Delhi - A City Just Happy to Be

Winter is not my favourite season but Delhi houses two of my favourite people. And so when on Monday I was told that I needed to be in Delhi for an urgent meeting on Wednesday, I faced what I call subdued excitement. Oh my little angels were thrilled to hear that I was coming and we made plans of the storytelling session for Wednesday night too. At the same time, I warned Sequoia of my absolute need to hog the heater. And so here I am, in the still adolescent winter of this year, with a coffee mug in hand and a warm fleece around me; wondering why have I never penned my thoughts on this city that gave me some of my most cherished friends...

It was yet another move to yet another city and yet another school. I was hesitant and shy. They had all grown up together, and here as a teenager, a newcomer in me was trying to fit in. I can't remember who it was, but one of them adopted me and soon we were the five fingers of a palm. Oh we did our own things outside class but we all hung out together too. We went to Christmas parties, birthday parties, each others homes and even stood by the classroom window together to catch a glimpse of the latest Bollywood heartthrob! It was a period of seven months, and yet those seven months created a bond that has survived distances and years. 

Delhi gave me a brother in a brother-in-law. The first time ever, when I knew everyone around me was hiding the truth, he broke the news to me. Nana (my maternal grandfather) was no more. Yes my mother and Sequoia had reached too late to be able to meet him one last time, but such was life and I had to stand strong for Bonsai who was still unaware. Yes they had all hid the truth but that's because I had my last exam to write. Yes we had to tell Bonsai but we would do it after I had settled. Had it not been for him, I would not have been able to accept the truth as simply as I did. And then we went for a drive to India Gate, a place that lights up my face even today. 

Delhi was the first city that made me understand what social support means. Of course the so called support can go to the extreme of interference, in some cases; but people here have the time for family, friends and even neighbours. Community living is still a part of the culture here. It still is a place that celebrates Diwali, Holi and Independence Day in neighbourhoods with children and adults participating with equal enthusiasm. This spirit is definitely not visible or palpable in the Mighty Mumbai. 

So why have I not yet written about Delhi...I guess that's because Delhi is just happy to be. Delhi does not scream out glitz and razzmatazz, it does not force you to live a life only the way it seems fit but it also does not open its heart out to you. If you come you are welcome to find your own place in and pace of life. If you live here you will be given the opportunities that you seek. If you expect that the city, and not the people, will make you smile you are knocking at the wrong door. So Delhi has no insecurities about its place on the global map as I see it and it has been an easy part of my life; making me ignore the fact that it did lay the founding stones of friendship.

So why am I writing about Delhi now? Other than the fact that it is an important city in my life, it is because today I felt that it is also a city that has taught me to go with the flow. 

The meeting I came for was not fruitful. I was disappointed and thought maybe the trip had not been needed. Muddled in these thoughts, I was waiting for the car on the main road, witnessing the traffic jam and trying to wrap a shawl to keep myself warm. A lady walked up to me and asked me if she could find a bus from there to Dhaulakuan and I replied, "Sorry I don't know". She smiled, "why are you sorry. You don't know, that ain't your fault." That is when I realised she was depicting the city. It's ok in Delhi not to know it all. It's ok in Delhi to be a newcomer and not to know the way the city works. It's ok in Delhi to ask for help. Is that not true for life as well?

As I am on the flight back to Mumbai, and looking at this Capital from the skies above, I acknowledge that people in Delhi can be aggressive and abrasive but then they have a life. In Mumbai people can be polished and polite but they have an agenda. Delhi can be unsavoury and unsafe but it keeps things real. Mumbai is safer, not necessarily less unsavoury but more of a dreamland. And yes these are statements that stereotype, generalise and talk about my own views; but I can see how Delhi will be nonchalant about these while Mumbai will not take it kindly...and that ladies and gentlemen is the biggest difference.

Making India Work

Over the years I have a rule that I have followed consistently, in professional forums I do not comment on issues that are unrelated to either the topic at hand or which are outside the realm of my professional existence. However, a few days ago, for the first time ever, I broke my own rule.  

I have now been working in India for six years and have spent an equal amount of time in services and manufacturing. The one thing I have come to acknowledge is, a number of individuals have overcome humungous obstacles to achieve a standard of living that their parents could only dream of. Some of their stories give me goose bumps, each time I recount them. So whether it is the story of my colleague whose parents could not read and write but she is a finance professional today, or the story of the young man who moved from the village not knowing English, worked as a peon, attended night college to complete his bachelors and learn English, and then joined one of India’s largest private banks; every accomplishment makes me salute their spirit and achievements. The other thing I have come to appreciate is that while we may all have our differences, when any one of us is in need, the rest of us stand behind, solid as a rock. Recently, a colleague lost his ailing mother. He was out of town and sent an sms. That was all that was needed for the team to brave the torrential Mumbai rains, reach his house, help with all the formalities and last rite preparations and on top of it ensure that he took a flight which even with a delay would get him home in time. This extended support system is rarely seen in other cultures.

 Having said that, I must also admit, the one thing that agonises me the most is the tendency of Indians (me included, I am an Indian and proud to be one) to find someone else responsible for all the woes. Somewhere, accountability for our actions and responsibility for their consequences misses us by miles and miles. And it was a lamenting on similar lines when I decided to break my rule. On the topic of current GDP scenario, one gentleman started his rant on how Indians are intolerant, how the government is ineffective and how the media is irresponsible. After listening to him for five minutes, I had to ask – who are the intolerant Indians, who elects the ineffective government and who reads or watches the irresponsible media without ever writing to the Information and Broadcasting ministry? And then every citizen turns around and says, “what can I do all by myself”; and every time I have the same response, “every drop contributes to making the ocean”. Why do we hesitate to stop littering in public places? Why do we not go and vote even if it is NOTA? Why can we not stop reading and watching the overtly sensational media pretending to give us news and information? If each one of us takes the responsible step, we can usher in change. If we keep waiting for someone else to lead, then we will just have to make do with what we have!

Single person bringing in a different era - Idealistic? Maybe. Honest? Absolutely.  Not impactful? Not at all.

 Idealistically, the freedom struggle is quoted by many as an example of how ordinary citizens contributed to the nation gaining independence. Honest individuals have demonstrated, in recent times, how one person’s quest can lead to positive change – so be it Jessica Lal’s sister who finally got the country to rally behind her and get justice for her sister, or be it the story of how Popatrao Baguji Pawar’s foresight and efforts ensured that Hiware Bazar in the drought prone Maharashtra district of Ahmednagar became the only place in this year’s drought to be breathing; there are multiple incidents of one person creating an impact that can improve thousands of life. Yes these individuals could have waited for someone else but they did not. And yes they needed that every someone else to take some accountability and responsibility, and work with them, to achieve the end result!  

 Historians are writing eulogies about how great a nation we were. I believe, we are still a great nation, with inspiring citizens all around us. All we need is to rise to the occasion and create the consciousness that each one’s prosperity and happiness will only add to that of the others. If there is more money with a larger group of people, there will be more money for everyone eventually (an economic discussion that is for another post maybe). If there is greater harmony, there will be lesser strife. If there is more empathy, there will be fewer intolerance episodes. But none of this can come from the rule of law or from a dictate of any specific individual. This has to come from the individuals who form the civic society and only then will it be sustainable.

Louis L’Armour has summarised my thought beautifully, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers."

India - Skill Development and GDP

India’s Demographics: the Potential Dividend and the Current Drain

According to the 2011 census, the median Indian age was 25.1 years with 65% of the population under the age of 35. This demographic advantage of India affords the nation an opportunity to overtake the global stage with a vengeance, and claim the position of the Golden Bird that we once used to be.  However, the impediment to the achievement of this game-changing aim is simply one, only 2% of the 500 million strong workforce of the country are skilled. This creates acute shortage for sectors that represent almost 75% of the country’s GDP  – services (57%) and manufacturing (16%). Thus with no option left, 53% of the country’s workforce is employed in Agriculture that contributes 19% to the GVA and only 24% of the workforce is employed in services.  The need to skill up to grow more productively and equally has never been more critical.

Education. Where do we do more?

A lot of effort has been put into primary education leading to a net enrolment of 98% in primary schools. But the number of children who are math and reading capable remains extremely low. Only 39% of class 3 children are able to subtract and 47% can read a Class I text. 

Those who manage to stay through schools, with little ability to comprehend the higher levels of education, drop out soon after high school. In fact only 12% of the students graduating from high school make it to colleges. The reducing ratio of institutions of higher learning to those of primary education in the country adds to the competition and thus not all willing get to tool themselves up for the work life. In 2011 there were 447,600 middle schools in the country, 131,215 high schools and 72,046  pre degree / higher secondary schools / junior colleges. For anyone wanting to pursue engineering or architecture there were only 2,894 options and for those attempting to become doctors or nurses only 2,153 institutes existed. No wonder, the unorganised sector remains the one bread earning option for 90% of the youth. The investment into education has and at this rate will continue to reap low or no benefits for the nation at large.

While new institutes of higher learning are being set up in the country, even by the private sector, there needs to be emphasis on providing trained teachers, appropriate infrastructure and adequate awareness to ensure education enables the disciples. In fact a starting point of skill development should be to train teachers in delivery and ensure that students are able to understand and learn in class.

India’s education spend is only 1% of the GDP. As this spend increases in areas such as teacher training, the multiplier effect could be significant, helping the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) achieve its aim of training 30% of the 500 million workforce by 2022.

Skill Development: A Fresh Approach for a New Dream?

To ensure that the young Indians are tooled up to becoming corporate India ready, the need of the hour is to bring education and skill development under the same regulatory umbrella and do away with the current structure that has education as the KRA of HRD Ministry and Skill Development that of Labor and Employment ministry and NSDC.  As we grow we will need more manpower, and by 2020 60% of Indian population is expected to form the workforce. It is only if we ensure that basic education is provided to all and then each youngster is given an opportunity to discover and grow in her field of choice that we will have an educated, excited and equipped work force that will generate profit per person befitting a country wanting to grow 10% per annum.   

According to a recent report on India Skills by WheeBox, an assessment test administered to 300,000 candidates indicated that only 37% were corporate employment ready. Confounding! The services sector is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5% over the next two years with e-commerce alone looking to create at least 150,000 jobs in the next 2 years. The government aims to boost manufacturing so that it can contribute 25% to the country’s GDP by 2025. With these targets and the current skill development scenario, the hunt for talent in the country seems to be a long drawn battle.

A lesson that India can learn from Germany, and together India Inc and the government could implement, is close working partnership of industry and universities. The German Mittlestand (mid cap) companies are entrenched in their local Eco systems from providing training to the young, internships and apprenticeships to local university students and finally providing employment to the skilled they have developed. As a result not only is the German unemployment rate (at 7.8%) lowest in Europe at but also the employee turnover is only 2.7%. If Indian mid-cap could start training college going youth and then employing them, we could see a shift from higher participation in agriculture to manufacturing and services, giving GDP a major boost. Given the 2% mandatory spend on CSR, this will be a self fulfilling prophecy for India Inc while helping the nation to grow more sustainably. It could also reduce the rural to urban migration, aiding development and reducing pressure on the stressed urban infrastructure.

Women and GDP: It's Empowerment by Educating and Employing!

An interesting observation of the 2011 census is the female workforce participation in the country at 26%! While in urban India the female to male worker ratio is 226, in rural India the figure is staggeringly higher at 384. Most of the women are employed in the informal / unorganised sector or are a part of the unpaid workforce! In fact in the most industrialised States of (erstwhile) Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the highest female workforce participation in urban areas is 20% in Tamil Nadu which is much lower than the national average. The women worker participation is not only low but at the moment non profitable for the country.

What these numbers don't tell but UNICEF research has shown is that an educated mother is twice as likely to send her children to school. Not only does this lead to literacy and probably higher skill development but considering that every extra year of education enables women to earn 20% more as adults, educating women becomes a no brainer! According to Making it Right report, for 1% of new girls enrolled in schools, India’s GDP could grow by USD 5.5 billion.

Conclusion

Talent recruitment and retention is a challenge that all of corporate India is facing currently. If we take our destiny in our own hands and focus on improvements in education, providing vocational training on site and encouraging women, we could have an ocean of skilled workforce to take us to growth levels unprecedented. We can use our CSR spends, our professional networks and our association with the government to ease this journey for all of us and the nation. A partnership that would see more people more gainfully employed and higher growth rate for the country would also lend stability to the nation which today is trying very hard to maintain composure and tell the world that it too is a main character of the unfolding global story.

As industry participants it is our responsibility to help the cause of skill development in the country or very soon talent acquisition would become a talent scavenger hunt.

Crime against women in India - Causes & Plausible Corrective Actions

In the last few years the media coverage of crime against women and children in India has been on the rise[1]. Reading ghastly stories first thing in the morning is an unpleasant start to the day; only at some point I realize that an unnerving read for me is someone else’s life altering experience. Conjuring up images of these unpleasant headlines and imagining what the victims must have undergone is spine chilling; resulting in emotional and physical responses. These cause agitation, anger and frustration. I can calm my agitated mind and rationalize my anger. However, my frustration needs answers that most believe lie with those in the seats of governance or in positions of law enforcement. Of course those in positions of power and influence are answerable but so is the man on the street.  

In most Asian cultures girls are taught from childhood to be “soft spoken”, not to be overly assertive and not to have strong opinions. All these are supposedly to help them mould easily post marriage. These values by themselves may not be incorrect; however, being imparted to girls in isolation of boys become toxic. On the one hand women are taught to be submissive and on the other hand aggressive and opinionated men are applauded. This is the first step to justifying male ego and superiority[2]. How do authorities take control of this misguidance in families? Should there be laws against such cultural tendencies? This grooming and influence exerted on children from a tender age can only be changed by ordinary citizens and while this is time process to bear fruit over generations, it is a way to ingrain respect and equality.

I am sure none of us are willing to wait another generation for a safer world and why should we! Our children and women have the right to say no and adults and men need to understand that when asked to stop they need to do so. In the immediate future schools and families need to start empowering children to be assertive. Women need to be heard and their wishes respected. The smallest of incidents at work place or in families need to be taken cognizance of. Complaints need to be dealt with seriously.

I recollect an incident a few years ago when at the salon I visit; I felt that the man giving me a head massage was probably over stepping the line (see how I am writing probably. Women are made to think that such incidents could be fragments of their own imaginations). I was uncomfortable and decided to speak to the management. My complaint went unnoticed and then there was another woman who had a similar experience. Even her complaint went unattended and thus to protect my own self-respect I switched salons. In the absence of authorities, this incident could have been dealt with had ordinary citizens stood together. However, we have become a society that accepts dignity infringements as normal. It is not something we deem unacceptable unless it turns into a grave incident.

I believe I should have followed through my complaint and taken it to law enforcement. I did think about it but eventually let the idea drop. The police do not instill confidence in me; on the contrary they scare me away. Our cops are typically not sensitive to complainants of harassment and/or sexual violence[3]. It is incorrect of me to blame them entirely. Given that most of the police force is male[4] and we are a patriarchal society with the above mentioned trends all pervasive; it is not without training and sensitization that cops can be expected to be empathetic to victims of such crimes. While increasing women cops may not solve the problem, there exists some evidence that the higher the police to population ratio and the higher the number of women police stations, the lower the number of incidents of crime against women. This is evidenced by the table below[5].

  Table 1: Overview of State wise data on Police Force and Crime Against Women

State	Population ('000)	Policemen per Lakh of Population	# of Women Police Stations	Women Police Station / Total Population*	Total Crime Against Women / Total Population*	Rape Incidents / Total Population*
Assam	31,089	176.20	1.00	0.003%	3.30%	0.55%
West Bengal	90,471	66.00	0.00	0.000%	2.91%	0.26%
Tripura	3,621	1,012.10	1.00	0.028%	2.91%	0.57%
Rajasthan	67,366	105.40	24.00	0.036%	2.56%	0.27%
Delhi	18,473	448.30	0.00	0.000%	2.37%	0.31%
Andhra	84,333	107.30	32.00	0.038%	2.02%	0.17%
Kerala	35,049	131.10	3.00	0.009%	1.92%	0.32%
Haryana	24,676	179.70	2.00	0.008%	1.81%	0.30%
Gujarat	58,379	110.30	31.00	0.053%	1.36%	0.08%
MP	72,407	104.60	9.00	0.012%	1.25%	0.47%
Orissa	40,926	106.20	6.00	0.015%	1.20%	0.27%
J&K	13,477	541.60	2.00	0.015%	1.18%	0.21%
Chandigarh	1,132	542.70	0.00	0.000%	1.07%	0.24%
Arunachal Pr.	1,238	555.90	0.00	0.000%	0.97%	0.34%
Chhattisgarh	24,632	169.00	4.00	0.016%	0.96%	0.43%
UP	199,898	74.60	71.00	0.036%	0.95%	0.10%
Maharashtra	110,383	124.90	0.00	0.000%	0.94%	0.15%
Karnataka	58,945	138.80	10.00	0.017%	0.90%	0.11%
Himachal Pr.	6,701	200.00	0.00	0.000%	0.90%	0.25%
Mizoram	1,011	1,044.80	0.00	0.000%	0.85%	0.76%
Punjab	27,339	249.90	5.00	0.018%	0.83%	0.18%
Bihar	97,538	64.10	0.00	0.000%	0.82%	0.10%
Uttarakhand	9,850	160.60	2.00	0.020%	0.81%	0.13%
Manipur	2,710	846.40	0.00	0.000%	0.77%	0.20%
Jharkhand	31,035	164.60	22.00	0.071%	0.77%	0.25%
Meghalaya	2,617	386.90	7.00	0.267%	0.72%	0.50%
And & Nic Isl	434	790.60	0.00	0.000%	0.69%	0.30%
Tamil Nadu	67,759	151.00	196.00	0.289%	0.65%	0.10%
Dadar N Hav	284	100.00	1.00	0.352%	0.53%	0.14%
Sikkim	612	642.50	0.00	0.000%	0.49%	0.26%
Goa	1,756	292.50	1.00	0.057%	0.37%	0.17%
Daman & Diiu	201	130.80	0.00	0.000%	0.25%	0.05%
Puducherry	1,121	263.30	3.00	0.268%	0.24%	0.06%
Nagaland	2,257	1,069.80	0.00	0.000%	0.12%	0.10%
Lakshadweep	73	308.20	0.00	0.000%	0.00%	0.00%

If one looks at West Bengal and UP the picture is quite clear. The number of policemen to per lakh population is the lowest (barring Lakshadweep) in the country for these densely populated states. The number of women police stations is appallingly low too and the states contribute 27% of crime against women in the country. This indicates the need to invest more in recruitment and training of police force. Police force in India is a state subject and it is up to state governments to take action. Here the situation is in dire straits. For example, in UP less than 5% of the state’s budget is allocated for police force expenditure and of the total police expenditure only 1.5% is allocated to police training. In West Bengal the figures are 2.78% and 0.51% respectively. Overall in the country, only 1.41% of the police expenditure is allocated to training[6].  It is time that budget allocations per state see some change.

In addition to training and recruitment, there needs to be more transparency and stringency in the way cases of crime against women are handled. From 2009 to 2011 there has been a ca. 13% increase in total number of crime against women cases registered across the country. However, in the same time frame, the case chargesheet rate has decreased from almost 80% to 78% and the conviction rate has come down from 14% to 13%[7]. Chargesheet decrease can potentially be tied with police dissuasion, delays or corruption[8] and conviction has a correlation to evidence providing. Thus the police force needs to be made more accountable to the victims and the system.

Changes in budget and action by governments are determined by willingness of the lawmakers. This willingness on the part of the lawmakers today is subject in most situations that need action on a yesterday basis, across the country.  To see what immediate remedies are provided by the law to victims I went back to my old research and was stunned[9]! The Indian Penal Code was introduced in 1860 and the first amendments to laws relating to rape and sexual assault were effected in 1983; over 100 years later! Post that the only changes made were in 2005 and they related to expediting trials and protecting evidence in case witnesses turn hostile. The IPC has adopted the term sexual assault in place of rape in some acts; however, insensitive practices such as those dictated by Section 155 (4) of the Evidence Act remain intact. This act specifically requires the victim be cross examined in the presence of the accused and that a detail of her past sexual history be noted as well. Just as there was an overhaul to the child sexual abuse laws[10], those pertaining to crime against women must also be modified according to the times. And yes, the cases of heinous crimes against women need speedy action.

According to a report by Law Commission of India over 72.58 lakh (7.258 million) cognizable criminal cases under IPC were pending trials in 2010. Another 48.54 (4.854 million) cognizable criminal cases under Special and Local Laws were pending trial[11].  These point to an overall overburdened judicial system. The delays are due to many reasons, including corruption at police level and a shortage of legal professionals[12]. Thus, maybe we need to set up special courts like juvenile courts to tackle crime against women. Fast track courts are set up to deal with certain incidents which are more severe than the others, which is a temporary solution. A permanent and efficient method needs to be found.  

Reducing the penetration of crime against women is not easy. Neither can it be done in isolation by the system nor the citizens. It has to be a joint effort and an effort that is devoid of excess emotion and anger. It needs to be a rationale and thought through approach to build a society which can take care of its own and also put in threats that are real deterrents.  We are a young nation still and we have a long way to go. If we strengthen our foundation today then we have a secure future, else we will crumble like a pack of cards. As with fight against corruption and lawlessness, the fight to protect our women needs to be fought with objectivity, unity, maturity and pure intent.

Disclaimer: The thoughts presented are solely of the author and not endorsed by any other person, party or affiliate. The sources of data are mentioned to the extent possible. Your thoughts and comments are welcome

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[1]  According to United Nations data, reported cases of rape in India increased ca. 21% from 2004 to 2010 and the cases of child sexual abuse increased ca. 55% over the same time frame

[2] In a study conducted by J Lee of University of Southern Mississippi in 2005, on the attitude of rape: a comparison between Asian and Caucasian students the results of multivariate analyses indicated that Asian students were more likely to believe that victims of rape should be held responsible for the crime

[3] An investigative report jointly conducted by NDTV and Tehelka in 2012 showed that police officers believe that “women are responsible for their rape.”

[4] Total civil and armed police force strength in 2011 according to Bureau of Police Research & Development was 2,064,370 of which only 71,756 were women cops (3%)

[5] Sources: Bureau of Police Research & Development and National Crime Research Bureau

[6] Source: Bureau of Police Research & Development 2011 data

[7] Source: National Crime Records Bureau

[8] Under the criminal procedure code the Magistrate frames the charges. In case of investigations made by the police, in terms of Sec.173 of Code of Criminal Procedure the officer in-charge of the police station shall forward a report in the form prescribed to the Magistrate empowered to take cognizance of the offence. (http://firstappeal.blogspot.in/2007/09/what-is-chargesheet.html). For the same please also refer footnote 11

[9] http://tanushreebagrodia.blogspot.in/2009/01/protecting-and-prosecuting-crime.html

[10] Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Bill, 2011 was passed into Act in May 2012. This is one step forward and indicates that there probably is some willingness to protect children at least.

[11] http://lawcommissionofindia.nic.in/reports/report239.pdf

[12] http://lawcommissionofindia.nic.in/reports/report239.pdf