Hiv Film Reaction Paper Essay

The story unfolds to a freelance director of a documentary named Gil. He was tasked to document everything that covers HIV. His subjects were Heidi a prostitute, Ivy a call center agent and Vanessa a gay. So determined to finish the documentary, Gil finds no time for his girlfriend. Most of his time was spent working on the documentary. He didn’t have a hard time convincing the three to be his subjects since he tells them that they are a great help to those who needed to be informed about the disease. But as they go through shooting and editing, Heidi died, Ivy gave up and Vanessa got into trouble. Adel asked Gil why he is really so desperate to finish the documentary and why it seemed so important to him. Gil tries to keep the real reason that very hard moment. Until one day he was awakened to what Ivy has told him that she wants him to give voice to the victims of the disease then Gil ended up deciding to be just one of the subjects who would complete the story. He appeared on cam telling his audience that the documentary is about the story of the people who are trying to live despite having HIV and still sees hope. The story of Heidi, Ivy and Himself. The strong point of the film is really the screenplay which is in time and has an impact. The acting was established well since the actors suit to each of the character they portrayed. Also, it has a good cinematography. The shots and angles are just good enough to be able to leave a good impression to the audience. Seeing the film, every element is very good which leaves its audience a very positive reaction.

Personal Theory Paper Essay

Abstract As the main goal of Christian counseling is to facilitate change in order to help clients achieve emotional wholeness and prosper in the direction of spiritual maturity, the intent of this author is to outline the development of a personal counseling theory which will assist clients in meeting that goal. This theory utilizes aspects from the disciplines of psychology and spirituality, as well as integrates biblical concepts and theology without discounting the relevance of each. The work includes an examination of what is important for understanding human personality, such as motivation, human development, and individual differences. An investigation into where problems tend to develop is presented with conceptualizations of health and wellness, and psychological and spiritual illness. Additionally, the role of integration is discussed. Key elements of the author’s theory, along with techniques which guide the therapeutic process and a demonstration of their effectiveness are considered. Finally, the way in which the worldview of the author impacts her theory, along with her approach to integration of ideas and techniques from various authors and theories is presented. Personal Theory Paper Introduction As believers in Christ, individuals are promised an abundant life (John 10:10), peace beyond comprehension (Philippians 4:7), never-ending unconditional love (Jeremiah 31:3), and victory over the enemy (1 Corinthians 15:57). The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2014), defines victory as â€Å"the overcoming of an enemy or antagonist; and achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties.† There are people who continually fight the battle, yet remain defeated. Believed to be  appointed of the Lord to counsel (II Timothy 1:9), this author hopes to come alongside individuals and reveal the undiscovered aspects of God’s love; help them realize who they are in Christ, provide the tools for living and the weapons for the battle, point them to victory, and finally, be their greatest cheerleader throughout the process. To that end, the purpose of this writing is to provide a framework of Christian counseling which will assist clients in facil itating change in order to defeat the enemy and succeed in achieving emotional wholeness. Understanding Human Personality Personality Development and Structure Personality is a conglomeration of all beliefs, actions, temperament, and attitudes of the heart which make up the whole person. Ways in which a person uniquely reacts or responds to events in his/her life constitute the personality traits. Crabb (1977) describes the structure of the personality as consisting of the conscious and unconscious mind, the basic direction or heart of a person, the will, and the emotions; all of which work together as a unit – an indivisible whole. Hawkins (2101a) delineates the personality as a series of concentric circles which shape the total person; beginning with the core self, followed by the soul, the body, temporal systems (or outside influences), and finally supernatural systems. As one works to understand each concentric circle and how each impacts the personality, the counselor will better understand the sourcing of clients’ problems; inevitably helping them to take ownership of the problem and motivate them to change (Hawkins, 201 0a). An individual’s past is important in uncovering misbeliefs originating during childhood which may manifest as dysfunctional behaviors in adulthood (Backus & Chapian, 2000). Additionally, in order to better understand the inner workings of personality, one must seek to comprehend the ways clients are motivated to make core changes. Motivation to Change Avoiding the humanistic approach which would describe the personality as something which cannot be altered, this author remains convinced the basic personality is capable of change through the power of the Holy Spirit. Today’s modern Christians have all too often embraced the secular explanation for the ills of society, going so far as to affirm sin by agreeing with an excuse such as â€Å"I was born this way.† By embracing  personality traits which dishonor God, sin becomes easily sugar-coated and socially acceptable. On one hand, God is praised for His ability to transform lives and encourage conformity to His character, yet on the other hand the personality traits which do not measure up to the biblical standard are accepted as simply unique characteristics in today’s post-modern society where uniqueness is celebrated and all are encouraged to just â€Å"be themselves† and live life in any way they choose. Many Christians refuse to accept a problem ex ists. The Psalmist writes, â€Å"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting† (Psalms 139:23-24, NKJV). Dr. Larry Crabb (1977) is one of a number of Christian scholars who stands firm on God’s Word and shares a common belief that freedom from emotional pain and distress may be found within the pages of scripture as he states, â€Å"Do what God expects because He already has given you everything you need to live responsibly† (p. 140). Adams (1986) agrees with Crabb’s position as he explains if everyone chose to live responsibly according to the truths found in God’s Word, there would be no need for counseling, as all problems would be solvable on the basis of His Word. All legitimate forms of counseling should be based on scripture for in its pure form therein lies no need for improvement (Adams, 1986). This author would agree the assessment of counseling theories and practices should be held to a high biblical standard. Counselees should be encouraged to please God and not adopt the aforementioned post-modern mentality which permits one to behave in whichever way feels good at the time. Such behavior can only lead to emotional turmoil. Backus and Chapian (2000) admonish if individuals are serious about pleasing God, their behavior will be the exact opposite of what is expected. There is no need to go along with the deception brought about by the enemy which causes upheaval in the lives of those who choose to follow his lead. Freedom from the bondage which enslaves the minds of individuals can only be brought about by encountering the truth of the Word of God (Anderson, 2000). Those who do not embrace God’s Word as truth will spend their time seeking gratification of their needs rather than seeking a deeper relationship with God. Life is evaluated in terms of the rules of society and behavior is motivated to gratify self-centered needs (Cloud & Townsend, 1999). While the Christian may encounter deception and misbeliefs  (Anderson, 2000; Backus & Chapian, 2000), the desired choice would be to evaluate the situation within a framework based on biblical truths and exhibit behavior which is Christ-like in nature (Crabb, 1977). Theory of Human Development and Individual Differences â€Å"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made† (Psalms 139:13-14, NIV). Every individual possesses an understanding of the world and it is by this understanding a basis for autonomy within the world is sought after and developed. The process of development involves maturing along the journey and cultivating good spiritual habits. Frequently, the boundaries which guide behavior are for self-preservation (Cloud & Townsend, 1999). When behavior includes positive choices and patterns of relating which embrace biblical principles, such as treating others with the love and respect with which God intended, a â€Å"healthy, balanced interdependence† (Wilson, 2001, p. 246) is achieved. Recognition of the importance of first becoming a complete individual is critical in order for the healthy interdependence to occur. Completion and maturity cannot occur simply by an act of will, for individuals are unable to change in and of themselves (Cloud & Townsend, 1999). Therefore, by allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to direct the life-shaping choices throughout the process of development, a better sense of emotional and spiritual health may be achieved: â€Å"But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil† (Hebrews 5:14, NKJV). The job of a counselor is to assist the client in progressing toward a healthy, mature balance of emotional and spiritual health. Where are Problems Developed? Health and Wellness Two scriptures which come to mind when considering health and wellness include: â€Å"My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you† (Proverbs 3:1-2, ESV); and, â€Å"The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short† (Proverbs 10:27, NIV). Problems begin when clients neglect to heed the teachings in the Word of God. Hart (1999) states â€Å"many are falling into stress disease† (p. 4) and  proposes the possibility exists to create tranquility in the midst of the chaos and anxiety which presents in today’s world. Changing thought processes and taking time to care for the physical body through rest, not only will benefit the mind and body, but also impacts relationships and spirituality (Hart, 1999). Likewise, Backus and Chapian (2000) posit changing thoughts will change the biochemistry of the brain; the actual chemical comp osition of the cells within the brain and central nervous system. The goal of counseling would be to insure clients achieve good health; not just physically, but emotionally. And not just for themselves, but for others with whom they are involved relationally. Wilson (2001) stressed the importance of recognizing the way in which unhealed hurts affect how one responds to others; hurt people will hurt people. Illness Illness may be characterized by disorder, weakness, unsoundness, lacking strength, fragile infrastructure, abnormal functioning, harmful development, and finally, bondage or oppression of the body or mind. Illness does not just involve the body. The state of the mind lends itself to influence the physical body. Anderson (2000) writes, â€Å"But even modern medicine proclaims that the majority of people are sick for psychosomatic reasons† (p. 33). Counselors are primarily concerned with how illness may relate to and influence the state of the mind. Hart (1999) discusses several practical approaches to promote a state of well-being and reduce stress and anxiety: obtaining the proper amount of rest, consuming a healthy diet, getting plenty of exercise, and in some cases, taking medication. In fact, the least of which is medication. Hart (1999) cites an Australian study listing the percentage of people successfully treated for anxiety disorders. Some treatment options included sel f-awareness, meditation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, relaxation, psychotherapy, and medication. The relative effectiveness of the listed treatments indicated prescribed medication as having the lowest percentage at only 16%, compared to self-awareness reported as 95% effective (Hart, 1999). The information contained in the study supports this author’s belief that â€Å"as a man thinks within himself, so he is† (Proverbs, 23:7). In other words, often our physical and mental state is a product of our thoughts. Psychological and spiritual illness. Wilson (2001) states, â€Å"According to Jesus, no one is in perfect spiritual health†Ã‚  (p. 183). In fact, Backus and Chapian (2000) give an example of a client who spent considerable time exhibiting signs of physical illness, yet the reason for her illness was not caused by anything physiological. Her problem involved the psychological and spiritual. Backus and Chapian (2000) go on to emphasize, â€Å"The term anxiety covers a large number of behaviors, including cognitive activity†¦as well as physiological events† (p.72). An entire chapter of The Anxiety Cure is devoted to the connection between anxiety and depression (Hart, 2001). Anderson (2000) describes those who suffer not just with physical sickness but with psychological conditions as a result of satanic bondage; stating when one lives in a constant state of anxiety, a person is unable to concentrate on anything other than all-consuming fear. There remains no provision in the physical, mental, or emotional realm to focus on anything else. Similarly, Hawkins (2010a) is thorough in his explanation of concentric circles to include the supernatural realm. When counseling clients living in spiritual bondage, the words of Isaiah may be of tremendous comfort: â€Å"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you† (Isaiah 26:3, NKJV). Counselees may be encouraged to cease sinful practices which cause the enemy to obtain a foothold in their lives. Correspondingly, the spiritual health which may be proclaimed by some is partial and relative when measured by the absolute standard of what is seen in the Word of God (Wilson, 2001). Therefore, encouraging clients to trust in God and conform to the principles found in the Bible will produce a life less plagued by psychological and spiritual illness. Role of Integration and Multitasking As a Christian counselor, learning to integrate psychological, spiritual, and theological methods in the counseling arena is imperative. God’s Word specifically states, â€Å"Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ† (Colossians 2:8, NKJV). General revelation must be placed under the evaluative scrutiny of God’s Word (Hawkins, 2010b). As Christian counselors ultimately are held accountable to the truth of God’s Word, great care must be taken to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide in the process of integration in order to rightly discern the truth. Hawkins (2010b) discusses the probability of uncovering  God’s truth within the work of scientists and scholars when he describes â€Å"unveiled truth† as â€Å"God’s truth.† The importance and role of multitasking is outlined in detail by Crabb (1977) when he describes four approaches of integration: Separate but Equal (a method of keeping psychology and theology completely separate), Tossed Salad (a method of blending them together), Nothing Buttery, (the complete disregard of psychology), and Spoiling the Egyptians (the method of profiting from psychology by carefully screening concepts to insure the compatibility with Christian presuppositions). Paul’s letter to Timothy reads, â€Å"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work† (II Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV). Additionally, Paul wrote to Titus, In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. (Titus, 2:7-8, NKJV) Therefore, when seeking to evaluate clients’ problems, the ability to multitask must focus on theological truth as the cornerstone, while integrating psychology and spirituality in order to obtain a healthy balance which may best be incorporated into the treatment plan. Sourcing Problems and Structuring Effective Intervention Key Elements of Theory This theory of counseling incorporates an integrative methodology which has as its base the primary purpose to restore to clients’ lives the truth of God’s Word and the influence of the Holy Spirit. Hawkins (2010a) stressed the spiritual strategy of placing emphasis on the restoration of Imago Dei. Likewise, this counselor recognizes the importance of structuring a counseling model around an application of disciplines which incorporate Christian values within the core of individuals; the place where the greatest influence of the Holy Spirit takes place, where the greatest impact on cognitive behavior is felt, and the place where the characteristics of the human personality are developed and subjected to purposeful change. The Word of God states, â€Å"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free† (John 8:32, NKJV). There exists a freedom in Christ unlike  anything secular truths may offer. Belief in something causes actions which reflect that belief, therefore, â€Å"beliefs and misbeliefs are the most important factors of your mental and emotional life† (Backus & Chapian, 2000, p. 16). The goal remains to teach clients how to exchange thoughts which are deeply rooted in misbelief with truths found in God’s Word by combining the strengths of cognitive-behavior therapy, as well as other empirically-supported psychological disciplines, without diminishing the strengths of those disciplines. Process and Techniques Motivating effective change can only be accomplished when the counselor is living by example; hiding the Word of God in her heart and mind. Therefore, it is paramount the counselor is free from anything which may plague the mind and cause bondage. To encourage a client to prosper in the direction of spiritual change, the counselor must first focus on the process in her own life as well. Additionally, the therapeutic relationship in counseling is critical. Therefore, creating an atmosphere in which clients encounter an empathetic, listening ear; where they know they are accepted with the unconditional love modeled by Christ and exempt from the threat of judgment; will go far in allowing mutual trust to be established. It is only in an environment of trust that a client will open up and disclose things affecting their lives while allowing the freedom to examine thoughts in their minds in hopes of motivating change (Crabb, 1977). This future counselor believes every battle is won or los t in the mind. Going back to the biblical example of Joshua and Caleb, in one of the most heartbreaking stories of the Old Testament, the Israelites sought to enter the Promised Land and were filled with fear upon eyeing the giants of the land; â€Å"†¦we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight† (Numbers 13:33b, NKJV). Because of their misbelief, they were unable to fulfill God’s call and were made to continue to wander in the wilderness until the next generation rose with boldness to take possession of the land. Joshua and Caleb had followed the instructions of God’s Word, had meditated on it day and night, and as a result became strong and courageous. There was no room in their minds for misbelief. Their actions were a sum total of their thoughts. The deepest, driving desire of their will, as it aligned with God’s truth, allowed them to complete the task and inherit God’s  promise. Adams (1986) argues teaching biblical principles is critical to immediate and lasting change. As a future counselor, this author plans to come alongside clients exhibiting the love of Christ bolstered by consistent prayer for the counselees. Joined together with hopes of being successful in encouraging them to identify incorrect assumptions, to support them as they exchange misbeliefs for truths, and to clarify biblical thinking – all of which will enable them to change and conform to the image of Christ (Adams, 1986; Crabb, 1977). As Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus: â€Å"†¦speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ† (Ephesians 4:15, NKJV). Expectations of Effectiveness If methods used in counseling are in line with God’s Word, change brought about as a result will be effective. Crabb (1977) states worshipping the Lord more fully and serving Him more effectively comes about as a result of solving problems in ways which cause one to be more like the Lord, or spiritually mature. A progression toward healthy relationships will be displayed as clients work toward the goal of spiritual and psychological maturity. The good news is that the Lord Himself promises to guide individuals along the way. Isaiah 48:17b reads: â€Å"I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go† (NIV). Crabb (1977) is adamant in his statement that the Lord will never allow a situation in life in which a believer is unable to respond biblically. Similarly, Adams (1986) explains as clients adopt pleasing God as their highest priority, changes made will have value before God and remain in effect. As counselors ente r into relationships with clients, trusting in clients’ ability to make themselves vulnerable before the Lord, desiring change and adopting a conforming nature toward the character of Christ, the Lord cannot help but bless (Jeremiah 29:11). The Influence of Worldview on Theory View of Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality The lens which is used to process and filter this author’s worldview is primarily a Christian lens. It exposes a theological biblical foundation, yet allows room for spirituality and psychology as well. There remains a strong belief to not incorporate any teachings or practices which would  prove to be out of accord with the teachings of the Word of God. Adams (1986) spoke well when he reminded the reader that long before the existence of psychology, Jesus Christ was named Wonderful Counselor. That is not to say psychology does not have a place in counseling, however, one must keep in the forefront of one’s mind the â€Å"depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God†¦of him, and through him, and to him, are all things† (Romans 11:33-35, KJV). Understanding comes from God, including the understanding He grants in the discipline of psychology. Therefore, one must take care not to simply induce superficial change in counselees. As psychology ma y supply wisdom to help clients modify behavior, the Christian counselor is responsible to help clients delve deeper; employing a substantial change of the heart – a change which is guided by the Holy Spirit (Adams, 1986). There is an inner life which is known only to God and oneself. In order to facilitate any outward change of any significance, one must seek to probe those deep places, allowing the Holy Spirit to work through the counselor to implement the changes which the Holy Spirit has promised to effect. Anything less would be inadequate and unbiblical (Adams, 1986). Approach to Integration As Christians, we are granted the capability through the Holy Spirit to know the truth in all things: psychology, theology, and spirituality. The anointing of the Holy Spirit which dwells in the believer, teaches concerning all things. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. (I John 2:27-28) Hawkins (2010b) described McMinn’s most effective pursuit toward psychological and spiritual health which involved three things: an accurate awareness of self, an accurate awareness of need, and healing relationships. In combining those three, and screening psychological concepts to determine compatibility with the presuppositions held by Christianity , Christian counselors can profit from secular psychology, provided unwanted elements which oppose truths found in God’s Word are discarded (Crabb, 1977). Conclusion The theory presented is careful to emphasize the importance of teaching the truth of the Word of God. By multitasking, or integrating psychological theories, as well as some aspects of spirituality, it is this author’s belief that the process of substantial, biblical, effective change is attainable for clients. The process of change must begin in the heart of the counselor and then reach out to encourage change in the hearts and lives of counselees. The emphasis must be on the word, â€Å"process.† As Paul writes, may each one â€Å"press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus† (Philippians 3:17, KJV). The hope of this future counselor is not only will counselees be moved to change to effect better mental health, but also will be moved to change to embrace the hope and healing which comes from a life which glorifies God. References Adams, J. E. (1986). How to help people change: The four-step biblical process. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Anderson, N. T. (2000). The bondage breaker. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers. Backus, W., & Chapian, M. (2000). Telling yourself the truth. Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers. Cloud, H., & Townsend, J. (1999). Boundaries in marriage. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Crabb, L. (1977). Effective biblical counseling. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Hart, A. D. (1999). The anxiety cure: You can find emotional tranquility and wholeness. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Hawkins, R. (2010a). Hawkins’ model for guiding the counseling process. Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University. Hawkins, R. (2010b). Introduction, McMinn, and multi-tasking. Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University. Victory. (2014). In The Merriam-Webster dictionary. Retrieved September 25, 2014 from http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary Wilson, S. D. (2001). Hurt people hurt people: Hope and healing for yourself and your relationships. Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers.

Pharmacology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Pharmacology - Assignment Example Activated tyrosine kinase in turn activates the signalling pathways such as protein kinase C pathway, Scaffolding proteins, Ras/Raf mitogen – activated protein kinase pathway, and phosphoinositol 3’ – kinase/Akt pathway (Arora and Scholar, 2005). These activated pathways alter the DNA synthesis along with cell growth, differentiation, and others. Almost all the TKI have side effects. The common side effects of TKI are anaemia, neutropenia, oedema, thrombopenia, hypothyroidism, diarrhoea, and vomiting (Hartmann et al., 2009). At the same time, TKI molecules are now approved for clinical trials in human. TKI application for cancer treatment in dogs and cats was approved earlier, with TKI drugs such as Palladia (Toceranid), Gleevec (imatinid) and Kinavet (mastinib) (London, 2009). Before conducting the safety pharmacology tests, the regulatory guidelines for testing the undesirable pharmacodynamics effects on physiological functions should be focused. This is because, in the early phase pharmacology studies, all risk factors can be found out and eliminated. TKI are found to have adverse cardiovascular effects. So, when testing TKI in dogs and cats, telemetry has to be used for the continuous monitoring of systemic arterial pressure and chronotropic effects. The pharmacodynamic effects of TKI can be determined in the organs using tumor specimens. Surrogate marker can be used as an alternative approach. These tissues act as human models and TKI effect on these tissues reveals the potential effects of TKI molecules. (Kufe et al., 2003). These pharmacological screening methods enable the scientists to find out the adverse effects of TKI, and facilitate them to come up with ways on how the programme should be modified for human safety. The effect of the drug in or gan function, and importantly the relevance of its potential in humans

Group assignment for bussiness information system

Group for bussiness information system - Assignment Example This shows that the percentage of sales during the promotional sales period is 70.92% which is very high and therefore it indicates that the promotional sales campaigns offered by the cafà © have been very successful. Moreover, the data reveal that the best products sold throughout in the data include the music CDs, bread and coffee. Revenues generated from CDs were equal to $776,813.17. The value of total sales from selling bread were $27,560.59 and there were 3,271 breads sold by the cafà ©. Moreover, after selling 2,495 coffees the cafà © has been able to accumulate $112,354 as revenues. After analyzing the data it has been found that the month of March is the best month for The Broadway Cafà ©. The total sales that have been report by the cafà © in the month of March have a value of $575,843.30. However, this figure does not include the return or refund sales which have a value of $6,504.20. Therefore the net sales or revenues generated from the month of March were equal to $569,339.10. This shows that the percentage of total sales in the month of March is equal to 28% of the total sales. Moreover, the least transaction occurred in the month of September. There have been several problems in the data and therefore these problems could influence the findings presented in the report. For instance, there have been several entries missing in the data and if these entries are recorded appropriately then the findings could have been changed. For instance, as it has been found that the month of March has the highest sales, and September has the lowest sales but what if several transactions for the month of September are missed. Therefore, these issues could influence the findings of the data and thus the analysis that has been based on the missing data can be changed. Moreover, there are certain mistakes or data entered seems to be inaccurate as customer number 6541 purchased coffee of $1,549 in the first month of year 2005 which clearly seems

Parenting a Genius Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Parenting a Genius - Essay Example However, there are rare situations wherein the gift is a clear portrayal of superb talent at an early age. It does not only manifest as a mere potential because it enormously exceeds being above average. Hence, a gift becomes a miracle because it appears innate and needs less effort for its development. People argue that if all are given potentials, why do some individuals fail to develop their talents? The answer lies in the fact that while all people are bestowed with capabilities, not all have the passion for the enhancement of these capabilities. Talent and passion come hand in hand. Passion is the fuel that can nourish one’s talent. It is noteworthy, that there is a thin line that separates passion from talent. One may develop interest in an area which is far from his potentials. The stimulation of this passion is the key role that one’s environment plays. The surroundings contribute highly to a person’s development. One essential component of this environme nt is home, which includes the parents. Parents are primary caregivers and the ones mainly responsible for igniting a child’s passion. A harmonious parent-child relationship fosters positive environment. The resulting positivity at home is an atmosphere conducive for refinement of a child’s talents. ... It is his empathic nature that compelled him to choose not to win. The subliminal message of innocence and conscience transcends into the viewers. The film also contains a brief comparison of how a father and mother view their child. The father is eager for achievement like winning, while the mother is unconditional and focuses on his son’s feelings. In a heated argument, the mother is willing to take away her son for the sake of the latter’s freedom. Although, the difference between a father’s and a mother’s love cannot be generalized, it touches the fact that family dispute is unsuitable for a positive parent-child relationship. This, in turn, leads audience back to the realization that home is a key factor in the development of a person’s character. It is a common trend when a family’s passion is into music that the children become inclined to music as well. This is the case for David Helfgott, an Australian pianist, to whom the 1996 film Shine centered upon. Director Hicks made an effort to bring Helfgott to the audience through the exploration of the deep core and complexity of the human character. It is with Helfgott’s father, that we came to realize that parents are human beings too - imperfect and vulnerable to egotistical mechanisms. Amidst these parental flaws, what is more important is the parents’ ability to overcome such temptations. In the film Shine, the father tries associating his past through imposing tension upon his son. Helfgott’s father creates an authoritative ambiance which seemed to be suffocating. As a consequence, Helfgott entangled himself with the pursuit of freedom which ultimately led to an emotional collapse. The mental breakdown of Helfgott opened the viewers’

Random house Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Random house - Assignment Example On their part, publishers can exercise their bargaining powers by becoming the largest players in the industry through, for example, mergers and acquisitions (Bickert et al 4). Competitive rivalry is manifested by the presence of numerous publishers offering diverse products. Consolidation in book publishing affords a publisher more presence in both local and international markets, enabling them to reach a wider and more diverse market. For example, following consolidation with a publisher that focuses on a particular language or of area of interest, the parent company will be able to bring the market targeted by its new merger or acquisition into its profitable operations (Bickert et al 5). Based on the operations, for example, of a publisher that targets a Spanish-speaking market, the benefits can be considerably large, since the Spanish-speaking market is wide-spread. Another example of a large benefit would be consolidation with a publisher that targets the Chinese market, where 51 percent of citizens in China live in cities with stable consumption of education in the form of published books. Random House’s five elements of strategy included digitalization; internationalization; mergers and acquisitions; strengthening of the core business; and responding to the shifting consumption of media (Bickert et al 5). Digitalization would ensure that they conform to the emerging trend of online reading and, hence remain relevant in the industry. Internationalization was meant to reach a wider, global market while mergers and acquisitions would facilitate the internationalization strategy. Strengthening of the core business meant that the existing assets for example the 20-meter high warehouse, would continue being in use while responding to shifting media use meant the publisher would serve emerging markets as well. The main benefits Random House draws from being part of a corporate parent like Bertelsmann is that it operates

China and Globalization Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

China and Globalization - Assignment Example United States recent tours in the Middle East were aimed at eliminating tariff and the creation of free trade zones through expansive trade networks agreements (Hao, 13). Additionally, in the globalization age, the two nation’s relations have enabled strong interdependent economic relationships that exist as the debtor-creditor and importer-exporter between China and the United States. These aspects have significantly enabled the two nations to resort and caution to trade diplomacy instead of engaging in military threats and retaliatory competition to resolve differences. On its part, the Chinese government has been on a mission to construct new relationship type with the big powers across the globe (Hao, 13). Currently, Eastern Asia has become a priority for the USA government after the preoccupation with terrorism decade. To date, things have changed especially with China becoming an economic, military and a technological powerhouse after the United States. These aspects are heavily posing various challenges to the U.S government. They are also raising strategic stakes for U.S government (Hao, 13). Additionally, the China government is fielding nuclear forces of the second generation an aspect that can overwhelm the United States of America missile defenses. These aspects can also strike the U.S. Alternatively, the China government is on a mission to develop computer networks and attack satellites, which the United States security and prosperity depend. In doing all these, the United States of America tends to be increasingly vulnerable to attacks from the Eastern Asia (Hao, 17). Both People’s Republic of China and the United States of America government have the wherewithal in maintaining strategic nuclear forces and the development of cyber-war capabilities and anti-satellite abilities. The two nations are eying each other’s motivation, which generally

Case 2 Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

2 - Case Study Example The number of users also gives the area and the activities where the energy drink will be much needed. In the analysis, it was determined that the energy drink in the United States that is highly consumed is Pepsi-Cola. The company hence should develop a strategy to adequately compete the product. This requires a selected group to be targeted (Fang & Rogerson, 2007). When Andrew Baker need to decide on a product line involving introduction of the brand as a single serve package or a multi-pack, the consideration to be taken into place is the volume of consumption of the targeted group of consumers. In the choice, introducing all the packages will be appropriate since the target consumer market have several characteristic of consumers with different taste and preferences. The alternatives that are available are those of mix packages including, single serve, multi-pack with the package size being 8-16-n 24 ounces. The versions that are available are those of regular and sugar free and flavors of one and two. Provision of the wide range will enable the company penetrate the market as there is consideration of health and medication factors in the products through the different flavors and versions (Fang & Rogerson, 2007). The calculations for sales and positioning are made with consideration of the price and the group that consume the drink. Adults for instance between the age of 35 and 54 have a higher consumption that the other ages. The problem that occurs in the choice of channel is the appropriate channel that the company can take to use so that they are able to reach all the consumers. The company used both off-premises and on-premises retailers with the problem in the decision on the retailers to initially supply. In making the decisions, the company should supply all the off-premises retailers as they will build and expand the market that they have for

How to use social media to promote the business Essay

How to use social media to promote the business - Essay Example To gain important information about how social media will be applied to the marketing strategy of Tazaki Sushi restaurant, I included a question in the feedback catalogue about how the customers found out about the organization. An analysis of how competitors were using social media was also conducted based on their presence in existing social media platforms. Organizations that have successfully used social media to attract customers to their services have includes aspects such as creating fan page on Facebook, Twitting different aspects of their operations to customers, developing blogs and creating alert Google systems that give feedback on activities related the organization in different online avenues. Consequently, Tazaki Sushi restaurant should Tazaki Sushi restaurant adopt these measures to be able to improve its awareness which will translate into more customers especially since the restaurant has a reputation of offering high quality services. It is recommended that Tazaki Sushi restaurant should have regular update of its website as an important source of information for more current services offered by the organization. Increased presence in social media should also be accompanied by promotions and incentives to increase the level of activities carried out in these avenues. Tazaki Sushi is a Japanese restaurant located in Sunset area in San Francisco. The restaurant has good reputation by providing high quality service and reasonable price to its customers. Normally, repeat customers were a major source of business for the restaurant. However, the restaurant has not gained much recognition, not many people know about the restaurant except the repeat customers. Given the increased competition in the area of authentic traditional cuisine (Ebster and Guist 42), Tazaki Sushi should develop a practical solution to the

Fixed Costs Impact of The Optimal Level of Publisher Output Essay

Fixed Costs Impact of The Optimal Level of Publisher Output - Essay Example The essay "Fixed Costs Impact of The Optimal Level of Publisher Output" talks about the fixed costs and their effect on the optimal level of output in the context of the publisher. This is because as per the argument presented earlier, the optimizing level of the publisher output is at the point where Marginal Cost (MC) = Marginal Revenue (MR). Fixed costs have no impact at all on the profit maximizing output of the author. The earlier the author takes a simple percentage of retail prices. Fixed costs do not vary at all regardless of the variance in output. A variance in a firm’s fixed cost outlays has no impact upon the price levels for profit maximization. An example is a scenario where fixed costs are escalated and the impact observed on the price of profit-maximization is none as well as output. This is as long as that company remains in business. To offset rises in fixed costs, the firm’s management can do nothing at all. The reason is that fixed costs do not vary at all with a variance in output levels by definition. Thus, whether the business is booming or in a trough, fixed costs remain the same. The optimal condition MPl/Pl = MPk/Pk is mathematically derived in a case of optimization in a scenario of two outputs. These outputs are capital and labor. For the manufacturer to optimize production, they assume that the function of production Q is a function of both labor and capital as well as the fact that the costs to the firm are prices of the resources and fixed costs times the units of every factor employed.

Training in Banking Sector Essay Example for Free

Training in Banking Sector Essay Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify the training needs among employees of Public sector bank. In the current dynamic business environment training has become indispensable. The biggest challenge of human resource managers is to train the employees to produce desired results. In the cyclical process of training, training needs analysis is the first step which analyses the areas where training is essential. Total 100 respondents responded to the pre-tested questionnaire, for which Cronbach’s Alpha was calculated to confirm its reliability, which resulted in the score of 0. 860. The major findings and evaluation have been done by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).The findings can be used to design future competency based training programs. Keywords: Performance, Skills, Training, Training needs. I. Introduction The banking sector in the recent years has been undergoing intense structural and organizational changes, globally. The trend towards globalization of financial markets and services and deregulation of domestic banking systems has been the driving forces behind the drastic change in this sector. The Information technology era has enabled development of new financial instruments, decentralization of work and decision making responsibilities. The extensive competition, greater demand for providing better product and services, dynamic business environment prevailing in the commercial banking sector has increased more demand from employees in order to meet the requirements the above all has posed critical challenges for employees and HR managers in particular. Thus, training is no longer considered a casual phenomenon or holiday for a selected few; instead it ought to be a process of human resource development for fulfillment of defined objectives (Khandelwal, 1978). And to achieve the desired results transformation in the context and mechanism of training programs becomes indispensable (Lynton and Pareek, 1990).â€Å"Training† refers to a systematic approach to learning and development to improve individual, team, and organizational effective-ness (Goldstein Ford 2002). Denby (2010) explains that training helps to expand the scope of available skills within the workforce and improve expertise and adds enhancing the capabilities of the team supports retention. Every organization strives to achieve their objectives, and in banking sector the major goals include maximizing funds and improve the level of services. And the most desirable goal is to improve employee’ performance which results in overall organizational performance. In current scenario, to achieve sustainable competitive advantage, sustaining customers by delivering high quality service becomes essential. To achieve all the above mentioned objectives training the bank employees becomes vital. Every training program starts with an analysis of training needs. Identifying training needs of employees is considered to be an essential requirement to design an effective training program and it also contributes to the training strategy of an organization. II. Purpose And Importance Of Identifying Training Needs In the stages of the systematic training cycle, Identifying training needs and its analysis is the important first stage and following stages of the cycle are training design, training delivery and training evaluation respectively. Identifying training needs must be carefully planned, conducted and have clear outcomes to ensure that training interventions are implemented effectively and that they lead to meaningful changes in service delivery(Gould D, Kelly D, White I, 2010). Training can be considered successful only it is implemented to match and complement the business needs and objectives. The assessment begins with a needs which can be identified in several ways but is generally described as a gap between what is currently in place and what is needed, now and in the future. ). â€Å"The rationale for developing a training program relies heavily on identifying training needs, and justifying the costs and benefits to the organization. Without a clear understanding of needs, training efforts are at best randomly useful or at worst, useless. The trainer will only be successful and perceived as such to the extent that needs are carefully assessed, and programs developed and carried out that meet those needs† (Brown, 2002). Identifying the training needs serve as the key to cost effectiveness, and it also serve as valuable part of the development and growth of a business (Andy Taylor, 2009). Identifying and Analyzing training needs is a part of an ongoing cyclic process (Andrew Knowles, 2009) and also states that with clear understanding of what is to be achieved and some knowledge of organization itself, training needs analysis on staff can be performed within the organization to identify learning needs. In a very recent study Stanley (2010) states that common types of needs analysis focus on surveys, collecting questionnaires, data from supervisors, observing and formally or informally interviewing employees and analyzing employee’s performance tests and productivity reports. Thus, surveying, interviewing and testing the employees can help to determine the training needs and in this study we attempt to identify training needs of clerical staff employees of public sector banks through a well-constructed questionnaire. III. Review of Literature Human resource development is defined as ‘the process of increasing the capacity of the human resources through development. It is thus a pro cess of adding value to individuals, organization as a human system’ (Mclagan, 1989). Though all practices of personnel management results in development of human resources, but to prepare qualified, flexible, and well prepared employees training is considered as the central activity (Bartel, 1994). Training, in this regard, is seen as a very much useful among all human resource management practices for coping with ever increasing expectations of various facets of customers in retail banks. Noe (2009) states that training is a planned effort by a company to facilitate employees learning of job-related capabilities. These competencies include knowledge, skill, or behaviours that are critical for successful job performance. Donald Kirkpatrick (1994) classical model which has acquired wide acceptance over the years identifies four level of training evaluation; Level One – Reaction, Level Two – Learning, Level three – Behaviour and Level Four – Result. The training system comprises of inputs, process and outcomes (Ziderman, 1997). Training-related changes should result in im-proved job performance and other positive changes (e.g., acquisition of new skills; Hill Lent 2006, Satterfield Hughes 2007) that serve as antecedents of job performance (Kraiger 2002). Leigh, et al., (2000) stresses that assessing and analysing training needs is important because this builds the foundation by identifying the kinds of HRD intervention needed for an effective effort.â€Å"Analyzing training needs provides a focus and direction for the investment an organization has to make in its people† (Bartram Gibson, 1994). â€Å"Many businesses face the prospect of wasting valuable training budget because they do not know how to accurately identify what their internal needs are, and thus cannot design the most suitable training and enhancement program† (Denby, 2010).Success of training depends on positive attitude of the employees about participating in the training activities (Noe Colquitt, 2002). Additionally, Reid (1986) states â€Å"The quality of training can be no better than the quality that the analysis permits† IV. Objectives of the study The research objective of this study includes: * It collects and analyse the various views expressed by bank employees in favour of training needs. * Identification of degree to which employee’s need training on certain factors. * Examination of the differences in training needs between male and female employees. V. Study Hypothesis H1: There is an association between the Number of training programs attended by employees and their view that analytical skills require high degree of importance from the aspect of training. H1: There is statistically significant difference between the length of service of the respondents in the preference towards training on advanced computer skills, planning skills and perpetual skills respectively. VI. Methodology A pre tested questionnaire was administered to 100 public sector bank employees of clerical grade in Chennai, Tamilnadu .The response received from the employees through the questionnaire were analysed using simple percentage analysis, chi square test, one way ANOVA test and inter correlation analysis. VII. Results and analysis In relations to the objective of the study, questions in the questionnaire were designed to recognize to what degree the employees think the training program provided by the bank should focus on following factors ;Interpersonal skills, Oral communication skills, Written communication skills, Public speaking skills, Mentoring skills, Teaching/Training skills, Supervising skills, Leadership skills, Negotiating skills, Client service skills, Analytical/logical thinking skills, Creativity, Decision making, Planning skills, Administrative/Clerical skills, financial skills, Advanced Computer skills, Technological skills, Performing skills, Perceptual skills, Stress Management Skills. In the following analysis we use chi-square and one way ANOVA to prove the formulated hypothesis mentioned above.

Public administration Essay Example for Free

Public administration Essay ‘Ethics’ is a difficult term to define. The meaning, nature and scope of ethics have expanded in the course of time. ‘Ethics’ is integral to public administration. In public administration, ethics focuses on how the public administrator should question and reflect in order to be able to act responsibly. We cannot simply bifurcate the two by saying that ethics deals with morals and values, while public administration is about actions and decisions. Administering accountability and ethics is a difficult task. The 1 levels of ethics in governance are dependent on the social, economic, political, cultural, legal-judicial and historical contexts of the country. These specific factors influence ethics in public administrative systems. This Unit will discuss the meaning, evolution, foci and concerns of ethics. It will bring out the different dimensions of ethics and their relevance for public administration. The significance of an ethical code for administrators will be analysed and the nature of work ethics will be discussed. This Unit will also examine the obstacles to ethical accountability. 21. 2 ETHICS: MEANING AND RELEVANCE ‘Ethics’ is a system of accepted beliefs, mores and values, which influence human behaviour. More specifically, it is a system based on morals. Thus, ethics is the study of what is morally right, and what is not. The Latin origin of the word ‘ethics’ is ethicus that means character. Since the early 17th century, ‘ethics’ has been accepted as the â€Å"Science of morals; the rules of conduct, the science of human duty. † Hence, in common parlance, ethics is treated as moral principles that govern a person’s or a group’s behaviour. It includes both the science of the good and the nature of the right. The ethical concerns of governance have been underscored widely in Indian scriptures and other treatises such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagvad Gita, Buddha Charita, Arthashastra, Panchatantra, Manusmriti, Kural, Shukra Niti, Kadambari, Raja Tarangani, and Hitopadesh. At the same time, one cannot ignore the maxims on ethical governance provided by the Chinese philosophers such as Lao Tse, Confucius and Mencius. In the Western philosophy, there are three eminent schools of ethics. The first, inspired by Aristotle, holds that virtues (such as justice, charity and generosity) are dispositions to act in ways that benefit the possessor of these virtues and the society of which he is a part. The second, subscribed to mainly by Immanual Kant, makes the concept of duty central to morality: human beings are bound, from a knowledge of their duty as rational beings, to obey the categorical imperative to respect other rational beings with whom they interact. The third is the Utilitarian viewpoint that asserts that the guiding principle of conduct should be the greatest happiness (or benefit) of the greatest number (Hobson, 2002). The Western thought is full of ethical guidelines to rulers, whether in a monarchy or a democracy. These concerns are found in the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Penn, John Stuart Mill, Edmund Burke, and others. Rawl’s theory of justice revolves around the adaptation of two fundamental principles of justice, which would, in turn, guarantee a just and morally acceptable society. The first principle guarantees the right of each person to have the most extensive basic liberty compatible with liberty of others. The second principle states that social and economic positions are to be: (a) To everyone’s advantage, and (b) Open to all. A key issue for Rawls is to show how such principles would be universally adopted, and over here his work borders on general ethical issues. He introduces a theoretical ‘veil of ignorance’ in which all ‘players’ in the social game would be placed in a situation, which is called the ‘original position’. Having only a general knowledge about the facts of ‘life and society’ each player is to make a ‘rationally’ prudential choice concerning the kind of social institution they would enter into contract with. By denying the players any specific information about themselves it forces them to adopt a generalised point of view that bears a strong resemblance to the moral point of view. This view point revolves around moral conclusions can be reached without abandoning the prudential standpoint and posting a moral outlook merely by pursuing one’s own prudential reasoning under certain procedural bargaining. 2 The gist of wisdom on administrative ethics is that the public administrators are the â€Å"guardians† of the Administrative State. Hence, they are expected to honour public trust and not violate it. Two crucial questions raised in this context are â€Å"why should guardians be guarded? And â€Å"Who guards the guardian? † (Rosenbloom and Kravchuk, 2005). The administrators need to be guarded against their tendency to misconceive public interest, promote self-interest, indulge in corruption and cause subversion of national interest. And they need to be guarded by the external institutions such as the judiciary, legislature, political executive, media and civil society organisations. These various modes of control become instruments of accountability. 21. 3 EVOLUTION OF ETHICAL CONCERNS IN ADMINISTRATION It is essential to recognise that the discipline of Public Administration has been broadly influenced in the initial stages of its growth, by Political Science and the science of Management. While the philosophical premises of Public Administration were influenced primarily by Political Science, its technological facet was designed by Management Sciences. The early Political Science was taught as Moral Philosophy and Political Economy, while its current curriculum is the product of secular, practical, empirical and scientific tendencies of the past century. The American students of Political Science, in the early years of the last century, were dismayed at the inadequacies of the ethical approach in the Gilded Age. As a result of their interaction with the German universities and the influence on their thinking by scholars such as J. N Burgess, E. J. James, A. B Hart, A. L Lovell, and F. J Goodnow, they sought to recreate Political Science as a true science. They became increasingly interested in observing and analysing ‘actual governments’. Natural and Social Sciences substantially influenced their ideas and approaches. Later, Logical Positivism of the Austrian School influenced scholars such as Herbert Simon and thus there emerged a booming faith in developing a Science of Politics and a Science of Administration that would be able to `predict and control’ political and administrative life. As Dwight Waldo comments, the old belief that good government was the government of moral men was thus replaced by a morality that was irrelevant and that proper institutions and expert personnel were the determining factors in shaping good government. `The new amorality became almost a request for professional respect’. The eminence of Behaviouralism until the mid-1960s further marginalised the ethical issues in the study of Political Science and Public Administration. It was only after the advent of Post-behaviouralism in Political Science and of the accent on New Public Administration in Public Administration that the scientific methods of Behaviouralim and humanistic (read `ethical’) values struck a homogenous chord with administration and the dispute between facts and values was resolved substantially. The current discipline of public administration accords primacy to the `values’ of equity, justice, humanism, human rights, gender equality and compassion. The movement of Good Governance, initiated by the World Bank in 1992, lays stress, inter alia, on the ethical and moral conduct of administrators. While the New Public Management movement is more concerned with administrative effectiveness, the New Public Administration focuses on administrative ethics in its broader manifestation. Both the movements are complementary to each other. This complementarity of foci 3 is as truer today as it was a hundred years ago when the industrial world was experiencing the rise of Scientific Management amidst a strong acceptance of the notion of administrative responsibility. John Kennedy, during his Presidency (19611963) had averred: â€Å"No responsibility of government is more fundamental than the responsibility of maintaining the higher standards of ethical behaviour. The ideal-type construction of bureaucracy, propounded by Max Weber also highlighted an ethical imperative of bureaucratic behaviour. Weber (1947) observed: In the rational type, it is a matter of principle that the members of the administrative staff should be completely separated from ownership of the means of production and administration. Officials, employees and workers attached to the administrative staff do not themselves own the non-human means of production and administration†¦. These exists, furthermore, in principle complete separation of property belonging to the organisation, which is controlled within the sphere of office, and the personal property of the official, which is available for his own private uses†. Weber’s analysis underscores the need to prevent the misuse of an official position for personal gains. Although his ideal-type construct on bureaucracy is not empirical, yet it has an empirical flavour, for it appears to have taken into account the existential reality of bureaucratic behaviour. From a normative angle – knowing that Weber was not normative in his ideal type constructs – also, the message is clear: Don’t misuse official property for personal benefit. Most critics of real-world bureaucracies, including Harold Laski, Carl Friedrich, Victor Thompson and Warren Bennis, have criticised bureaucrats for violating the prescribed norms of moral conduct. Even Fred Riggs, while discussing the traits of a prismatic society like `formalism’ and ‘nepotism’ points out the yawning gap between the `ideal’ and the `real’ in administrative behaviour. The deviations from the norms and mores have been too glaring to be ignored. Immoral behaviour thus has become an integral component of `bureaupathology’ 21. 4 CONTEXT OF ETHICS AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Ethics, whether in an entire society, or in a social sub-system, evolves over a long period of time and is influenced, during its nurturance and growth, by a variety of environmental factors. Administrative ethics is no different. It is the product of several contextual structures and it never ceases to grow and change. Let us now look at some of these contextual factors that influence ethics in the public administrative systems: The Historical Context The history of a country marks a great influence on the ethical character of the governance system. The Spoils System in the USA during the initial phase of the American nation vitiated the ethical milieu of the American Public Administration. â€Å"To victor belong the spoils† asserted American President Jackson. Things would have continued the same way had not a disgruntled job seeker assassinated President Garfield in 1881. Garfield’s assassination spurred the process of civil service reforms in the USA, and the setting up of the US. Civil Service Commission in 1883 was the first major step in this direction. India has witnessed a long history of unethical practices in the governance system. Kautilya’s Arthashastra mentions a variety of corrupt practices in which the administrators of those times indulged themselves. The Mughal Empire and the Indian princely rule were also afflicted with the corrupt practices of the courtiers and 4 administrative functionaries, with ‘bakashish’ being one of the accepted means of selling and buying favours. The East India Company too had its share of employees who were criticised even by the British parliamentarians for being corrupt. The forces of probity and immorality co-exist in all phases of human history. Which forces are stronger depends upon the support these get from the prime actors of politico-administrative system. What is disturbing is that a long legacy of unethical practices in governance is likely to enhance the tolerance level for administrative immorality. In most developing nations having a colonial history, the chasm between the people and the government continues to be wide. In the colonial era, the legitimacy of the governance was not accepted willingly by a majority of population and therefore, true loyalty to the rulers was a rare phenomenon. Although the distance between the governing elite and the citizens has been reduced substantially in the transformed democratic regimes, yet the affinity and trust between the two has not been total even in the new dispensation. Unfortunately, even the ruling elite does not seem to have imbibed the spirit of emotional unity with the citizens. The legacy of competitive collaboration between the people and the administrators continues to exist. The nature of this relationship has an adverse impact on ‘administrative ethics’. The Socio-cultural Context Values that permeate the social order in a society determine the nature of governance system. The Indian society today seems to prefer wealth to any other value. And in the process of generating wealth, the means-ends debate has been sidelined. Unfortunately, ends have gained supremacy and the means do not command an equal respect. A quest for wealth in itself is not bad. In fact, it is a mark of civilisational progress. What is important is the means employed while being engaged in this quest. We seem to be living in an economic or commercial society, where uni-dimensional growth of individuals seem to be accepted and even valued, where ends have been subdued by means, and ideals have been submerged under the weight of more practical concerns of economic progress. Can we change this social order? Mahatma Gandhi very much wanted to transform the priority-order of the Indian society, but there were hardly any takers or backers of his radical thinking that was steeped in a strong moral order. To put it bluntly, ever since Gandhi passed away, there has been not a single strong voice in independent India challenging the supremacy of ‘teleology and unidimensionalism’. Neither have our family values questioned this unilinear growth of society nor has our educational system made serious efforts to inject morality into the impressionable minds of our youth. We have starkly failed on these fronts. The need is to evolve fresh perspectives on what kind of the Indians we wish to evolve and how? Till then, efforts will have to be focused on the non-social fronts. The issues of morality may or may not be rooted in the religious ethos of a society. Indian religious scriptures do not favour pursuit of wealth through foul means. Interestingly, Thiru Valluvar’s Kural, written two thousand years ago in Tamil Nadu, emphasises that earning wealth brings fame, respect and an opportunity to help and serve others, but it should be earned through right means only. Can this dictum form the basis of our socio-moral orientation? The level of integrity among Protestants and Parsees is believed by some to be relatively higher when compared to other religions and one can find the roots of such integrity in the well-ingrained mores of these religions. Nevertheless, it is only one point of view, as there are several other religious and secular groups, which are known for their high moral conduct. The cultural system of a country, including its religious orientation, appears to have played a significant role in influencing the work ethics of its people. For instance, the stress on hard work, so characteristic of the Protestant ethics, has helped several Christian societies to enhance their per capita 5 productivity. While Judaism has valued performance of physical labour by its followers, the Hindu and Islamic societies, on the other hand, have generally considered physical labour to be of lower rank than the mental work. Work ethics may or may not be linked with religious moorings. These are subjective issues but make for an interesting study. The family system and the educational system are influential instruments of socialisation and training of the mind in its impressionable years. If the values inculcated through the family and the school have underscored honesty and ethics, the impact on the mind-set of citizens is likely to be highly positive and powerful. Legal-judicial Context The legal system of a country determines considerably the efficacy of the ethical concerns in governance system. A neatly formulated law, with a clear stress on the norms of fair conduct and honesty, is likely to distinguish chaff from grain in the ethical universe. Conversely, nebulous laws, with confusing definition of corruption and its explanations, will only promote corruption for it would not be able to instill the fear of God or fear of law among those violating the laws of the land and mores of the society. Besides, an efficient and effective judiciary with fast-track justice system will prove a roadblock to immorality in public affairs. Conversely, a slow-moving judiciary, with a concern for letter rather than the spirit of the law, will dither and delay and even help the perpetrators of crimes by giving them leeway through prolonged trials and benefits of doubt. Likewise, the anti-corruption machinery of the government, with its tangled web of complex procedures, unintendedly grants relief to the accused who are indirectly assisted by dilatory and knotty procedures. In India, there is hardly any effective anticorruption institution. As we have read in Unit 7 earlier on in this Course, the Lok Pal is yet to be established, Lok Ayuktas are feeble and toothless agencies, while the state vigilance bodies are low-key actors. The consequences are too obvious to warrant any explanation. The Political Context The political leadership, whether in power or outside the power-domain, is perhaps the single most potent influence on the mores and values of citizens. The rulers do rule the minds, but in a democracy particularly, all political parties, pressure groups and the media also influence the orientation and attitudes on moral questions. If politicians act as authentic examples of integrity, as happens in the Scandinavian countries, or as examples of gross self-interest, as found in most South Asian countries, the administrative system cannot remain immune to the levels of political morality. The election system in India is considered to be the biggest propeller to political corruption. Spending millions on the elections `compels’ a candidate to reimburse his expenses through fair or foul means – more foul than fair. While fair has limits, foul has none. It is generally argued that the administrative class – comprising civil servants at higher, middle as well as lower levels – emerges from the society itself. Naturally, therefore, the mores, values and behavioural patterns prevalent in the society are likely to be reflected in the conduct of administrators. To expect that the administrators will be insulated from the orientations and norms evidenced the in society would be grossly unrealistic. The argument, propounded here, has a convincing logic, yet there can be a counterpoint that the rulers are expected to possess stronger moral fibre than the subjects. Since there are hardly any instrumentalities to protect and nurture administrative 6 morality vis-a-vis the general social morality, such an expectation remains at the most an elusive ideal. Hence, there is an obvious need to go deeper into the problem. The behaviour of politicians has a demonstration effect on civil servants. Besides, the capacity of the less honest political masters to control civil servants is immense. It is ironical that the moral environment in a country like India is designed more by its politicians than by any other social group. The primacy of the political over the rest of systems is too obvious to be ignored. If the media is objective and fearless, its role in preventing corruption can be effective. It can even act as a catalyst to the promotion of ethical behaviour among administrators. Hence, those who own and manage the media should understand their wider social and moral responsibilities. The trend in this direction is visible now with many television channels regularly airing their ‘expose’ on malpractices in the system. This role of the media is important if performed with intent of social responsibility rather than sensationalism. The Economic Context The level of economic development of a country is likely to have a positive correlation with the level of ethics in the governance system. Even when a causal relation between the two is not envisaged, a correlation cannot be ruled out. A lower level of economic development, when accompanied with inequalities in the economic order, is likely to create a chasm among social classes and groups. The less privileged or more deprived sections of society may get tempted to forsake principles of honest conduct while fulfilling their basic needs of existence and security. Not that the rich will necessarily be more honest (though they can afford to be so), yet what is apprehended is that the poor, while making a living, may find it a compelling necessity to compromise with the principles of integrity. It is interesting to note that with the advent of liberalising economic regime in developing nations, there is a growing concern about following the norms of integrity in industry, trade, management and the governance system on account of the international pressures for higher level of integrity in the WTO regime. This is what Fred Riggs would call `exogenous’ inducements to administrative change. 21. 5 ISSUE OF ETHICS: FOCI AND CONCERNS An important question arises in connection with the moral obligation of an administrative system. Is the administrative system confined to acting morally in its conduct or does it also share the responsibility of protecting and promoting an ethical order in the larger society? While most of the focus on administrative morality is on the aspect of probity within the administrative system, there is a need to consider the issue of the responsibility of the governance system (of which the administrative system is an integral part) to create and sustain an ethical ambience in the socioeconomic system that would nurture and protect the basic moral values. Moral political philosophy assumes that the rulers will not only be moral themselves, but would also be the guardians of morality in a society. Truly, being moral is a prerequisite to being a guardian of wider morality. Both the obligations are intertwined. It is a truism that the crux of administrative morality is ethical decision-making. The questions of facts and values cannot be separated from ethical decision-making. Thus, the science of administration gets integrated with the ethics of administration. And in this integrated regime, only that empirical concern is valued, which respects the normative concerns in the delivery of administrative services. 7 Which are the essential concerns in regard to administrative ethics? There can be a long list of values that are considered desirable in an administrative action. However, in being selective, one has to focus on the most crucial values. Let us now concentrate on the values of justice, fairness and objectivity. Woodrow Wilson, â€Å"The Study of Administration† (1887), in his inaugural address averred that justice was more important than sympathy. Thus, he placed justice at the top of value-hierarchy in a governance system. Paradoxically, there has been a lot of discussion on the formallegal aspects of administrative law since then, but very little analysis has been made of the philosophical dimension of administrative justice. The other two issues of ethical decision-making, viz. fairness and objectivity are, in fact, integral components of administrative justice. When administrators are true to their profession, they are expected to be impartial and fair and not get influenced by nepotism, favoritism and greed while making decisions of governance. Objectivity should not be misconstrued as a mechanical and rigid adherence to laws and rules. From the decision-making angle, it has undoubtedly wider ramifications encompassing a set of positive orientations. Currently, the notion of ethics has expanded itself to involve all major realms of human existence. Let us attempt to outline certain salient aspects of ethics in public administration. Broadly, they could be summarised as following maxims: †¢ Maxim of Legality and Rationality: An administrator will follow the law and rules that are framed to govern and guide various categories of policies and decisions. Maxim of Responsibility and Accountability: An administrator would not hesitate to accept responsibility for his decision and actions. He would hold himself morally responsible for his actions and for the use of his discretion while making decisions. Moreover, he would be willing to be held accountable to higher authorities of governance and even to the people who are the ultimate beneficiaries of his decisions and actions. Maxim of Work Commitment: An administrator would be committed to his duties and perform his work with involvement, intelligence and dexterity. As Swami Vivekananda observed: â€Å"Every duty is holy and devotion to duty is the highest form of worship. † This would also entail a respect for time, punctuality and fulfillment of promises made. Work is considered not as a burden but as an opportunity to serve and constructively contribute to society. Maxim of Excellence: An administrator would ensure the highest standards of quality in administrative decisions and action and would not compromise with standards because of convenience or complacency. In a competitive international environment, an administrative system should faithfully adhere to the requisites of Total Quality Management. Maxim of Fusion: An administrator would rationally bring about a fusion of individual, organisational and social goals to help evolve unison of ideals and imbibe in his behaviour a commitment to such a fusion. In situation of conflicting goals, a concern for ethics should govern the choices made. Maxim of Responsiveness and Resilience: An administrator would respond effectively to the demands and challenges from the external as well as internal environment. He would adapt to environmental transformation and yet sustain the ethical norms of conduct. In situations of deviation from the prescribed ethical norms, the administrative system would show resilience and bounce back into the accepted ethical mould at the earliest opportunity. 8 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Maxim of Utilitarianism: While making and implementing policies and decisions, an administrator will ensure that these lead to the greatest good (happiness, benefits) of the greatest number. Maxim of Compassion: An administrator, without violating the prescribed laws and rules, would demonstrate compassion for the poor, the disabled and the weak while using his discretion in making decisions. At least, he would not grant any benefits to the stronger section of society only because they are strong and would not deny the due consideration to the weak, despite their weakness. Maxim of National Interest: Though universalistic in orientation and liberal in outlook, a civil servant, while performing his duties, would keep in view the impact of his action on his nation’s strength and prestige. The Japanese, the Koreans, the Germans and the Chinese citizens (including civil servants), while performing their official roles, have at the back of their mind a concern and respect for their nation. This automatically raises the level of service rendered and the products delivered. Maxim of Justice: Those responsible for formulation and execution of policies and decisions of governance would ensure that respect is shown to the principles of equality, equity, fairness, impartiality and objectivity and no special favours are doled out on the criteria of status, position, power, gender, class, caste or wealth. Maxim of Transparency: An administrator will make decisions and implement them in a transparent manner so that those affected by the decisions and those who wish to evaluate their rationale, will be able to understand the reasons behind such decisions and the sources of information on which these decisions were made. Maxim of Integrity: An administrator would undertake an administrative action on the basis of honesty and not use his power, position and discretion to serve his personal interest and the illegitimate interests of other individuals or groups. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ There could be many more tenets added to the above catalogue of maxims of morality in administration. However, the overall objective is to ensure ‘Good Governance’ with a prime concern for ethical principles, practices, orientations and behaviour. There are no dogmas involved in defining administrative ethics. The chief concern while doing so is the positive consequence of administrative action and not just ostensibly rational modes of administrative processes. In the following Section, a few of the salient concerns and foci of ethics are being dealt with briefly. 21. 6 PERTINENCE OF CODE OF ADMINISTRATIVE ETHICS. The concept of ethics has been a latecomer in the realm of public administration. For too long, doing one’s duty well was considered to be an equivalent of bureaucratic ethics. Interestingly, in the United States, the original city managers’ and federal code of ethics placed notable stress on efficiency as ethical concept. In the early 20th century, the perspective began to change. In 1924, the International City/Country Management Association adopted the public sector’s first code of ethics that reflected anti-corruption and anti-politics facets of the municipal reforms movement. 9. In 1958, the US Congress imposed a code of ethics on the Federal Government and in 1978, founded the Office of Government Ethics as an upshot of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. In 1992, the Office of Government Ethics released the Federal Government’s first comprehensive set of standards of ethical conduct, comprising standards pertaining to gifts, conflicts of financial interest, impartiality, misuse of office, seeking outside employment, and outside activities. Almost all the American states have also promulgated their respective codes of ethics, though compared to the federal initiative, they are less comprehensive. Today, codes of ethics, ethics boards, and ethics training have been accepted as integral aspects of public administration in the U. S. Moreover, ethics education has also permeated the discipline of public administration. The National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Public Administration has made ethics education a required component of a Public Administration Programme for its accreditation and has prescribed that all introductory text-books in public administration should include a discussion on ethics (Browman, Berman and West, 2001). Eminent professional associations of public administration also offer training programmes on ethical conduct for public managers. In India, there are a few training programmes on administrative ethics offered by the Indian Institute of Public Administration and other institutions for civil servants, but there is hardly any similar initiative taken up in the realm of education in Public Administration. The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) had adopted in 1984 a Code of Ethics for its members (comprising intellectuals as well as practicing administrators). It was revised in 1994. Certain salient points of the ASPA’s Code of Ethics are as follows: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Exercise of discretionary authority to promote public interest Recognition and support to the public’s right to know the public business Exercise of compassion, benevolence, fairness and optimism Prevention of all forms of mismanagement of public funds by establishing and maintaining strong fiscal and management controls, by supporting audits and investigative activities Protection of Constitutional principles of equality, fairness, representativeness, responsiveness and due process in protecting citizens’ rights Maintenance of truthfulness and honesty and not to compromise them for advancement, honour, or personal gain Guarding zealously against conflict of interest or its appearance: e. g. nepotism, improper ou.

Water Pollution Control In The Textile Industry Environmental Sciences Essay

Water Pollution Control In The Textile Industry Environmental Sciences Essay The water law framework in our country is attributed by the coexistence of a number of different principles, rules and acts adopted over several decades extending from common law principles and irrigation acts from the colonial acts to the recent regulation of water quality and pollution. The basic underlying reasons for water law reforms are both physical and institutional. Over the past few decades water has gradually become sparse in many parts of the country. This can be attributed to increased pollution of finite water resources and also increased use of water by all categories of water users as a consequence of economic and population growth. The Water Act of 1974 was Indias first attempt towards dealing comprehensively with the environment related issues. Water is a subject in the State List under the Constitution. Consequently, the Water Act which is a central law came into being under Article 252(I) of the Constitution which empowers the Union Government to make laws in a field reserved for states. All the states have approved the implementation of Water Act 1974. In spite of this there is a lack of umbrella legislation at the national level because of which different state and central legal interventions do not coincide often. Water Prevention And Control Of Pollution Act, 1974 Salient Features The Water Act establishes a Central and State pollution control boards. The Central Board may advise the Central Govt. on water pollution issues, coordinate the activities of state pollution control boards and devise a comprehensive plan for the control and prevention of water pollution. In case of any conflicts between the Central and the State boards, central board prevails. This act is applicable to streams, inland waters, subterranean waters, and sea or tidal waters. Standards for the discharge of effluent or the quality of the used water being released into the water sources are to be prescribed by the state boards. Any person or any industry for that matter has to take the consent of the state board before proceeding towards establishing any industry, operation or process or any treatment or waste disposal system. The Act specifies other important functions of the state boards as follows: Devising a comprehensive programme for prevention, control and abatement of water pollution in respective states Encouraging, conducting, and participating in investigations and research of water pollution problems Inspecting facilities for sewage and developing economical and reliable methods of its treatment State board in its capacity may take emergency measures if it foresees accidents or events that might pollute the water bodies. These measures include activities like removing the pollutants, alleviating the damage and issuing orders to the polluter prohibiting effluent discharges. Under section 33A state boards can issue directions to any person, office or authority, including orders to close, prohibit or regulate any industry, operation or process and to stop or regulate the supply of water, electricity or any other service. Not complying with a court order under section 33 or a direction from the board under section 33A is punishable by fines and imprisonment as per section 41. In order to assist the Water Act, the Water Pollution Board constituted under the Pollution Act, has been empowered under the Cess Act to levy a cess/tax for meeting the financial requirements for its working. This cess is for the purposes and utilization under the Water Act. The Cess Act grants a rebate in the cess payable to those who install a plant for the treatment of sewage or effluents. This is one of the steps to encourage establishments to set up effluent treatment plants and process the effluents before releasing them. However it is to be noted that Cess Act cannot be deciphered individually and should be taken into consideration only in relation with the Water Act. While it is quite evident that water laws are the need of the hour but these water law reforms can only contribute to solving water management issues but fail to solve issues related to human rights, social, environmental and health aspects of water. Textile industry The textile industry in India mainly depends upon exports and manufacturing. Export income from textiles account for around 30% of Indias export revenues and 3% of Indias Gross domestic product. This industry has grown a lot over the past few years especially after the economic liberalization in 1991 where the country was opened to free trade under the auspices of Dr Manmohan Singh. The table below gives the major strength and weaknesses of the textile industry in the country Strengths Weaknesses Production Capacity Increased global competition Cheap Labor Dumping Efficient production facilities Huge Decentralized sector Large domestic markets High production costs Large Export Potential Poor Supply chain management Flexible manufacturing Systems Outdated technologies To grow at a rate of around 15% in the coming years the sector needs to keep in mind the following points which shall go a long way in ensuring that growth is maintained at healthy rate and is also sustainable. Threat of competition in Domestic Market Ecological and Social Awareness Ecological and social awareness are going to play a huge role in determining who is going to reap profits in a sustainable manner keeping in view the sensitivity of the stakeholders who are most of the times the losers when large scale development takes place. The industry is likely to face pressure from the media, the Government and the common people to follow international norms and regulations which shall prohibit it from using natural resources like Water which is a key ingredient in producing textiles. The way this industry uses water and how much it pollutes the various sources shall be determined by external factors. Developed markets have extremely high standards of consumer consciousness on issues such as polluting Dyes, Usage of Child Labor, Unhealthy working conditions of the mill workers etc. Standards like SA 8000 have now been started to get implemented in the industry at a large scale. This has also led to pressure on companies to limit sourcing from countries which violate the practices mandated under the norms of SA 8000. The Indian industry needs to improve its working practices and the fallout of the new international developments in this particular area. In such a scenario large players can take advantage of this and indulge in practices which promote sustainability. Proper water Use by textile mills and recycling and purifying water and then reusing it for industrial purposes can also serve the purpose in the long run. Textile Industry and water Pollution Textile Industry is one of the most polluting industries in the country and in terms of consumption of water it constitutes around 3.2% of total consumption of water for various processes like scouring, sizing, and bleaching, dying and other associated processes. It is one of the most growing sectors in the Indian economy in terms of its contribution to the total GDP of the country. Water pollution is done by each and every process in the whole manufacturing of textiles, The table below gives an exhaustive list of the various processes and the nature of effluents and pollutants which are released as a result of the above. Process Pollutants Nature of Effluents Desizing Starch, Glucose, Resins, Fats and Waxes High Biochemical oxygen demand Kiering Caustic Soda, Wax, Grease, Soda Ash, Sodium Sillicate Strongly Alkaline, High Biochemical oxygen Demand Bleaching Hypochlorite, Caustic soda, Hydrogen peroxide and acids Low biochemical oxygen demand and strongly alkaline Mercerization Caustic Soda Strongly alkaline, low biochemical oxygen demand Dyeing Reducing agents like sulphides, acetic acids and soaps Fairly high biochemical oxygen demand ,strongly colored Printing Dyes, starch, gums oil, china clay, mordants, acids and salts Faily high biochemical oxygen demand, Oily appearance Finishing Special finishes, starch, salts, tallow Low Biochemical oxygen demand, less alkaline The polluted water is very harmful for human beings living in and around the area where the pollution takes place as the turbidity of the water is very high and toxic elements present in the water which have a detrimental effect on humans and animals make such water unfit for consumption. The stakeholders which reside alongside areas which are affected by this menace face severe health hazards and face decrease and productivity and life span as a result of the above. Effects on Aquatic Life and Other living creatures High PH levels in water makes it alkaline, alkaline water is not fit for aquatic creatures like fishes and it also causes incrustation in sewers and may also damage crops by hampering their natural growth rate. Spoiling the natural color of water hampers the passage of sunlight and thus prevents photosynthesis in the aquatic plants and other marine life existing inside water. The effluents and oils present in the pollutants which are passed into water increase the turbidity of water and gives it a bad appearance and foul smell. Oily scum interferes with the oxygen transfer and colloidal matter clog the pores of soil. High levels of dissolved solids are detrimental to sewers as it causes incrustation in sewers. High level of sodium is also harmful to crops. Dissolved oxygen in water is an essential element in marine life and therefore the amount of oxygen required to correct the effluent is expressed in the form of biochemical oxygen demand or BOD. Steps to curb Water Pollution To curb pollution due to these textile mills in the areas around them the following measures can be taken in order to increase measures leading to long term sustainability as a corporate strategy which is wholly aligned to the business goals of being profitable in the long run and acquire market share in the future. Reduction in waste water volume: The water used in processing of textiles is reduced to a considerable extent such that the effluent concentration is limited to a specified small volume of water and it does not start impacting larger volume of water. Counter flow processing Water re-use technique which uses the same water before discharging it into the water body so that effluent concentration is limited to a small volume and more water is saved in the process. Reduction of process chemicals: The process chemicals create more than 90% of the pollution in textile industries. This also brings down the production cost in terms of the chemicals used. It can be achieved through reusing various chemicals when processes are completed. For Example: Caustic soda is recovered from the mercerizing and sourcing and is consequently filtered and dialyzed so that it can be reused. Process modification would involve slight modifications in the various processes used during manufacturing in order to create lesser pollution and reduces unnecessary wastage of water. Certain alternate chemicals can also be used during manufacturing so that recovering those chemicals become easy and it thus can be used in further manufacturing processes. Pre-Release Stage Water Treatment Before water is released into the nearest water body it is essential that it is treated properly in order to ensure that there is significant reduction in the level of pollutants in water before it gets released into the water body. The following steps are necessary in order to ensure proper water condition before release into the nearest river or stream or lake. Primary Treatment: It involves concepts of removal of suspended solids by sedimentation, floatation or coagulation techniques using alum and electrolyte. Secondary Treatment: This involves oxidation of organic matter by aeration either by chemical of biological methods or by both. This is done in presence of micro organisms in presence of chemicals such as Urea. Pollutants resistant to biodegradation such as detergents and petrochemicals are removed by non biological means and are again treated with bleaching powder before releasing them into the water body. Tertiary Treatments: Tertiary treatment contains of three main methods like Chemical Coagulation which involves a mixing tank with the effluent and the coagulant mixed and its PH adjusted to an optimum level. The resultant coagulated material is separated by sedimentation or flocculation. Carbon absorption Technique which is effective in removing pigments and dyes using carbon which is activated and has large surface area. Reverse osmosis where cellulose acetate is used to create a semi permeable membrane and subjected to pressure which is usually greater than the osmotic pressure of the effluent. This process can remove 95% of the dissolved solid content as the solution passes from area of higher concentration to lower concentration. Now to discuss the applicability of these methods to curb water pollution in Textile industry and also to do the cost benefit analysis of the same we shall discuss a relevant case of Tiruppur Textile Industry. Case discussion: Tiruppur Textile Industry Background South Asia lately has become the hub of Industrialisation and the unchecked growth is leading to severe environmental problems. Industries have sprung up as clusters which is why the issue of environmental pollution becomes even more relevant in highly water polluting industries like textile dyeing, leather tanning, paper and pulp processing, sugar manufacturing, etc. The runoff released by these industries leads to contamination of surface and ground water sources and eventually impacts the livelihood of the poor. In a usual scenario, the above mentioned industrial units function at a small or medium scale, are a huge employment opportunity for the locals and have the potential to generate foreign exchange because all these industries are export oriented and more than half of their produce is shipped abroad. Given the vast coverage of these industries, the pollution control mechanisms have been awfully weak in these units. The pollution control authorities have been lenient in imple menting the law and ensuring prevention of water pollution caused due to these industries mainly considering the socio economic benefits that they provide and also the low financial capacity of the small scale units. It is a huge capital investment for the relatively smaller industrial units to set up effluent treatment plants and the return on investment is very low. Since they provide employment, therefore these agencies have not tightened the noose on them. This stance of the Pollution Control Boards further discouraged the polluting industries to formulate and implement pollution management and reduction strategies either by efficient effluent treatment or process changes by adopting newer and cleaner technologies. In this report we have attempted to analyse the environmental impact of the production process followed in a textile unit with reference to Tiruppur, a major textile cluster in South India. A cost benefit analysis of the implementation of cleaner production processes and setting up of treatment plants has also been done to depict the return on investment for these textile units. Textile Industry And Its Benefits Tiruppur, located in Tamil Nadu, is a leading cotton knitwear industrial hub in South India. The industrial activities have experienced a rapid growth during the last two decades due to decentralization and flexibility. At this point of time more than 9000 small-scale textile related units are operating with a volume of investment more than US $ 200 million. The city of Tiruppur contributes 56% of the total cotton knitwear exports from India. The industry provides socio-economic benefits to the local community and to the nation in the form of employment, income, and foreign exchange. More than 2 lakh people are directly employed by this industry. The export value from Tiruppur during the year 2002 was about US $ 957.5 million. An equal amount is sold in the domestic market. The economic opulence of Tiruppur on this industry and the local community is employed either directly or indirectly in this industry in one way or the other. Textile Process And Pollution The textile manufacturing process on the whole is a polluting activity with the major contributors being the bleaching and dyeing (textile processing).During 1981, in Tiruppur , only around 70 textile units were operating. This number drastically rose to 450 ten years later and further to 866 in 1997. With due credit to efforts of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) against the release of untreated effluents some units had to be shut down because of non-conformity to the pollution prevention standards in the state. In 2004 there were a total of 702 textile processing units functioning in Tiruppur. These units together used around 85 million litres per day (mld) of water and discharged a similar quantity (83 mld) as effluents, which are laced with a significant volume of chemicals used at the wet processing stage. The point worth noting here is that the amount of water used as input is almost same as the amount of water that is released in the water bodies which actually me ans that if there is a possibility to treat the effluents, the resultant residual water can be used as a recycled input and thus costs can be decreased. These units collectively produced a quantity of 15,000 tonnes of cloth per month. The incessant release of untreated effluents for more than 10 years has resulted in accumulation of harmful suspended and dissolved solids in the soil, ground water, etc. at Tiruppur and surroundings. During 1980 to 2000, the cumulative pollution load discharged by the Tiruppur units is as follows: Total Dissolved Solids(TDS) : 2.35 million tonnes Chloride: 1.31mt Sulphate: 0.13 mt Total Suspended Solids: 0.098 mt Chemical Oxygen Demand: 0.09mt Biological Oxygen Demand: 0.03 mt Oil and Grease: 0.001mt Impact of Textile Effluents On The Environment From the research conducted on water pollution in Tiruppur area, it is clearly evident that the accumulation of chemicals had added to the woes. All ground water studies showed that open wells and bore wells in and around Tiruppur exhibited high levels of TDS (ranging from 3000mg/l to 11,000 mg/l) and Chloride (ranging from 2000 mg/l to 5000 mg/l) due to industrial pollution and these values were much higher than the background level for this region. The available groundwater in this region was rendered unsuitable for domestic, industrial or irrigation consumption. The surface water studies indicated that the Noyyal river (the river passes through Tiruppur and receives the major share of untreated effluents), reservoir, downstream of Noyyam, (Orthapalayam) and irrigation tanks have been adversely affected by industrial pollution and the surface water is unfit for consumption purposes. A study to measure the quality of soil also indicated the pollution concentration and most of the ar ea the soil is alkaline (pH >8.5) or tending to alkalinity (pH 8-8.5). The Damage Cost Imposed By Pollution Due to high water pollution many adverse effects in the ecology of the Tiruppur area are observed. Agricultural water, drinking water and various fisheries in Tiruppur area and downstream villages have been affected. The water which has been polluted by the textile industry is injurious (EC>3mmhos/cm) to agriculture in an area of 146.3 square km and critical (EC 1.1 to 3 mmhos/cm) in 218.3 square km. Because of this, crop productivity in these villages has declined substantially which has affected the welfare of farmers. Recently farmers took action and filed a case against the industry. The total cost to agriculture was estimated at US $50 million. Drinking water in these villages has also been affected and the municipality has to bring additional water from neighboring villages. In affected villages, special water supply schemes have been issued by the Water Board. Also, a lot of the short fall is being met by bringing water from distant sources of water which leads to the wastage of a lot of time and effort. Considerin all of this, the total damage cost due to pollution of drinking water comes down to US$23.8 million. The fisheries activities in various downstream regions like the Noyyalriver, tanks and reservoirs have been affected as well. Fish mortality rate has increased which has led to a stoppage of fish culture. US $.15 miilion comes out to be the loss in value of fish and besides that, the possibility of the toxicity of existing fish is also high, consumption of which can lead to serious health problems. This high level of pollution has had an adverse effect on the operations of the industry itself. Since most of the industrial wells in this area have only coloured, or very highly polluted water, major water supply is brought in through tankers from peripheral areas. The cost incurred by the industry to maintain this additional source of water supply is US $165 million. Besdies this, the continued buying of water leads to the development of a water market, which causes the water levels in the peripheral villages to go down, affecting the livelihood of villagers. On many occasions, protests have been done by villagers against the water transfer. A mega water supply project is being undertaken by the Tiruppur Area Development Corporation. The total cost of this project is estimated to be US $269 millions and will have to be financed by government agencies and the consortium. Under this scheme, it has been planned that 185 mld of water, which would be both industrial and domestic, would be transferred to Tiruppur from River Cauvery, which is an interstate and a very controversial river in India. If this project would succeed, the industry will need to pay more than what they are currently paying for water, which could result in a huge cost increase for textile processing. Besides these quantifiable terms, human health and aquatic eco-system of river, tanks and reservoir, livestock etc. also get affected by water pollution, but their cost has not been taken into account as it is not easy to express in monetary terms. Status of Effluent Treatment On seeing various adverse effects and hence assessing the seriousness of pollution from textile affluents, the Courts finally gave an order against the continued functioning of various polluting units without being accompanied by effluent treatment plants in 1997. After this order, the state pollution control agency has increased the amount of pressure on all the textile manufacturing units towards effluent treatment. The units which were too small to comply with these regulations and survive were closed. Presently out of the existing 702 units, 278 units are treating upto 38 mld of water effluents through Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CEPTs) which are 8 in number and 424 units are treating upto 45 mldof chemical effluents using Individual Effluent Treatment Plants (IETPs). For effective effluent treatment, US $ 10 million has been spent for various fixed costs, which the Government subsidizes heavily. Besides these, an additional US $ 6.7 million has already been incurred as ann ual running costs. The cost analysis has shown that the variable cost per unit of effluent treatment is much higher than the capital cost both in the IETPs (which is 86% of total cost) and CETPs (which is 73%). Unfortunately the current treatment system is not sufficient for reducing the large amounts of TDS, particularly the acids like Chloride and Sulphates. The average concentration of TDS in the treated effluents is 300 of the TNPCB standard of 2100 mg/l. The same is true of Chloride, which averages more than 300% of the CETP existent standard. Learnings from the case Thus we can see that the management of environment at the Tiruppur textile industry has been difficult and the various difficulties faced by the various actors (State Pollution Control Board, Water Resources Organisations, Local Government , Industrial Organisations, NGOs etc.) or interested parties in this regard or in finding a solution for this problem. If these difficulties had been effectively dealt with, the environmental impacts could not have continued at this level. The above analysis on various RO plants and CPT for the textile units has clearly shown the long run advantage to the industries apart from reducing the various social costs. These technologies can be implemented by all large-scale units who possess the capacity for investment and have long-term vision about the business. But the affordability of affluent treatments among existing large number of small and medium units remains a big challenge. The textile manufacturing industry is predominantly an export oriented business which faces high competition. So any investment done on RO or CPT here impacts the cost of production by increasing it in the short run which is especially true for the smaller units. Also being able to find such big investment, which is approximately more than 10-20 times the overall capital investment, is almost impossible. But the introduction of a much cleaner production for textiles and the availability of advanced treatment technology is the viable long term solution towards further improvement of environmental standards. Realizing the same facts, (i.e. the existing economic benefits of the Tiruppur industry, social costs of pollution, various constraints in effective management of pollution among small scale units, and the need for a having a critical solution for the pollution problem), an integrated process of pollution management can be attempted at by different actors who are related to Tiruppur textile business. In such circumstances the role of various foreign buyers and the consumers of Tiruppur garments are greatly significant. If a very strong demand for garments which are pollution free or come with a green label is observed from them along with a willingness to pay more, definitely it would provide pressure to introduce cleaner technology by the various industries operating in this domain. A few very small units will have no other option but to close down, since making such an investment may not be viable for them. Other units however can think of various steps like unit modification individually or even have joint units. Most critical are proper technical guidelines for these units and financial support is needed for the units from various domestic and foreign research institutions and other donor agencies. In parallel, sincere collaborative efforts from joint industrial associations, pollution law enforcement agencies, industrial consultants and experts, etc. are also required. Only than the textile industry in Tiruppur would be a ble to achieve the ideal objective of sustainable development. Recommended Strategy for companies in textile industry The companies in Textile industries can be divided into two: Major players with financial strength to invest in greener technologies and small player which need assistance even to maintain regulatory standards. Hence the strategy will also differ based on the type of company. Strategy for small players A broad categorization has been done based on the revenue. Below Rs. 10 million the company can be said a small company. It is imperative for a small company to follow regulatory standards at least. While government is finding difficult to close all such factory due to labor intensive nature of such industry it is always a long term risk hence the standards should always be maintained. Hence their strategy is to achieve the minimum standards by increasing the cost as less as possible. The immediate high investment in green technology may throw them out of market. Following strategy must be followed by the company. To have least impact on increment in costs the company might seek financial assistance from government subsidy or jointly making investments. To get knowledge assistance it could collaborate with various stakeholders. Small Players (Under Rs. 10 million) Strategic Objective Maintain Pollution control board standards with least impact of costs Maintain PCB Standards (Avoid risk of closure) Annual maintenance and up gradation as per standards Collaboration with the foreign buyer Setting up Joint Effluent Treatment Plants (JETP) Identify subsidies given by government and avail them Join with other small players to invest in ETP Collaboration with pollution enforcement agencies, NGOs, industrial consultants, Industrial associations, Financial assistance Knowledge Assistance Least impact on costs (Remain competitive) Strategy for big players: A major player could afford a significant investment for the long term overall benefit. The strategy should be to gain competitive advantage by achieving Cleaner process technology and establishing efficient effluent treatment plants. These will have high investments in short term but will give major cost advantage and high value of intangibles, other important aspect is to have a differentiation based on greener features. This way a high premium could be charged against the product and much higher overall profitability could be achieved. Big Players (Above Rs. 10 million) Strategic Objective Differentiate product based on Green features Process improvement (Raw material efficiency, Waste reduction) Application of Cleaner Process Technology (CPT) e.g. soft flow machines, dye bath segregation etc. Collaborate with foreign buyers to create demand for green products Establish Individual Effluent Treatment Plant (IETP) Recycle major percentage of used water using RO etc. technology Get green label and accreditations from ISO etc. Recycling of critical resources (Water) Promotions as a Clean and Green Product