The release of the Social Progress Index (SPI) has come as a reality check for India. By giving us the 101th position among 133 countries rated on indicators of well-being, it has shattered our illusions about our place in the comity of nations and disqualified us from staking any claim to the status of an emerging superpower.

It is poor consolation that there a 32 other countries below India in ranking on social indicators. Thanks to the SPI, we awaken to the fact that lop-sided economic growth is not the same as social progress measured in terms of nutrition, water and sanitation, shelter, health and wellness, personal safety, rights and freedom, access to education and IT, eco-system sustainability and tolerance and inclusion.

An overwhelming majority of the masses still do not have the basic necessities of life to lead a decent life. At the lowest end of the social scale life is a constant struggle to get enough to eat.

The principal reason why India remains at the bottom of the SPI ratings is the bane of caste hierarchy and the consequent denial of resources and opportunities to the lower castes.

In India, the ‘annihilation of caste’ is the key to social progress. For any tangible improvement to happen on the ground, the Dalits and other impoverished people must become the central focus of policy-making.

G David Milton

Maruthancode, Kanyakumari

Signals non-inclusive growth

Our ranking on social parameters is a matter of concern, given that countries with low GDP fared better on water, shelter and sanitation. This serves as a firm indicator of non-inclusive growth, lack of equal opportunities and skewed government and bank policies, which under the garb of development propitiates corporates and empowers the educated working class with economic muscle to cater to the demands of companies. How can a government be insensitive to a shelterless woman sleeping on road?

Does it not amount to human right violation, when the government buys lands for industries but not for poor people, whose income for generations cannot buy a piece of land at prices determined by market.

Vikram Sundaramurthy

Alapakkam, Chennai

Not enough penalty

The verdict on the infamous Satyam corporate fraud case is finally out. The extent of punishment meted out to Ramalinga Raju and his aides appears to be largely inadequate considering the volume of financial scam and its ramifications to a large section of investors who merely trusted him. The punishment of just seven years is grossly insufficient. The details of the convicted and the crime, listed out against each and every 10 individuals speaks volumes on all aspects of financial administrative manipulations. Thus, the word fraud can be described as financial risk around an unguarded deal.

It is a mystery that how nearly a dozen people of the same wave length of mind came together to facilitate a financial fraud to the extent of ₹7,000 crore.

RS Raghavan

Bengaluru

Tech to boost banking

The bankers’ body is reportedly considering granting every second and fourth Saturday of the month a bank holiday by keeping other Saturdays in a month full working days. Banking is a service-oriented industry that touches the lives of several millions almost at every point of time. Right from the time banks were nationalised in 1969, the industry has evolved itself very well and the sweeping pace at which it has developed is difficult even to comprehend.

Today, banks’ have to come absorb technology to such an extent that they are able to offer host of banking services almost 24x7 and further. Technological advancements will make the customer not turn to banks at all for carrying on his financial transactions. Even the not-so-privileged have now access to branchless banking through interoperable point-of- sale machines, thanks to the Jan Dhan initiative of the new government. The move to consider every second and fourth Saturday of a month a bank holiday, therefore, is perfectly in tune with the changing times.

Srinivasan Umashankar

Nagpur

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