Papers by Ipshita Sreemany
After more than four decades of development, the idea of development as a harbinger of human eman... more After more than four decades of development, the idea of development as a harbinger of human emancipation rarely seems to work – or at least with the consequences planned or the outcomes predicted – today millions of people particularly in Asia and Africa are suffering and dying from poverty, starvation and malnutrition.This essay discusses from the Post-Development perspective about the implicit assumption of the concept of development. It argues that the concept has Eurocentric and authoritarian implications which cannot be eliminated by redefining it in a progressive manner. This essay tries to explain this by exploring the productive misunderstanding arising out of the grand narratives of the development discourse. The purpose of this essay is also to suggest indigenous alternatives to Eurocentric development discourse.
Economic poverty coupled with lack of quality education and skill based training for disadvantage... more Economic poverty coupled with lack of quality education and skill based training for disadvantaged woman, in the context of development stand as an obstacle in addressing their everyday dignity and confidence to demand and access services.Skills development in South Asia has rarely been addressed as a crosscutting issue. Women’s work participation rates in South Asia are low compared to other regions.Social norms continue to influence work-seeking behavior, resulting in persistent concentration of women workers in certain occupations and as home-based workers. Being a home maker is being a member of the largest single occupation in our country. The aim of skill development, particularly in case of married women, is not merely to prepare them for jobs, but also to improve the performance of women workers by enhancing the quality of work in which they are engaged. Integrated learning programmes for women are recommended which will not only lay emphasis on literacy but on empowering women through awareness building on social issues, bringing about attitudinal change, promoting skill training for employment, providing information on health care, nutrition and hygiene as well as on legal rights.
A widely popular aromatic beverage making its way from the Orient to Europe, tea has become an in... more A widely popular aromatic beverage making its way from the Orient to Europe, tea has become an intrinsic part of our daily life and culture. The discovery of tea plants in the 1820's in Assam enabled the English East India Company to develop a trade, a trade that flourished ever since making India one of the leading tea producers across the world. However, growing India's famed Assam tea now costs more and its production is becoming increasingly challenging because of erratic weather conditions. The eco-physiology of tea plants is associated to external environment and climatic factors, thus raising the question that whether adversity in these conditions can significantly impact culture, livelihood security and women in Assam? CULTURE AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN ASSAM Assam, located delicately in the northeast of Indian Union where South Asia meets South East Asia, is a land blessed with an extremely rich bio diversity and culture. Culture relates profoundly to the human dimensions of climate change. Culture binds people together and helps them overcome threats to their environment and livelihoods. It has always played an important role in informing human practices connected with global change. 1 The most popular examples of climate change impacts on human societies focus on remote communities in the Arctic or on tropical islands. However, the fossil fuel dependent lifeways of those residing in the industrialized temperate zones and several sites of popular cultural heritage and world cuisines are perhaps even more endangered. 2 The tourists exploring Assam are enchanted by its lush green hilly terrains and amazing wildlife and the vast stretches of tea gardens of the state. Climate change has adversely affected the state of Assam and its culture. Apart from local varieties of food, vegetables and edible ferns that forms an integral part of the indigenous lifestyle of Assam, the world famous Assamese Tea, that forms the cornerstone of the state's economy is also faced with serious challenges.
Late 18th and early 19th century saw the flourishing of ‘Babu Culture’, a phenomenon exclusive to... more Late 18th and early 19th century saw the flourishing of ‘Babu Culture’, a phenomenon exclusive to Calcutta. The babus were member of great Bonedi (aristrocratic) families of the then undivided Bengal. The Babu culture that flourished in Calcutta was a product of cross fertilization of English Liberalization, Mughal conservation and indigenous revivalism inculcating aspects of socio-moral and political changes. This culture was fostered in its wake by zamindari system. The Babus, who had inherited their wealth from their ancestors, led an opulent lifestyle and were governed by lust, wealth and debauchery. The wives of the Babus, called Bibi never got the same status in comparison to their husbands in society. The aim of my research paper is to trace this changing dynamics of identity and power position of the “Babus” over the decades. After Indian independence the British patronage, which was literally a blessing in disguise for these landed gentry had disappeared from the scenario and ironically many did not foresee how this would eventually affect their lives. Today they have lost their social and economic importance that they used to enjoy before independence. Today complicated trust funds, family disputes, lack of funds, threats from developers have taken a toll. They are no longer an influential class in society. Today the emerging political and business elites have replaced them.
: Credit plays an important role in rural development and in reducing poverty and m... more : Credit plays an important role in rural development and in reducing poverty and microfinance is novel way of extending credit to the rural poor. Microfinance is a type of banking service that is provided to the unemployed or low-income groups who lack access to regular banking services. Microfinance through Self-help Groups (SHGs) has been recognized as modern tool to combat poverty, empowering women and creating awareness that should ideally lead to sustainable development of a nation. The main aim of microfinance is to empower women. Analysing why demand for credit is rising among women may offer a way to analyse empowerment of women. In this paper the role played by microfinance in empowering women are considered in four main dimensions-economic, social, political and education and training. The study is undertaken in rural areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal. Analysis showed though there has been a gradual improvement of quality of life of rural women, but the members are expecting the NGOs to come up with training and skill development programs in income generating activities.
Other by Ipshita Sreemany
Indian Premier League (IPL) is a game of fantasy, a perfect mélange of entertainment, sporting ac... more Indian Premier League (IPL) is a game of fantasy, a perfect mélange of entertainment, sporting action and economic development where young cricketers get an opportunity to prove their talent alongside the senior players amidst a thundering show of fireworks and celebrities. It provides three hours of excitement and entertainment to millions of cricket enthusiast worldwide. For a change, divisive issues like language, religion, or nationality have little influence on how cricket fans enjoy the game. But now, the question arises whether IPL has transcended beyond entertainment and economic development and adversely affecting the lives of millions of poor? The success of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in cricket embodies the emergence of sports as a global industry that promotes economic development and job creation in developing countries like India. The BCCI appointed KPMG Sports Advisory Group to undertake a survey on the economic impact generated by the IPL on the economy of India. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the consultancy, KPMG, have estimated the sports equipment market in India last year at 40 billion rupees. The IPL matches directly affected the economy in a variety of ways. The key benefits and opportunities that arose were employment generation across sectors, tourism development, and support to small cities, providing key media exposure and development of cricket and sport participation across the country. However, it is an undeniable truth that the developing countries are embroiled in a conflict between economic development on one hand and social development and ensuring social justice to the poor on the other, and of all these countries India too does not stand as an exception. India is facing the worst water crisis in a decade, and the farmers are struggling hard to survive this crisis. The state of Maharashtra is hard hit by this crisis of water. Water, an essential need for human beings has often been under prioritized and an over abused commodity. Inefficient use of water in cities, towns and villages subsequently growing out of lack of proper assessment of water needs v/s water availability leads to the
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Papers by Ipshita Sreemany
Other by Ipshita Sreemany