Events
- Achieving MDGs through assistance for higher education
- Climatic Adaptation through Crop Insurance by FarmingCommunities
- Convention on Life Skill for Youth DevelopmentLife Skill for YouthDevelopment
- Convention on Quality in MCH
- Mainstreaming and Social Audit in Local Government Institutions
- National Conference on Microfinance and MDGs
- National Summit of SHG Federations on Microfinance & MDGs
- Panchayat and Rural Development Programmes
- Policies on Accounts for People Federations
- Showcasing the Research Findings in Rainfed Farming
- Sustainability of Drinking Water Ooranies
- Cross Guarantee
- Consolidating experience of Dairy Farmers of SHG Federations
Achieving MDGs through assistance for higher education
The focus of the workshop was on the deliberation of how to ensure sustainable and continued assistance forhigher education. Mr. S. Balasubramanian, Chief Executive, People Mutuals, shared that very few poor students avail the benefit of scholarship. Usually they go for work and are deprived of education. It is because their life and livelihood is not secured. People Mutuals,promoted by DHAN, in 2003, works with LIC toprovide assistance to the poor for education by distributing need-based and merit-based scholarships,promoting community tution-centres and primaryschools, and providing monitoring and counselingservices to parents and schools. It aims to cover all poorunder this scheme and provide education assistance for all eligible students.
Mr. Vairamuthu from LIC said that they, along withPeople Mutuals, work to provide Janashree Bima Yojanascheme to protect the poor from life and livelihood shocks. The advantage of this scheme is that the poorare identified by the nodal promoting agency and they do not need any government certificates of poverty.
Ms. Ahila, Managing Director, Sellur Vattara Kalanjiam, said that SSY promotes gender equality andreduces child labour by controlling drop-outs after classVIII. At the end, the participants including themembers from Kalanjiam, Vayalagam, LIC, donor groups and panchayats declared the following: give back to society by ensuring continual support from the beneficiaries after they become able; sign federation level MOUs with panchayats, banks, LIC and schools to build relationships; and bring a new idea of ‘education mutual’ like life, health and crop mutuals.
Seminar on Mainstreaming and Social Audit in Local Government Institutions
The seminar was initiated by Mr. Vallinayagam, former ADRD, Tamil Nadu government by explaining the concept of social auditing, i.e. “social auditing meansparticipatory evaluation on the performance of an organisation which are related to development works.”He highlighted the important features and benefits ofsocial auditing. Mr. Singarayar, Programme Leader,DHAN Foundation, highlighted the several definitions and dimensions of social auditing. He described thechanges of social auditing from 1972 to present. Heopined that the lack of transparency, integration among the people, and absence of feedback mechanisms makessocial auditing important. It should be promoted throughconducting regular meetings of working committees and Gram Sabha. Mr. N. Janakiraman, DHANFoundation, explained the evolution and progress of the social auditing concept in India since the 1970s and itsimportance in NREGA. Mrs. Kalpana Satish focused the importance of Panchayati Raj for social auditing.Mr. Subramanium and Mr. Chidambaram, ADRD,Tamil Nadu Government, emphasised the Right to Information Act in social auditing.
At the end, ten resolutions were declared. Two of themare: social audit in NREGA needs to be strictly practicalin all states, and in all government projects and schemes,social audit should be a mandatory component.
National Summit of SHG Federations on Microfinance and MDGs
The summit was jointly organised by INFOS and INAFI-India to explore how to strengthen the SHG movement to achieve the MDGs by using the microfinance concept. In her welcome address,Mrs. N. Shanthi Maduresan (CEO, INFOS) explainedthe success of the SHG movement which has spread in 10 states and comprises 30,000 SHGs covering 4.25lakhs of people. She expressed the wish to see the current savings of 90 crores grow to 200 crores by the nextsymposium.
Explaining the importance of meeting local needs,Mr. M.P. Vasimalai (Executive Director, DHANFoundation) said “We have to desegregate all MDGs and localise the MDGs to reduce poverty and at the same time have to give importance for financial inclusion to reach the targets of MDGs.”
Emphasising the need of collaboration of banks and SHGs, Mr. B.B. Mohanty (CGM, MCID, NABARD,Mumbai) stated “There should be a commitment from SHG members to sustain the SHG movement in India. Also there should be a commitment to financial inclusion and this will help us to achieve the MDGsthrough microfinance.”
In the afternoon there were sub group discussion on the first two MDGs. There were 450 participants from 110 federations from 10 states representing 15 lakhs people. Presentations were given in Tamil, English,Hindi, Oriya, Telugu and Kannda. The topics likeenrolment of NREGA, marketing, PDS distribution,mid-day meals, scholarships, quality education, and child labour were common in the sub group discussions.The discussion pointed out the need of effective utilization of SHGs and federations for solving problems of education and poverty. The summit will continueon day four of the Madurai Symposium.
Panchayat and Rural Development Programmes: How to bring the synergy for Poverty alleviation?
The workshop was organised by the Institute of Rural Management Anand, Gujarat. Dr. H. S. Shylendra fromIRMA, in his introductory speech, revealed that theobjectives of the forum were to focus on the role of Panchayats in rural development programmes, to analyse experiences with regard to major government programmes and to assess the trustworthiness of Panchayats with increased responsibilities.
Mr. Thoms K. Thomas, Development Consultant,CRM, Kottayam, held that Panchayats need to betransforming agents with complete community ownership. Dr. Veershekappa from Tumkur appreciated NGOs for monitoring SGSY in some taluks in Tumkur.
Around 30 participants including PRI leaders,government officials, NGOs, and academia were involved in experience sharing, discussion and groupwork. The sub-group discussions based on the objectivesof the forum focused on emotional capacity building,technical and non-technical training for the Panchayat leaders and officials, state governments’ autonomy tohave number of tiers in the Panchayat system and followup of schemes. The forum concluded that the village Panchayats should be involved in planning instead ofmerely implementing programmes. IRMA will consider sharing the conclusion of the workshop with the centralgovernment for its implementation plan.
Sustainibility of Drinking Water Ooranis
Mr.N. Rajsekaran, Team Leader, DHAN Foundation,explained the historical relevance and the emergingproblems of ooranis. In recent years, the number ofooranis per village has reduced dramatically.
The interaction session started with the experience sharing by the participants. It was agreed thatmaintenance of ooranis depends on the attitude of thelocal people. The participants discussed that “if we are unable to manage the water bodies available in vicinity,thinking of water from Cauvery or Krishna is notrelevant.”
Subsequently, sub group discussion took place on thefollowing topics: the importance of ooranis at the villagelevel; oorani renovation; cost effective ooraimanagement; responsibilities of Vayalagam Association in oorani work; and open sharing and discussions offinancial statements.
At the end, the resolutions have been passed with a setof action points including catchment of ooranis to bedemonstrated and encroachments to be identified;surface drinking water bodies like ooranis are to bemapped in each state with the support from the department of drinking water supply; the related government departments should prioritise therenovation of drinking water ooranis in the villages byyearly allocation of funds. It is to be implemented through oorani/community association through GramPanchayat, and corporate houses should allocate fundsfor water project focusing on drinking water resources.
Convention on Life Skill for Youth Development
In order to make youth of this generation competent to face the challenges of daily life, training and life skills are required. The academic curriculum will bring in knowledge to the students, but the capacity for living is missing in the curriculum.
These were some of the reflections by Dr. A. Radhakrishnan Nair of RGNIYD at the workshop/convention on “Life Skill for Youth Development.” About 100 students from six Madurai-area colleges participated in the programme which focused on the importance of different skills in making youth become competent for facing the challenges of life.
While addressing the students, Dr. A. Radhakrishnan said that youth should have an adaptive and positive behaviour that will enable them to deal effectively with demands and challenges in everyday life. He added that “employment is not the problem in India; the problem is employability” and that thinking skills, social skills and negotiation skills will all help young people to grow into well behaved adults. Self-awareness, self-esteem and self-confidence are essential tools for understanding one’s strength and weaknesses with which the individual can discern available opportunities and better prepare to face possible threats.
Ms. Sunita Ranjan and Ms. Divya Santhanam of RGIYD highlighted two aspects—communication andinterpersonal relationship—as the main issues for the rural youth. Ms. Sunitha stated that “not only your mouth speaks but also your body speaks in the process of communication”.
Mrs. Uma in her closing note emphasized on the need to upgrade different life needs and skills like money management, hygiene, organization, decision-making, problem-solving, and time-management which are various components of life skill development for youth.
Showcasing the Research Findings in Rainfed Farming
The seminar conferred on the various problems andsolutions on agriculture like sowing, weeding, pestcontrol, soil erosion, irregularity of monsoon, and imbalance between the availability of ground water andits usage. The Guest of Honour was Mr. S. Balaji,District Forest Officer, Madurai. Dr. S. Tamilselvenshared his findings on the mixed cultivation of finger millets and pigeon pea in a ratio of 8:2 rows which willgive maximum economic benefits. Controlling pests on castor crop through a series of steps was suggested by Dr. Rajabaskar. Two of them are: erecting bird preachers at the field and applying the caramel of neemon the crop.
Dr. A.K. Mani suggested that crop yield can also beincreased through applying tank silt to fields every third year or by combined use through natural farming,organic farming and chemical fertilizers. Various newly invented implements for scientific way of ploughing-cum-sowing on the dry land farms to utilize the rainwater effectively were also demonstrated by the scientists. The details of micro watershed harvesting technology through pit digging, vertical mulching, farmpond and rain water harvesting was presented by Dr. R. Dura Singh. Increasing the crop yield by using coconut coir was also suggested. Finally, it was suggested to transfer the technologies to the farmers.
Convention on Quality in MCH Caretowards Control of Anaemia
The prevalance of anaemia among women is startlingly high. Even though there are many community health programmes for reducing anaemia, individuals are ultimately responsible to reduce the problem through changes in their behaviour. Mr Santhanam, TeamLeader, DHAN Foundation talked about the need to focus on women, children, and adolesent girls who aremore vulnerable to health problems.
In a special address by Dr. Janet Anita, Gynaecologist,good hygienic practices and the importance of regular exercise, and good medical counseling, in improving health were shared. Dr. C. Ramasubramaniam, Psychiatrist, stressed that mental health is as important as physical health. If an individual is physically affected, it affects only the self; if an individual is affected bymental stress, then it affects the family andcommunity. Unwanted fear and confusion during the later part of pregencancy, for example, can create stress which might result in complications during delivery. Dr. Krishanan, Paediatriacian, spoke about maternal and neonatal mortality in India.
Mr MP Vasimalai, Executive Director, DHAN Foundation, explained DHAN’s linkage with ICICI in launching the Kalanjiam Reproductive Child Health programme in nine federations. Based upon this experience, the State Health Society, Tamil Nadu has given DHAN a pilot project for controlling anaemia in five blocks of five districts.
National Conference on Microfinance and MDGs
Mr. Kalyana Sundram started the forum of discussion for the demand side (NGOs) and the supply side(NABARD and other Banks) and stated about the present scenario of MDGs achievement. The first issue discussed was how to prioritise and contextualise the goals; the second was how to address the goals withdifferent services like microfinance.
Mr. Kalyana Sundram also said microfinance connects people and keeps them together. He also explained that we cannot have conventional credit systems in the current scenario if we intend to adequately reach the poor and that “we should promote an aggregate model by gathering the unprocessed items from small farmers and small fishermen together, and enabling them to procure many things related to livelihood promotion”.
Mr. P. Krishnamurthi explained that in focusing on the MDGs, we have to make country leaders committed to achieve the goals. He made the audience aware about where we are lacking in achieving targets and highlighted the work that is still left. Mrs S. Gayathri continued the forum and stated that under-education is both a cause and an effect of poverty. She explained the relevance of microfinance in achieving primary education. She posed several lead questions including questions related to child labour, school dropouts, education quality, and the education of girls.
NABARD representatives (Mr. R.Bharat Kumar, Asst.General Manager, Banglore; Mr. D. Murli Mohen- Asst.General Manager Andhra Pradesh) described the support that can be offered by NABARD for building the capacity of NGOs. They added that “Collaboration between NGOs in microfinance and NGOs working for education is required” and reminded participants thatNABARD provides educational schemes for funding rural infrastrcuture development.
Climatic Adaptation through Crop Insurance by Farming Communities
Insurance. How many farmers understand what this term means? Do they realize the significance of crop insurance? How is insurance related to the farming community? What kinds of insurance products are already available for farmers? How do changes in climate influence insurance? This seminar attempted to explore these and other questions related to crop insurance.
Indigenous technologies should be popularised and native varieties of crops which have an in-built resistance to drought, diseases, and pests should be brought back,said Dr. K. Vijayalakshmi, Research Director, Centre of Indian Knowledge System.
Mr. H.K. Mahanthesh, ASKMI, emphasized upon the benefits of crop insurance and the programmes associatedwith it. He stressed upon the significance of rain gaugesin all villages for helping farmers decide on which crops should be grown. He said that ILO has helped DHAN by giving funds for more rain gauges in around five locations. Presently there are about 300 rain gauges in 500-600 villages.
Mr. M. Palanisamy said that there are many flaws inthe government schemes for crop insurance. He explained that farmers need to have a positive attitude towards crop insurance and added that the issues faced by farmers could be better addressed if insurance policies are developed in consultation with them. He pointed out that the government was unable to assess the crop loss; mutual crop insurance committees would be able to better assess the crop loss.
The workshop’s participants concluded that education must be imparted to farmers regarding preventive measures; insurance should be the last option. The concept of insurance can be disseminated to all farmers through training programmes, and need-based insurance products can be developed through mutual crop insurance committees.
Seminar on Policies on Accounts for People Federations
The seminar aimed at bringing uniform accounting policies for all people institutions. Mr. C. Sudhakar’s lead paper on the relevance of accounting standards for People Federations was shared. It emphasised 13 accounting standards applicable for the NGO sectorprescribed by ICAI. These standards would assume importance once necessary law is drafted for mandatory implementation in view of the Indian standards converging with international standards in Apr.1, 2011.
Mr. Sheshadri suggested the accrual basis for federations which should be suitably explained to the Income Tax Department by supplemental information. He added,if the interest income on lending activities crosses the threshold it will be attracted by IT Act; therefore,People Institutions should focus on other development activities like health and education and it should bementioned in the Trust Deed also.
Mr. Charles Fernando’s presentation related todisclosure of financial policies, presentation of financialstatements, depreciation policies and legal compliance.These topics were discussed and clarified by the panel members and participants. Mr. Sheshadri further suggested that whenever legal issues arise for People Institutions related to registration of federation and accounting, the issues with probable solutions could be circulated to all the chartered accountants concernedto arrive at a consensus. Issues which cannot be easily settled can be addressed by a special team.