upscportal gist of kurukshetra june 2014

48 Gist of KURUKSHETRA (VOL. 18)

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Gist of

KURUKSHETRA

BOOSTING RURAL DEVELOPMENTTHROUGH AGRI-INFRASTRUCTURE

What a tragedy it has been for the agriculturesector in India. While we celebrate the agriculturalproduction in the country reaching an all time high,at the same time the country is unable to store theexcessive produce. Along with land, labour andcapital the income emanating from agriculture isbeing directly linked to the quality of infrastructure.The agricultural infrastructure includes all of thebasic services, facilities, equipment, and institutionsneeded for the economic growth and efficientfunctioning of the food and fiber markets.Infrastructure is basically supporting both physicaland organizational structures needed for theoperation of a society or enterprise, or the servicesand facilities necessary for an economy to function.

Infrastructure has been one of the muchneglected aspects of Indian agriculture. Agriculture inIndia lacks minimum necessary infrastructure andthis is holding India back. A recent statement ofminister of Agriculture in the Rajya Sabha confirmedthe loss due to lack of inadequate infrastructure tothe tune of rupees 44,000 crore. Of this the value ofannual wastage of fruits and vegetables wasestimated at rupees 13,309 crore. The SaumitraChaudhari committee constituted by the planningcommission in 2012 had put the total cold storagecapacity requirements in the country at 61.3 milliontonnes as against the present annual capacity ofaround 29 million tonnes. There is thus a gap of 32million tonnes.

Infrastructure and Development : Theinvestment in infrastructure impacts positively theeconomic development, Rostow (1960) whilediscussing the different stages of growth of economyargued that expansion and improvement of thetransport and the infrastructure is a necessaryprecondition for capital formation and increase in theproduction and productivity. It should be noted thatthe infrastructure in the agricultural sector enhancesthe comparative advantage of that region in whichthe infrastructural investment is made. When theregion gains comparative advantage in theagricultural activities, the net result is increase in theproduction and productivity of various agriculturalgoods and services in general. An empirical study byBinswanger et al (1993) revealed that increasedmarketing infrastructure that includes componentssuch as road facilities in India enhanced the totalagricultural output with the elasticity of 0.20.Similarly a study by Ahmed and Hussain (1990)concluded that the fertilizer use in the agriculturalsector increases with the improvement in the qualityof road. An important benefit derived from theagricultural infrastructure is that it helps to increasethe level of value added products in the region.

Multiplier Effect : The major focus ofinfrastructural investment has been on irrigation,transportation, electric power, agricultural markets,etc and these not only contributed to the agriculturalgrowth at the macro level but also to wide disparitybetween different regions in terms of agriculturalgrowth. The introduction of a resource conservingtechnology such as the drip or sprinkler in dry landareas lessens the ground water exploitation in thatarea. This would result more ground water available

Gist of KURUKSHETRA (VOL. 18) 49

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for farmer fields downstream. Another importantaspect of the introduction of this technology will bethat the expenses on digging wells or arranging fortanks for irrigation will be saved which the farmercan use for other social functions. When the water isavailable to the farmers he can also go for change inhis cropping pattern; he can now grow high valuecrops earn more income and thus improve his socialstatus. Similarly the dams have the primary aim ofelectricity generation and irrigation can also be usedfor fishing. The additional area of land broughtunder cultivation due to construction of an irrigationdam would lead to increased consumption of inputslike fertilizer, weedicides etc. To match to thedemand of this increased consumption we wouldhave to either increase the capacity of the existing onor establish new units. This would provideemployment to many.

Agri marketing infrastructure : The agrimarketing infrastructure is another importantcomponent. Agri marketing infrastructure includesinfrastructure for collection, drying, grading, labelingand packaging of the produce. This needs marketyards, offices and platforms for loading andunloading of the produce. Rural markets and thattoo well regulated are a core component of the agrimarket infrastructure. These help in preventing theexploitation of the farmers at the hands ofmiddlemen and brokers. Information regardingprovision of timely information is also essential. Forthat we need to set up e-kiosks through which timelyinformation could be sent to the farming community.They can also go for e-trading and futures trading.

NABARD's initiative : NABARD has also beenproviding Rural Infrastructure Development Fund(RIDF) since 1995. This RIDF finances the states forcreation of rural infrastructure like rural roads, minorand medium irrigation projects, agricultural marketyards etc. It has also supported watersheddevelopment in about 2 million hectares of landaround the country investing about rupees 1600crores to demonstrate people centered approachesof conserving soil and water.

Government Intervention : Thegovernment of India now provides financial

assistance in the form of grant in aid at the rate of50 percent of the total cost of plants and machineryand technical civil works in general areas and at therate of 75 percent in difficult areas including northeastern states for creation of cold chaininfrastructure with a ceiling of rupees 10 crore. Thegovernment has also formulated a scheme called asPEG for creation of additional storage capacity forguaranteed hiring by the Food Corporation of India.In this scheme against a target of 60 lakh tonnecapacity creation in the year 2013-14, 3.36 lakh wascompleted up to July 2013.

The government of India has already takensome initiatives for safety of farm produce. India'sfirst horticulture train started operation in June lastyear carrying onions from Nashik farmers to Kolkata.This has proved very successful for small farmers whodo not have to become victim of middlemen andcommission agents.

Ten mega food parks have been approved inAndhra Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand, Assam, WestBengal, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Biharand Tripura. These Mega Food Parks are aimed ataccelerating the pace of food processing in thecountry backed by an efficient food supply chain.Besides this the parks will provide employmentopportunities for so many peoples.

What to do : Most of the perishable items areproduced in the villages which remain confined tothese due to the absence of road networks. Theexisting road and rail facilities are inadequate. Mostof the areas which produce good quality fruits arestill inaccessible. This coupled with the rough terrainof the area and lack of regulatory markets make thefarming community to suffer a lot at the hands ofthe local traders. Farmers have no informationabout the market price. There is an urgent need toestablish suitable infrastructure like the use ofinformation communication technology (ICT) forbenefit of farming community. The technology like e-kiosks and e-choupals of Indian Tobacco Company inMadhya Pradesh and other states of the country aredoing a great job. Each electronic kiosk is connectedto a number of villages.


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Irrigation is another area which requiresinfrastructure upgradation. With suitableinfrastructure the irrigation potential can beincreased. The utilization of available water foragriculture too is far from efficient. Wastage of wateris huge in surface irrigation systems. The inability toconserve adequate water and curb its indiscriminateutilization, including rampant wasteful exploitationof water is also a cause of concern. The problem ismore severe in dry land area of the country whichaccounts for more than 60 percent of the totalcultivable area. Suitable water conservinginfrastructure like the drip irrigation and sprinklerirrigation should be installed in these areas. Waterconservation techniques like water sheds, rainwaterharvesting and other measures can bring additionalarea under irrigation in these water scarce regions.

Similarly we can also invest in creatingcommunity grain storage Banks where the farmerscan store their excessive food grains. This will alsoprevent them from distress selling as they can waitfor the right time to sell their produce.

At the same time greater emphasis has to belaid on research infrastructure by establishing anumber of new institutes, national research centersfor several crops and livestock to address the localproblems and come out with site specific solutions.To conclude, infrastructure potentially can influencerural economic performance through three ways.These are (i) individual development by the increaseduse of existing resources-land, labor, capital, etc. (ii)bringing additional resources to rural areas and (iii)socio-economic development by creating assets andmaking rural economies more productive.

RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE KEY TOINCLUSIVE GROWTH

The recurrent theme of public discourseduring the last one decade has been 'inclusive growth.'Inclusive growth is essential for social and economicequity. Since India's majority of people live in villages,it is easily seen that rural infrastructure is a majorcomponent for ensuring inclusive growth.

Development of Infrastructure envisagescreation of values through engineering consultancy.Rural development entails structural changes in thesocio-economic situation to achieve improved livingstandard of low-income population and making theprocess of their development self-sustained. Itincludes economic development with closeintegration among various sections and sectors; andeconomic growth, specifically of the rural poor. Infact, it requires area based development as well asbeneficiary oriented programmes.

Development of rural areas is slow due toimproper and inadequate provision of infrastructureas compare to urban areas. That's why rural share inGDP is always less. The planning and development ofhuman settlements and provision of requiredinfrastructure are much better in urban areas. Ruralpopulation migrates to urban cities for employmentopportunities and better facilities. Besides, thelimited capacity of rural economy to accommodatethe increasing population sends the labour force assurplus to migrate large cities.

Rural infrastructure is not only a keycomponent of rural development but also animportant ingredient in ensuring any sustainablepoverty reduction programme. The properdevelopment of infrastructure in rural areasimproves rural economy and quality of life. Itpromotes better productivity, increased agriculturalincomes, adequate employment and so on and soforth.

Hence the "Bharat Nirman" time boundbusiness plan for action in rural infrastructure. Itenvisages action in the following areas:

Irrigation Rural Roads Rural Housing Rural Water Supply Rural Electrification Rural Telecommunication Connectivity, etc.Infrastructure development has a key role to

play in both economic growth and poverty reduction.Failure to accelerate investments in rural


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infrastructure will be a stumbling block to achievethe Millennium Development Goals. Further, it alsoseverely limits opportunities to benefit from tradeliberalisation, international capital markets andother potential benefits offered by globalisation,point out development watchers. No doubt, thecreation of infrastructure in emerging 'rural-urban'clusters remains a "major challenge". To meet thischallenge, the Rural Development Ministry isoptimistic that its revamped project for developingamenities in such areas will yield results soon.

Currently, there are around 3,900 suchclusters in the country which do not fall either inrural or urban category. Government has said it willundertake projects such as water supply, sanitation,street lighting, tourism and improvement of roadsthrough public-private partnership mode in suchareas. The Project is re-christened as new PURA(Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas).

When PURA-2 is launched, the Centre willselect the developers, while the state governmentswill choose the clusters for creation of infrastructure.The Ministry is committed to the grounding of goodPURA projects across the country to ensure peoplein rural areas do not feel deprived of urban amenitiesand do not have the urge to migrate to cities insearch of good living. According to the ministry,there are 4 Ps in the model as this is not only aboutPublic Private Partnership, but also aboutinvolvement of People and communities at GramPanchayat level.

The year 2013 witnessed stirring events in thearea of rural development. One of them was TheRight to Fair Compensation and Transparency inLand Acquisition, Rehabilitation and ResettlementAct. With its notification, it has replaced an archaiclaw of over a century-old.

During the year, government came out withits phase II of the Pradhan Mantri Gramin SadakYojana (PMGSY) to upgrade rural roads constructedunder the programme. The Union Cabinet gave itsapproval for a proposal for launching the PMGSY-II.While the existing PMGSY scheme will continue,under PMGSY phase II, the roads already built for

rural connectivity will be upgraded to enhance villageinfrastructure.

The Ministry, at the fag-end of the year, alsoannounced significant changes to its f lagshipMNREGA programme seeking to ensure permanentand durable asset creation and introduction ofpenalty for delayed wage payments. It launched anew skill development scheme called 'Roshni' forrural youth from 24 most critical left-wingextremism affected districts in the country. Theinitiative aims at imparting skills and placement of50,000 youth from these districts. The ministryselected six districts each from Jharkhand andOdisha, five from Chhattisgarh, two from Bihar andone each from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, WestBengal, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra for thescheme.

The programme will be implemented at a costof Rs. 100 crore over the next three years : Thegovernment which initiated various programmes todeal with the challenge to Maoism has said that atleast 50 per cent of the candidates covered under thescheme should be women and special efforts will bemade to proactively cover Particularly VulnerableTribal Groups on a priority bais. The year also saw anambitious programme 'Himayat' launched by theRural Ministry in Jammu and Kashmir to train andgive jobs to over one lakh youth from poor familiesevoking positive response from the youth.

Mahatma Gandhi's words that India lives in itsvillages rings true even today. The majority of its 1.2billion people still live in villages and have agricultureas their means of livelihood. Any plan for the countrycannot but have its particular focus on thedevelopment of the vast rural areas and the peopleinhibiting them.

As expected, the rural development was givenits deserving priority in the union budget 2013-14.The rural development ministry, which carries outmany of the government's pro-poor programmes,received a 46 per cent hike in its allocation.The budget proposed to allocate to the ministryRs.80, 194 crore in 2013-14.


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Food SecurityFood security is as much a basic human right

as the right to education or the right to health care.The National Food Security Bill was a promise of the.Government which it kept during the year.

NABARDNABARD operates the Rural Infrastructure

Development Fund (RIDF). RIDF has successfullyutilised 18 tranches so far. A sum of Rs.5000 crorewas made available to NABARD to financeconstruction of warehouses, godowns, silos and coldstorage units designed to store agricultural produce,both in the public and the private sectors.

Road ConstructionThe road construction sector has reached a

certain level of maturity. But it facts challenges notenvisaged earlier, including financial stress, enhancedconstruction risk and contract management issuesthat are best addressed by an independent authority.Hence, Government has decided to constitute aregulatory authority for the road sector. Bottlenecksstalling road projects have been addressed and 3,000kms of road projects in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh will beawarded in the first six months of 2013-14.

CORPORATE INITIATIVES INIMPROVING RURAL RETAIL FORMATS

In the past decade or so the focus of corporateon exploring the hinterlands has seen a steady surge.Apart from companies dealing in agriculture andrelated products, fast moving consumer goods(FMCG), Durables, Telecom Companies, Banks and afew others have also made a significant investmentin the rural India and have begun to reap thebenefits. Although exploring and exploiting the ruralIndia came with its own share of challenges. Fromthe perspective of companies these challenges can beunderstood better in terms of marketing mix:product, price, place and promotion or morespecifically, in context of rural marketing mix;

acceptability, affordability, availability and awareness.According to Pradeep Kashyap, known as the fatherof rural marketing in India and founder of MART(India's leading rural consultancy organization), thephysical distribution of products continues to posean immense challenge to marketers because reaching7.8 million retail outlets spread across 600,000villages and feeding a retail network of village shopsis a distribution nightmare.

Bharat Nirman, a time bound business planfor action in rural infrastructure proposed action inthe areas of irrigation, roads and bridges, ruralhousing, rural water supply, rural electrification andtelecommunication facility. Apart from these aspectsrelated to infrastructure development, the changingface of retail formats in rural areas also signifiesinfrastructure development; directly or indirectly;indirectly because in order to increase and improvethe reach to rural areas, government and corporate,in partnership or otherwise support thedevelopment of infrastructure by building roads andimproving railroad access or through coming up withcold storages or warehouses and ensuring consistentsupply of power etc.

Long-term programs and projects like BharatNirman, MGNREGA and NRHM have brought apromise of sustainable and social development ofrural India, bringing rural markets to the centre-stage of the corporate world (Kashyap, 2012).

A few corporate giants like ITC, Godrej, TATA,DCM Shriram etc have taken an initiative that isleading to emergence of modern (organized) retail inrural India. The increase in average rural shop size isalso indicative of the fact (Table 1). With theincreasing footprint of big companies in rural India,the impact is also visible in development of relatedinfrastructure.

Table 1: Rural shop sizeSize (in sq ft) Year

1999-2000 2008Up to 100 71 53101-250 25 37>250 4 10

Source: A.C. Nielsen Shop Census 1999/2000; RMAI2008


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Some of the initiatives that have broughtabout a marked change and signify the transition ofrural markets from conventional to contemporaryretail formats are briefly discussed:

Murugappa Mana Gromor Stores ITC Choupal Saagar TATA Kisan Sansar Godrej Aadhaar DSCL Hariyali Kisaan Bazaar

Murugappa Group Mana Gromor StoresCoromandel International Limited, a part of

the INR 225 billion Murugappa Group took aninitiative and opened two modern stores in ruralAndhra Pradesh in the year 2007. Unlikeconventional small retail formats that offered alimited assortment, these stores offered more thanminerals, fertilizers and seeds etc. The storesprovided expert guidance to the farmers on adoptingright practices, crop diagnosis, soil testing and othermeasures to increase the yield.

ITC Choupal SaagarITC's Choupal Saagar is one of the first retail

ventures in rural India that followed after the successof e-Choupal. Choupal Saagar is a physicalinfrastructure hub that comprises collection andstorage facilities and a unique rural hypermarket thatoffers multiple services under one roof. The mallhaving shopping area of about 7000 square feet(which is quite small for a mall if compared to theurban areas) offers attractive merchandise displayedin open shelves. The premise has high ceiling as thebuilding is a warehouse for storing the farm producethat the company buys through its popular e-choupals.

Tata Kisan Sansar (TKS)Tata Kisan Sansar, an initiative of Tata

Chemicals, came in to being with the objective ofempowering and supporting the Indian farmer andcommunity in creating more value for their produce.TKS follows a hub and spoke model. TKS centers arefranchised retail outlets and each centre caters to

about 30-40 villages in the vicinity.Apart from providing generic as well as store

brands of fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, cattle feed andfarm implements, TKS provides services relating tosoil and water testing, contract farming, seedproduction and application and advisory services.

Godrej AadharAdhaar, a joint venture between the Future

Group and Godrej Agrovet Ltd, focuses on retaildistribution of agricultural and consumer productsfor personal and household use in rural and semi-urban areas. It is positioned as a supermarket andhas a presence in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab andHaryana. Adhaar offers more than 1500 stockkeeping units (SKUs) across broad product lines likeprocessed food, personal care, general .merchandiseand appliances etc.

DSCL Hariyali Kisaan Bazaar (HKB)DCM Shriram Consolidated Lmited (DSCL), a

rural retail business initiative was established tocreate a long term relationship with the farmers andestablishing one-stop-shop for catering to theirneeds. HKB is by far the largest rural retail chain inIndia and caters to the household as well as theagricultural needs of the people living in semi-urbanand rural areas. The products and services offered bythe company include FMCGs, households, fooditems, grocery, apparel, personal care durables, agri-inputs, financial services, fuel, agri-advisory servicesand output linkages. A range of agricultural productsare also available on the shelves of HKB stores:seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, farm implements,veterinary and irrigation items etc. HKB can beconsidered as an important and instrumental link inretail value chain.

The Government of India understands this isthe need of the hour and building infrastructures inrural India will ensure inclusive growth. The retailventures such as discussed above have not onlygarnered government's support in terms ofimproving infrastructure but has also paved the wayfor private public partnership.


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Ten years from now, the landscape of ruralretail in India will change considerably and with it,the habitat that will strongly support it, that is, therural infrastructure with marked improvement inroads, railroads and bridges, power supply,electricity, cold stores and warehouses, housing,water resources and telecommunication etc. The twoare related.

TOXICITY CAUSED BY PESTICIDESAgriculture is the single largest sector of India

that provides the principal means of livelihood forover 58.4% of country's population. It contributesapproximately one-fifth of the total gross domesticproduct (GDP). Agriculture accounts for about 10%of the total export earnings and provides rawmaterial to a large number of industries, however,low and volatile growth rates and the recentescalation of agrarian crisis in several parts of theIndian countryside are a threat not only to nationalfood security but also to economic well-being of thenation as a whole. To satisfy the growing demand offruits and vegetables, farmers in the country utilizepesticides to boost production and to prevent insect-pests and diseases, which pose great threats tovegetable and fruit production. It has also beenreported that pesticides are commonly used onperiodic basis throughout the growing season at veryhigh concentration. Such a use of pesticides duringproduction often leads to the presence of pesticideresidues in fruits and vegetables after harvest. Inaddition, the usage of these chemicals hasoccasionally been accompanied by serious risks toboth human health and the environment because oftheir toxic potential, high persistence, bio-concentration, and especially, due to their non-specifictoxicity. Some of the pesticides are persistent,and hence, they remain in the body causing longexposure.

Pesticide residuesPesticides residues have been defined as any

specified substance in food, agriculturalcommodities, animal feed, soil, or water, resulting

from the use of pesticide. The term includes anyderivatives of a pesticide such as conversionproducts, metabolites, reaction products andimpurities that are of toxicological significance.

Monitoring of Pesticide ResiduesThe aim of these programs, i.e., pesticide

monitoring, is just to ensure that the pesticideresidues do not exceed maximum residue level(MRLs) in fruits and vegetables allowed by thegovernment and no misuse of pesticides that couldresult in unexpected residues in food and that thegood agricultural practices (GAP) are beingmaintained. For monitoring studies in the generalsurvey, all the samples are monitored for residues forall the applied pesticides. The results of thesemonitoring programmes are used for futuredevelopment in setting MRLs and risk assessmentexercises for public health.

Maximum Residue LimitTo regulate the pesticides residues in food to

a safe level, a concept was introduced by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives in 1955,and Codex Alimentarius Commission wasestablished in 1964. The maximum residue limit(MRL) is the utmost concentration for a pesticideresidue on crop or food commodity resulting fromthe use of pesticides according to good agriculturalpractice. The concentration is expressed in milligramof pesticide residues per kilogram of the commodity(mg kg-1/ug g-1/ppm).

Pesticides in EnvironmentThe environmental impact of pesticides is

often greater than what is intended by those whouse them. Pesticides can reach a destination otherthan their target species, including non-target speciesand contaminate soil, water, turf and othervegetation. Although there can be benefits of usingpesticides, but in addition to killing insects and weeds,they can be toxic to a host of other organismsincluding birds, fish, beneficial insects and non-targetplants. Insecticides are generally the most acutelytoxic class of pesticides but herbicides can also poserisks to non-target organisms.


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Pesticides in Human bodyThey can enter the human body through

various modes like inhalation of aerosols, dust andvapor that the pesticides contain, via oral exposureby consuming food and water and through dermalexposure by direct contact of pesticides with skin.The pesticides sprayed on the food, especially fruitsand vegetables, can leach down into soils andgroundwater, and can mix up with drinking water.Pesticide spray can drift and pollute the air.

The effects of pesticides on human health aremore harmful based on the toxicity of chemical andthe length and magnitude of exposure. Not only farmworkers and their families experience the greatestexposure to agricultural pesticides through directcontact with the chemicals but also every humancontains a percentage of pesticides in their body andchildren are comparatively more susceptible andsensitive to pesticides since they are still developingand have a weaker immune system than the adultsdo. Children may also be exposed to pesticides due

to their closer proximity to f loor and naturaltendency to put contaminated objects in theirmouth, and also because, the children tend to spendmore time at home in a potentially contaminatedenvironment.

Exposure to pesticides can cause mild skinirritation, birth defects, tumors, genetic changes,blood and nerve disorders, endocrine disruption andeven coma or death. The developmental effects havebeen associated with pesticides. Recent increases inchildhood cancers, such as leukemia, throughoutNorth America may be the result of genotoxic andnon-genotoxic pesticides due to somatic cellmutations. Insecticides targeted to disrupt insectscan have harmful effects on nervous systems of themammals because of basic similarities in their systemstructure. Both chronic and acute alterations havebeen observed in those who are exposed topesticides. Pesticides can act in the promotion andproliferation of cancer while causing hormoneimbalance.

Effects of PesticidesThe health effects of pesticides may be acute

or delayed in workers who are exposed to pesticides.

Acute effectsA large number of reports are available on

acute effects associated with occupational exposureto pesticides. These exposures may be accidental,occupational, or intentional. A review on

unintentional pesticide poisoning in 35 countries hasbeen already published.

The acute health problems, such as dizziness,headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, as wellas skin and eye problems, skin conditions, seizures,coma and even death may occur in workers thathandle pesticides. Mild to moderate pesticidepoisoning mimics intrinsic bronchitis, asthma, andgastroenritis.

Table 1: Factors influencing skin absorption of pesticidesSkin Characteristics Sores and abrasion

Wetness of skinLocation on the body (absorption occurs readily though eyes andlips for example) and vascularization

Environmental factors Temperature and humidityPesticide characteristics Acidity (pH)

VehiclePhysical state (solid, liquid and gas)Concentration of active ingredient


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Long-term Health EffectsNeurological problems: Strong evidence links

pesticide exposure to worsened neurologicaloutcomes. The risk of developing Parkinson's diseaseis 70% greater in those exposed to even low levels ofpesticides. People with Parkinson's were 61% morelikely to report direct pesticide application.

Fertility: A number of pesticides like2, 4-D anddibromochlorophane has been associated withimpaired fertility in males.

Reproductive effects: Pesticides, lethal todividing cells of genitalia, may cause abnormalities insperms leading to decrease their ability forfertilization. On the other hand, the ova becomedefective and not able to implant on the uterinesurface, leading to early abortion or miscarriage.

Hormone disruption: Some substances causephysical birth defects and others can cause subtlehormonal effects on the developing fetus or canaffect a child's functional capacities. Hormonedisrupters have been linked to many health problemsincluding reproductive cancers. The drugdiethylstilbestrol (DES), which was given to pregnantwomen to prevent miscarriage between 1941 and1971 worked as an endocrine disrupting chemical onthe developingfetus. Decades later, many of theseDES exposed daughters developed cervical cancer.Twenty-four pesticides still in the market, including2, 4-D, lindane and atrazine, are known endocrine-disrupters.

Steroid hormones, such as oestrogens,androgens (e.g., testosterone) and progesterone, arecrucial for primary sex determination, foetaldevelopment and acquisition and maintenance ofsecondary sexual characteristics in adults. Chemicals,including many pesticides, with similar structures tothese hormones can interfere with their function andlead to a, variety of developmental and reproductiveanomalies.

Alternatives to pesticidesAlternatives to pesticides are available and

include methods of cultivation, use of biological pestcontrols (such as pheromones and microbialpesticides), genetic engineering and methods ofinterfering with insect breeding. Application ofcomposted yard waste has also been used as a wayof controlling pests. These methods are becomingincreasingly popular and are often safer thantraditional chemical pesticides. In addition,Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is registeringreduced-risk conventional pesticides in increasingnumbers.

In India, traditional pest control methodsinclude Panchakavya (the mixture of 5 products). Themethod has recently experienced resurgence inpopularity due in part to use by the organic farmingcommunity.

Table 2: Classification of pesticides according to degree of hazard to human beingsLD50 (rat) (mg kg-1 of body weight)a

Hazard Class Oral DermalSolidb Liquidb Solidb Liquidb

I(a) Extremely Hazardous 5 or less 20 or less 10 or less 40 or lessI(b) Highly Hazardous 5-50 20-200 10-100 40-400II Moderately Hazardous 50-500 200-2000 100-1000 400-4000III Slightly Hazardous Over 500 Over 2000 Over 1000 Over 4000(a) A dosage of 5 mg kg'1 of body weight is equal to a few drops ingested or a splash in the eye, 5-50 mg

kg-1 of body weight up to one teaspoonful and 50-500 mg kg-1 of body weight corresponds up totwo teaspoonfuls.

(b) The terms Solid and Liquid refer to the physical state of the product or formulation being classified.


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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INTERIMBUDGET 2014-15

Fiscal deficit for current fiscal to be 4.6% Revenue deficit estimated at 3% for current

fiscal 140m people lifted out of poverty in last 10

years Rs 6000 crore to rural housing fund, Rs 2000

crore for urban housing fund Minority bank accounts have swelled to

43,53,000 by 2013-14 from 14,15,000 bankaccounts 10 years ago

Rs 3711 crore for minority affairs; housingand urban poverty alleviation gets Rs 6000crore

Panchayati raj ministry gets Rs 7000 crore Foodgrain production estimated at 263

million tons in 2013-14 Expenditure on education has risen from Rs

10,145 crore 10 years ago to Rs 79,251 crorethis year

Average growth under UPA-I was 8.4 per centand UPA-II 6.6 per cent

Rs 2,46,397 crore allocated for food, fertilizerand fuel subsidy

Food subsidy will be Rs 1,15,000 crore forimplementation of National Food SecurityAct.

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