Assignment about management & strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assignment about management & strategy - Essay Example TQM has been adopted by many organisations worldwide and has been defined in multiple ways that suited their businesses. A generalized definition is that of Evans and Dean, which states, ‘TQM is a comprehensive, organisation-wide effort to improve the quality of products and services’ (as qtd in Cooney & Sohal, 34, ch.3). The British Railways Board (1989) defined TQM as ‘the process which seeks to meet and satisfy customer requirements throughout the whole chain of internal and external customers and suppliers’ (Pike and Barnes, 25). The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) defines TQM as a management approach for an organisation, centered on quality, based on participation of all its members and aiming at long-term success through customer satisfaction, and benefits to all members of the organisation and to society (Gupta, 113). Emergence of TQM may be traced back to period before the World War II and with American influence on quality assur ance principles. Although first put forth by Edwards Deming, who was known as the ‘father of the quality movement,’ TQM principles did not receive much attention at the time. These principles are said to have gained great significance after they were adopted in Japanese management theories, which modified the principles to suit their industries. TQM concepts have reinforced the Japanese management and businesses greatly and have helped the Japanese products enter the world markets. The United States recognized Japanese progress during 1980s and 1990s, and realized the significance of TQM concepts. Since then, the US industries have embraced TQM and re-emerged as global competitors (Daft & Marcic, 33). Deming’s contribution to the elaboration and development of TQM has been profound after advancing Stewhart’s statistical studies through the PDCA cycle (plan, do, check, act), which provided the base for continuous improvement. These statistical methods devel oped by Stewhart and Deming came to be known as the Statistical Process Control (SPC). The SPC in combination with Elton Mayo’s human relations movement eventually became the theoretical base for TQM (Sallis, 7). From these studies it is clear that TQM is a quality concept that must be applied to every aspect of the business and should be measured and controlled statistically. This means it would also require involvement from all members associated with the business. In short, TQM needs to be applied to the organisational systems, structure, and culture; it would require commitment from management and staff at all levels; it should involve all stakeholders including the external suppliers and vendors. With this concept coming in, quality is seen as a strategic issue and can play a major role in saving huge costs for the company. It involves everyone associated with the organisation. It focuses on continuous improvements, maintaining zero defects, build quality and enhance cus tomer satisfaction. All these achievements become benchmarks for others and help the organisation in sustaining their competitive position in the market and with their customers. TQM has been applied by many organisations with different names, like Leadership Through Quality (Xerox); Quality the ICL Way (ICL); Quality Service Programme (Nat West); Total Quality Culture (Texas Instruments); Total

16th Century Travel PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

16th Century Travel - PowerPoint Presentation Example With the domestication of animals that can bear people on their backs, people found it more convenient and, during that time, more time efficient to ride animals to get where they were going than walk. Consequently, people started to journey using horses, donkeys, camels and even water buffalos. The distance did not matter although horses were more commonly used for long travels because of their speed. Land transportation soon saw another change. Mostly on horses, man decided to find a much easier way to bring their crops or goods. This brought about the development of rough sledges and sleds on snow. The rolling drag was used for regular ground. Logs were placed under a platform so that the platform moved along whenever the logs rolled. Later on, the log was sliced and a hole was carved out from its center. This was the called the wheel. The use of the wheel made transportation even faster and more convenient. It also made traveling more comfortable. Even before the beginning of the modern era, the wheel had given rise to carts, chariots, wagons, carriages and coaches. Carriages came with four wheels and a rounded top and were pulled by two or four horses. The decoration and the materials used in making the carriages defined what class of people used them. Even before domesticating animals, man had already developed a way to move on water. â€Å"The origin of the dugout boat is one of history’s great mysteries.† (The History) Later on, a piece of cloth was added to the boat and this was called a sail. In the 16th century, explorers and traders alike would spend a lot of time on the descendant of the simple boat. From the junks of the Chinese to the caravels of the Mediterranean and the caravels of the Europeans, men of the 16th century saw themselves moving across the seas aboard huge ships. The caravel was the most commonly used water vessel in the 16th century due to the fact that the built and strength met

Education-Benchmark Assessment Essay Example for Free

Education-Benchmark Assessment Essay Several theories explain the concept of Early Childhood Education (ECE). Deiner (2013) describes that all of them share the same opinion that an early childhood educator is extremely essential in the development of a childs intellectual and educational abilities. It is also commonly agreeable among the theories that the early childhood education can have a great impact in the life of an individual since education is progressive, and each stage leads to a higher one. However, there are some contradictions in the theories, which regard to some aspects of ECE. For instance, some studies feel that the intellectual development depends on the genes of the child as acquired from the parents. Other studies hold a different opinion, that the environment plays a great role in ECE. Some assert that both the environment and the biological play a great role in early childhood development. This study is based on the fact that the educator is part of the environment in which the child is subjected to, and all children can learn. The educator has several roles that make them have a great impact on a child. An early childhood educator has the responsibility to ensure that a child gains as much knowledge as possible depending on the level of the child, where the level is to a large extent determined by the age of the child. A child spends most of the waking time with the educator. There are differences presented by the various personalities of children. As a result, each child should be treated differently from the other by the educator. As a result, the educator needs to have sufficient knowledge on how to  understand each child, so that each child gains maximally. The educator defines the environment in which a child lives in school. It is agreeable that children have some common interests. For instance, most studies point out that using objects in educating children in grade three or lower can have on enhancing their knowledge by having them relate to things they frequently use. This means that the environment needs to have various objects and pictorial presentations for more effective learning. There are other considerations that the educator needs to be aware of, such as ensuring that the relationship among students themselves and between the educator and children is supportive to the education to be acquired. An early childhood educator deals with children who might not be much exposed, and they are open to what they are learn. It is clear from this essential role of educators that they should be having some personal characteristics. Grotewell Burton (2008) explains that one of them is that the educator should be role model to the children. In addition, the educator should maintain a healthy lifestyle since children are much vulnerable to communicable illnesses. The use of clear communication is also relevant, not only to convey information to the children, but also because it can affect the childrens communication skills as well. Moreover, the educator needs to work closely with the children, their parents and the fellow educators so that they can learn more about each child. This means that sometimes they are involved in settling conflicts between the children and families. The role as the professional in the teaching and learning of children is achieved through several ways. One of them is by the educators developing and implementing programs that are designed to meet the childrens physical, intellectual, social, emotional, developmental and cultural needs and interests. The programs are basically considerate on a play environment. The programs also consider the age of the children. The educator can improvise some of the equipment that can be needed by the children. Secondly, the role can be attained by building the childrens interpersonal and social skills. Positive self-concept can also be achieved by having the educator  establishing positive guidelines that let the children to feel comfortable, safe and secure. Third, as aforementioned, constant communication with the other stakeholders in ECE, mostly the parents, should be considered. Forth, activities that actively involve the children ensure that the children gain maximally. Such activities could include outdoor play, various play experiences, snacks and meals as well as field trips (Deiner, 2013). The child educator also plays a role as an advocate on behalf of children. The educator is expected to understand children in general. Sometimes, children can be presented by challenges that they cannot easily express verbally to the relevant authorities. This means that they can suffer silently over issues such as domestic violence, bullying and lack of basic commodities. The educator has sufficient knowledge to realize a child who is having some pressing issues. Some children can gain the confidence and trust to open up to the educator, virtues that the educator should possess. The educator could as a result gain information that could not be realized by the parents and other people close to the children. Bhavya (2007) feels that children might not be sure on how to approach these issues. Some may be living in fear of exposing how they feel. However, the educator is in a better position to assist. For instance, the educator can ensure that the bullies in the educational institution are warned against it in the best way possible. The educator can be aware on how they can assist when cases of violence where a child is a direct or indirect victim are presented, such as involving lawful measures as well as talking with the parents and guardians of the children. Children whose parents cannot sufficiently offer basic needs can have their needs sought from other sources. Therefore, the educator represents the children in cases where the child might be unable to express themselves. Educators should work with the mentality that all children can learn. Learning involves various aspects of gaining knowledge, and not exclusive to study of books. It involves interpersonal and communication skills. Children are also expected to learn values that are generally acceptable in the society. Each child consequently needs to learn. In addition, each child has  the capability to learn. Although there can be variances in the capabilities, children are able to continually gain knowledge on the aspects noted. The educator should understand how much each child can contain. Moreover, it is relevant to know exactly what a child needs in order to learn. For instance, some children could require frequent reminders and assignments so that they can understand some concepts (Grotewell Burton, 2008). As the different aspects of learning are concerned, there needs to be various assessments to test the success of each. Apart from the writing and reading skills, tests such as etiquette, posture and arts can be conducted regularly. Although the tests might not be recordable, an educator who clearly understands each of the students can clearly tell whether there is progress in the development of a child. The assessment practices should ensure that the children gain from the basics to the complex contents so that all children can learn (Bhavya, 2007). Technology currently plays a role in the education to young children. Educators are increasingly using technology due to the several benefits it has in enhancing gaining of knowledge among them. There are equipments that have been developed with an aim to create fun as children learn. For instance, counting machines are attractive to the children, and they can enjoy using it. The technologically developed equipments are also safe and easy to use. This means that the children can learn some things on their own after being guided by the educator. Some technology can be used in displaying information that could not be better displayed in any other means. Photos that are presented in screens can be relevant in showing children objects that can help them to learn. Technology also reduces costs in teaching children. For instance, a trip to view some objects in far places can be avoided by having the objects displayed. Therefore, technology is significant in teaching children (Morgan, 2011). The environment is crucial in the teaching and learning among children  between birth and grade three. It affects the emotional, intellectual, psychological and physical aspects of a child. The environment concerns several things, but most importantly the people who interact with the children. The environment should support learning, and it could contain learning inhibiting factors, or can contain motivating ones. If the environment does not support learning, the child cannot concentrate. Children are much likely to put more focus on issues that constantly happen to them. For instance, if they are being physically or emotionally abused, they cannot gain much in the learning process (Morgan, 2011). Children are much motivated by some aspects in the environment. One of them is the availability of ample playing space. Since the children gain a lot when playing, space and equipment provided by the environment can enhance their learning greatly. The environment can also be motivating by just being safe for the children. Therefore, the environment is crucial in the learning of children. References Bhavya, M. S. (2007). _Early childhood education_. Delhi [India: Kalpaz Publications. Deiner, P. L. (2013). _Inclusive early childhood education: Development, resources, practice_. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Grotewell, P. G., Burton, Y. R. (2008). _Early childhood education: Issues and developments_. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Morgan, H. (2011). _Early childhood education: History, theory, and practice_. Lanham, Md: Rowman Littlefield.

The Influence of Police Culture

The Influence of Police Culture In order to appropriately address the topic of discussion, firstly, it is important to understand what is meant by the concept police culture. After establishing its definition, it then becomes a task to assess whether police culture does indeed have a negative influence on the way the police work as an institution or whether it merely ensures that a certain level of consistency in achieved in terms of the way officers conduct themselves in their daily working environment. The term police culture has in itself been a topic of some discussion with sociologists being divided over what the definition should and should not include as there isnt an established, concrete definition of the concept. For example one contributor who has attempted to rectify this problem is Reiner (1992) who describes it as the values, norms, perspectives and craft rules which inform police conduct (Reiner 1992 quoted in Loftus 2009: 3). Whereas another definition comes from Manning (1989) who defines it as accepted practices, rules, and principles of conduct that are situationally applied, and generalised rationales and beliefs (Manning 1989 quoted in Loftus 2009: 3). Although these definitions dont appear too different at first glance, there is in fact a clear distinction between the two that should and must be made mainly the fact that Manning stresses that such principles of conduct are situationally applied, which of course suggests that police culture is not always necessa rily influential to an officers conduct. Some officers can and do hold a certain level of professionalism when taking to the streets and any values which may corrupt such professionalism remains behind closed doors in the company of their colleagues only. Yet Reiners provided definition suggests that the police culture remains with the police officer when they take to the streets and he/she then enforces the informal rules which have been established with their fellow colleagues, which generalises that all police officers act in accordance to the police culture . However what must be taken from both definitions is that there is reason to suggest that there is a network of a shared set of norms and values within police forces which could potentially have an effect on how they operate in a working environment. What also must be stressed is that there is also a distinction between the terms police culture or cop culture (as its otherwise known) and canteen culture which is another concept which crops up time and time again in countless criminology texts. Canteen culture, as mentioned by Waddington (1999), is understood to be the norms and values held by police officers whilst off-duty, whereas police culture is the norms and values which are expressed during the course of their occupational lives (Waddington 1999 cited by Crank 2004: 16-17) Newburn (2007) also makes this a key point by explaining that there is a common tendency to assume that what police choose to say and how they choose to act when off-duty is not only indicative of how police officers think, but also how they act in public. (Newburn 2007: 216) Yet Waddington has a problem with such assumptions, as he claims that this is not the case all of the time. The way officers act and the views they hold whilst off-duty, whether in the pub with friends or work colleagues is but a safety valve to release the pressures of the realities of life as a police officer (Waddington quoted by Newburn 2007: 618) Such an argument claims that in experiencing somewhat controversial views outside of the working sphere, a person is opened up to new perspectives which sociologists such as Waddington would argue helps to avoid them from being over-exposed to a particular ideology which could then influence the way in which they carry out their duties. But what also must be considered is just how valid Waddingtons argument actually is. Yes, of course in some instances exposure to different attitudes and values can be beneficial to an officer in terms of becoming more aware of the possibility of potential new threats, but there are also some officers who would then, due to any extreme views which they may have been subjected to, may target an individual or a group of people because of the stereotypes attached to such persons and not because of genuine suspicion. Police culture, it is claimed by Reiner (1992) has many characteristics in which it can be identified with, with suspicion being just one of them. Suspicion is an absolute necessity in the police force as it is suspicion that helps the police prevent crimes from occurring and therefore everyday working experiences encourage officers to generalise people into particular labels, whether or not this is a legitimate way to suspect possible offenders (Reiner cited by Newburn 2007: 618). Unfortunately there is a strong link between suspicion and ethnicity, with ethnic minorities suspected to engage in criminal activity more than people of white ethnic origin. The 2005/2006 Home Office statistics relating to police searches provide a great example for this. In interpreting the results of stop and search practices, 15.4% of the entire UK Black community were stopped under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE Code A) in comparison to only 1.6% of the entire white population. This d iscrimination however doesnt just end with the police; it branches out into other areas of the criminal justice system such as the prison service. Genders Player in (1989) claimed that prison officers sometimes use active stereotypes and labels to help order their working environments by predicting inmate behaviour in order to maintain authority at all times. Prisoners within the ethnic minority demographic were perceived as having a chip on their shoulder, as they felt they were being victims of racial persecution and thus the officers paid more attention to monitoring their behaviour. Arguably the most problematic characteristic of a police culture in terms of the impact it has on police and community relations is the element of racial prejudice. One of the most notable examples of racial prejudices derives within the Macpherson Report (1999), arguably the most notable report in criminology, which followed the death of black teenager Stephen Lawrence. The report found that the police were institutionally racist after discovering that police were ignoring crucial evidence to the investigation and were displaying discrimination in the interviewing process of suspects suggesting that it was black on black crime, despite Lawrences friend (an eye witness) being adamant that it was a racially motivated murder. Despite the findings of the report and the provisions set out to try and avoid the recurrence of racial controversy within the police, there is evidence to claim minority ethnic recruitment still remains low and there are still continuing problems in terms of pol ice relations with ethnic minorities (Croall 2011: 221-222). The aftermath of the Macphereson Report proved that institutional racism was still rife in police recruitment centres, as four years onwards a BBC documentary titled Secret Policeman was aired which centred on the police recruitment centre, Bruche which was located just outside of Warrington. Consequently after the footage of the documentary went public, the centre was forced to close so as to not further damage the reputation of the police. New police training systems were also introduced nationwide to try and expel racism from the police force as a result of the documentary. (The Observer 2004) How officers are socialised is of another great significance. The next characteristic of a police culture is the degree of solidarity, and it is this element which although is reinforced in numerous police forces, it is an aspect which is initially developed between candidates during the recruitment stages. Due to the intense nature of the job including the long hours which officers are required to work, the intensity of some of the work and the expectation of being the ones to prevent social decline, officers are encouraged to bond strongly and they learn to rely on one another, and as such tend to develop an us-against-them attitude. This resulting mentality, in some situations, leads to not officers making pacts with one another in which they agree not to grass on fellow officers for any discrepancies that they might have witnessed whilst on duty. This is more commonly known as The Blue Code of Silence. Just like any other subculture, in order to ensure cooperation and commitment to the Blue Code, a tribal value system is implemented which makes police culture sort of like a family structure in which members of the system will receive emotional support and security from the other officers upon requirement. Several police departments worldwide have been found to have followed the Blue Code, probably most notably was a New York police department which the Mollen Commission reported were to be covering up infringements of their officers. In such case where an officer was to break the Code, then his/her reputation and essentially his career too would be ruined as he/she would then be ostracised and labelled a whistleblower and thus it is the threat of this tarnished reputation that encourages the officer to obey the unwritten rules. (Loftus 2009: 14) Accusations of excessive force by members of the police force are far from uncommon, particularly in America. And it is the use of excessive for which Manning (1970) claims is a perfect example of police culture and how it can have a negative influence on the way officers carry out their duties. (Manning 1970 cited by Crank 2004: 107) However, excessive force is not detected in all cases. Victims of police brutality may feel that the odds are stacked against them in filing a complaint to an officers superiors and are thus reluctant to do so and may feel that even if a complaint is acknowledged and results in a court case, the judge and jury would overlook excessive force as the perceived perspective would be that the victim shouldnt have gotten his/herself in a position in which the use of force was needed in the first place and thus the consequences of their anti-social behaviour was deserved. Yet with that said, there are of course examples where the victim of police brutality are non-deserving of such treatment and thus the police force as a whole have come under criticism despite it being a minority of officers that participate in such excessive violence. For example a British police constable, PC Simon Harwood, was charged with the manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson during the G20 protests in 2009. Tomlinson was finding another route home after his usual route was blocked by the protests when he was struck by PC Harwood with a baton and then pushed to the ground Tomlinson fatally collapsed and an autopsy revealed the cause of death was a heart attack, which the actions of PC Harwood where no doubt a triggering factor. PC Harwood was acquitted of manslaughter, which only strengthens the argument mentioned previously that the courts are sympathetic to the police when the question of reasonable/excessive force is raised. However, it must be stressed that many police forces do have provisions in place to deal with any complaints of unacceptable behaviour regarding their employees in which inquiries will be carried out and, if found guilty, the officer in question may be reprimanded, suspended or permanently dismissed depending on the circumstances. Also, as in the case of PC Harwood they may also, if necessary, face criminal prosecution or at the very least face a civil hearing if the victim wishes to sue for damages caused by the officers ill-considered actions. But how are the police able to get away with these kinds of infringements? Again, it all relates back The Blue Code of Silence. As already mentioned earlier in the essay, officers of some police forces claim ignorance of any wrongdoings of their work partners and in some cases, they testily which is typically an American slang term for when an officer gives false testimony in court. Relating back to the tribal values, not participating in activities such as testilying would lead to an officer being shunned and sometimes even harassed to the point of retirement as they arent assisting their family members, in effect betraying their own kind. In 1994, the Mollen Commission found that some officers within the NYPD fabricated crucial documents such as arrest reports and warrants and some officers were found to have falsified witness statements for the purposes of manipulating the jury as they felt that an accused individual deserved it. This is particularly common in cases of bad character in which an accused has had a history of offences but has escaped punishment. Although corrupt as it is, testilying is merely seen as another way of getting the job done.   In conclusion, there is a huge interest towards police culture due to the impact it can and sometimes does have on society. if it is to have an influence on the way the police go about their work. The police hold a massively important role to society as they are a visible symbol of law and order and are granted various powers such as those which enable them to arrest members of the public who they feel prove a threat to the rest of society. Although most officers do operate in a reasonable manner, it is generally the actions of the minority which enable the public to misconceive that all officers are bigoted and aggressive. Such generalisations lead to a mass distrust of the police and tensions then begin to occur between the police and their publics. You only need to look at the summer riots of 2011 (which were reported to have been sparked by an officers seemingly unauthorised use of deadly force on a suspect) to see just how damaging poor police-community relations can be to the p olices image as a social institution.

American Law Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout the United States there are many different laws among the fifty states that make up this union. The laws are different throughout the states because of the need of the laws. Living in one state and not having the advantages or disadvantages of a law in another state would not be that unfair or unequal. This is true because if you don’t like a law in your state you could always fight it and try to change it or you could always move out of that state and go to one that has the laws that you like. One of the big issues in life today is gun safety. Due to the recent high school shootings many legislatures are pushing for stricter gun laws. In Montana you can’t carry a concealed weapon inside city, town or logging camp limits but if you have a permit you can carry a concealed weapon in many instances. Where as in Wisconsin the state does not give permits that give a person the right to carry a concealed weapon, if caught with a concealed weapon it is a misdemeanor. Now looking at these two cases would you say that this is unfair to the people in Wisconsin because they can’t walk around the streets with a concealed gun. I don’t think that it is unfair but in fact a precaution that Wisconsin has, and they are actually looking out for the safety of their citizens. Another law that we can look at is drinking and driving. All the states have different laws on how high your blood alcohol level can be. After reviewing some of the laws I found that in Vermont if your are pull...

Essay --

They say it is better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but how about a compromise like moderately rich and moody?† – Princess Diana Diana Frances Spencer was born July 1, 1961 at Park House near Sandringham, Norfolk, United Kingdom. (Story) Diana was the youngest of John Spencer and Frances Shand Kydd’s children. Elizabeth Sarah Lavinia, was born 1955, now known as Lady Sarah McCorquodale. Cynthia Jane, was born 1957, now Lady Fellowes. John, who died ten hours after birth in 1960, and Charles Edward Maurice, born 1964, currently the ninth Earl of Spencer. The family lived in Park House on the Sandringham estate. She was born into an aristocratic family with Royal blood in the ancestry. (Coggins) When Diana was age six the Spencer’s marriage ended in a divorce which resulted in a complicated custody battle. Her father, the eighth Earl of Spencer raised Diana. (Pettinger) He eventually remarried Raine, Countess of Dartmouth, novelist, Barbara Cartland’s daughter. (Coggins) Diana, along with the rest of her siblings didn’t get along with her stepmother. Diana’s mother eventually m arried Peter Shand-Kydd, becoming The Honorable Mrs. Frances Shand-Kydd. The couple went to live on the island of Seil, Scotland. Diana first attended a preparatory school in Riddlesworth Hall at Diss, Norfolk and a boarding school in West Heath Sevenoaks, Kent. (Story) Diana wasn’t a particularly smart student. She failed all of her O-levels twice and later dropped out at the age of sixteen. She had talents in music, dancing, and domestic science. (Story) She was eventually awarded maximum help to school and school peers. She finished her schooling at Institut Alpin Videmanette in Rougemont, Switzerland. (Story) After Diana left school, she mo... ...ning of Diana’s death. In an unprecedented gesture, she announced the Union Jack would fly at half-mast at Buckingham Palace. It only took forty-five minutes for the Queen to completely reinvent her role in Diana’s ending. She went from being invisible, to being the very center of a large farewell drama to the kingdom’s beloved Princess. She was very annoyed when the press reported her new approachability was perhaps the â€Å"Diana effect.† As brief as this young woman’s life had been here on this earth, she had managed to touch so many people. She brought changes to people lives for the better. Diana was indeed a â€Å"Queen of the people’s hearts!† â€Å"Princess Diana, your heart of sympathy covers the length and breadth of the world. There shall come a time when the entire world will value you most sincerely, most lovingly and most wholeheartedly." – Sri Chinmoy (Pettinger)

Major Problems Faced by Indian Agriculture

Major Problems Faced by Indian Agriculture The major problems confronting Indian agriculture are those of population pressure, small holdings, depleted soils, lack of modern technology and poor facilities for storage. (a) Population Pressure: India has a huge population of over one billion and it is increasing at a very fast rate. According to 2001 census figures the over all density of population is 324 persons per sq. km. This is likely to increase further in future. This has created great demand for land. Every bit of land has been brought under the plough.Even the hill slopes have been cut into terraces for cultivation. (b) Small and Fragmented Land Holdings: The pressure of increasing population and the practice of dividing land equally among the heirs has caused excessive sub divisions of farm holdings. Consequently, the holdings are small and fragmented. The small size of holdings makes farming activity uneconomical and leads to social tension, violence and discontentment. (c) Inadequate Irrigation Facilities: By and large the irrigation facilities available in India are far from adequate.So for half of the total area under food crops has been brought under irrigation and the remaining half is left to the mercy of monsoon rains which are erratic in time and space. (d) Depleted Soils: Indian soils have been used for growing crops for thousands of years which have resulted in the depletion of soil fertility. With deforestation the sources of maintaining natural fertility of soil has been drying out. Lack of material resources and ignorance of scientific knowledge have further depleted the soils of the natural fertility. Earlier only animal waste was enough to maintain soil fertility. e) Storage of food grains: Storage of food grains is a big problem. Nearly 10 per cent of our harvest goes waste every year in the absence of proper storage facilities. This colossal wastage can be avoided by developing scientific ware-housing facilities. The government has ta ken several steps to provide storage facilities. (f) Farm Implements: Although some mechanisation of farming has taken place in some parts of the country, most of the farmers are poor and do not have enough resources to purchase modern farm implements and tools.This hampers the development of agriculture. Challenges agriculture sector challenges will be important to India’s overall development and the improved welfare of its rural poor: 1. Raising agricultural productivity per unit of land: Raising productivity per unit of land will need to be the main engine of agricultural growth as virtually all cultivable land is farmed. Water resources are also limited and water for irrigation must contend with increasing industrial and urban needs.All measures to increase productivity will need exploiting, amongst them: increasing yields, diversification to higher value crops, and developing value chains to reduce marketing costs. 2. Reducing rural poverty through a socially inclusive s trategy that comprises both agriculture as well as non-farm employment: Rural development must also benefit the poor, landless, women, scheduled castes and tribes. Moreover, there are strong regional disparities: the majority of India’s poor are in rain-fed areas or in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic plains. Reaching such groups has not been easy.While progress has been made – the rural population classified as poor fell from nearly 40% in the early 1990s to below 30% by the mid-2000s (about a 1% fall per year) – there is a clear need for a faster reduction. Hence, poverty alleviation is a central pillar of the rural development efforts of the Government and the World Bank. 3. Ensuring that agricultural growth responds to food security needs: The sharp rise in food-grain production during India’s Green Revolution of the 1970s enabled the country to achieve self-sufficiency in food-grains and stave off the threat of famine.Agricultural intensification in the 197 0s to 1980s saw an increased demand for rural labor that raised rural wages and, together with declining food prices, reduced rural poverty. However agricultural growth in the 1990s and 2000s slowed down, averaging about 3. 5% per annum, and cereal yields have increased by only 1. 4% per annum in the 2000s. The slow-down in agricultural growth has become a major cause for concern. India’s rice yields are one-third of China’s and about half of those in Vietnam and Indonesia. The same is true for most other agricultural commodities.Policy makers will thus need to initiate and/or conclude policy actions and public programs to shift the sector away from the existing policy and institutional regime that appears to be no longer viable and build a solid foundation for a much more productive, internationally competitive, and diversified agricultural sector. Priority Areas for Support 1. Enhancing agricultural productivity, competitiveness, and rural growth Promoting new techno logies and reforming agricultural research and extension: Major reform and strengthening of India’s agricultural research and extension systems is one of the most important needs for agricultural growth.These services have declined over time due to chronic underfunding of infrastructure and operations, no replacement of aging researchers or broad access to state-of-the-art technologies. Research now has little to provide beyond the time-worn packages of the past. Public extension services are struggling and offer little new knowledge to farmers. There is too little connection between research and extension, or between these services and the private sector. Improving Water Resources and Irrigation/Drainage Management: Agriculture is India’s largest user of water.However, increasing competition for water between industry, domestic use and agriculture has highlighted the need to plan and manage water on a river basin and multi-sectoral basis. As urban and other demands mu ltiply, less water is likely to be available for irrigation. Ways to radically enhance the productivity of irrigation (â€Å"more crop per drop†) need to be found. Piped conveyance, better on-farm management of water, and use of more efficient delivery mechanisms such as drip irrigation are among the actions that could be taken. There is also a need to manage as opposed to exploit the use of groundwater.Incentives to pump less water such as levying electricity charges or community monitoring of use have not yet succeeded beyond sporadic initiatives. Other key priorities include: (i) modernizing Irrigation and Drainage Departments to integrate the participation of farmers and other agencies in managing irrigation water; (ii) improving cost recovery; (iii) rationalizing public expenditures, with priority to completing schemes with the highest returns; and (iv) allocating sufficient resources for operations and maintenance for the sustainability of investments.Facilitating agric ultural diversification to higher-value commodities: Encouraging farmers todiversify to higher value commodities will be a significant factor for higher agricultural growth, particularly in rain-fed areas where poverty is high. Moreover, considerable potential exists for expanding agro-processing and building competitive value chains from producers to urban centers and export markets. While diversification initiatives should be left to farmers and entrepreneurs, the Government can, first and foremost, liberalize constraints to marketing, transport, export and processing.It can also play a small regulatory role, taking due care that this does not become an impediment. Promoting high growth commodities: Some agricultural sub-sectors have particularly high potential for expansion, notably dairy. The livestock sector, primarily due to dairy, contributes over a quarter of agricultural GDP and is a source of income for 70% of India’s rural families, mostly those who are poor and he aded by women. Growth in milk production, at about 4% per annum, has been brisk, but future domestic demand is expected to grow by at least 5% per annum.Milk production is constrained, however, by the poor genetic quality of cows, inadequate nutrients, inaccessible veterinary care, and other factors. A targeted program to tackle these constraints could boost production and have good impact on poverty. Developing markets, agricultural credit and public expenditures: India’s legacy of extensive government involvement in agricultural marketing has created restrictions in internal and external trade, resulting in cumbersome and high-cost marketing and transport options for agricultural commodities.Even so, private sector investment in marketing, value chains and agro-processing is growing, but much slower than potential. While some restrictions are being lifted, considerably more needs to be done to enable diversification and minimize consumer prices. Improving access to rural fi nance for farmers is another need as it remains difficult for farmers to get credit. Moreover, subsidies on power, fertilizers and irrigation have progressively come to dominate Government expenditures on the sector, and are now four times larger than investment expenditures, crowding out top priorities such as agricultural research and extension.