Welcome to the May 2010 ‘REEDS NEWS’

India, the seventh largest in area and second largest in population, is a dynamic and steadily expanding economy in the world that currently stands at 12th position in the world. It is, however, a matter of concern that the process of economic growth could not convert itself into a process of economic development. Disparity in income is a contrast in the economic growth trajectory – The lowest 10% households’ income share is hardly 4% while the highest 10% households’ is over 30%.

Human development indicators remain dismal! According to Human Development Report 2009, in the Human Poverty Index India ranks 88th among 135 countries for which the index has been calculated.

While employment generation holds the key to economic progress in our country, a key disappointment has been the inability to generate employment in the Indian economy! The unemployment rate remained around 10% in 2009! It is essential to realize that the challenge of human capital is now more important than ever before. India is in line for a demographic dividend is an optimistic and satisfying solace.

The economy of India is as diverse as it is large. Agriculture is a major component of the Indian economy, as over 66% of the Indian population earns its livelihood from this area but its contribution to the GDP is just about 20% creating similar percentage of jobs for the 467 million workforces. The deceleration in agricultural growth is certainly a matter of concern!

One of the major challenges for the Indian economy is to remove the economic inequalities that are still persistent. No development can be thought of if any person in any country lives Below the Poverty Line. If poorest of the poor are injected proper income generating activities along with their skill up gradation and capacity building for improvement in their livelihood might alter the landscape towards an inclusive growth.

Ravi K Reddy, June 15, 2010

We are getting ready for our 21st Annual General Body Meeting scheduled for the ensuing month where we review and recapitulate our activities in the bygone year and setting new goals with exiting challenges.

In the financial year just completed, we reached out to more people with our interventions touching various spheres of rural life. Key achievements have been - Establishing safe drinking water plants with a combined capacity close to 7 million liters per day covering 1.7 lakh rural populations; establishing 92 Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting Structures in specified schools; and carrying evaluation of 360 Gram Panchyats in Maharashtra for the prestigious national award of Nirmal Gram Pursakar , 2009. The most precious aspect of the year, perhaps, was that our participation in the relief activities at Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh, one of the worst affected area during the flood havoc in September 2009!

We shall continue our effort to strive to help rural communities help themselves to build a stronger, productive and positive India and count upon your support as usual.

SKILS2010 is gaining momentum. We are looking forward for your valuable inputs, support and goodwill for making the conference a successful and productive event. Please do follow www.skills2010.org the dedicated website to the Conference for updated status on the event.

Sir John Boyd Orr, First Director General of Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations was the first person to propound the starvation line in 1945 which referred to the consumption of less than 2300 calories per person per day. This idea has been transformed in to poverty line. Planning Commission of India has defined poverty line on the basis of recommended nutritional requirements of 2400 calories per person per day for rural areas and 2100 calories per person per day for urban areas. Based on this, income criterion has been adopted in India to determine poverty line. The latest income criterion to determine poverty line in India is based on 2004-05 data where it is stated that all India level minimum income for rural and urban areas for a person per month should be Rs. 356.30 and Rs.538.60 respectively.  
Source: Estimation of Rural Poverty by Dr. Shankar Chatterjee National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad.

World Commission on Environment and Development is the first to define Sustainable Development in 1987 as ‘Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'.
Source: www.globalissues.org  

Microsoft chief Bill Gates visited Uttar Pradesh on 12 May 2010 to have a glimpse of social development work. During this visit, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation had adopted Gularia village in Bihar to help improve the socio-economic condition of the people there. There have been significant contributions of over $25 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the Polio Eradication Program in India. A laudable gesture indeed!

REEDS welcome support and participation in any manner that suit one’s convenience. All the monitory contributions to REEDS qualify for deduction under section 80 G of the Indian Income Tax Act, 1961.

Help us to share this with others. Forward this to a friend or if you want someone who would like to be added to the REEDS NEWS readership, please let us know at inforeeds@gmail.com.