Archive for May, 2009
Young Ministers in Dr. Singh’s Government
Latest expansion of ministry by Prime Minister Dr. Singh has several young faces. As many as seven lawmakers below the age of 40 found a place in the council of ministers. Besides Jyotiraditya Scindia and Jitin Prasada, the young ministers include Sachin Pilot, Prateek Prakashbapu Patil, Arun Yadav and Agatha Sangma, who is 28 years old.
Entrepreneurship in Slum
In the NY Times blog titled “Slumdog Entrepreneurs”, Economics Professor at Harvard School Ed Glaeser, writes about his observation that 43 percent of urban Indians who worked were self-employed (vs 11% in the US). High self employment in Urban India reflects both good things about the country, like energy and intelligence, and bad things, like a maze of regulations that make it difficult to build large companies that follow the rules.
Kerala Nurses
Nursing was the preferred vocation because the investment needed for training was modest, they could sustain themselves and their family, pay for their siblings’ education and even earn a dowry for their marriage. But, for women from the higher classes and castes, nursing was a complete no-no. The profession was looked down upon, as the work was demanding, the hours were long and included night shifts, and it was not seen as advisable for women to attend to strange, unknown people including men.
Now is the time for India to Shine?
India can learn from China to develop light manufacturing to provide employment for tens of millions of surplus farm laborers. Better urban management will be an imperative as more Indians flock to cities in search of work.
87 % Indian youth make researched purchase
A Beta Life Youth, a new study exploring the trends amongst the tech-savvy youth, shows that unlike Europe, where the youth associate a brand with a mere label or logo, the Indian youth perceive a brand as a trend that offers them dependability and helps them to “choose the right thing”.
