ARGUMENTATION

Questions on Social and Economic Problems

QRs and Industry Q. Lifting of Quantitative Restrictions (QRs) from imports would be beneficial to the Indian industry in the long run. Give arguments For and Against this view. Ans. The Tenth Five-Year Plan aims at achieving 8 per cent annual average growth rate over the Plan period. With a view to achieve this ambitious target, the industrial sector would have to grow at over 10 per cent per annum. During the past one decade or so, this sector has grown only at the rate of 7 per cent per annum and a gigantic effort is required to move this rate to the double figures. More important is the fact that the environment under which the growth is to take place now would be materially different from the past. The industry will have to face higher level of global competition, as the domestic market in the country is now more open due to lifting of Quantitative Restrictions (QRs) since April 1, 2001. Further, as a result of globalisation, many multinational companies have stormed the industrial scene in India in the recent years, which may also make things difficult for the domestic industry. Free trade may, thus, trigger keen competition between the domestic and the imported goods. Arguments For the View (a) Import of capital goods is essentially required for export promotion effort of an economy. Hence, lifting of QRs would facilitate easy imports of capital goods, state-of-the-art machinery and equipment to modernise the domestic industry. (b) In the modern day era of liberalisation, opening up of the economy for imports has to take place in the coming years. Since the economy has been opened up now itself, it is good for the economy as in the years to come the country could take corrective measures for any adverse eventuality. (c) Quantitative restrictions were a source of corruption as most of the controls breed corruption. Lifting of the QRs is thus a right step in the right direction and at a right time. (d) Most of the developing countries provide protection to their infant industries during the initial phase of industrialisation. India also did that but the protection cannot continue indefinitely. After over five decades of planned economic development, it is better for the economy that the protection in the form of quotas was lifted. (e) Globalisation also brings in healthy competition for domestic industry. It brings along with it modern technology and modern management techniques. It also encourages the domestic industry to be more competitive and productive, to cope up with global competition. Arguments Against the View (a) It may be true that Indian industries had been enjoying the protection for the last over five decades, but these industries have not yet come of age to compete with the multinational giants. Lifting of QRs, thus, is premature. (b) In India, small-scale industries play an important role in employment generation and countrys export effort. Lifting of QRs would result in removal of protection for the small-scale sector and their virtual ruin, which may not be in the long-term interest of the economy. (c) Lifting of the QRs in India would result in import of cheap products from countries like China. Such products are produced in bulk and may be virtually dumped in the Indian economy. Since in many such cases the quality of such products is cheap, the consumer may feel cheated. (d) It is the preparedness of the economy to face the global competition,
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which would see the country through the global competition. Hence, it would be wrong to say that it will be the lifting of the QRs that would benefit the economy. (e) Even the World Trade Organisation Agreement gives the liberty to a country to continue with some sort of protection to its industries. Thus, the Indian government could have refused to lift all the QRs in the interest of the domestic industry. Social Welfare Q. The concept of social welfare in India is outdated and needs revamping. Give arguments For and Against this view. Ans. The concept of social welfare emanates from the India Constitution, which seeks to make India a welfare State. The Directive Principles of state policy spell out the details of the welfare State by requiring the State to work towards well being of all, particularly the socially disadvantaged sections, by providing education, health services, drinking water, housing and sanitation. In addition, the Fundamental Rights provide protection against exploitation and also for reservation in services for the underprivileged sections of society. In pursuance of these hallmarks of social welfare, the Union government, as well as the State governments, have set up the welfare departments to look after the welfare of women, children, Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe and other downtrodden sections. The Union government and the State governments have also set up several Commissions to supervise the working of the welfare departments. Several other government departments including the rural development department, health and family welfare department, education department, have several specific schemes aimed at achieving the goal of social welfare.

ARGUMENTATION
Arguments For the View (a) The main emphasis of the existing welfare practices has been of individual specific schemes that aim at benefiting an individual, rather than a particular class of people. The focus, thus, has to shift from individual specific to group specific schemes so that there is a general improvement in the social environment. (b) The existing schemes have been in place for the last four to five decades, but, despite huge public expenditure on various welfare schemes, the results have not been very encouraging. Incidence of poverty is over 25 per cent and female literacy rate (2001 Census) is just 54 per cent. Health-related indicators for the downtrodden are also not very encouraging. (c) The era of giving subsidies or benefits to the individuals is over. The policy of direct attack on social problems has not paid the desired dividends and it is time to reorient the policies towards broader aims so that the benefits trickle down to the community as a whole. (d) Economic empowerment is the key to social justice. Hence, there is no point in seeking social justice without empowering the concerned sections economically. (e) The focus of welfare schemes has to shift from welfare to empowerment. If the weaker sections were given a larger role in social and political decision- making, the lot of weaker sections would automatically improve. Arguments Against the View (a) India is a poor country, with over one-quarter of the total population not able to manage two square meals a day. Under such a scenario, the concepts of social welfare being adopted in western developed countries cannot be imported and implemented in India. The welfare schemes have to be specific to the needs of the nation. (b) India is a Welfare State and in true spirit of constitutional provisions the social welfare measures and schemes have been adopted. Since the schemes cater to the felt needs, there is no logic in revamping all the policies/measures. (c) As per the felt needs for social welfare, the existing schemes and programmes are modified from time to time by incorporating the required changes. Hence, it is wrong to say that these schemes are outdated. (d) The existing welfare schemes have yielded reasonably good results and most of the welfare-related targets have been achieved. There appears to be no need for revamping the existing schemes. (e) In a country like ours, where the women suffer from serious social handicaps, there is a large population of physically challenged people and a large proportion of population is socially and educationally backward, the existing policies of social welfare, requiring direct interventions by the government, should continue. Empowerment of Women Q. The objective of empowerment of women as envisaged in the 73rd Constitutional Amendment has been achieved. Give arguments For and Against this view. Ans. 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act introduced a landmark change, resulting in constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). Passed in the year 1993, the said Act was aimed at empowering people at village level, bringing in a given standardisation in the PRI-practices being followed by various States, holding of regular elections of PRIs at all the three tiers and empowerment of women by reserving not less then one-third seats at all levels. All the States have enacted their new Panchayati Raj Acts to bring them in tune with the amendments made in the Constitution. Along with 74th Amendment Act, which seeks to extend similar reservation for women in the urban local bodies, an attempt has been made to bring forth a definite impact on the participation of women in the grass root level democracy. Arguments For the View (a) 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act has provided not less than one-third reservation for women in the PRIs in all the States, at all three tiers. When such a large percentage of women share the privilege of participation in self-governance at the PRI-level, the resultant empowerment is bound to
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occur. (b) Reservation in PRIs has increased tremendously the participation of rural women in governance-related decision making at local government-level. Political power is synonymous with empowerment and hence empowerment of rural women has taken place to a large extent. (c) The said Amendment, along with the finalisation of National Policy for Empowerment of Women, would be remembered as the most important landmark in the history of women empowerment in India. (e) Empowerment primarily relates to participation in decision-making with regard to raising and distributing the resources within the PRIs. Since women have seats reserved for the chairpersons as well as members, they are actually involved in such decisionmaking. Arguments Against the View (a) By merely reserving seats in the PRIs the objective of empowerment of women cannot be achieved. (b) Empowerment is basically linked to social attitudes. Unless there is attitudinal change in the society, in favour of women, empowerment may be difficult to achieve. (c) Census 2001 has revealed that even after over five decades of economic planning, over 45 per cent of women in the country were still illiterate. With such a large proportion of the population still unaware of their political, social and legal rights, the empowerment of the fair sex cannot be achieved merely by reserving one-third seats in the PRIs. (d) For the last four years, the Indian Parliament has not been able to pass the Women Reservation Bill despite the fact that the representation of women in the Parliament has been ranging from 5 to 7.5 per cent. No serious attempt to empower the women at that level is being made. (e) Even in the higher services like the IAS, IPS and IFS, taken together, the share of women officers is as low as 7.5 per cent. Hence, it would be wrong to say that the empowerment of women in the country has been achieved.