rolling and churn out ways and means to ensure the meeting up of requirements and standards in
the field of education. It is certainly one area that cannot be left in the hands of private individuals. It is quite
evident from the public school experience that the children who come out of those systems have little powers
to empathize with anyone else but those of their own social class and ethos.  However, when the idea is to
reduce gaps and foster social equity, one cannot rely on this option. 

Miss A There is not one but many maladies that ail the system of governance in our country. And to think
that it is easy to circumvent or surmount those issues to reach the goal of equitable education and opportunities
in the same field is like burying one’s head in sand, like an ostrich. The government resources are on a real low
as compared to the needs of the people. It is not an inherent lack but it so happens that the funds allocated
happen to disappear on their way to the projects. It is not really possible to replace the people handling the
affairs in one go. In such a scenario, privatization can relieve the system of the enormous responsibility that is
important and yet not fulfilled.  It can easily make up for the lack of funds, sincerity and political will that
effects the public sector. Privatization of education can be relied upon for overcoming structural and
operational rigidities and promote the effective and efficient steps towards the implementation of education
projects necessary for development of the human capital. According to W.W. Rostow, the world is going
through the fourth Industrial Revolution and it needs true professionals to fit the slots created for employment.

Mr B Against the backdrop of speck and span environments and efficiently run organisations, are the other
realities that need an equal mention. The new breed of entrepreneurs—the educational entrepreneurs—take full
advantage of the situation and capitalize on the need for good education. Land allotment is done on a nominal
cost and slowly as the structure begins to take shape, students are charged with building fee, development fee,
maintenance fee and sundry other charges. These unaided schools, although they charge huge sums from the
students, come to be sweatshops for the teachers. The country has a high level of unemployment, which helps
these institutions hire well-qualified individuals at low salaries. The teacher’s work under a system of rigid
rules and regulations, where innovation in teaching is not appreciated; they only have to tread the beaten path.
The management has the prerogative of hiring or firing a person any time and this is what keeps the teachers
on their toes. The State-run schools, however, have much attractive packages for their employees. 
 Miss C One has to look at the gains in terms of the output vis-à-vis the inputs given. The case with the
public sector education has been that it has failed to regenerate constructive resources from the recipients of
education. Over the years, time and again, as the State has been identified responsible for the provision of
education to the masses, services have been sought from it, however, considering all that comes free in this
deal and the number of subsidies that are given, education has come to be a social service activity. People do
not place the premium on it as is required. It is just the same phenomenon that happens to all things—they are
not valued when they come free of cost. On the other hand, if education is privatized, and the institutions
charge a full fee at all times, the student is likely to value it, the parents will take care that every penny worth
is extricated and that efficiency and effectiveness in service is maintained. It will stop the process of devaluing
of education. 

Mr D The position of our country, on the ladder of development, demands that great strides be made in the
direction of building up the human resource base. It is imperative and a need of the times that education is
necessarily provided to the people. The definition of literacy itself needs a revamp, because simply learning to
read and write does not bestow powers of discernment on an individual. It has often been recognised by the
experts that skill imparting and development of areas where the aptitude of the learner lies, are prerequisites of
good education. The economic base of the country cannot  support demands of the country, but there is
nothing impossible if there is willingness and the great Indian ingenuity is put to use. The role of private sector
has proved to be greatly facilitating in diverse fields, but the need for a guarded approach cannot be ruled out
in areas like education. Relevant legislations can be worked out to ensure that privatization does not
degenerate into commercialization. An under-standing between government and the private sector can work
miracles—universities can start up R & D activities funded by the corporates. In so far as professional courses
are concerned, the issue of capitation fees must be taken seriously and here is where State intervention is
required.  

Sunday, October 24, 2010

BANK OF INDIA CLERKS EXAM DESCRIPTIVE
QUESTIONS
Q1) Many educationists think that private coaching centres should be banned. Give two
arguments against the statement?
Ans) Teaching is a noble profession.
Has got Professional touch nowadays.
Coaching Institutes have become Money Making centers.
Some Coaching Institutes helping Govt in noble cause of eradicating illitracy.
FAVOUR
Main aim behind running institutes is maximising profit, not to educate students.
Output is minimal in comparision of high fees charged by them.
Many coaching institutes lack proper ambience infrastucture and teacher
AGAINST
Quality of education at Govt and private schools is not up to the mark.
Unable to cater the needs of students in the age of fierce competition.
Therefore, operating private coaching centres is not a malpractice.
If anybody wants to make profit out of any human-resource development activity, it is not a
bad activity.
If quality of education enhances money taken as fee doesnt matter.
The number of and colleges are not enough to meet demands of grouping population.

Q2) “Suppose there are no banking system”, State three possible consequences if such a
situation arise.
Ans) In primitive system, barter system existed. Economy was localised.
With evolution of civilization trade and commerce became complex.
People felt barter system should be replaced by Monetary system.
After this Banking system grew.
Today banking system is backbone of any economy.
CONSEQUENCES:
1) Big business firms will have to stop all sort of transactions. Everything is assessed in terms
of money, and bank play intermediate role. Without any intermediatary economy will
collapse.
2) Widespread unemployment and anarchy in society.
3) People deposit savings in banks, and free from burden of theft & burglary. So with
no banks all wealth will be in houses and give rice to more criminal activities.

Posted by BANK EXAMINATIONS at 9:38:00 PM   

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