Articles by V S Vyas

Present policies and programmes neither protect a sizeable section of the agricultural population from natural and market-induced uncertainities nor enable them to contribute meaningfully to overall growth of the economy. It is possible, however, to turn the tide by enhancing investment to strengthen the resource base of agriculture, devising suitable instruments to compensate small and marginal producers for losses from natural calamities, designing organisational interventions to impart strength to their economy, lightening the interest burden from non-formal sources of credit, and encouraging rural financial institutions to take over the debts of the farmers from usurious sources. A positive feature in our situation is that we have some examples of success in all these areas. There is a need to extend and scale up these efforts.

The characteristics of globalisation as it is now unfolding are multifarious. It is influencing culture as much as the economies of nation states. While most attention is focused on economic integration globalisation is seen to be leading to cultural hegemony. While such homogenisation of diverse cultures certainly makes humanity poorer, tentatively, haltingly, a universal conscience is beginning to take shape.

Though concepts of food security have acquired a variety of interpretations, it acquires a meaning where it also connotes nutritional security at the household level. Nowhere in developed and in the developing world has this notion become operationalised. Ensuring nutritional security requires that the three vital institutions - the state, the market and civil society, each recognises its own role and responsibility in warding off hunger, and ensuring food security.

Implementation in India V S Vyas V Ratna Reddy Though the political economy of the developing countries does not allow neglect of the demands of the poor, and though the developed countries are mainly responsible for global environmental problems, the developing world cannot remain oblivious of its own environmental degradation. In spite of promulgating various acts and instituting ministry for environment and forestry, the record of their implementation has been dismal There has been a recent spurt in NGO activities in generating environmental awareness. Yet, systematic introduction of environment issues into educational curricula is awaited.

Agricultural growth in India during the 1980s shows certain characteristics which are significant for the formulation of policies for the future. If the performance of the agricultural sector has not measured up to the country's requirement, explanations have to he sought in some of the structural and more abiding features of Indian agriculture, in fact of the Indian economy.