Assignment Code: MDC-001/2021-22

Course Code: MDC-001

Assignment Name: Fundamentals of Development and Communication

Year: 2021-2022

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

Maximum Marks: 100

Note: Answer all the questions; they carry equal marks. (Answer in 500 Words)

Q1. Give a brief description of Sustainable Development Goals.

Ans) The United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Development Agenda, titled Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, on September 25, 2015. The following are the 17 identified Sustainable Development Goals:

1. End poverty in all of its forms around the world.

2. End hunger, improve food security and nutrition, and encourage agriculture that is sustainable.

3. Ensure that all people of all ages have healthy lives and are well-adjusted.

4. Ensure that all students receive a high-quality education that is inclusive and equitable, and that lifelong learning opportunities are available to all.

5. In order to achieve gender equality, all women and girls must be empowered.

6. Ensure universal access to water and sanitation, as well as long-term management.

7. Ensure that everyone has access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and contemporary energy.

8. Encourage long-term, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, as well as full and productive employment and decent work for everyone.

9. Build a more resilient infrastructure, encourage inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and encourage innovation.

10. Reduce intra- and inter-country inequity.

11. Make cities and human settlements more inclusive, secure, resilient, and long-lasting.

12. Ensure that consumption and production trends are long-term.

13. Take immediate action to address climate change and its consequences.

14. For sustainable development, conserve and sustainably utilise the oceans, seas, and marine resources.

15. Protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems; manage forests sustainably; battle desertification; and prevent and reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss.

16. To ensure long-term development, promote peaceful and inclusive societies, ensure universal access to justice, and construct effective, responsible, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

17. Strengthen and revive the global partnership for sustainable development's implementation mechanisms.

Poverty, inequality, literacy and education, health, morbidity and mortality, social justice, climate change and environment, women empowerment, food security, and sustainable energy are all indicators of sustainable development based on these various aims. According to the Sustainable Development Goals of various countries, all of Europe's developed countries rank high in terms of achieving sustainable development goals. Asian countries, in general, and South Asian countries in particular, are lagging far behind. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were first implemented globally in 2016. "Localizing the SDGs" is another term for this procedure. Individuals, universities, governments, institutions, and organisations of many types operate independently but toward one or more common goals.

Individual governments must enact national legislation, design a strategy, and set their own budgets to achieve the goals. They must, however, be open to and actively seeking partners at the same time. International coordination is critical, and collaborations are valuable. The SDGs state that countries with limited financial resources require collaborations with more prosperous nations. To achieve the long-term United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), sustained long-term investment in green innovation is required to decarbonize the physical capital stock – energy, industry, and transportation infrastructure – and ensure its resilience to a changing future climate; preserve and enhance natural capital – forests, oceans, and wetlands; and train people to work in a climate-neutral economy.

Q2. Enumerate the inputs of Development on Gender from the Indian perspectives. Give suitable examples.

Ans) The inputs of Development on Gender from the Indian perspectives are:

Women in India, Gender, and the Constitution

The economic assumption embodied in the Constitution, as formulated in Articles 23 and 24 of the Fundamental Rights, dealing with the Right against Exploitation, does not consider the daily immense and incessant appropriation of surplus labour of women, witnessed in every family, as exploitation, not to mention the fact that women are invariably paid less for their work than men. The right to freedom of religion and the right against exploitation are essentially discriminatory against women, and while it has not agreed to label women's domestic labour as exploitation, it has supported the state's gender bias.

India's Development Planning

Women's organisations, particularly those dealing with the grassroots, were pushed as part of this policy. Though the language used in these tactics followed current definitions of 'welfare,' there was a conceptual push to actively involve and stimulate the participation of women's organisations in the reform process. Increasing bureaucratic control, top-down programme design and streamlining, and diminishing resource support for organisational and institutional growth from below, on the other hand, reflected and contributed to a low priority and non-serious attitude to core challenges in gender equality promotion.

Women's Development Post-Emergency Planning (1977-80)

Women's concerns had always been submerged under sectoral initiatives in health, education, rural development, agriculture, and other fields until now. It argued that the goal of population control could not be fulfilled without significant changes in women's standing. This Plan called for "administrative innovation" and the "collection of sex-wise distribution data on development assistance, urging for better data, as well as mechanisms to ensure that women get their "fair share" of the government's attention and support, as well as "equal opportunity for growth and distributive justice."

The Sixth Five-Year Plan

It called for the strengthening of grassroots women's volunteer organisations, which were envisioned as "channels for women to effectively engage in choices that affect their lives and for advocating suitable development initiatives for women at various levels." Special support services for education were designed to increase women's access to all sorts of education.

The Seventh Five-Year Plan

Under the Ministry of Human Resources, the new government established a complete Department of Women and Child Development. It encompassed the advancement of women's education, culture, sports, and youth affairs. Due to pressure from the women's movement and internal government conflict, two paragraphs on Education for Women's Equality were incorporated into the National Policy on Education. For the first time, a message emerged that, in addition to expanding women's access to all types of education, the system, including all of its institutions, had a vital role to play in achieving true female empowerment through changes in gender social construction.

The Eight Five-Year Plan

A paragraph on violence against women and a two-page "Situational Analysis" highlight the problems of higher mortality, lower education, and increasing unemployment among women, as well as the conceptual, methodological, and perception biases regarding the value of women's work, compounded by women's concentration in the informal sector, resulting in casualization, non-protection of labour laws, and inaccessibility to creche services. For the first time, the girl kid was given a paragraph, with the promise of "special programmes."

The Ninth Five-Year Plan

The focus in the field of health would, as is customary, be on reproductive health. Aside from gender equality, plans would be put in place for females to get free education up to the college level, as well as more vocational training. The Plan suggests establishing a "Development Bank for Women Entrepreneurs" to assist them in the small and tiny sector, in order to boost women's participation in the country's industrial development. Rural development employment initiatives were used to enlist more help and participation in agriculture. The Plan's most essential resolution was to include a particular women's component to secure a 30% flow of money to women's development sectors.

Q3. Explain the major causes of inequalities in Indian society and discuss the consequences in the area of the development sector.

Ans) The major causes of inequalities in Indian society are:

Low Educational and Skill Levels: People with lower educational and skill levels have a harder time finding well-paying jobs. According to studies, there is a strong link between income and educational attainment. The higher your degree, the more money you'll make. Also, a person's talents impact whether or not they can find a good job and advance up the wage ladder. The educational system in India, in particular, is inefficient and deficient. It does not aid in the development of the weaker section's skills.

Unemployment-related Inequality: Unemployment and inequality are inextricably linked. In less established and developing economies that lack adequate social security systems, the link between unemployment and inequality is more obvious. Unemployment, underemployment, and disguised unemployment all contribute to widespread inequity among society's various levels.

Inequalities in Space and Levels of Urbanisation: Unequal distribution of public and private assets, as in rural and urban areas, is another key factor in determining spatial disparities. When compared to smaller cities, major cities have superior access to social services and infrastructure, such as safe drinking water, sanitation, and power. In metropolitan environments, the spatial concentration of activities leads to efficiency improvements and economies of scale. As a result of the higher productivity in metropolitan regions, salaries and returns on assets are also higher.

Differential Regional Growth: One of the key causes of economic inequality is regional difference. There is a geographical component to the economic disparity. The poorest people in the country dwell in the country's backward areas and states. In advanced states and areas, the wealthy make up a larger percentage of the population. There is also income inequality within states. However, wealth disparities are still more pronounced in poorer states. It's because advanced countries are increasingly expanding.

Income Flows from Wealth: Unequal Asset Distribution Household wealth is represented by assets such as land, cattle, labour, training, education, and stock. In emerging countries like India, asset distribution is extremely unequal in both rural and urban areas. Landowners are few, while land tillers are the majority. As a result, the distribution of income is significantly skewed. Asset formation has been asymmetric in different locations. The assets amassed over time are passed down from generation to generation. Because of the wealth disparity, only a few people are able to earn money in the form of rent, interest, or profit. However, the vast majority of individuals in rural and cities lack any income-generating assets.

Technological Dualism: Technological dualism is the coexistence of two economically distinct sectors based on the technology they employ. The urban sector has a higher visibility of new and updated technology, while the rural and agricultural sectors of developing countries have a lower visibility of new and updated technology. The agricultural sector still uses ancient practises that are labour demanding and poor in productivity, whereas the industrial sector uses high-end technology to produce more output per unit of time.

Government Policy that is Inappropriate: The government's policy is lacking in perspective. It has no effect on the profit-seeking corporate class or rent-seeking groups in their pursuit of wealth. The tax authorities are powerless to stop this tendency. The purchasing power of the poor is being eroded by rising prices. The impoverished have little money to save or reinvest, and they are unable to provide their children with an education. The impoverished are trapped in a vicious cycle in which the rich gain richer and the poor get poorer.

Inequality originates from inequalities in capabilities and asset ownership, resulting in the growth of the informal sector. In India, the informal sector is expanding. The informal sector, on the other hand, is seen as a shock absorber, but it has also become a source of exploitation. Women and children are frequently exploited in this industry.

Corruption Level: Corruption is one of the major drivers of inequity. People take advantage of their position and authority to gain money and assets through illicit ways. Larger corruption is punished less harshly. Punishment for misconduct takes a long time in the legal system. Illegal behaviours are gradually becoming more acceptable. As a result, unlawful money accumulation in one generation results in prosperity for future generations. As a result, long-term income and wealth inequality prevails.

Family Circumstances: Inequality can also occur as a result of a large family. When a large family has only one earning member, each person's part of the family income decreases. Similarly, if one of the family members becomes ill, a significant portion of the family's income is spent on medical bills.

Q4. Discuss the role of the media and communication system in constructing the reality of developmental scenarios in Indian content.

Ans) The role of the media and communication system in constructing the reality of developmental scenarios in Indian content:

Newspaper: The press's strength stems from its capacity to reach out to people's minds and move their hearts. The press, on the other hand, has not shown the required interest in developing communication. Several initiatives are made to enlighten the media on issues relating to rural development in order to remedy the inequalities identified in media coverage of rural development programmes and to guarantee that these programmes are depicted in the proper perspective.

Radio: Radio has played an essential role in development communication since its origin, owing to its ability to reach a vast number of people from various socioeconomic groups. The development communication experiment was carried out by universities and other educational institutes, particularly agricultural universities, through their extension networks and international organisations under the UN umbrella. Another key medium that is gaining traction, particularly in rural India, is community radio. NGOs and educational institutions are given permission to establish a local community radio station to transmit developmental information and messages. The local community is urged to participate. Community radio has the ability to spur constructive action since it gives a platform for villagers to publicise local issues.

Television: Television was first broadcast in India in 1959 on a trial basis. Its creation was motivated by a desire to see what television might accomplish in terms of community development and formal education. This clearly demonstrates the significance of television in development communication. To efficiently bring in development, television has been used as an assistance to satellite communication technology. Satellite communications technology has the unique potential to connect big groups of people over long distances, even in the most distant parts of the country. ISRO has been pursuing the use of space technology for education and development in India for many years. This has been accomplished through several projects such as Educational Television (ETV), SITE, the Kheda project, and the Countrywide Classroom (CWC). These programmes have been developed during the previous 30 years to meet the country's demand for education, training, and general awareness among the rural poor.

New Media: Around 1986, new media, or computers, began to sneak into Indian society. In India, the genuine transformation occurred after 1996, when several independent media houses launched news websites. In the race to development communication, new media has evolved into an active tool. This can take many different forms, such as e-government, e-choupal, and telecentres. E-governance has the potential to be a driver for long-term, inclusive progress. Government programmes are planned, implemented, and monitored using ICT in e-governance. In the digital age, e-choupals share information via the Internet while maintaining their clean, democratic nature. The Internet has begun to change the way Indian farmers do business. The system consists of a village-based Internet kiosk manned by a villager. He is renowned as the choupal sanchalak and is a computer expert.

Q5. Explain the role of people's participation in the developmental process. Cite suitable examples for Indian content.

Ans) The origin and evolution of participatory development has been a shift in the development debate from a focus on commodities and services to a focus on the critical role that public engagement plays in the process. Many elements, particularly in the last four decades, have played a key influence in motivating individuals to participate in development initiatives. Because of its apparent benefits, many governments around the world, as well as large funders, have embraced the participatory development concept. There are arguments in favour and against encouraging more individuals to participate. These arguments are more concerned with people's participation in development activities than with societal participation in democratic and representative institutions. The World Bank cites the following motivations for community participation:

1. Local residents offer a wealth of knowledge and insight about what works, what doesn't, and why.

2. Involving local residents in project planning can help them feel more invested in the project.

3. Involving local residents can help them gain technical and managerial abilities, increasing their career chances.

4. Involving local residents helps to improve the program's resource pool.

5. Both planners and beneficiaries can benefit from 'social learning' by including local people. The establishment of relationships between experts and local people, in which one group learns from the other, is referred to as "social learning."

As a result, the primary goal of public engagement is:

1. To improve the planning and implementation of rural development programmes.

2. Additional funding for rural development programmes must be mobilised.

3. People, particularly the impoverished, are being empowered to play a more active role in rural development.

People's participation is a necessity for the success of any programme, but it is especially crucial in the case of rural development programmes, as the above-mentioned rationale and objectives demonstrate.

In the case of Sikkim, the government has taken steps to guarantee that people are involved in rural development programmes through people's representatives such as panchayats. Gram Sabha has been strengthened by the addition of new authorities and functions. This body is the only one that allows individuals to directly participate in the development and execution of need-based programmes. To ensure an equitable distribution of development advantages, the state government establishes a rigorous rule that benefits are only provided to the poor. Furthermore, all benefits are given by convening Gram Sabha meetings in their particular panchayats to encourage people to participate in rural development programmes.

Despite the government's efforts, prevailing social factors, politico-cultural factors, and institutional and regulatory framework all have a significant impact on people's thinking and attitudes toward effective participation. All of these characteristics and indicators have been proven to be significantly connected, not just as dominating factors in influencing or inhibiting participation practises at grass-roots development projects. Participation is heavily influenced by people's backgrounds. More efforts should be taken to overcome the many obstacles and assure true participation, as the government's current initiatives are small and have little impact on the overall development process. As a result of the aforementioned reality, one might conclude that participatory practises are still in their infancy in the state and need to be institutionalised.