Farm laws in India

India,  being a diverse country, having multiple states, has different types of land types, climate and hence different farming practices and variety of crops grown. In June 2020, the central government of INDIA currently headed by Prime minister Narendra Modi, tabled three contentious Farm Ordinances... namely--- 

1) The Farmers' Produce Trade and commerce ( Promotion and Facilitation) Bill

2) The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill

3) The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill.

All three continue to become LAWS later on as they were passed by Lok sabha (the lower house of parliament) on 17 September 2020 by Rajya Sabha( the upper house of Parliament) on 20 September 2020 and got their assent from the President Ram Nath kovind on 27 September 2020.

Although these laws are greatly controversial as Indian farmers continue to protest against these farm laws on the outskirts of Delhi and have been sitting on Singhu border, Tikri border,  Gazipur border and various other borders blocking the National capital yet the Indian government continues to say these laws are in favour of farmers.

Now let us delve a bit deeper and study what is it that compels indian farmers to sit on roads for as long as over 120 days ( as per 10 april 2020) starting from 26 November 2020 when they tried to enter the national capital in order to express their dissent towards the government laws:-

1) The first law i.e. The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (promotion and facilitation) act allows farmers to sell they produced outside APMC .

What is APMC?? Is this concept prevalent all over India?

APMC stands for agriculture produce Market Committee.. Basically it is a place where farmers sell their crops.

When it comes to the question that whether this concept is prevalent all over India then the answer is an emphatic NO ! 

APMC markets are popularly known as Mandis is in North India.

A picture of APMC may help you make the image more clear. It's a place where the crops are sold by bus on MSP minimum support price ( the MINIMUM price ...to be read again MINIMUM price ..set by government on approximately 22 crops but nearly only 3-4 crops are sold on MSP in reality where is MSP on the remaining crops continue to be only on papers and not on ground)

APMC came when in 1970 green revolution in India to place the major States with green revolution took place were Indian states namely Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan ..29 states of India have APMC Mandis or we can say well established physical infrastructure where farmers sell their harvest government or to other people but on MSP.. But this concept is quite well-established because the above mentioned states largely produce Rice, wheat, cotton, which are the 3-4 crops amongst 22 listed that actually get MSP... Hence, farmers of Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan largely benefit from APMC concept.. Resultantly you will here find farmers that are not poor and belong to well to do families have their own SUVs, their children read in good schools ... All thanks to the Great indian scientist Mr MS Swaminathan.

Coming back to the point, it is the ground reality that outside APMC farmers have no other place to sell their produce because outside APMC their harvest is purchased on MSP, this example of this is other Indian states such as Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh.. The farmers owing 10 acres of land in Bihar comes to Punjab and Haryana to earn their livelihood wheread farmer owing 10 acres in Punjab and Haryana  is financially far more stronger and provides labour to the farmers of Bihar. The reason behind is punjab and Haryana have infrastructure of APMC a place where they sell reproduce whereas farmer of Bihar does not have any particular place to send his or her crops and they have to forcibly sell to private retailers who purchase it on their own price. For instance, MSP of wheat is INR 19.25 per kg this is the price on which farmers of Punjab and Haryana sell their wheat in APMC.. Whereas of Bihar sell their wheat harvest at nearly 10 or 11 INR per kg..

This is one of the major reason reasons why farmers from Northern States are protesting largely.

2) Moving onto the second act-- The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act which is an amendment to the existing law. This law gives power to the private traders to store ample amount of food in their cold stores without any consent of the government.

Farmer are apprehensive that by doing this private traders will Store ample amount of crops in their stores, prices of essential commodities will fluctuate unevenly and this will give rise to inflation on large scale which further will increase hunger in the country. The government has stated in the Act that government will not be interfering unless there is 100% rise in the price of a commodity.

For instance price of onion this year is Rs.100 per kg , the government will intervene only if the price of onion next year is set at rupees 200 per kg.. If the price is marked at 199 per kg then the government will have no right to interfere. The major concern of common citizen lies here.. They say the private trader would raise the price by 99% .. after all 1% hardly makes any difference to them.. But 99% increase would make large difference to the common man..

3) The third law namely -- The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) agreement on price insurance and farm services act.

This law is mainly about contract farming that farmers have to undergo a contract with the private trader. And all the rules and regulations will be stated by the private trader. it states that whatever the trader says that same crop will be grown by the farmer and if the trader finds that the quality of crop is not up to the mark after the crop has been produced.. after farmer has invested large amount on it's growth.

The trader may refuse to buy it. The farmer Will have no right to go to the court, at most the farmer can approach SDM office...

Along with farmers of Punjab Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh,  farmers of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar namely Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh have also joined the protest in large numbers in order to voice the injustice done to farmers in the country over the years and bring into light the exploitation they have faced since ages.

It is yet to be seen what will be the conclusion of this farming protest..

#NO_FARMERS#NO_FOOD

Speech on "Sustainable Living"-- Living Green

If one withdraws money from bank account faster than the money can generate interest on it, the account will eventually be exhausted of money.
Similarly, earth's resources will be deleted if they are consumed faster than they can be replenished by the planet. Currently we consume, 50% more Natural Sources than our planet can replenish. In other words, it is taking our planet 1.5 years to regenerate the renewable resources that  people use and absorb the carbon dioxide waste they produce in that same here.
At this rate, by 2030 even 2 planets will not be enough to fulfill our needs!

Rising pollution, falling water tables, shrinking forests and a host of other environmental problems facing us today show the pressure we are putting on the planet. with deteriorating quality and quantity of natural resources, our planet's ability to sustain a good quality of life in future is questionable. However, it is never too late to work towards ensuring a sustainable planet which provides clean air, ample fresh water an enough natural resources for the basic needs of all forms of life living on it, and for the generation that will call it home in future.

This we can assure if we adopt sustainable living from today onwards.

Sustainable living means living within one's fair share of our planets resources to improve quality of life without damaging the quantity or quality of these resources. This way we can, " ensure that meeting present needs does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs."

The way we light our homes, drive our vehicles, fuel our factories and almost all our actions have an impact on our planet. Therefore everyone of us must shoulder the responsibility of our planet's healthy future. Slowly, but steadily, each of us can make a difference and surely we must.

Speech on "Trees-the life givers"

Tree is the best friend of man on earth. And it is rightly said so because there's no other living thing that provides as many selfless services to human.

Trees provide us with life saving medicines for instance, salicylic acid from the white willow. Food and medicines are priceless Gifts the trees and forests generally give humans. But the service is actually provided by trees and forests ( known as ecosystem services) are far more significant.
Trees greatly improved the quality of air that we breathe in by absorbing dust and other air pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide and Sulphur Dioxide from the atmosphere. They control noise pollution by absorbing and blocking noise from the urban environment. They absorb toxic Chemicals from the soil and also fight soil erosion by keeping the soil intact with their roots. In places where webs of tree roots bind the soil and a canopy of leaves breaks downpours of rain into gentle showers, such as a forest, rain percolates through the soil into underground aquifers and feeds streams and rivers. By protecting watersheds which feed our rivers, forests conserve freshwater-- the water on which all life forms are dependent.
Trees provide us shade during summer-- especially on roads-- and shelter Birds, bees,  butterflies and many insects and animals. They are home for up to 90% of terrestrial species, forests are the most important repositories of Terrestrial biological biodiversity.
From the smallest insect to the largest animal on the planet-- all forms of life require oxygen to live. By providing oxygen rich Air which is indispensable for life, trees help life on earth to continue.
Like human beings, trees too grow, make their food, exchange gases from the atmosphere and require water. And like us, they also need care to live and flourish. In return of the kindness they show to us and the invaluable services they provide us, let us care for them and let us help them live.

Speech on "WORK STRESS"

The pace of life has increased And now people pay more attention to their work. There are many factors that lead to working more and consequently, the work stress increases. State the reasons behind work stress and suggest ways to deal with it.
Stress is a side effect of almost any kind of physical and mental exertion. we tend to apply a lot of brain and energy at a workplace and become victims of stress. Let us discuss the factors causing stress at work and the ways to overcome it.

There is a stiff competition nowadays in each and every field. People have to do a lot of work to stay in the competition. They have to work for extra hours and do a lot of hard work to prove themselves. There is always a pressure of finishing work in time and deliver a good quality as well. Sometimes people Work out of their limits in order to make a good impression for promotions and further progress. Rapid advancement in technology is also a major factor that leads to stress. Employees have to upgrade their knowledge as and when the technology changes in the company. For this they have to give extra time and do extra efforts.
I also feel stress of work whenever there is more workload. But, as per my experience, stress can be reduced by making a proper works schedule. Rather than working for long hours continuously, people can take a few small breaks in between to relax themselves. It is equally important that people do their work with proper focus and concentration. People should not blindly run after money, but they should also learn to enjoy their work. They should take proper care of their health to cope up with the stress. Daily meditation can also help people stay calm and stress free.
Truly, stress of work has increased a lot because of high cost of living, less remuneration, more competition, changes in technology and so on. But, there are many ways to reduce stress such as setting priorities, proper scheduling and time management.

Speech on " ROBOTICS and BIG DATA" - building block of future

Within next two three decades, we are going to come across a totally new materialistic world and till 2050 everything is expected to change.

In contemporary world, there are many industries which are going to emerge as big and broad companies. Within approx 3 decades, these fields are going to to perform in unexpected ways. Some already present fields will develop from inception with the extent of digitalization and internet. Doors would open for all new ideas and imaginations.
Extending market, cryptocurrency bitcoin, cyber security, bigdata, artificial intelligence, robotics and 3D printing etc.  All such fields would be upcoming industries in future. Within next 2 years there would be more than 40 million devices on earth, which would be connected to internet. And this number will keep on multiplying every year and within few minutes these devices would use   millions and billions of data. From a small shop to the big industry, government to organisation, everyone would require to do analysis of these numbers. For creating new concept, detection purposes, and for facing fierce competition, big data would become backbone of all such establishments. As it is often said like iron used to be raw material in the past , similarly big data is raw material for digitalization.
When every hand, every place, every side electronic devices would exist, and these devices will be connected to internet, everybody will be a member of Cyber world, economy of every Nation would be connected to cyber fibre, be it transport or electricity water provision, everything will be dependent on it., then without any doubt cyber security will be a major issue and matter of concern. Companies, humans, devices everything will be facing threat of Cyber attacks. Under such circumstances cyber security industry would also flourish.
Along with Cyber security, one more industry would also emerge and that is cryptocurrency and Bitcoin. Within next decade, sale and purchase of cryptocurrency will become very common.
With such upcoming scenario this industry will emerge as major ghaints in near future. Within next 2 years this would become 150 million market.

One custom of your country that people of other countries should follow

There are always some customs of a country which a person feels proud of. Discuss a custom of your country which you feel proud of and want people of other countries to follow.

There are hundreds of cultures around the world, and every culture has its own uniqueness and identity. There would always be certain things to be appreciated or criticized for any culture. I would not like to belittle any culture by glorifying my culture, but as the question is being asked about one custom that I feel proud of in my culture and want people of other cultures to follow, I have to answer it with the custom of touching feet of elders.
We have an age-old custom of touching feet of elders to greet them. It is a way to give respect to them and creates a positive impression  on whoever is present. Right from childhood, we are taught to follow this custom, it is strongly ingrained in our culture. Apart from casual socializing, it is much noticed on occasions like social gatherings, functions and festivals. It is important to the extent that sometimes our virtues are judged by our approach towards it. Disrespecting it is a sign of improper upbringing. That Is why unintentional skipping of this custom by me is always followed by a reminder of my parents. Moreover when we bow down, we always remember the more experienced, much valued and are to be looked upon with utter respect. This helps in avoiding arguments with elders and taking their invaluable inputs seriously.
There is also one spiritual belief behind it. It is believed that whenever a person bows down, he is blessed with the elders by putting the hands on his head. This helps in transmitting positive vibrations from the elder's body to the blessed one.
Thus, this custom definitely helps in bridging the two generations. This custom is so magnificent and its application is so simple that without hurting any religious sentiments it would touch people's heart.

Preservation of traditional arts and skills

One of the consequences of development and modernism is loss of traditional arts and skills. How much is the need to preserve such skills in the modern times?

Earlier, traditional skills were a way of life. In the Indian context, skills like embroidery, handicraft, cot making etc. were less of an income source and more of a social pastime. As the rural life started shrinking and people started detaching with their roots, lifestyle choices changed too. Now as advanced technology is making our lives easier, basic traditional skills are gradually vanishing from our day to day life.  Personally I disagree that it is pointless to try and keep our traditional skills alive. Had ancient India not discovered "zero" it doubt if technology would have ever advanced to such an extent. We all know that "zero" was invented through traditional methods.
I do not doubt the presence of technology in our personal and professional lives. It definitely has brought drastic changes and benefits in our lives. Traditional ways are often discarded by saying that they are time consuming, less accurate and old fashioned. We are now following western styles, but we are not aware how many families in India are surviving on the cottage industries where people weave saris, bedsheets, mats, carpets on the looms. By just opting for technology, so many people will loose their source of income.
If not endowed with,. At least we all are aware of such skills which keep us connected with our roots. It is our responsibility as good citizens to help the people dependent on traditional skills for their livelihood. We can use technology with a blend of traditions. Therefore, in my opinion, rather than for getting the ancient traditional arts and skills,
we should try and save them from disappearing completely. Let us take pride in our traditional ways of life because that will keep on reminding our future generations from where did we incept. Every country in this world is known not only because of it's different name but also because of its distinguished tradition and culture.

Love marriages and arranged marriages

 In western countries, the culture freely allows people to marry someone of their own choice, while in other cultures, parents choose the partner and arranged marriage. Which Do you think is better system?

Closed and conservative cultures, like in many Asian countries, do not give people much of an individual choice, not even for a crucial decision like marriage. However, in the changing scenario, love marriages are becoming common as people have started becoming individualistic. This is more so because of the western influence.
In case of love marriages, it is easy to adjust with each other as both the partners are well aware of each other's nature and behavior.  There is greater understanding, so even if there are differences of opinions, partners are able to deal with the problems without clashes. However many times people readily agree to make compromises for love marriage, but the situation often turns them off, especially in case of intercommunity marriages. Often in love marriages family backup or support is missing, so there are no moderators at the time of clashes or disputes between the couple.
For arranged marriages, parents consider several factors for match making such as horoscope, family background, income, character, social status and so on. Thus it is a bond between the two families, not just two people. It is easy for a girl to adjust in a new family if she knows the family environment,  customs and traditions beforehand. Often the couple enjoys the early phase of a married life when there is curiosity to know more and more about the partner and hence a charm. However many times there is a big mismatch in the thinking, behavior,  likes and dislikes of the partners, which leads to dissatisfaction and maladjustmemt.  Many such couples often drag their married life because of the family pressures.
Whether love or arranged, I think the success of a marriage lies in the efforts from both the partners to get along well with each other. It can happen only when the two have same level of dedication, understanding and commitment in the relationship.

Good Speech “Commercialization of education”

Good Speech “Commercialization of education”

“Innocent students and hapless parents are victims of commercialization of education”.

Dignified principal, respected staff members and my dear friends. Good morning to one and all present here. Today I stand before you to present my views on “commercialization of education”.

Friends! Now education system has not remained how it was earlier. We all have heard “Don’t run after success, run after excellence” but do we follow these quotes? Wherever you visit either for getting admissions or tuitions, we see 10^th, +2 coaching rs.30,000 PMT coaching Rs.80,000 etc. but these things become burden on parents as well as children. We see number of students sitting outside good colleges or universities for admissions, but the one who shell out more from his/her pocket, gets the golden chance of becoming a student of such a good institute. So, isn’t it commercialization of education?

Today, education has been reduced to a business venture. Today ‘The Great Education Bazaar’ has endangered quality of education. The culprits are unscrupulous merchants of education and tuition tycoons. The victims are gullible students and hapless parents. With the government washing its hands off education slowly but surely, market forces have taken over. Children are the future of our country and education is the path that enhances their talents and takes out the best of it. Such commercialization of education is running the lives of students as well as their hapless parents. Again here poor suffer the most as they don’t have as much money to shell out for getting admissions in higher institutions. So, some initiatives should be taken by the government to help students get good education and to stop the commercialization of education.

Good Speech “Has democracy succeeded as a form of govt. in India?”

Democracy is the form of government of the people, for the people & of course by the people. I am here to speak on the motion “Democracy has succeeded as a form of govt. in India.”

Approx 140 countries of the world have democratic form of govt. India is considered as one amongst the largest democratic countries of the world. Democracy is the form of govt. that elects political leaders from amongst the people by their own majority choice. India has one of the largest and best legislated constitution of the world. Well, pause for a second and revert back. I said one of the best legislated means no doubt our constitution consists great laws, great rules and regulations but when it comes to executive part of the govt., our democracy lags behind. And moving on the third part i.e. judiciary it even lags more behind. I would like to set few instances here. Our constitution has laws like a person who is accused but police is having no strong evidence against him, they aren’t supposed to physically torture him…..but we all are aware what is done!! & also within 24 hours of arrest accused is supposed to be presented infront of the magistrate ..but again ?? these were little instances . Now taking a glance at the broad challenges then our democracy faces challenge of democratic rights, challenge of free and fair elections, challenge of accommodating diversity, challenge of decentralization. Moreover, it has failed on corruption, it is non-attentive to the needs of people , economic growth & development and on this issue if taken a glance at dictatorship and 50 years of comparison  from and of work related to women’s part, literacy rate, unpaid work, decline in child sex ratio, domestic violence and there are numerous other issues on which democracy has failed. One more important point to mention, what has been mentioned in our constitution- India is secular. Terrorist attacks, quarrels and fights amongst religious sects are testimony to how secular our India is. Domestic violence and declining sex ratio are evidence to how equal India is!

Well, that was all on my part of speech! I think, India has superb legislation but its executive and judiciary has long way to work and require amendments, means there is still long way to run and far more long way to win.

Good Speech-“Advantages and Disadvantages of International sporting events”

Sports are an important part of our lives, and there occurrence on an international platform does more than just entertaining the people worldwide. Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of big international sporting events.

Globalization has made international sporting events like Olympics, Cricket World Cup, Soccer World Cup etc. a common occurrence. They are held with the consent and participation of different countries for entertainment at a global level and also to promote international cooperation.

Sportsmen as well as visitors from all over the world come in large numbers to be a part of these international events, so arrangements have to be made on a very large scale. The host country either has to build infrastructure or expand the existing facilities such as stadiums, guest houses, hotels, restaurants etc. proper transportation, communication and entertainment facilities also have to be provided. The host country also has to bear huge maintenance cost. All this makes such events extravagant. A large dedicated security staff is also needed, if any mishap occurs, it will be a blemish on the reputation of the host country. This can be understood from the death of Bob Woolmer, late cricket coach of Pakistan, during Cricket World Cup 2007 generating a lot of hue and cry over the death mystery and the security of Jamaica.

On the other hand, different cultures intermingle at one place in such international events. This promotes a feeling of participation, friendship and cooperation. Opening and closing ceremonies in certain events like Olympics reflect the culture and traditions of the host country in the form of traditional dresses, songs and dances. Such an event also serves as a source of valuable foreign exchange for the host country and gives a big boost to its tourism industry. This helps to recover the funds directed on building infrastructure and providing facilities. Media also plays an important role in creating the hype and making the event popular.

In this world where peace and harmony are losing with increasing tensions among the countries, big international sporting events are like linking threads for the world and hence should be held at regular intervals.