Development Journal

Paper: Communication for Development (JMC-C-404)

Submitted by:
Werlang Buhphang
Dept. of Journalism and Mass Communication
North Eastern Hill University
1. A unique effort to help the needy during lockdown
Source: Frontline, https://frontline.thehindu.com/dispatches/article31244779.ece?
homepage=true
Just few minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-days nation-wide
lockdown in the country, Rasheed Kappan, a journalist and cartoonist from Bengaluru
announced on Facebook that he would do caricatures of 100 people. Each caricature will cost
500 rupees and the buyers ought to pay the money to daily-wage workers settling in the same
neighbourhoods as them. This initiative by Kappan came as a response to the announcement
of the nation-wide lockdown as he is aware of its adverse effects on daily-wage workers and
street vendors. Most of the buyers of the offer included his friends who wanted caricatures of
themselves to be done. Rasheed Kappan’s effort to serve the needy through his art has also
influenced many others to use their skills and talents to help the poor.
Comment
The efforts of Rasheed Kappan is innovative and certainly unique as he has made use of his
art to help the needy and thereby further developing his skills and talents. Considering the
current situation and crisis that our country is facing and which is far worse in some other
countries, a nation-wide lockdown seems to be the right thing to do. However, a lockdown
can also prove to be detrimental to the economic growth and well-being of country and can
have adverse effects on businesses, big and small, especially daily wage workers and small
vendors. Therefore, in times of crisis such as these, small but helpful gestures, such as those
of Mr. Kappan are important in maintaining social, physical, and psychological well- being of
not just oneself but also of those around us, particularly the needy. If similar initiatives are
carried out by many well-to-do people in society, the poor would not become poorer or die of
hunger but they would enjoy a decent standard of living, atleast one in which the basic needs
of living and survival are met.

2. Smart City Mission: Centre devises 20:20 model to boost laggard cities
Source: The Economic Times
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/smart-city-mission-
centre-devises-2020-model-to-boost-laggard-cities/articleshow/74234953.cms?from=mdr
The Centre, in its effort to drive the Smart Cities Mission further, has devised a 20:20 model
to pair the top 20 cities with the bottom 20 cities with a motive to help the laggard cities kick-
start the smartening up process through assistance in technical and financial counselling from
the top 20 cities. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has put forward a 100-day
challenge for the laggard cities to boost their development efforts by the 5 th anniversary of
Smart City Mission on June 25, 2020. About 100 cities have been selected through a
competitive process in four different rounds. The selected cities have identified 5,151 projects
worth Rs 2,05,018 to be undertaken during the Smart Cities Mission. As far as 80% of these
projects have been tendered and 60% of them are underway out of which, some have been
completed. While the process of implementation is steady in some cities, a few cities were
not able to perform at the same pace as the others. For this reason, the ministry has initiated a
100-day challenge. As of the 20:20 concept, each of the top 20 cities have been paired with
the bottom as “sister cities”.
Comment
The Smart Cities Mission, as an initiative of the Government of India, is a strategic and
innovative manner to develop the underdeveloped and developing cities in the country. With
its motive aimed at providing better facilities to the selected cities, it has the potential to be a
game changer at improving the lives of the citizens of the cities and the economy, if it is
genuinely implemented. According to a government portal of the mission, its goal is to strive
for comprehensive development- institutional, physical, social and economic infrastructure.
The website states that the core infrastructure in a smart city includes adequate water and
electricity supply, proper waste management, efficient public transport, affordable housing,
health and education, robust IT connectivity and digitization, e-governance and citizen
participation, and safety and security of citizens. All these elements clubbed together would
generate employment, widen the reach of education, create more and improved health
facilities, reduce poverty, maintain the social well-being of the people and improve the
overall living conditions of the people, thereby moving towards the creation of a welfare
state.

3. Arvind Kejriwal to create 11,000 new classrooms for govt. schools

Source: The Indian Wire
https://www.theindianwire.com/education/arvind-kejriwal-set-motion-creation-11000-new-
classrooms-200-govt-schools-delhi-97427/
Delhi Chief Minister is set to bring up 11,000 new classrooms in over 200 government
schools in Delhi in addition to 8000 new classrooms which have been constructed between
the year 2015 to 2018. The inauguration took place at Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in New
Friends Colony. “25 new schools have been built, 31 are under construction and the
blueprints for 78 new schools have been decided”, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia
addressed the people at the event.
Comment
According to the Neta App Janata Barometer Survey, 61% of respondents said that they
would prefer sending their children to government schools over a private one. This shows the
improvement in the standard of education in government schools in Delhi. Education has
been one of the key areas where the Kejriwal government has laid its focus on. Construction
of many government schools and enhancing them for quality education is important because
a lot of families can afford sending their children to government schools as compared to
private ones. Education is one of the fundamental factors of development and it serves as an
investment in human capital. A country’s economy becomes more productive as the
proportion of educated workers increases since educated workers can more efficiently carry
out tasks that requite literacy and critical thinking. Education helps people to understand
themselves and the world better and it raises their creativity and productivity.
4. Meghalaya to invest Rs 450 crore for development of sports
infrastructure
Source: The Times of India
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/shillong/meghalaya-to-invest-rs-450-crore-for-
development-of-sports-infrastructure-cm/articleshow/74622854.cms
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has said that the government will Rs 450 crore for
development of sports infrastructure in the state. He also stated that the PA Sangma stadium
in Tura will be upgraded into an integrated sports complex and a state of the art sports facility
dedicated exclusively to football. Sangma added that in the coming two years, more than Rs.
450m crore will be invested to create different sports infrastructure through the state.
According to the CM, the government is looking forward with developing football in the state
and an international level academy in Shillong to nurture the talents of young football
aspirants.
Comment
As important as sports is for good health, so is a good sports infrastructure for nurturing and
developing sporting talents. Football is one of the more loved sports of Meghalaya and the
state has produced a number of young football sensations, some even in the national football
team. Several football leagues and tournaments takes place in the state. A lot of young
football talents in the state are yet to be discovered, and the availability of a number of good
sports infrastructure would help to nurture the talents of young football players and giving
them a platform to shine. Also, given that there are school or college dropouts or children
who cannot afford education and end up unemployed, a good sports infrastructure would
provide them a place to learn and grow and develop their skills, and perhaps make a living
out of sports when they step out to pursue their career.

5. Kerela govt. to upgrade 50 adventure tourism spots

Source: The Times of India
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/state-to-upgrade-50-adventure-
tourism-spots/articleshow/74181563.cms
The tourism minister of Kerela, Kadakampally Surendran had said that 50 major adventure
tourism centres will be upgraded to meet the national and global standards. He also
mentioned that safety and quality are key factors to foster growth of high-potential adventure
tourism in Kerela. The minister also launched an online accreditation portal to provide
registration for qualified adventure activity providers (AAP), based on guidelines set by
Kerela Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS), under the state tourism department.
Surendran further added, “a proposal to set up adventure parks in all districts is also under the
consideration of the government, as per the availability of land.” The minster had also listed
five ways of developing adventure tourism. The first step is developing basic infrastructure in
the existing adventure tourism spots, followed by the next step which is identifying and
developing new spots, promoting public-private projects and creating a circuit connecting
adventure tourism centres. The final step is to brand its adventure tourism nationally and
internationally.

Comment
For a state like Kerela which has been blessed with beautiful natural sceneries, substantial
investment in tourism is a key factor in boosting its economy and developing the state. Like
any other innovative tourism development project, this initiative of the Kerela government
has the potential to generate a number of jobs in the tourism sector, influence the setting up of
private adventure tourism business organisations thereby fostering the growth of
entrepreneurship, promote existing businesses such as hotels and guest houses, and also act as
a source of encouragement and promotion of cottage industries such as those associated with
textiles and local handicrafts. A survey conducted by NITI Aayog confirms that investment in
tourism and travel sector can create an additional 35 lakh jobs every year. Eco-tourism has
increased capacity-building programmes and employment opportunities for the local
communities, inspiring and driving them to battle against poverty. Moreover, attention is paid
to cleanliness in order to enhance aesthetic appeal.

6. Meghalaya CM launches entrepreneurship challenge programme

Source: The Northeast Today (TNT)
https://thenortheasttoday.com/meghalayas-first-ever-entrepreneurship-challenge-is-creating-
waves-among-job-seekers-is-here-to-stay/
Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma has always been one who believes that
entrepreneurship plays a major role in driving out unemployment and poverty, and the need
to encourage aspiring entrepreneurs of the state, as heard in many of his speeches. Hence, for
the first time in Meghalaya, the Chief Minister’s E-Champion Challenge was launched on
August 14, 2019 with an aim to create an ecosystem where people with innovative and
workable ideas can walk into an incubation centre and gain the guidance and support needed
to navigate the complex web of markets, technology and credit. The youth population of
Meghalaya is much higher than other states of India- about 12 lakh individuals in the state are
in the age group of 15-29, according to Dr. Vijay Kumar D, Commissioner and Secretary to
the Government of Meghalaya. He also stressed that entrepreneurship is the only way to
engage the talent and energy of this large young population. As many as 100 ideas will be
selected and worked on, out of which, the top 50 will receive a price of Rs. 50,000 and the
top 25 a price of Rs 1,00,000.
Comment
Entrepreneurs are valuable assets to the economy that need to be motivated and cultivated.
Not only do they increase employment by creating jobs, they have the ability to change the
way we live and the way we work. Through offering unique goods and services,
entrepreneurs break away from tradition and reduce dependence on existing systems and
technologies, resulting in greater economic freedom and an improved quality of life. New and
improved products, services or technologies created by entrepreneurs stimulates related
businesses or sectors that need to support the new venture, and creates a new market,
furthering economic development. Therefore, the government should play a major role in
encouraging people to step out of the confines of tradition, and become job creators instead of
job seekers. Aspiring entrepreneurs with innovative ideas need to be given a pat on the back,
and nurtured by creating a viable ecosystem where they receive guidance, they learn and
grow.

7. Roads, railways and highways sector to get the largest amount of

investment in Modi 2.0 : ICRA
Source: The Economic Times
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/railways-roads-and-
highways-sector-to-get-the-largest-chunk-of-investment-in-modi-2-0-
icra/articleshow/69586137.cms?from=mdr
According to a market research firm called ICRA, railways, roads and highways sector are to
get the largest amount of investment over the next five years as the government is expected to
spend Rs. 30 trillion in the transport sector in India. Taking inputs from the BJP manifesto,
the railways are expected to receive a financial outlay of Rs. 10-12 trillion over the next five
years whereas Rs. 9 trillion is expected to go into the roads and highways sector. In its
manifesto, the BJP noted its proposal to construct 12,000 kms of national highways every
year till 2024. As for the railways, the manifesto has proposed a conversion of all viable rail
tracks to broad gauge, electrification of all railway tracks, and completion of the two
dedicated freight corridor by 2022.
Comment
The availability of good transport infrastructure enables connectivity. They provide access to
health, education, social, as well as employment services making it an important factor in
eliminating poverty. In other words, transportation links producers to markets, workers to
jobs, students to schools, and the sick to hospitals. Since ancient times, there was
interdependence between shipping activity and the degree of economic development.
Civilizations who managed to take advantage of natural resources and create transport
systems like waterways have managed to develop economically. One of the most
fundamental impacts of transportation is related to the physical capacity to convey passenger
and goods to support this mobility. This involves the setting of routes enabling new or
existing transactions between economic entities. High density transport infrastructure and
highly connected networks are commonly associated with high levels of development. When
transport systems are efficient, they provide economic and social opportunities and benefits
that result in multiple positive effects such as better accessibility to markets, employment and
additional investments.

8. Bee development centre to come up in Meghalaya

Source: The Times of India
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/shillong/bee-development-centre-to-come-up-in-
meghalaya/articleshow/71627799.cms
The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has approved a sanction of Rs. 10 crore for setting up
the first-ever Integrated Bee Development Centre (IBDC) in the state, considering its scenic
beauty which is home to a variety of flowers and thus, bees. The executive director of
National Bee Board, New Delhi, B L Sarswat has met with beekeepers of East Khasi Hills
District of the state. The purpose of his visit was to study the agriculture scenario in
Meghalaya and also to assist the state agriculture department in moving forward with the
establishment of the IBDC. Sarswat has mentioned that the state has a huge potential in
beekeeping but it is important to support and promote a scientific approach to beekeeping and
that proper training and management can help beekeepers gain satisfying financial benefits.
Comment
Beekeeping is an agro-based activity, usually in rural areas, as an integrated farming practice.
Though the honeybees are best known for the honey they produce, their economic role in
nature is to pollinate hundreds and thousands of flowering plants and assure setting of seed or
fruit. Honeybees have also been offering services to the society through providing honey and
a variety of honey based products. Thus, beekeeping can be seen as a way of self-
employment as well as creating jobs in the production and marketing segment of honey.
Beekeeping can be used as an economic activity whereby people in rural areas can take
advantage of natural resources and make a livelihood out of it. In rural communities where
access to income is limited, small scale apiculture can contribute significantly to livelihood
security. Apiculture and related trades tends to be underplayed in both policy and planning.
One reason may be that crop production and livestock rearing are taken to be the dominant
economic activities in rural areas. Beekeeping is a useful means for strengthening and
creating people’s livelihoods because it both uses and creates a range of different capital
assets such as natural, social, human and physical capital. Natural capital is important for
beekeeping requires bees and a place to keep them, as well as water, sunshine and other
environmental resources to keep them alive. Social capital is needed for beekeeping in the
form of help from friends and family, networks, memberships of groups, access to wider
society, and market information. Human capital comes in the form of skills, knowledge,
personal attributes like hardworking, healthy, and marketing expertise for the production and
selling of honey and other honey based products. And lastly, tools, equipment, and
transportation is the physical capital that honey production and marketing requires.