Food security bill - an attempt to make dependents further

dependentFood security bill first introduced in the year 2009 and was kept on hold until then
and now it has been passed by the Lok Sabha. The food security bill aims at providing food to
the poorest of the poor at subsidised rates.

For:
The food security bill is presumed to guarantee pellucidity and liability in the PDS System
- The food security bill will ensure that people get the passable quantity of food grains at affordable
prices
- If the food grains are not supplied in time and in the right quantity, the bill ensures certain amount of
security allowance attached with it
- In case if any shop dealer is seen to be faulty, then he would be penalised as well
Against:
The cost of the food security bill to the government will amount to 1,30,000 crore which eventually would
be recovered by the tax payers of the country hence increasing the financial burden over the middle
class general public
- The food security bill fails on two phases, one on the economic implications and the other on serving
the poor and eradicating malnutrition by making food easily available for this purpose
- In spite of investing so much money into this bill, there is no guarantee that it would help the poor, as
unless corruption is not taken out of the country, no matter how many bills are passed none of them
would work in the favour of the public
- There is no feedback system ensured to know whether the poor are getting the food at the subsidised
rates as promised
- After the passing of this bill a number of taxes like VAT, sales tax etc. would be charged from the public
and the general mass will have no option but to pay it.
- The costs attached to storage of the food grains would be high and so will be the amount of losses
also.
Conclusion:
Because of the extensive costs attached with the bill, its going to be taxing for the taxpayers and the
general middle class public adding to their financial burden.
RE: Food security bill - an attempt to make dependents further dependent
Rajani Sharma 01-18-2014 05:49 AM
For
This scheme will make the life of dependents more secure as they will lose the motivation to work to
improve their own livelihood after receiving benefits. In order to qualify for the transfer they will
deliberately reduce their work efforts.

The implementation of this bill will increase the number of unemployed in the country. Instead of
providing food security, focus should be on creating more jobs for people and better infrastructure
facilities in remote areas.

This bill will reinforce a culture of handouts. It is true that very poorest in the country need help. But
there are other better ways of helping them.

There are chances that this programme could also blunt entrepreneurship and increase the
dependency on the state.

Such bills will also increase corruption in India.

Instead of curbing poverty this bill will increase it by a huge percentage.

Against
The amount of food aid which the people will receive through this bill will not be sufficient to cover the
food gaps due to the corrupt PDS system. Therefore, they will not be further dependent on this bill to
cover their food shortages. They will have to engage in other activities to be able to cover their food
needs throughout the year.

According to economists food security bill may put the development of the agriculture sector at risk.

Our system is not efficient enough to get the grain to Indias most needy. There is no feedback system
which can ensure whether the poor are getting the food at the subsidised rates as promised.

The law includes higher allocations for vulnerable sections of society such as pregnant mothers and
destitute children.

The cost of the food security bill will increase the financial burden over the middle class people.

There are many economic implications in implementing the bill.

Juvenile rapists should be treated same as adults in the court of law

A juvenile is a person who is below the age of 18 years. The recent Delhi gang rape accused was
a minor and was the most ferocious out of all, has enticed everybodys attention.

For:

- Individuals who are 15 years and above should be treated as adults and especially in cases where they
are accountable for atrocious delinquencies like rapes and murder
- The severity of the crime is dependent on the mental state of the individual rather than the age and
hence should be punished according to the crime done
- If leniency is observed while punishing a juvenile, it would motivate other juveniles to also do the same
and get away, and this would result in increase in crimes
- The punishment should be decided on the basis of the severity of the act and also taking his mental
condition into consideration

Against:

- An individual who is below 18 years of age is still not capable of making right decisions and need
constant support and hence they should be given a chance to rehabilitate and motivate them to take the
right part
- If they are treated as adults in punishment, it could have an adverse effect on their mind, in return
making them all the more brutal and violent
- A juvenile lacks the ability to decide what is right and what is wrong, and hence treating him like an
adult would be wrong

Conclusion:

- The punishment should be decided on the basis of the severity of the crime. A psychological test of the
juvenile could help the authorities in determining his current state of mind and thus helping in the
decision making as to what punishment should be given
- If the individual is just a few months younger before turning out to be an adult; should be treated as an
adult, for example: if the individual is 17years and 6 months old, he should be treated as an adult.
RE: Juvenile rapists should be treated same as adults
Rajani Sharma 01-7-2014 02:51 AM
For:
Juvenile rapists who commit serious crimes should be treated same as adults. Otherwise there are
chances of it becoming a habit that can carry on till later life of that person. If such actions of teenagers
are ignored then it will motivate other juveniles to do the same crime and get away and this would result
in increase in crimes.

If juvenile rapists are not punished for their actions then they will never understand the consequences
of their actions and the impact of the same on the society. In fact there should be strict laws for
discouraging young children from committing such crimes.

Nowadays, lot of news is being heard of youths killing youths because of being in the wrong group.
This needs to be stopped and the only way to stop the same is to start treating their violent behaviour
with strict actions. If teenagers are adult enough to do such crime then they are adult enough to be
punished for that crime.

The severity should be considered while deciding the punishment. As it is dependent on the mental
state of the individual rather than the age of the person. Criminality is in the mind and not in the age.
Hence should be punished accordingly.

This action will definitely decrease the number of juvenile crimes and will save our world from terrible
crimes committed by teenagers.

From a medical and psychological point of view, a person reaches a level of maturity once he is at the
age of 16. Looking at the current social scenario where children are being exposed to, there is a need to
re-think the juvenile age.

Against:
Juvenile rapists should not be treated same as adults as they are children. In that age they lack the
ability to decide what is right and what is wrong for them. They do not have the same thought processes
that adults have. They act on emotions or wants, without thinking about their actions completely.
According to recent studies, the brain's prefrontal lobe, which some scientists speculate plays a crucial
role in inhibiting inappropriate behaviour, may not reach full development until age 20. Hence they
should not be treated with any harsh punishment rather be given a chance to rehabilitate and motivate
them to take the right path.

Punishment could have an adverse effect on their mind, making them more violent and brutal.

There could be many reasons like an unhealthy lifestyle, insufficient mentoring from a parent etc. for
committing such crimes at such an early age. Thus, these factors should be considered while treating
juvenile rapists as adults.

If children are exposed to a harsh and terrifying environment in the prison then they are more likely to
lose their freedom at a young age. Government should let juveniles remain in the juvenile justice system
in order to protect their physical and mental health, giving them a better chance at rehabilitation for the
crime they committed

The rise in vegetable prices is a man made farce.
The country has seen a sharp rise in the prices of vegetables - the prices of basic vegetables like onion,
tomato and cabbage have grown by 3 to 5 folds in last a last few months. Some blame it on the nature
while others believe that all this rise in the prices of vegetables is a farce and can be easily controlled. Let
us see what arguement each group of people has -

Rains have caused the havoc

1. The late rain in states like Gujarat which is a major supplier of Tomatoes to Maharashtra are to be
blamed for the rise in price of tomatoes. These late rains in states like Gujarat have converted them from
being the suppliers of tomatoes to the importers of tomatoes.

2. Some parts of the country have seen tremendous rainfall this year. This has resulted in bad crop yield
of Onions. The production of a lot of other green vegetables have also seen a downfall with excess rains.

3. The wet weather has led to the increase in rotting vegetables which are not good for human
consumption.

Human greed and mismanagement is to be blamed

1. The real problem in the agriculture is not with the production but with the storage and supply chain
management system. While we blame the nature of low production, we see huge quantities of vegetable
rotting for lack of proper storage.

2. Hoarders blame it on production but actually do not let the crop to come to the market for the greed of
earning more money.

3. The MNCs into the business of food processing like chips/ fries/ ketchups buy the onions, tomatoes
and potatoes in bulk and store causing a lack of supply in market.

4. With the shortage of vegetables inside the state and soaring prices, some states suspend the supply of
crop outside the state further pushing the rates to the roof.

5.The export of a vegetable should be put to fullstop as soon as a we foresee a crisis approaching us.
However, our alert system usually work a little too late and we end up exporting all the good produce
even though we have a shortage in our own market. Further to this, when we realise that there is a
shortage we import them from other countries further pushing the rates higher.

Conclusion

The effect of climatic conditions on yield can not be denied but India is a huge country with varied
environmental conditions in each state. If our alert system works well and if we streamline our production,
storage and supply chain management systems, we can easily control the prices of vegetables
Indias expedition to Mars
ISRO's grand stride of Mars expedition at the tight low-budget of $73 million deserves applauses a big
round of applause. This budget we is like that of the budget of four big Bollywood movies.

With successful launch of its first mission to Mars, it is India's attempt to become the fourth nation and the
first Asian country to reach the fourth planet from the sun.

At the moment, the mission is just in the first phase of launch, the next phase of the mission is where two-
thirds of the Mars missions have failed. Out of the 51 launches by the US and Russia only 21 have been
successful. All we can hope is that the rest of the mission goes just as smoothly.

Amidst euphoria, the questions on cost of launch and its worthwhileness are also heating up. Space
programme is not a short term investment. Its returns are not immediate and take many years, even
decades to materialize. One can get intangible benefits from its onset in terms of its sublime impact on
younger generation which infuses in them the spark to think beyond their imagination, getting them to
dream about possibilities for tomorrow. Barring few components entire designing, building and testing of
satellite have been done in India. This gives electrifying effect to younger generation.

There are some voices rising against the expenditures on these scientific and ambitious projects. We
must get the facts together before airing pessimistic views against this and other such missions. Only 0.8
percent of India's national budget is spent on the space programme, and only 0.7 percent of that budget
has been spent on the Mars mission.

Those who are talking in favor of prioritizing poverty issue over such mission should know that India is
working adequately to stem its other chronic problems. There is budget for each issue. Similarly, India
has a budget for space programme as well and events like these are useful in spurring innovation in a
country known for running mere call centers.

Success to this project would place ISRO in a different orbit and put India into an elite club of US, Soviet
Union and European space agency. India would become first Asian country to achieve such feat. China
and Japan had attempted such a feat in the past but in vain. Mangalyaan launch exemplifies a creative
blend of Indian scientific ability. The effectiveness and determination of ISRO can be understood from the
fact that the launch occurred in just 15 months of government approval and at a low budget of Rs 450
crores. Mangalyaan is programmed to search water and methane on Mars. If it succeeds it will serve as a
technology demonstrator, boosting brand India.

ISRO can easily capitalize such programmes in future. It can look forward to secure satellite launch
contracts from many countries. With Nasa and other foreign space agencies wanting to outsource space
mission, ISRO can easily undertake these multi-million dollar projects.

Amidst all the corruption dramas and rapes across the country, it is a proud moment for the country and
we wish Indias voyage to Mars a great success.
Food Security Bill - Need of the hour or an election gimmick?

The food security bill aims to provide subsidised food grains to the poor people. The food
security bill was passed on Monday by the Lok Sabha worth $20 billion.

For:

- With the amendment of this act the food grains will be available on a cheaper rate specially at ration
shops, which would be beneficial for the poor people
- After much debating between the parties, the consensus was arrived on making the law universal
- The foremost goal to get this act passed was to eradicate hunger and mal nutrition in our country

Against:

- Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj stated that the current law is half - baked and weakand once they
are empowered with the rights, they would improve the law. This statement of hers clearly shows the
disparity between the various parties.
- The bill being proposed just a few months before the 2014 elections will definitely bring in certain
electoral benefits to Sonia Gandhi (Congress Party)
- Each and every party has its own say, and a lot of disparity amongst the thinking of each opposition
party leader, which will create more chaos rather than helping the poor as well as the general public

Conclusion:

- The food security bill was first introduced in the year 2009, and now it has been passed by the lok
sabha just before a few months of 2014 election.
- This could definitely be an election gimmick as with this strategy the parties could get vote from the
poor people.
RE: Food Security Bill - Need of the hour or an election gimmick?
Food Security Bill 10-15-2013 03:36 AM
Food Security Bill - Need Of The Hour Or An Election Gimmick ?


It has been 66 years of independence and the food security bill has passed now, on September 12,
2013, just few months before the next election. Then, What is the main reason behind this? According to
me, its undoubtedly POWER, everyone loves to be in power and after enjoying two consequent ruling
years of rule, the Congress would surely not want to lose the same. Yes, in few aspects Food security
bill was a need but today's need for one has become advantage and a way of generating money for
others.

According to the government, the law aims to provide food grains to approximately two thirds of India's
1.2. billion people i.e., roughly around 80 crores individuals. Then what does the Indian government
wants to portray? Does 80 crores individuals don't get meals in a day? Or, they strive of hunger ? Or,
they should become handicapped and also become dependent on government for food ? This should
not happen. The government is not worth trusting. The country where everyone is hungry in spite of
being fed in golden plates should not be trusted for providing food to the needy ones.

It may happen that the bill shows a positive reaction and the food reaches the house of the common
man. But again will it happen in a day? No, never. Seeing the present Indian scenario and the honesty of
the government employees, it will take approximately a decade to reach the one who is seriously in need
of this. Is this justice?

Thus, in the end I want to conclude that Food Security Bill is seriously an election gimmick which is a
game of Congress to remain in power and earn sympathy of the common man.
RE: Food Security Bill - Need of the hour or an election gimmick?
sneha shirke 10-15-2013 03:41 AM
Food Security Bill An attempt to make dependents further
dependent

The food security bill was first passed in the year 2009 and was kept on hold till then and now it has
been passed recently. The food security bill was all about providing food to the poor at subsidized rates.
67%of the population will be served with this benefit.

As per the bill the people would get rice at Rs.3/kg, wheat at Rs.2/kg and coarse grains at Rs1/kg. The
pregnant women would get free meal during her pregnancy. Children up to 14years would get free
meals. If the food grains are not supplies in time and in right quantity, the bill ensures certain amount of
security allowance attached to it. If any one is seen faulty he will be penalized.

The cost of the food security bill would be eventually recovered by the tax payers of the country hence
increasing the financial burden of the middle class. The two problem faced by the food bill: a) Economic
Implication b) serving the people and eradicating malnutrition. In spite of investing so much money into
this bill, there is no guarantee that it would help the poor, as unless corruption is not taken out of the
country. There is no feedback system ensured to know whether the poor are getting the food at the
subsidized rates as promised. After the bill is passed a number of taxes would be charged from the
general public and they would have to pay it at any cost.

This bill is a costly affair which will be an add on cost to the tax payers.
RE: Food Security Bill - Need of the hour or an election gimmick?
Rajani Sharma 12-14-2013 05:28 AM
For:

- If implemented, 67% population of India will benefit from the food security bill.
- Implementation of this bill will provide food grains to the poor masses at subsidised rates.
- Hunger and malnutrition will be eradicated from our country once the bill is passed.
- This bill would ensure that every individual gets the supplies at the right time and in the right quantity.
- There is a security allowance attached with the food bill which an individual can avail when required.

Against:

- The food security bill is purely a gimmick used by congress to maximize the number of votes for them
during the elections.
- This is a political strategy which is used by the Congress to stay in power as they would not want to
lose the position they have been holding for the past two years.
- This stunt is only done to earn the sympathy of the common man and to attract the masses to vote.
- Majority of the parties are using this same strategy to get more and more votes.
- This bill will only increase the financial burden on the tax payers as the cost will be charged from the
general public.
- The implementation of the food security bill will face economic implications.
- There is no guarantee that the huge amount of money spent on implementing this bill will be utilized
properly in the favour of poor people.
- This will increase more corruption in our country as there is no provision of feedback system to check
whether the food is being reached to the poor or not.
- According to NSSO surveys, the proportion of hungry people has fallen from 15.3% in 1983 to 2% in
2004. Thus it is clear that hungry people are not crying out for cheap grains.

The main outcome of democracy in India is corruption

Corruption and democracy always go hand in hand. India is called a democratic country and so it
is obvious that there is corruption also prevailing in abundance out in India. But is democracy
only the cause?

For:

- Democracy offers egalitarianism and makes it tranquil to play around with loopholes.
- There is no direct relation between democracy and corruption, but it enables selfish people with power
and especially to those who are not capable of performing independently
- Its the population, who chooses a democratic person and that could be biased based on fear and greed
- Although democracy gives right to freedom be it poor or rich, but in India the poor dont have a say in
the matters of the country and usually they are being overpowered by few influential and unethical
politicians

Against:

- Democracy is a systemic peril and is dependent upon individuals and legislative tenets
- As democracy is defined, its the people who choose democrats, then why is it that democrats are
blamed for corruption, they are responsible, but its the public who has appointed them, so its not that
only the democrats are at fault even the public holds a hand in increasing corruption
- As per a recent survey, almost 62% of Indians are seen to be offering bribes to administrative officials to
get their work done in a jiffy, so to a large extent its even the general public that promotes corruption to a
great extent
- If people stop offering bribes to get their work done, then quite a lot of corruption can be reduced.

Conclusion:

- Its not always the politicians or democrats who encourage corruption but by and large they are
responsible and even the general public plays a huge role in promoting corruption.
MBA helps you succeed in life

MBA a masters degree which has almost become a priority for every individual to succeed in life,
is it the fact?

For:

- MBA, being a masters degree gives you an edge over others in not only the field that you are in but also
in the managerial as well as in leadership skills
- Most of the organizations prefer an post graduate degree for the employees working in their
organization or while hiring a new employee
- With a number of multi national companies coming into the picture, an MBA degree helps them
attracting more remuneration as compared to a graduate employee
- An MBA or any post graduate candidate has more chances of promotion and growth at his workplace
- If an individual is running his or her own small business then the MBA degree will hone his or her
managerial as well as leadership skills which will help him/her to succeed in the business

Against:

- Not all successful men have had an MBA degree. It depends upon the skill and the hard-work that an
individual can put in, decides how successful he will be in his career
- It is in the last few years that MBA has gained so much importance, but that does not mean before MBA
came into picture there were no people who were not succeeding in their career
- MBA only helps in enhancing the skills that are already present in you

Conclusion:

- MBA helps in honing your skills, so you should first see where your interest lies and then if there is a
need for extra training on to it, then an MBA degree will help you succeed.
- But there is no such mandate that only an MBA degree will make you succeed in your career. The
individual should have the capability as well as the interest in the field.
Depreciation of Indian Rupee has only negative impact on the economy


For

- Due to European financial crisis the value of Rupee has been depreciated which has resulted in an
increase in the value of dollar. Thus, affecting the economy.

- The demand of dollar has increased in contrast to that of Rupee and has startled our economy.

- It has resulted in the depreciation of the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP).

- Depreciation of Indian Rupee has resulted in increase in inflation and thus, stagnant growth of the
economy.

- Dollar is being appreciated amongst all the currencies including Rupee and has marked an increase in
its buyers.

- These frailties and volatilities among the European market is sure to have an impact in the entire Asian
markets including India.

- Government would have to pay more in terms of Rupee for its imports. This would lead to rise in fiscal
deficit which in turn will raise the level of inflation.

Against

- The exporters gain from the depreciation of Rupee as they get more of the local currency in exchange
of the foreign one.

- The depreciating value of Rupee is like a boon to Indian IT sectors as it generates more than 80% of
their revenue from overseas market and this will enhance their actual realization of revenue.

- Emigrants living outside India also benefits from this depreciation.

RE: Depreciation of Indian Rupee has only negative impact on the economy - Group Discussion
Rajani Sharma 12-27-2013 11:52 PM
Depreciation of Indian Rupee has only negative impact on the
economy

For:

- Due to European financial crisis the value of Rupee has been depreciated which has resulted in an
increase in the value of dollar. Thus, affecting the economy.
- The demand of dollar has increased in contrast to that of Rupee which has startled our economy.
- Depreciation of Indian rupee has resulted in the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP).
- It has also resulted in increase in inflation and thus, stagnant growth of the economy.
- Dollar being appreciated amongst all the currencies including Rupee has marked an increase in its
buyers.
- Due to the depreciation now government would have to pay more in terms of Rupee for its imports.
This would lead to rise in fiscal deficit which in turn will raise the level of inflation. Importers will be
affected the most as they will have to pay more in rupees on their imported products.
- Cost of imported goods will become more.
- Oil marketing companies will also be affected by the depreciation of rupee.
- If OMCs increases fuel prices, there will be a considerable increase in overall cost of transportation
which will lead to inflation.
- If the depreciation in rupee continues, RBI will have very less room to cut policy rates which in turn will
add to the borrowers woes, who are waiting to get rid of high loan burden.
- Students who are studying abroad also have to bear the burnt of depreciating rupee. Expenses
towards the university/college fee as well as that of living will increase, thereby spelling a huge burden
on the students.
- Indian rupee depreciation will also affect the tourism.
- Countrys fiscal health will be affected as a falling rupee will add fuel to the rising import bill of the
country and thereby increasing its current account deficit (CAD). A widening CAD will definitely pose a
threat to the growth of overall economy.
- Industries that depend on imported raw material will cut costs by two ways either by reducing salaries
or human resources. Thus there will be shrinking of pay packages.

Against:

- On the contrary, this depreciation of rupee will delight the exporters, as goods exported abroad will
fetch dollars which be converted to more rupees. Also, a weak rupee will make Indian produce more
competitive in global markets and that will be fruitful for Indias exports.
- The depreciating value of Rupee is like a boon to Indian IT sectors. As the IT sectors generate more
than 80% of their revenue from overseas market and this will enhance their actual realization of revenue.
- Emigrants living outside India also benefits from this depreciation. Depreciation of rupee is definitely a
good news for the overseas Indians as those who are working abroad will gain more on remitting money
to their homeland.
- Earning from exports will increase.


FDI is the only tool to revive Indian economy

Foreign Direct Investment is a direct investment into business by intensifying commerce into
other countries as well. After all the controversy FDI has finally gained ground in India.

For:

- FDI will lead to an adequate pour of funds towards the improvement in various sectors as well as will
help in the revenue generation
- FDI will open gates to improved technology as well as skills hence reducing the costs incurred in
buying the machinery for efficient work in process
- With FDI coming in picture, it will increase the job prospects hence reducing the unemployment
proportion and will also help in providing a improved standard of living
- It will also boost the socio-economic growth in our country from sources like schools, colleges and IT
- It will also increase the import export ratio, hence improving the economic conditions in India

Against:

- Domestic industries are finding it difficult to survive in the industry hence putting the small industries at
stake
- Political pressure constantly attempts to rheostat the FDI stream in order to get benefits
- Inflation is high due to poor value of Indian currency in return asking the small businessmen to
compensate for the same as there is laxity of money in the market
- FDI in turn would increase the foreign dependency and hence leaving an impact on our technology as
well as production.

Conclusion:

- FDI is not the only tool to revive the Indian economy, but yes it can act as a booster to the Indian
economy and will be helpful at a time when the Indian rupee is losing its face in the market.
RE: FDI is the only tool to revive Indian economy
Rajani Sharma 12-27-2013 11:52 PM
FDI is the only tool to revive Indian economy

For:

- Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India has played an important role in the development of the Indian
economy. FDI in India has enabled India to achieve a certain degree of financial stability, growth and
development. This in flow of money has allowed India to focus more on the areas that needed a boost
and economic attention, and address the various problems that continue to challenge the country.
- This tool will help in revenue generation which will lead to an adequate flow of funds towards the
various sectors which require improvement.
- FDI will open gates to improved technology as well as skills hence reducing the costs incurred in
buying the machinery for efficient work in process.
- This will also increase the job prospects in India and hence will reduce the unemployment proportion
and will also help in providing an improved standard of living.
- It will also boost the socio-economic growth in our country from sources like schools, colleges and IT.
- It will improve the economic conditions in India by increasing the import export ratio.
- Another advantage of allowing more foreign investments will be that food inflation still hovering in
double-digits could ease over time, because investors will most likely be required to invest at least 50
percent in back-end infrastructure.
- Agricultural supply chains will be improved from such investments that are badly in need of upgrades.

Against:

- FDI is not the only tool to revive Indian economy as physical infrastructure is the biggest hurdle that
India currently faces, to the extent that regional differences in infrastructure concentrates FDI to only a
few specific regions.
- While many of the issues that plague India in the aspects of telecommunications, highways and ports
have been identified and remedied, the slow development and improvement of railways, water and
sanitation continue to deter major investors. Thus these areas should be parallely focused on these
areas to revive Indian economy.
- Due to poor value of Indian currency, the inflation is high, which is asking the small businessmen to
compensate for the same as there is laxity of money in the market.
- FDI in turn would increase the foreign dependency and hence leaving an impact on our technology as
well as production.
- Federal legislation is another perverse barrier for India. Local authorities in India are not part of the
approval process and the large bureaucratic structure of the central government is often perceived as a
breeding ground for corruption. Foreign investment is seen as a slow and inefficient way of doing
business, especially in a paperwork system that is masked in red tape.

Media is a mixed blessing

Media is a diversified field with electronic media being the major part. Media plays a vibrant role in
our lives, in shaping our mind-set.

For:

- Media is one medium, where you could find information on each and every topic
- The level of studies in school has levelled up tremendously making children as well as parents rely on
the internet for information
- The media makes the children aware on all the social issues happening around the world
- Advertising is cheaper on the internet, whereas a lot of new arenas are opening up on the internet like
shopping is the biggest and growing industry over the internet
- Companies have a global recognition through the medium of internet

Against:

- Media through its beleaguer power has amplified the peer pressure amongst children
- With the help of advertising agencies, cold drinks and cigarettes have reached each and every nook and
corner but there is no proper supply of electricity as well as water
- Media inducing the thought process also has the power to manipulate things and present to the public
- Astute politicians have erudite the art of relinquishing in the errand of their image
- Although, internet provides with knowledge on each and every topic, it spoils the children as well with
extreme amount of information available over the net, especially on issues like pornography
- Cybercrime is increasing day by day due to the same issues.

Conclusion:

- Media is definitely a mixed blessing. On one hand if it teaches us new areas of life, it is spoiling the
children as well at the same time. Monitoring and censoring the content to an extent will help media in just
being a boon to the people.
Favor (Betting Should be Legalized)
As we can see many big personalities are involved in cricket betting and unofficially it is a big
business so it would be right to legalize it so government can earn some taxes which can be
utilized for growth of our country.
In terms of output and employment, in United Kingdom (Britain) gambling industry contributes
in a big way to economy. For 2008, 3 billion pounds ($4.65 billion) gross value-added
transactions occurred in gambling activities and it helped create 40,700 jobs.
The total financial impact of betting industry in UK, is to equlvalent of 6 billion pounds ($9.3
billion dollars) and it also supports over 100,000 jobs in UK economy.
Gambling is not bad .It depends on individuals and how gamblers 'gambles. It is another game
with linked economic benefits. It depends on person to person A person can gamble for
everything he have and loose everything .A sensible person always know his limits.
Share markets are another gamble especially Indian share market. There is no certainty when
share prices will go down. In India Share market is worst gamble as people get cheated everyday
there. Why it is legalized?
Criminalizing betting does not stop it happening, In this year's IPL, for instance, as the TOI
reported , an estimated Rs 5,000 crore has already been bet in India and 2 million (about Rs
13.5 crore) through bookmakers in the United kingdom. As in India Betting is banned criminals
are involved in it.
Do they not have a free will to decide what is good and what is bad. We should not assume that
the weaker section does not know what to do with their money; in fact they are more prudent
with their money than the rich. In fact the illegal betting market is putting them more at risk as
they are being exposed to the criminals in the society.
against
There are numbers of examples already present in India where people have lost their mind and
gambled their all savings and did sulcide.
Considering such examples Government should not legalize the gambling in any way. In our
country even lottery is banned in many states as people lost their lives while playing lottery then
how we can allow gambling?
Cricket is most popular game in India. If betting will be legalized then even kids will start
betting. There is a chance that whole nation will become gambler. People are crazy for cricket in
our country. So that is another fact needs to keep in mind before legalize gambling.
In Indian society, there is deep-rooted belief that 'gambling' is 'bad' and 'a social evil'.It is
certainly true, to some extent, that uncontrolled gambling or 'addiction' of gambling is a really
bad habit.
But what about the social consequences of gambling? Have we not all heard of stories of people
men, in most cases gambling away a family's savings?
Middle class is right now not involved in gambling and if it is legalized those will be impacted
badly.
Legalization of sports betting can never eliminate match fixing/spot fixing because human greed
can never be controlled. However it can certainly deter such people i.e players, coaches and
punters as chances of detection would be much higher.
No. Let cricket be a gentlemen game. Betting will kill the spirit of sports and sportsmanship.
More strict laws should be enacted to regulate cricket which is definitely under a cloud of honky
dory dealings.(Point added by user.)
Conclusion:
Gambling is legal all over world and regulated. I n I ndia Regulation fails everywhere. So if we
think of legalizing/regulating betting then we should think that it wont work in our corrupt
system. Right now betting is banned and at least medium class is not involved in it so not
losing their hard earned money in gambling.
If government wants to make revenue from gambling then they can make a few centers for
gambling in tourist places. But these places should be far from reach of common man so
common man can go there once in a year and enjoy this evil game of gambling.
Background

Six drunken men were joyriding in a bus last Sunday when they picked up the physiotherapy student and
her 28-year-old male companion. They took turns raping her before throwing the pair off the speeding
vehicle.
During her ordeal, the victim was attacked with an iron rod, causing serious intestinal injuries. Six men have
since been arrested.

A combination of abusive sexual behavior, a scant fear of the law and India's creaky judicial system
encourage such attacks.

The number of rape cases in New Delhi has risen by nearly one-fifth to 661 this year from a year ago,
according to government figures, the highest among India's big cities.
Favor of Strict laws:

Fear of law: There is no fear of law left in criminals so there is need to make stricter laws in India which will
again establish the respect for law in heart and mind of citizens.

We need even more fearful laws then capital punishment so criminals think twice before such heinous
crimes.
Only decent people have any reason to be afraid of the law any more. If there is, in fact, no protection for
the law-abiding, then why should we pay taxes for something we do not get?

All rich people and politicians long ago began to hire private security men who do the job the police once
did, but only for them. Because there is no fear left in criminals for the law. How we can let live such
criminals in our society unpunished?

Imprisonment in India is not so tough punishment. Length of the imprisonment should be increased for all
such crimes. Just keeping criminals on 2 years or so in jail doesnt change much in them. Most of them with
political connections come out on bail or again join crime full time after coming out of jail. We need drastic
change in our law and order system to establish fear of law can be established between criminals. Starting
point of this can be capital punishment for these rapists. They deserve it government should do whatever
required to give them such punishment.
Against of Strict laws:

In past 10 years we have executed only 2 people under capital punishment. Even we make such stringent
law it wouldnt change much.

Rather than death penalty, swift arrest and fast-tracked trial leading to conviction alone can instill fear of
law in people and deter commission of crimes, be it against women or in general.

Decision to give them capital punishment because it is not the right way to deal a crime with another crime.
Capital punishment itself is a judicially assisted murder.

Death penalty cannot be a deterrent unless swift and sure delivery of justice can be ensured." In 2011, no
investigation was done in 36.6% of recorded instances of rape.

Police should get active now and administrators should empower police to act against criminals.
There are many cities in our country where politicians first helped criminals to grow. And later they have to
empower police to curb those criminals. And police successfully curbed crimes in many cities with political
support, so real question of political willingness to curb crimes. If you use criminals, to win elections then
you will never wanted to wipe them out.

Fast track special courts to deal with sexual crimes, improved justice delivery system and stringent sexual
harassment laws.

The conviction rate of rape cases has dropped from 46% in 1971 to 26% in 2012.So even death penalty is
there no one can confidently say that conviction will really take place.
Conclusion:

Making only stricter laws would not establish the law and order in our country. But in such special cases
government should take strict action against guilty and set an example for criminals. We cannot just let go
every time by just depending on the existing system. We have to improve our system and empower
administration to become a better society.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail
sector.
Background
The recent cabinet decision on FDI in retail has triggered protests by opposition and key allies of the ruling
United Progressive Alliance (UPA), who are demanding a roll back of the policy. The hour-long meeting held in
Parliament House failed to resolve the logjam in the two Houses as opposition parties, led by BJP and the Left,
stuck to their stand and demanded rollback of the Cabinet decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail.
Though at present only 53 cities with population not less than 10 lakh in the country have been identified for FDI
As the fourth-largest economy in the world in PPP terms, India is a preferred destination for FDI. During 2000-
10, the country attracted $178 billion as FDI.
Favor
This will bring modern technology to the country.
Improve rural infrastructure. It would help build infrastructure and create a competitive market.
Reduce wastage of agricultural produce.
Enable our farmers to get better prices for their crops.
Consumers will get commodities of daily use at reduced prices.
Biggest beneficiary of this would be small farmers, who would be able to improve productivity and realize
higher remuneration by selling directly to large organized players and shorten the chain from farm to
consumers.
Government too stands to gain by this move through more transparent and accountable monitoring of
goods and supply chain management systems. It can expect to receive an additional US$ 25-30 billion by
way of taxes
Opening of retail can be seen as a solution for food inflation, which has been confounding policy-makers.
FDI in retail would help in building much needed back end infrastructure. Additionally, he said, investments
in cold storage chain infrastructure would reduce loss of agricultural produce and provide more options to
farmers.
Against
Our interest rates today are as high as 14 per cent to 16 per cent how do we compete with the
economies which have a 4 per cent interest rate. Our infrastructure our trade facilitations our labor
laws, all these factors collectively don't make India low cost. So do you want India to become a
center where we allow foreign companies to come in and set up these large chains which eventually
instead of selling domestic products out sourcing internationally the cheapest sources and selling
those products. Please remember domestic retail normally sources domestically, international retail
sources internationally because they source from the cheapest sources.
Even if big retail companies help the farmers in resurrecting their economy, what plan does the
government has for millions of middlemen who are part of the business process chain that ensures
manufactured products reach end users.
We engage millions of uneducated and semi-educated people at various stages of retail business
spread across towns and cities but we are afraid that Tesco and Wal-Mart will only engage smart and
educated workforce in small strength, comparatively. Conclusion
Government is taking this decision in good faith. Few persons and lobbies controlling the rates of
food commodities in India. And bringing more competition in market will bring better prices for
buyers as well as sellers of commodities. Parties protesting against FDIs in retail have choice to not
allow FDIs in the states they are ruling. Government should make a regulatory body for the
commodity trade as we have for cellular services.
Lokpal Bill
Background
The Jan Lokpal Bill also referred as citizen's ombudsman bill.
The Jan Lokpal Bill aims to effectively deter corruption, readdress grievances of citizens, and
protect whistle-blowers. If made into law, the bill would create an independent ombudsman body
called Lokpal (Sanskrit: protector of the people).It would be empowered to register and
investigate complaints of corruption against politicians and bureaucrats without prior government
approval.
In April 2011, civil activist Anna Hazare started a Satyagraha movement by commencing an
indefinite fast in New Delhi to demand the passing of bill. Movement attracted attention of
media, and hundreds of thousands of supporters, in part due to the organizational skills of Arvind
Kejriwal. Following Hazare's four day hunger strike, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
stated that the bill would be re-introduced in 2011 monsoon session of the Parliament.
Features of proposed bill
To establish a central government anti-corruption institution called Lokpal, supported by
Lokayukta at the state level. As in the case of the Supreme Court and Cabinet Secretariat, Lokpal
will be supervised by the Cabinet Secretary and the Election Commission. As a result, it will be
completely independent of the government and free from ministerial influence in its
investigations.
Members will be appointed by judges, Indian Administrative Service officers with a clean record,
private citizens and constitutional authorities through a transparent and participator process.
A selection committee will invite short-listed candidates for interviews, video recordings of which
will thereafter be made public.
Every month on its website, the Lokayukta will publish a list of cases dealt with , brief details of
each, their outcome and any action taken or proposed. It will also publish lists of all cases
received by the Lokayukta during the previous month, cases dealt with and those which are
pending.
Investigations of each case must be completed in one year. Any resulting trials should be
concluded in the following year, giving a total maximum process time of two years.
Losses to the government by a corrupt individual will be recovered at the time of conviction.
Government office work required by a citizen that is not completed within a prescribed time
period will result in Lokpal imposing financial penalties on those responsible, which will then be
given as compensation to the complainant.
Complaints against any officer of Lokpal will be investigated and completed within month and, if
found to be substantive, will result in the officer being dismissed within two months.
The existing anti-corruption agencies [CVC], departmental vigilance and the anti-corruption
branch of the [CBI] will be merged into Lokpal which will have complete power authority to
independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician.
Whistleblowers who alert the agency to potential corruption cases will also be provided with
protection by it.
"Politicians are trying to set 2014 election agenda on flimsy
grounds"
The election date for 2014 is just a year away, but there is already a general
agreement among many political experts that neither Congress nor BJP will find it
easy to win the necessary number of Lok Sabha seats on its own to lead the
government at the centre.
It is more likely that a coalition of regional parties, known as the Third Front, will
lead the government and keep the two leading political parties out of power. This is
because politicians from BJP and Congress have built agendas for the election on
flimsy grounds.
BJP has listed down all the problems that the country faces today and is planning to
solve them once it is in power. It has listed anti-terrorism strategy in its agenda and
is keen on amending the Prevention of Terrorism Act to punish criminals and not
those who are innocent. It is also planning to strengthen the National Investigating
Agency to curb terrorism and crime, and enhance the safety of the country.
Another agenda that BJP has is to improve the standard of education for youths. It
has also promised to invest in agriculture to improve the lives of farmers in the
country. Above all, BJP aims to curb inflation and enhance economic growth by
strengthening foreign policies and diplomatic ties. Basically, the BJP has covered all
the problem areas in the country, and it believes that it has magical powers to set
the country straight in 100 days. Instead of focusing on one particular area and
implementing successful policies to address those problems, BJP has put too many
eggs in its basket in an overconfident manner.
Similarly, the Congress has announced that it will attract more investors to set up
firms and production plants in the country. This way, it claims the country will be
able to enjoy better economic growth. Without acquiring funds from foreign
investors, the government has included many infrastructure development projects in
the Union Budget.
Similarly, the Rail Budget aims to enhance customer experience by providing free
Internet access to all passengers and developing world-class amenities in train
stations. There are many other basic issues that passengers face in train stations.
And without providing basic amenities in train stations, the government has raised
the bar and is building castles in the air.
Politicians have not addressed the key concerns of the citizens. Instead of focusing
on primary issues and building a strong foundation for economic growth, political
parties are aiming for secondary-level growth, which is difficult to achieve without
proper structure.
Politicians are coming up with agendas that will make them look good in the eyes of
the public, without looking at the functionality of the proposals. This is why the 2014
election agenda set by politicians is considered flimsy.
Since one Aadhaar number is allotted to only one person, it enables the ability to verify ones
identity universally. Aadhaar will allow deprived and needy people in accessing services like
banking facilities. Since Aadhaar is based on the demographic and biometric information of
an individual, it eliminates the threat of any fraud and bogus activity. Aadhaar will provide
its possessor with the universal identification. Aadhaar will facilitate anytime, anywhere,
anyhow authentication to its beneficiary. Aadhaar will be a single source of identity
verification.
Aadhaar can be used at multiple places to prove ones identity very easily. A persons
Aadhaar number can be used while opening a bank account, booking tickets online, applying
for passport, and at many other places where there is a need to give the proof of identity.
Aadhaar will give migrants mobility of their identity. Aadhaar will permit individuals to
verify their identity distantly. The government can now provide services and facilities to
people especially belonging to the rural areas in a more effective manner. Aadhaar will help
the poor people to take the benefits of the facilities provided to them by the government
which could not be accessed by these people earlier. Aadhaar will become the simplest way
of proving ones identity.
Aadhaar is a 12 digit individual identification number issued by the
Unique Identification Authority of India on behalf of the Government
of India.
This number will serve as a proof of identity and address, anywhere
in India.
Any individual, irrespective of age and gender, who is a resident in
India and satisfies the verification process laid down by the UIDAI
can enroll for Aadhaar.
Each individual needs to enroll only once which is free of cost.
Each Aadhaar number will be unique to an individual and will
remain valid for life. Aadhaar number will help you provide access
to services like banking, mobile phone connections and other
government and non-government services.
Aadhaar will be easily verifiable ionline, in a cost-effective way.