Poverty alleviation programmes in India 2017

Poverty alleviation programmes in India 2017

The Government of India has a variety of programmes to generate wage employment for the poor unskilled people living in rural areas. Some of the programmes are as follows:

·         Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY)

·         National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS)

·         National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS)

·         National Maternity Benefit Scheme.

·         Annapurna.

·         Integrated Rural Development Program(IRDP)

·         Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana.

·         National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA)

These days one of the most important and discussed programme in India is Mahatma Gandhi national Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). I would like to highlight few things about that programme:

 

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)

National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (or, NREGA No 42, later renamed as the "Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act", MGNREGA), is an Indian labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee the 'right to work'.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley allocated highest ever funds to rural job scheme MGNRGEA Rs 48,000 crore rupees in 2017-2018 budget. Giving a major thrust to rural India in the Union Budget, the government  announced bringing one crore households out of poverty and making 50,000 gram panchayats poverty free by 2019, besides allocating highest ever funds to rural job scheme MGNRGEA (http://www.nrega.nic.in/netnrega/home.aspx

Stating that improving the life of people in rural areas is "a non-negotiable agenda for the government", Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government would start a Mission Antyodaya (Poverty Free India by 2022) for poverty alleviation in the country.

"With a clear focus on improving accountability, outcomes and convergence, we will undertake a Mission Antyodaya to bring one crore households out of poverty and to make 50,000 gram panchayats poverty free by 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of (Mahatma) Gandhiji," Jaitley said in his speech.

Allocating higher funds to all the major schemes for rural areas, he said, "The budget provision of Rs 38,500 crore under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in 2016-17 has been increased to Rs 48,000 crore in 2017-18."

Besides providing employment, MGNREGA should create productive assets to improve farm productivity and incomes, he said, adding that this is the highest ever allocation for MGNREGA.

Exuding confidence that the construction of roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has increased to 133 km per day, he said the government will connect 65,000 eligible habitations by constructing 2.23 lakh km of roads in rural areas by 2019. But, the budget allocation for the scheme remains constant at Rs 19,000 crore.

Whereas, the allocation of another flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Gram Aawaas Yojana (gramin) has been increased to Rs 23,000 crore from Rs 15,000 crore.

Similarly, the allocation for National Rural Livelihood Mission for promotion of skill development has also been increased to Rs 4,500 crore in 2017-18.

In a bid to ensure safe drinking water to over 28,000 arsenic and fluoride affected habitations in the next four years, the government will start a sub-mission of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme.

In this year's budget, the allocation for the Rural Development Ministry has also been increased by more than 10 per cent to Rs 1,07,758 crore from Rs 97,760 crore.

For imparting new skills to the people in the rural areas, Jaitley said that masonry training will be provided to 5 lakh persons by 2022, with an immediate target of training at least 20,000 persons by 2017-18.

The Ministry also mentioned that Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) has made tremendous progress in promoting safe sanitation and ending open defecation.

Sanitation coverage in rural India has gone up from 42 per cent in October 2014 to about 60 per cent. Open Defecation Free villages are now being given priority for piped water supply, he added.

Speaking on the budget, Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said it will be a "game changer" for rural India and will transform Indian villages to become base of the country's growth in coming years.

Foreign Son-in-Law in Thailand

Foreign Son-in-Law in Thailand

Recently I visited to Udon Thani. Udon Thani, or Udon for short, is an important regional hub that connects northeastern Thailand with the rest of the country as well as neighbouring Laos. I was there to attend a regional expert meeting organized by Thamassat University and partners. I was there for a week around and that is enough time to know more about the city and people.

While my stay I get to know a very interesting thing about Udon Thani that a lot of European and American men come here to marry Thai women. Mixed couples are common on the streets and in the markets of Udon Thani. One street where Western men gather to eat and drink is popularly known as “Foreign Son-in-Law Street.” Due to hectic meeting schedule I could not get time to visit that street but I am very much curious person by nature. I started interacting local students and other people to know more about this culture.

During discussions I found that it is very much acceptable here to get marry with foreigner men. In fact young girl start dreaming from their childhood to get marry with foreigner husband so that they can have all kind of comforts in their life. This type of marriage is good for both ; a poor Thai woman get good earning and finically supporting husband whereas men gets beautiful Thai girls who listen to them and believe in marriages.

It is also interesting to note that most of men get settled here in Udon Thani, only few goes back to their country back with Thai wife. The reasons are; cost of living in Thailand (Udon Thani) is quite inexpensive and comfortable as compare to their country.

I was excited to listen and read all the stories and wanted to meet few couples. God heard me, when I was travelling back to Bangkok met such couple at Udon Thani airport. Man was from Netherland and his wife from a village from Udon.  Initially they were reluctant to speak about their relationship. I promised to keep their anonymity than they told their story. Man was retired from Government job, got marry to Thai girl and have 5 years old son. Man told that although they have almost 20 years of age difference but it doesn’t matter. Both are happy with life and raising son. Man is having enough money to support the family. Initially, girl was unable to speak English but after marriage she learnt English and speak fluently now.  He is part of an expanding population of nearly 11,000 foreign husbands in the region, drawn by the low cost of living, slow pace of life and the exotic reputation of Thai women — something like a brand name for Western men seeking Asian partners.

Family boarded same flight with me for Bangkok.

After reaching Bangkok I met another couple. Now man was from Germany and married to Thai girl and after marriage they settled near Udon Thani and he does farming while wife runs a beauty parlor.

In Bangkok our tour guide/driver told that her friend is married to a man from Sweden but he did not settled in Thailand. They often visit Thailand and Sweden. Previously girl was unable to understand any other language beside Thai, now she can communicate in English and Swedish both.

Later I saw few couples in Krabi Island as well. It is an interesting topic and would love to read, write more on this….....soon 😊

 

 

 

Social Jetlag- an Exhausting condition

Social Jetlag- an Exhausting condition

 

As usual in daily routine I took my newspaper- Times of India and I love to read its supplements; Bombay times and Mumbai Mirror. I was reading Bombay Times and suddenly found an interesting article on “Social Jetlag”. The first question came in my mind what is Social Jetlag? I was aware of a jet lag that we normally get when we travel different time zones.

I read the article and to explore on the topic I started reading previous publication and thought of writing my next blog on this.

Unlike a jet lag that you normally get when you travel different time zones, a social jet lag is the chronic clash between what your body needs (sleep) and what your life demands (work or activity). And this plays havoc on your everyday life.The term "Social Jetlag" was initially coined in 2006 by researchers studying the ways in which social schedule get mess with our natural rhythm. Unlike a jet lag which you normally get while you travel in different  time zones, a social jet lag is chronic clash between what your body needs (sleep) and what your life demands (work and activities). And this pays havoc in your routine life.

Many of us stay up later than usual on Friday and Saturday nights, whether out partying, gossiping or watching movies. We feel it’s OK because we can just make up for the lost sleep in the morning.
But it turns out sleeping in on weekends could be causing disorder with your body clock: it’s called social jet lag.  
 An Important difference in between Travel Jet lag and Social Jet lag is that travel jet lag is lighter in intensity. When we arrive in a different place, the sun is coming up and setting at different time and your body can reset its own clock to match. With Social jet lag, the schedule disruption is chronic a person staying in the same place.

According to researchers, over the past few decades, people have been experiencing the problem of social jet lag because of the constant work pressure, going off to bed late at night, yet waking up at the normal time, thus losing out on approximately 40 minutes of sleeAccording to recent researches, in last few decades people are facing problem of social jet lag because of constant work pressure, going late to bed for sleep, getting up early or normal to complete the tasks (personal and professional) and losing out 1-2 hrs. of sleep.

Dr Patricia Wong of the University of Pittsburgh, lead author of the study, told Reuters: ‘Social jet lag is a habitual form of circadian misalignment, when individuals have to essentially sleep and wake at times that are out of sync from their internal, biological clock and shift back and forth in their sleep schedules due to social obligations.’

"Sleep plays an important role both in the physiological and psychological development of an individual's body," says sleep expert Dr Preeti Devnani. "Our body has a preferred time for sleep and activity, which when hampered, causes various changes in your body," she adds.
A disrupted sleep schedule can increase your risk of Diabetes and heart diseases, a new study revealed.
The most recent research, published as an abstract supplement in the journal Sleep, concluded that “Social Jet lag is associated with poorer health, heart diseases, worse mood, obesity and increased sleeplessness and fatigue”. So, those who are already at risk for heart disease, diabetes and even depression are not doing themselves any favor with irregular sleep schedules.

Hope you liked the above article and try to maintain your schedule throughout the week and be healthy!!

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”. Benjamin Franklin

Be happy and Stay Healthy!!