Culver City Essay Example for Free

Culver City Essay Because of the changes that have taken place in the nursing home industry throughout the past decade, service area competitor analyses have become an increasingly important aspect of environmental analysis. The process of service area competitor analysis involves first of all an identification of the service category for analysis. It then moves on to include identifying of competitors, determining the strengths and weaknesses of rivals, and anticipating their moves based on the analysis of the data collected. The service area selected for this particular analysis is the Culver City nursing home industry. The market for nursing home care in Culver City, California is changing rapidly and has been considered a buyer’s market for specialty care. The population of Culver City in relation to the number of senior citizens is an important consideration in the decision to enter the nursing home market in this city. The number of persons each nursing home usually takes is in the range of 80 to 85% of its carrying capacity (Pandya, 2001). One must not forget that â€Å"the demand for nursing home care [is] driven by the availability of financing† (Willging, 2003). Also notable is that approximately 36% of seniors have been financing nursing-home care out of pocket (2001). In carrying out a service area competitor analysis upon this city, it is necessary to take a look at such aspects as its financial and economic situation, the demographics, and the trends that might derive from them. It will also be necessary to assess the strategies being pursued by the nursing homes that service the area and the consumer reaction to these policies. According to the analysis of the Culver City finance budget, the city began a period of economic growth in the late 1990’s where the property taxes began reflecting an increase in the value of real estate and overall taxes represented a general increase in per capita income. Over the period the city was able to sustain both low inflation and unemployment rates. Investment grew almost three fold, according to the Dow Jones Industrial, S P 500, and the Nasdaq composite charts (City of Culver City, 485-86). However, economic growth has plateauxed since 2001, and the employment rate that had fallen from 9 to 3. 9 percent, has risen up to approximately six percent (485). Across the United States, the health care industry has had to cope with economic changes resulting from rising medical costs. The Culver City population sustained a growth of 47% between the years 1990 and 2000 (â€Å"City Population,† p. 2). The records of the Culver City Redevelopment Agency reveal that the population of the city is 39,119. On average, there are about 16,826 households represented in the area, and the income for the average household is about $76,013 per annum. The income for the average family household amounts to $90,930. The Culver City trade area extends beyond this. If the area considered extends to a three mile radius beyond the hub of the city, the population increases 305,287 and boasts an average family income of $79,689. Within a five mile radius live about 852,147 people, and the inclusion of this population brings the average household income back up to $87,820. The median age of Culver City is 40, and 84% of all the adults of this city have attained at least a high school education. Thirty five percent of these adults have also attained at least a bachelor’s degree in higher education. The population is distributed mainly among persons of Caucasian, Hispanic, African American and Asian origins. Forty-six percent of the inhabitants are white, 25% are Hispanic, 12% are Asian and another 12% are African American. The remaining 5% are of unknown or â€Å"other† origin (â€Å"Demographics†). In Culver City is a rather prosperous community. Only 2. 96% of the population earns less than $20,000 per year. Those who live on an amount between $20,000 and $50,000 amount to 13. 46% and another 22. 37% live within the next tier level, between $50,000 and $75,000. Seventeen percent live on $75,001 to $100,000, and a third of all the people live on an income higher than $100,000. Approximately 16% of the Culver City residents are over sixty years old (â€Å"Demographics†). For strategic management purposes it is dangerous to consider the over-65 group as a homogeneous one (Willging, 2003). Shifts in demographic and increases in lifespan have changed the make-up and the desires of the aging population (Ginter, et al. 2006, p. 6). The senior citizens and retiree demographic in Culver City has been divided into three groups for the sake of consumer analysis. The retirement group has a median income of approximately $53,000 which is about $11,000 higher than the national average. Non-whites are represent about 43% of this group and approximately 35% of this group has attained a bachelor’s (or higher) degree. This group is likely on average to spend a mid-to-high amount on entertainment, but spends a bit lower on average on health care, presumably because not all retirees are senior citizens (Artsmarket, 2002, p. 12-13). The active senior singles group has a median income of $32,000, which is also higher than the national median. They participate in many health activities and have a medium-to-high likelihood of spending money on health. The portion of none whites in this group is approximately 22%, and 25. 7% percent of the members of the active senior singles group have attained college degrees (Artsmarket, 2002, p. 14-15). The prosperous older couples group has a median income of approximately $67,500, which is an astounding $32,000 higher than the national median. Thirty percent of these have attained bachelor’s degrees (or higher) and people of color make up 29 % of the group. Their likelihood of spending on health care is in the high range (Artsmarket, 2002, p. 16-17). The city’s economic situation presents costs and benefits to any prospective nursing-home business venture. The fixed costs of entering the market would be considerable, but the increased unemployment rate (up from 3. 9 percent) would make the price of labor a little more affordable than in recent years. A favorable thing for businesses is the tax rebate program that has been instituted by the city to encourage new business. This grants them tax relief from either business or utility users’ tax (â€Å"City of Culver City, 489). A new entrant into the nursing home industry in Culver City must consider the quality of care that is to be provided by that business entity. The general problems with funding being experienced by nursing homes across the country has led not just to many law suits and eventual bankruptcy, but to the loss of customers to competitors (Day, 2005). Culver City customers also require not just a variety but quality of service. Variety will be an asset; however, as there is great intensity of rivalry among existing organizations, and the nursing home industry is experiencing rapid growth driven by the demographic and social trends mentioned above. It must be noted, for example, that a good portion of the seniors are educated, and â€Å"educated seniors tend to be more knowledgeable and have higher expectations of a facility† (Willging, 2003). The significant portion of non-whites must also be considered and real attempts made to cater and appeal to them. In addition, it must be noted that a vast majority of these seniors have lived active lives; therefore, facilities which cater to this would be magnetic to their tastes. The competitors in the Culver City nursing home industry, though they provide adequate care and the necessary facilities, can be categorized into four groups that denote they quality of service they offer as well as the level of reimbursement that they require for those services. For this service area nursing home facilities are pursuing four basic strategies: high price with highly specialized services (strategic group 1), low price with few ancillary services (strategic group 2), medium price with some services, (strategic group 3), and high price with many services (strategic group 4). Customers who seek the attributes of one strategic group, such as highly specialized rehabilitation services, are unlikely to be attracted to another strategic group. A good idea for a newcomer in the nursing home market is to choose the group to which it is best able to cater, and possibly to diversify the scope of the service by offering one or two (not many) extra services. Then, concentrate on providing the best service possible in that group. Diversity does exist in the consumer groups, but this information must be acted upon with care. Early retirees, for example, who might need nursing home care, may not yet qualify for state or federal assisted care (Clinton, 1993). Medicare and Medicaid provide full coverage to only about 9% of seniors, and many are forced to pay out of pocket (Day, 2005). The figures have shown that many Culver City seniors can afford this, but paying out of pocket means that the consumers will be even more unlikely to accept less than the best care. This look at the nursing home industry as it exists in Culver City has revealed that, though a â€Å"buyers’ market† exists and the competition is very high, a newcomer in the market might still have a chance to win a significant market share. This must be done by paying attention to the demographic as well as the economic situations that have the power to affect the market. The psychographic and demographic aspects show that a diversity of services must be offered and that any newcomer desiring be successful in such a competitive and demanding market must be willing to (carefully) diversify. References ArtsMarket. (2002). City of Culver City: Acorn Cluster Lifestyles and Local Profiles. Bozeman: Author. www. artmarket. com City of Culver City. (2004). â€Å"Fiscal 2004-05 Adopted City Budget. † Budget and Finance. Author. http://www. culvercity. org/citygov/budgetfinance/depts_budgfinanc. html â€Å"City Population. † (2001). Redistricting Committee. Oregon State Legislature. http://www. leg. state. or. us/comm/redistricting/citypop. pdf Clinton, Bill. (1993). Remarks and a question-and-answer session with the AARP on health care in Culver City, California. Weekly compilation of presidential documents. News and Society. http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m2889/is_n40_v29/ai_14550594 Day, Thomas. (2005). â€Å"About Nursing Homes. † Guide to long term care planning. National Care Planning Council. http://www. longtermcarelink. net/about_nursing_homes. html â€Å"Demographics. † City of Culver City. http://www. culvercity. org Ginter, P. M. , Swayne, L. E. and Duncan, W. J. (2006). Strategic management of health care organizations. 4th ed. Malden: Blackwell. Pandya, Sheel. â€Å"Nursing Homes. † Policy and research for professionals in aging. AARP. http://www. aarp. org/research/longtermcare/nursinghomes/aresearch-import-669- FS10R. html Redevelopment Agency of Culver City. â€Å"Community Profile. † City of Culver City. Culver City: Government. http://www. culvercity. org/citygov/redevelop/demogr. html Willging, Paul. R. (2003). â€Å"Don’t let demographics fool you. † Nursing Homes. Aug. 2003. http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3830/is_8_52/ai_108198554

Constructing and analysing financial tools

Constructing and analysing financial tools Part (a) Part (b) Part (c) Independent study skills cultivated in 3 academic years. The first is self-study ability. In level 4 and I will take introduction to accounting and introduction to financial statement preparation. These two modules explain the basic financial reports, liking income statement and balance sheet. The knowledge in class about this part is not enough, and I should find more related explanation and practise to enhance my understanding. Fortunately document and web links provided by Leeds will direct students to reading materials and additional activities in a range of modules such as Introduction to Accounting (H4), Dealing with Accounting Adjustments (H5) and Accounting Issues (H6). Students will be able to self-check their understanding by completing online quizzes. As a student, I should correct my attitude towards study and learn to study independently. Level 4 is the foundation of financial accounting, when I learn more about accounting adjustments and group financial statements in level 5 and 6 with the self-study ability, it is not imposs ible for me to correctly construct financial statements for all diverse kinds of corporations in the future, and this would be a great advantage for a employee. The second is about efficient communication and team working skills. I should value the contributions of my peers in team working, for example in the preparation of a group presentation in the Business Context module and Strategic planning and Control module. Working in groups to manage and carry out a simulated business project synthesizing the expertise and skills developed throughout the course. During the process our group members have to assign reasonable apportional proportion that is suitable to their advantages to each members through efficient communication. In workplace, efficient communication makes you professional and team work makes you competitive. The thirdly is use of university e-services e.g. VLE, portal, library and email. We should use appropriate e-tools to locate, access and utilise information that facilitate learning e.g. library e-catalogue and search engines. In Level 4 students will use Excel spreadsheets to create, manipulate and analyse data in the Data Analysis for Finance module. in Level 5. IT for Accountants will extend students’ Excel spreadsheet skills as well as improve their employability prospects through use of the SAGE accounting software. This will involve importing and exporting information from accounting systems into spreadsheets in order to manipulate data. Students will have to continue to demonstrate digital literacy at Level 6 e.g. In the Strategic Planning and Control module students are required to carry out internet based research and prepare a set of final accounts using Excel. The digital literacy is significant in the career life. It is necessary for a employee to be successful. Part (d) Competencies I already have Communication skills. I control good skills of communicating with people. I can clearly identity other people’s advantages and weakness through talking with them. In addition to that, in the group assignment of Business Context, my responsibility is to coordinate every team members, tell their objective and absorb their ideas. Computer literate. I am interested in computer, I am good at internet detective. And using correct resource to achieve the already set objectives. Time management. Normally I use timetable to arrange my daily work, especially for the team work. I will inform my group members early and guarantee they will be there on time, and urge them to finish their part work on time. Competencies that need enhancing Mathematics. my mathematics is poor, always make mistakes, so I need to concentrate on the question and numbers when I am doing calculation. This should be improved definitely. Problem solving. I am not good at solving problems, so I should read more people’s experience, and learn their decision making in the same situation. Future career path My personal goal is to become a charted accountant within industry or commerce. This allows me to specialise my financial expertise. However, my long time goal is gaining all the knowledge and skills to open my own accounting company. Below I will make a schedule to make my dream achievable

Personal Narrative - Rejoice in the Lord Always Essay -- Personal Narr

Personal Narrative- The Bible Spoke to Me I sat on my bed. Alone. Lonely. But I wasn’t. Everything that everyone had said, left unsaid, was with me. Smothering me. As scenes danced mockingly through my mind, I cried out, â€Å"Does anyone care about me?! Does anyone care if I come to school or church-would anyone notice if I just quit?!† A small, still voice whispered in my ear. Something stirred, struggling to be free, but my tormented mind smothered it, preferring to drown in self pity. â€Å"Does anyone listen to me? Does anyone want me?† I moaned. As I sank into despair, a book caught my eye. Buried beneath homework, magazines, and litter was my poor bedraggled Bible, falling apart from years of use-none of it recent. I dragged it out and opened it to Philippians. â€Å"Rejoice in...

King Henry VIII Essay example -- Biography

King Henry VIII Born the second son of a royal family, Henry Tudor lived a very interesting life. His future was intended to be the head of the Roman Catholic Church and that fate ended with the death of his brother, Prince Arthur. Henry’s majestic life was full of sports, women, and faith. The young King acceded his father to the throne, married six women, and began the English Reformation when he broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and created his own religion. On the 28th day of June 1491 at Greenwich Palace, Elizabeth of York gave birth to her third child Henry Tudor. Henry was named after his father Henry VII and he was the couple’s second son, which meant that there was no chance for him to reign as King since he had an older brother, Arthur (â€Å"Henry VIII King of England† 1). Henry became the Duke of York in 1494 at age three. Since Henry was the second born son of the King of England, he was to take a secular role in the Catholic Church, probably being the Archbishop of Canterbury. Knowing his future of the role in the Catholic Church, Henry’s education was based on theology (Henry VIII Early Life 1). He received a good education and was very talented. Playing musical instruments, being a good linguist, and playing sports were just a few of his talents. Growing up Henry gradually increased his status and by age ten Henry became heir apparent when his older brother Arthur died from â€Å"sweating sickn ess† in 1502 (Henry VIII Early Life 1). Just a few months before Arthur’s death, Henry played a major role in the joining of marriage of Arthur, Prince of Wales, and Catherine of Aragon (Williamson 1). After the death of Arthur, the heir apparent, King Henry VII wanted to keep a marital alliance between Engl... ... Henry VIII approved for Miles Coverdale to publish an English translation of the Bible from the Latin version. In 1537 Thomas Matthew’s translation was circulated through the church and it formed the foundation for the Great Bible that began its circulation in 1539. The Great Bible was rewritten and edited many times and eventually became the Bible used by the Anglican church (Fry 101). The Church of England that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church was known as the Anglican church, meaning â€Å"of England† (Reid 1). Over the years of his reign, King Henry VIII became famous for his numerous wives and his break from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry accomplished many things, one of which was the beginning of the English Reformation. Most of King Henry VIII’s reign was focused on producing a male heir to the throne, which took him numerous wives to obtain.

Domestic Violence and Social Class Essay

Domestic violence is something that happens every day around the world. Young, old, rich or poor, this is an issue that we must look at to better ourselves as a country. One of the things that we look at is how domestic violence relates to the different social classes of the country, this being upper, middle, and lower. Some would thing that it would be more common in lower classes, but the reality of it is domestic violence is a problem across all social classes. In this paper I will discuss different articles about domestic violence and its relation to social class. It is clear to see that any of the articles on this topic focus around women as victims and men get put into a category of the only ones committing violence. From different articles you can see that social class has a relation and an effect on domestic violence. To begin with we need to understand what domestic violence is. The National Domestic Violence Hotline describes domestic violence as pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure or wound someone. Domestic violence can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion or gender. It can happen to couples who are married, living together or who are dating. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels (The National Domestic Hotline). This is one of the best definitions you will find. It’s important to realize that Domestic Violence can happen to anyone. The focus on economic background is important; there is not one ocial class that domestic violence does not occur in. It is key that we keep this in mind, otherwise we begin to label and fit certain social groups into categories. And as we will find out this is not the case at all. In Gender, Status, and Domestic Violence, by Kristin L. Anderson she discusses many issues related to domestic violence. In her article she talks about social economic status and how it can affect domestic violence. The section on social class begins with how gender and social class play very big roles with each other, or how each social class helps determine the resources available to men for the construction f masculinity (Anderson, 1995). Anderson begins with the working and lower class and how their position they hold at work lacks power and authority. This can lead to violence in the home because they search for positions of power in other aspects of their life. And many times the search for power and masculinity starts in their home life. This could be one explanation for the cause of domestic violence among low income social class. It is very clear that society even thought changing for the better over the years, still puts the man as the breadwinner of his family. And if a man annot produce for their family I agree with her that that will look for other places to find there masculinity and in some cases this is accomplished with violence against their partner. Next Anderson discusses middle and upper class together. She states with reference from another article that â€Å"Middle and upper class notions of masculinity focus on ambition, responsibility, and professional employment (Segal, society. The research done in this article shows that men or women with low income jobs and less resources are more likely to be violent in their home as a means to gain the lack of power in their life. Men who have fewer resources then there female partners will be more likely to commit domestic assault than the men with resources equal or greater than their female partners (Anderson, 1995). We can see for the research done by Anderson that she focuses on the reporting of violence. I would have like to have seen some numbers on education and or employment in ration to domestic violence. But it is clear and can be understood that men base their masculinity on their economic social status, and if that status is low they begin to search for other ways to gain power, and often that is in the means of domestic iolence against their partners. Social class plays a key role in everyday life of millions around the world. So it is clear that social class would play a role in domestic violence. Knowing that domestic violence knows no boundaries it is correct to say that wealth does not protect against violence. In the article Economic stress and Domestic Violence by Claire M. Renzetti from the National Online Resource Center on Violence against Women, they bring social class and domestic violence into clear view. One discussion in the article which we have to take into account when looking at social class and domestic violence is ell put when she stats â€Å"the data we have about domestic violence comes from samples to which researchers have greatest access, such as individuals who use social services and these individuals are more likely to have low incomes† (Renzetti, 2009). With this in mind it is clear to see why there are so many articles on low income violence. As she states from a study done by Benson and Fox (2003) from analyzing data from the National Survey of Household and Families, the family income increases the likelihood of domestic violence decrease. It is becoming clearer hat even though we know that domestic violence knows no social class, The National Crime Victimization Survey reports the chance of violence in a low income household is five times great then the households with the highest incomes (Renzetti, 2009). As stated earlier it seems that the relation to domestic violence and employment takes a big part of the problem with violence among the social classes. In the article by Anderson early discuss she makes it clear that the feeling of power is directly related to the males economic standing. Renzetti state that sever studies have documented hey deliberate sabotage to their partners efforts to maintain paid employment (2009). We can tie that back to how males base their masculinity and power on their economic status. Women have reported that their attempts to obtain paid employment outside their homes only aggravated their partners. It is becoming clear that men see power in being the main provider in the house and to lose some of that power is demining in some ways, and can result in violence against their partners. She references an article by Bush (2003) say that paid employment if a female intimate partner is threatening for some men, especially men who are unemployed r in low paying Jobs. Renzitti states that some researchers have argued that social class has a greater influence on domestic violence risk than race/ethnicity, and that even the social class of your neighborhood plays into account. Disadvantaged neighborhoods domestic violence rates are significantly higher in neighborhoods By now it is clear that there is a relation between social class and domestic violence. In domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking by Walby & Allen (2004) they discuss how it could be the domestic violence that is causing the low economical status. This is a little broader thinking then our other authors but still Walby & Allen tie mans need for masculinity and power into the equation. But first to look how they discuss domestic violence as the cause for low social status, the lack of economic resources is clearly associated with domestic violence against women. But it is how we see one leading to the other that they discuss. Walby & Allen purpose that maybe it is the other way around. For example that poverty and low social status are the consequences of domestic violence. Women who leave behind their homes and partners in order to escape violence will be much more ikely to be poorer as a consequence of the loss of their home and of their partner’s income (Walby &Allen, 2004). This is a new concept to think about but can easily be seen as possible. From what we have learned low income family are more prone to domestic violence, it is clear to see if the victim does get out of this relationship they have no means of economic support. In return this Just keeps them in poverty and most likely sinks them deeper down the status pool of the world. As Walby & Allen (2004) report that â€Å"eventually making their way back into the abusive elationship because they have no economic support. It seems that the affect that social class and domestic violence have on each other is a never ending cycle. As we found in the research social class plays a big part in domestic violence and in some cases domestic violence plays a big part in social class. Whichever way that you look at it one constant held true across all of the articles, this being that men have been socially constructed by society to have to have the need for power in relationships. And when that power is l acking and they feel there masculinity is in eopardy we see domestic violence. Now a lot of the focus of the articles was on the lower class, showing that the economic stress had a direct relation to man and the need for power. We need to understand that the lower social status groups are not the only ones with a domestic violence problem. Like I said earlier domestic violence can happen across any social class, rich or poor. Most of the research that is done focuses on women in poverty because that is where the easy samples are. We know that there is a problem there, we need to move on to research that examines women ofa higher social standing. When we open up to who is we look at then we will begin to get a real grasp on the social class and domestic violence issue. Now I know that that depends on if they are willing to report, but that is a whole different topic for a different day. We have to be careful not to stereotype individuals into this field Just because of the economic standing, but it is clear that social class and domestic violence show a clear and direct relation with each other.

Reaching Adulthood: Completing Human Developmental Stages

The human development is a very complex yet fascinating part of our lives. We look back at the point we first remembered how young we were, the things we did that were so different from the things we do today. More often than not, we take for granted the stages where significant amount of changes that shaped us took place.Our infancy and pre-school years show much of our earlier attitudes and behaviors which became cemented as we grow older. Our environment played such a significant role in making us the way we are today. As I have mentioned in the first project, we understand our being a male or a female when we realize the roles and activities attached to one’s gender.Even our parents dictate how we should act or what toy to play and we get punished by disobeying them. And at this stage we develop a concept of what makes us happy or sad, we can adapt to our environment and we avoid doing things that would result to an unfavorable consequence.These things we undergo during ou r earlier years further have an effect on the next stage of our lives. What we liked to do, how well we can adapt to other people, how we behave or act upon exposure to a stimulus etc. continue in our middle childhood and adolescence years.The middle childhood prepares us for what we will face in our adolescence years, the same way our infancy and pre-school years prepared us for the later years.During our middle childhood and adolescence, we are thrust into a great deal of changes, whether mentally, physically, socially and emotionally. We like to be independent and to go out of the familial circle that surrounded us when we were young.In my experience, it was this time when I started making friends in school and in my neighborhood. I could also face other people who were not my age. This stage marks the awakening of cognitive and emotional aspects of one person. We learn to judge the people around us, to be curious of the things which we cannot easily understand, to feel different emotions that seemed so new.The countless and various experiences we undergo during this stage further hone, change, influence or impact the way we are. They make our personality unique, mold our behavior and attitudes and develop our skills. Everything we have learned we apply to our present lives.Our infancy and pre-school years show much of our earlier attitudes and behaviors which became cemented as we grow older. Our environment played such a significant role in making us the way we are today. As I have mentioned in the first project, we understand our being a male or a female when we realize the roles and activities attached to one’s gender.Even our parents dictate how we should act or what toy to play and we get punished by disobeying them. And at this stage we develop a concept of what makes us happy or sad, we can adapt to our environment and we avoid doing things that would result to an unfavorable consequence.These things we undergo during our earlier years furthe r have an effect on the next stage of our lives. What we liked to do, how well we can adapt to other people, how we behave or act upon exposure to a stimulus etc. continue in our middle childhood and adolescence years. The middle childhood prepares us for what we will face in our adolescence years, the same way our infancy and pre-school years prepared us for the later years.During our middle childhood and adolescence, we are thrust into a great deal of changes, whether mentally, physically, socially and emotionally. We like to be independent and to go out of the familial circle that surrounded us when we were young. In my experience, it was this time when I started making friends in school and in my neighborhood. I could also face other people who were not my age.This stage marks the awakening of cognitive and emotional aspects of one person. We learn to judge the people around us, to be curious of the things which we cannot easily understand, to feel different emotions that seemed so new and to try things which pique our curiosity.My interview’s particular experience shows this. He started using prohibited drugs during his adolescence. This kind of deed roots from many factors such as family problems, inferiority complex or social dilemma.Dale says that all of his family’s attention was on his younger sister, Mikaela. No matter how much good he does, his family doesn’t seem to notice. So what he did was involve himself in things that would get him into trouble, if only to get his parents’ attention.The countless and various experiences we undergo during this stage further hone, change, influence or impact the way we are. They make our personality unique, mold our behavior and attitudes and develop our skills. Everything we have learned we apply to our present lives.Changes and phenomenon in middle childhood, as noted in my first project, are stepping stones for the adolescence; changes and phenomenon in adolescence, as noted in my second project, are preparation for adulthood.AdulthoodAdulthood is a hazardous and difficult journey for many people to take, and not just a destination of security and safety that we reach once and for all. It is a reference point from which other life stages are judged.The experiences which became imprinted in our memories and the self beliefs and social standards that we have molded within ourselves affect us in our present actions and how we see ourselves. But, these beliefs and standards change when we are exposed to different stimuli or situation.At this stage, I can already foresee my own future, in what is called self-schema. These are the templates of our future, and they tell us what we can be after several years, what our career would be etc. Still, I ask myself, what will I be really in the next years?Since I would not be able to answer this question, I have interviewed Emelita Sacra, a 49-year-old single mother and currently taking over as line leader and quality cont rol officer in a garment corporation. She was separated from her husband, but she manages to raise her daughter well.Emelita used to dream of finishing just high school, since her family’s source of livelihood is barely enough for the 11 members of the family. She studied hard and eventually earned a scholarship, her ticket to college.But her dream faded when she chose to help her parents in meeting the family’s needs.   She was able to send two of her siblings to college, and that was enough for her even if she had sacrificed her own dream.This shows that what she desperately wanted before was put aside by the emergence of a more important situation. She said that though there were many events in her life which affected her, only few values and interests changed. Some of which were the earthly things she wanted before, such as clothes, cosmetics and leisure moments.But now, these things became unimportant because her daughter became her priority. Her situation now i s a far cry from her situation before. Now that her daughter is in college, she has to work hard and limit the luxuries of life. Every spare time was spent doing extra works to be able to provide for her only child.When she was a teenager, all that mattered was helping her family to earn money and send the children to school. Now, what matters is raising her daughter well and providing her education. This attitude is better explained by Jean Piaget’s generativity, wherein Emelita thinks of the future of her daughter instead of her own life.Emelita says that the values she learned from her younger years didn’t change much. As to the moral aspect, nothing changed, but some things were added. She instilled to her daughter the moral values her parents taught her.Basically, when we reach the adulthood stage, as I viewed my interviewee, there are changes in our self concept. For example, we might have low self efficacy before, which is our competence in accomplishing things. But because we have gone through many things, and we were able to endure the pains and dilemmas of life, we have increased our self efficacy considering the fact that we are older than before, we could handle and do things better now.Another example of self concept that had changed during our adulthood years is the self awareness. Adults tend to be more focused and are aware of their responsibilities at their age. For example, my interviewee became aware of her role as a mother and father solely to her daughter. Aside from that, she also became aware of her priorities in the present time compared before. At this point in life, most people have grown matured, as to how they should act, how they should be, and what they should do.Generally, lots of things have made their contribution to each of stages in life. Some factors that might affect each life stage are inherent and gene factor. Biologically speaking, this could really happen, such that our behavior and character could be attr ibuted to the innate potentials of ourselves.However, we could not deny the fact that the environment that we are living in has contributed big changes not only in our lives, but more specifically, in ourselves.Those external factors are the ones we experience during our infancy stage to childhood, then adolescence stage, and lastly adulthood stage. The events in our everyday lives have impacts such that, we are not aware that those events molded us into what are now, and what we are going to be in the near future.Thus, the human development is a very vicious path, if we are going to consider all the details. Yet, we could say that human development is like a metamorphose process of butterfly. The only difference is that, the butterfly would surely fly if it comes out from the pupae, but each of us has no assurance if we can soar high in our lives.REFERENCESBoeree, G. Personality Theories. (NO DATE). Erik Erikson, 1902 – 1994. Retrieved August   29, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/erikson.htmlJames, W. The Principles of Psychology. Retrieved August 29, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/James/Principles/prin10.htmLerner, R. Concepts and Theories of Human Development. Retrieved August 29, 2007 from the site of UAH Library on World Wide Web: http://libdblist.uah.edu/browse.php?list=P&source_id=17Myers, D. Exploring Social Psychology. 3rd ed. November 2003. McGraw-Hill Companies.

Globalization and North East India Essay

I.Introduction Ever since the term ‘globalization’ appeared for the first time in the second half of twentieth century no other word has meant so many different things to different people and has evoked as much emotions. The forces of globalization affect virtually every country in the world. It has opened the door of many new opportunities as well as formidable challenges. All spheres of life–social, political, cultural and economic–have been subjected to both the positive and negative elements of globalization. With all its promises on the overall qualitative improvement of life and social harmony, some see it as the saviour of universal peace and prosperity. On the other hand, rising mercury of its negative elements some condemn it as a new kind of chaos. While everyone welcomes the new opportunities that has emerged one cannot simply leave those negative elements unattended. Therefore, the main task now is to analyze, understand and manage globalization doing our best to harness its benefits and keep those negative consequences at bay. 1 India joined the club of globalized economy in 1991when its economy is under the spell of fiscal and balance of payment crisis which compel her to initiate several structural adjustment programme and economic liberalization. Since then, India’s share to the global economy is getting larger. Today, looking at overall health of the economy and growth performance2, India seems to have struck the right note of the globalization string. With its vast natural and human resources and ability to synchronize the speed of change taking place in the international market, many have considered the India’s economy as one of the most resilient economy in the world. Now, the most pertinent question arises in the recent years is; has the benefits of globalization disbursed to all the regions of the Indian union? Certainly the answer is NO. India’s attempt to tackle the problems of income inequalities has been going on since independence under the centralized planning system. It, however, failed to provide the necessary growth impetus to the poorer states to reduce regional disparities in any meaningful manner in spite of four decades of economic planning. In the post globalization era, considering the size and diversity of the country, shrinking role of government would ultimately be a failure to achieve the set objective. With the opening of economy, states with better infrastructure facilities, better skill labour and work culture, investor friendly environment and more importantly states which can reform themselves in accordance to the need of the market oriented economy have attracted much of the private investment–both national as well as foreign. These states have grown much faster than states which are not, leading to widening disparities.3 This has posed a great challenge to academicians and polic y makers, even though globalization is an uneven process with unequal distribution of benefits and losses, who must ensure the benefits of globalization be distributed to all the regions/states of Indian union. Secondly, to what extent the high growth rate achieved so far has been translated into development for the well-being of its people? It is all the more necessary to ascertain the magnitude of development because development shouldn’t be seen as mere enhancement of national or personal income as it alone cannot serve the objective of securing the socio-economic equality. High growth rate achieved so far is a big accomplishment as the resources so generated could be utilized for developmental purposes to meet the desired social ends.4 It would, however, be highly injustice and misleading to interpret economic growth and economic development synonymously, yet a popular cynicism among the political circle in particular, as development covers much wider range and value. In short, achievement of higher growth rate should be reflected in terms of quality of life of the people. The failure to realize the value of high growth is the main reason for the rejection of ‘shining India/feel good factor’ slogan of the ruling party in 2004 general election. This implies that the higher growth rate achieved so f ar in the post globalization period could not be translated in terms of improvement in the quality of life of the common people. According to Sen any reform programme should consists of three R’s–reach, range and a reason–which every responsible individual should analyze, understand and act accordingly. The values of high growth often depend on what the size, composition and nature of that growth do to the lives and freedoms of the people involved.5 With the increasing concern of widening of inter-state disparities and lack of development, it is highly imperative to assess the effects of globalization on North East India-a relatively uncharted region of the country-as fifteen years is long enough to give some clear pictures. With this objective, the present study attempts to locate the clues of the following quarries; has the region been able to gain from the benefits of globalization? What are the major issues and challenges confronting or likely to confront in the coming years? What are the unexplored opportunities that can be harnessed? This would require examining the prevalent scenario of the region in the pre and post globalization period. The present study shall cover 1980 to 2005 considering 1991 as the dividing year of the two periods. The study has been organized into five sections including introduction. In section II, a brief profile of NE states has been sketched. In section III, some of the issues and formidable challenges needed to be addressed sooner than the later has been discussed. In section IV, discussed the unexplored opportunities in the region. Finally, we conclude the study in section V . II.North East Profile The North East India comprises of eight contiguous states6 of highly undulating hilly terrains, covering 263,179 sq km which is about 8% of the total geographical area of the country. The region is one of the landlocked regions of South Asia. About 4500 km i.e. 98% of its border is with five different countries of South Asia–Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh. No other region of the Indian union share common border with so many different countries connecting with the heartland through the tenuous 22 km Siliguri corridor. The region is the home of extraordinarily diverse mosaic of ethnic groups having distinctive social, cultural and economic identity, more akin to their South Asia neighbours than main land India. The total population of the region is about 38 million, 3.8 per cent of the country’s total population, of which Assam contributes 68 per cent of the total population. Assam recorded the highest density of population with 340 per sq. km., which is also higher than the national average of 313 per sq. km., followed by Tripura with 305 per sq. km. Otherwise, the region is sparsely populated with an overall density of population of 149 per sq. km. Table 1 The decennial growth rate recorded in most of the states during the previous decade is higher than the national level of 21.54 per cent. Nagaland recorded the highest growth rate (64.46 per cent), also highest among the states of the Indian union, followed by Sikkim (33.25 per cent) and Meghalaya (30.65 per cent). Only Tripura (16.03% per cent) and Assam (18.92 per cent), two of the most populated states, have recorded lower growth rate than all India level. The region is richly endowed with bio-diversity, hydro-potential, minerals like oil and natural gas, coal, limestone, dolomite, graphite, quartzite, sillimonite etc. and forest wealth. Over 10 per cent of forest products requirement in the country are met from this region only. The region has a very high potential to generate hydropower i.e. about 80 per cent of the total hydropower potential in the country. Arunachal Pradesh alone is expected to generate 2,67,474 MW i.e. 30 per cent of the total available in the country. With varied geo-climatic condition, the region is ideally suited for horticulture, floriculture and other plantation crops. A variety of fruits like pineapples, banana, orange, lemon, mango, papaya etc. grow abundantly in the region. The region is famous for most number of orchid varieties in the country. Tea is the major plantation crop grown in the region and is the largest producer in the country contributing over 95 per cent of the total production. The region is also richly endowed with varieties of medicinal plants having high value in the international market. But, due to the lack of proper infrastructure, transport and communication system and geo-political condition of the region these resources largely remained untapped. Source: Report of the Twelfth Finance Commission, p 61. The region is grossly deficient of infrastructure to tap the available resources and push the economy forward. An examination of the infrastructure index–a composite profile of the availability of physical, social and institutional infrastructure available in the states revealed that all the states of the region are at the lowest rung of the infrastructure index ladder. It shows that the level of infrastructural development in the region is almost negligible. In terms of human development index–a composite index capturing the three dimensions of human development viz. economic, education and health-the region have done reasonably well than most of the states of Indian union. Among the eight states, Assam ranked the lowest, which has been placed in lower middle category and Mizoram in high category while rest of the states are either in high middle or middle category. The success of these states in this regard is mainly induced by the education sector. Apart from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya the literacy rate in the remaining states, as shown in Table 1, are higher than the national average. The economy of the region primarily depends on agriculture sector contributing over 40 per cent of the income and employ about 70 per cent of the total working population. Although NSDP share of agriculture sector has declined to about 30 per cent, the number of population dependent upon this sector continued to remain high even in the post globalization period. The decline in the NSDP’s share of agriculture sector has been more or less compensated by the increase in the share of service sector. That is, the service sector growth rate during the corresponding period is commendable. Nevertheless, the industrial sector in the region continued to be in pathetic condition. Industrially the region is one of the most backward regions in India. Only Assam, and to some extent Meghalaya, have moved ahead of the rest of the states in terms of industrial development whose industrialization centered on tea, oil and timber. An examination on the overall annual compound growth rate of NSDP in the region revealed that there is a slight improvement in post globalization period though varies from stat to state. Source: http://mospi.nic.in/rept%20_%20pubn/ftest.asp?rept_id=nad03_1993_1994&type=NSSO Note: * At 1980-81 prices, ** From 1993 to 2002 only, †  at Current Price, a denotes Acceleration, d denotes Deceleration During the decade of 80s only Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland experienced higher annual compound growth of NSDP than the national level. However, in the post globalization period i.e. 1991-2002, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura have performed better than the national level. The growth rate experienced in these states is not only higher but also accelerating. Though the NSDP growth rate of Manipur is lower than the national level but higher than the previous decade and is accelerating. While Assam’s growth rate is lower in the post globalization but grows at an accelerating rate which is a positive sign. In the post globalization period the growth performances in the region have improved marginally. The higher growth rate of NSDP in the region is mainly induced by higher and accelerating growth rate of service sector. The higher growth rate of NSDP experienced in some of the states is not commensurate with the growth rate of per capita income. The per capita income growth rates of all the states, baring Tripura, falls below the national level in the corresponding period. While Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Nagaland have worsened, the performance of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura seem to be relatively better than the previous decade. The lower growth rate of per capita income experienced may be attributed to high growth rate of population, particularly poorer section of the society. The percentage of population living below the poverty line in the region continued to remain high. Only Mizoram seems to have done exceptionally well in poverty eradication where the percentage has declined from 36 per cent in 1983 to 19.47 per cent in 1999-2000. In the remaining states there is only a marginal decline in poverty ratio. In 1983, the percentage of population living below the poverty line at national level is much higher than that of all the states of the region. It is just the reversal in 1999-2000-all the states other than Mizoram have higher percentage than national level of 26.1 per cent. Over one-third of the population is still consists of the most vulnerable section of the society. Further, an examination on the per capita per month consumption expenditure revealed that the inequality in the per capita monthly consumption expenditure has also increased in spite of the improvement in the growth performance in the post globalization period. In 1993-94, Assam has the lowest per capita per month consumption expenditure followed by Manipur and Sikkim. These three states are even lower than the national level of Rs. 328.18 per month. However, in 1999-2000, only Assam and Sikkim experienced lower per capita per month consumption expenditure than that of national level of Rs. 590.98 per month. The increase in consumption expenditure in the globalization era is quite impressive. At the same time, inequality in consumption expenditure, as revealed by the Gini coefficient8, has also increased in most of the states which is an indication of widening disparities among different sections of the society. This implies that the benefits of higher growth rate experienced, though marginally, in the post reform period have not been tickled down to the poorer sections of the society in the desired pace and the problem of income inequality within the state has worsened. An overall scenario of the region in the post globalization period is not very impressive as in the case of other region of the Indian union. This may be attributed to the prevailing geo-political condition in the region and attitude of the central government in tackling the issues of the region. In the following section we shall examine some of the issues and challenges which required an immediate attention. III.The Challenges Being one of the most neglected regions of the Indian union, overall state of affairs in the region is quite alarming. The unattended issues and problems of the past are being accumulated, multi-layered and have become multifarious. Over and above, the mounting pressures of emerging challenges of rapid transformation need to be countered. The clock is ticking fast and situation in the region is very delicate which may explode anytime from now if not tackled carefully. At this juncture the old habit of alibis and hinting would only aggravate the maladies of the past and swell negative elements of the globalization. Instead, it is the time to think and act collectively. The region has more issues to be addressed and challenges to face than any other parts of the country. Of which, the three most important areas which require immediate attention are insurgency, infrastructure and governance. All the other issues are derivatives which would dry up once these three are addressed. a.Insurgency The problem of insurgency in the region has a long history. The insular politics and Delhi centric approach of the Indian government is at the core of much of the discontents, widespread criticism, feelings of subjugation and notion of being colonized. There is a constant fear in the minds of the people that their identity is being eroded due to the submergence into the vast ocean of Indian humanity.9 The people of the region started alienating themselves and the feeling of self-determination started to germinate. With the aim of preserving their own identity various ethnic groups inhabiting in the region, undisturbed for centuries, began to differentiate among each other severing the local ties and affinities and started to struggle with arms.10 Thus, insurgency has mushroomed in the region and the secessionist movements, either for sovereignty or for separate homeland, began to lock horns leading to a vertical division among various ethnic groups. Therefore, prior to any policy pro gramme to resolve the problem of insurgency in the region, the political processes that has been framed and pursued to convert a breeding ground of insurgencies must be reversed first. Simultaneously, the attitude and security obsess mindsets of the central government should also change and embrace the region with open arms so as to restore the lost confidence of the common people. Insurgency is the major problem inflicting the region. With the passage of time it has increasingly become more complex and difficult to understand as their objectives, role and activities varied widely.11 In the name of nationalist movement they were involved and interfered in every state’s affairs including household chores, like a moral police, of their people. Each insurgent group runs parallel government. In a way, apart from Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, all the remaining states have multiple governments. The problem of insurgency has become the stumbling block in the course of development. It foundered every development strategy and hampered all the developmental works. Kidnapping, extortion, killing, bandh, strikes and curfews have become the order of the day. At the same time, the numbers and activities of the plain criminals masquerading as insurgents have also increased alarmingly. Today, the region has become the killing field and specialized in the export to death bodies, if not the manufacturing products. In short, the region has reached the pinnacle of the industrialization of insurgency and criminalization process. It would not be easy to find the solution. However, keeping in mind the rising global terrorism, it would be wise to work on a holistic approach for amicable solution sooner than the later. At the same time, what every insurgent group, operating in the region, should realize is that the formation of separate homeland or attainment of more autonomy or sovereignty is not the solution because within itself formation of new group with new demand can not be ruled out. b.Infrastructure The rich natural and human resources available in the region could not be utilized to the full extent mainly due to the geo-political condition, including ever-deteriorating law and order, which has a lot of implication on the development of must needed infrastructure. The negligence of the central government in the past and due to the problems of insurgency at present resulted into the gross deficiency of infrastructure in the region. This has crippled the free flow of factors as well as products. In such a situation, it would be hard for the region to accrue the benefits of globalization. It is also not surprising to find the lack of FDI inflow in the region. During January 2000 to Mach 2006 the region received only 9 million US dollar i.e. 0.04 per cent of the total FDI inflow in the country. The lack of infrastructure, as revealed by the infrastructure index given in Table 2, has not only spoiled the prospect of economic development but has also created a horizontal division amon g various ethnic groups affecting the fabrics of social harmony in the region. All the â€Å"constituent states of the region are internally locked–themselves locked and locking out others, unable to connect with each other physically in terms of poor transport links, and more seriously, unable to make connections intellectually and emotionally with their closest neighbours, or even with and among their own people.†12 It has displaced the common understanding and linkages for peaceful coexistence and regional cooperation. In order to reconnect the lost connectivity, trade and commerce and more importantly to foster emotional attachment among various ethnic groups inhabiting in the region infrastructures like roads, transports, communications electricity, banking etc. must be developed adequately. Such exercise would not only enlarge the base for the growth of the economy in the region but also enhance the regional cooperation-an engine of growth in this era of globalization. Underdevelopment breeds insurgency and insurgency retards development. Th is two are mutually reinforcing. This is a classic case of vicious cycle of underdevelopment-insurgency-underdevelopment. Therefore, any policy programmes either to resolve the problems of insurgency or development of much needed infrastructure should go concurrently and not sequentially as it hampered the progress of one another. Further, as it has been asserted in the Planning Commission report on Transforming the North East, the approach of the central government should change from â€Å"planning for the North East to planning with the North East†.13 This implies that, under the prevailing circumstances mere allocation of funds or implementation of new policy would not suffice to tackle the problems in the region. Considering the emotional sentiments of the inhabitants and sensitivity of the issues, the region must be handled with care. Every developmental programme for the region should have the consent of the inhabitants and needs to be executed with sincerity without delay. c.Governance â€Å"The state is responsible for the creation of conducive political, legal and economic environment for building individual capabilities and encouraging private initiatives.†14 It would, however, depend on the quality of the governance–mechanism, processes, systems, structures and institutions that guide the social, economic and political relationship. Good governance exercises its legitimate political power in a manner that is perceived as equitable, non-discriminatory, socially sensitive, participatory, transparent and accountable to the people at large. This includes not only the process of transformation of human and natural endowments to a socially desired ends but also reveals the long term vision and commitment of the state to secure human well being and sustained development of the people.15 The state of governance in the region is in pathetic condition. Government machinery is on the brink of collapse. Corruption, squandering of public funds, deteriorating law and order, lack of transparency and accountability, bureaucratic rigmarole, insensitivity and so forth are quite rampant in the region. There is widespread allegation of insurgency-government officials-bureaucrats-politician nexus, including law enforcing agencies, and siphon off public funds. All this has eroded the individual capabilities and institutional capacities to meet the social objectives. Until and unless the quality of governance has been improved, no matter how much is the fund earmarked for whatever the policy programme initiated would not be successful and only the common people have to bear the brunt. Taking into consideration of the paradigm shift in the development strategy and the amount of funds allocated16 in recent time, we may no longer be able to blame the central government in the near future. The present state of affairs in the region is past deed of the central government and what the future generation will face would be decided by what our government has done today. IV.Opportunities The economy of the region has been disrupteded by the forces discussed in the preceding section in spite of her rich natural resources. Besides the natural resources, many new opportunities have also emerged with the changing contour of world economy that can boost the economy of the region. But, the need of the hour is to focus on those areas which would lead to growth of the economy, develop the sense of participation and can extinguish the social and political chasm. The two main areas that can boost the economy are as follows: a.Tourism Tourism is one sector where the region has comparative advantage. This industry is highly competitive where the tourists have a wide range of choices and look for good value of their money. With bountiful nature’s breathtaking scenic beauty, salubrious climatic conditions, extraordinarily diverse rich art and cultural heritage of the people, this region can become a hotspot for eco and adventure tourism. Tourism industry involves a vast network of business activities relating to attracting, receiving, accommodating, managing and servicing of tourists. These include hotels, restaurants, transport agency and several other related activities. The development of this industry would promote national integration and international understanding, generate employment and revenue and provide prospective buyers for local manufactured products especially handloom and handicraft products–a dyeing industry due to lack of access to market. Tourism can generate more employment per million of rupees spent than any other activities. It can generate jobs in the remotest corners for unskilled to highly specialized skilled workers which would help in the realization of plan objectives. It would also enlarge the base of locally manufactured products. All this, however, would be possible only when there is well-developed infrastructure like transport and communication and sense of participation of the people of the region. b.Border trade The lack of connectivity and access to market, the main causes for under utilization of resources and weak resource-industry linkages, have set the economy of the region by half a century behind. The region has lost the markets in her neighbourhood, particularly in Bangladesh, due to partition, insurgency and diplomatic strains and tensions. Due to the peripheral location and stiff competition from mainland industries having better access to critical inputs like finance, technology and management, the base of traditional manufacturing in the region has been eroded leading to deindustrialization. While resource base can support a variety of industries at all scales, the existing industrial structure, dominated by small-scale demand based industries has not been developed proportionately. This has widened the gap between resource base and industrial structure in the region. Further, due to the restriction of free movement of men and material across the border, the notion of isolation h as developed in the minds of the people. It is in this context, there is a strong argument to develop border trade. In this increasingly borderless world, establishment of border trade would not only provide an opportunity to revive the local manufactured units but also serve as a transit corridor for the mainland big industrial units to explore the vast Asian market. This would also bring the centrality and visibility of the otherwise peripheral north eastern region.17 It is with this vision that ‘look east policy’ was initiated in 1991. Unfortunately, as old habits die hard; the central government still continues to live in the shadow of security obsessed mindset and prefers inward looking approach. As a result, even after fifteen years of implementation of border trade agreement, it has failed to invigorate the region’s trade with their neibhouring countries. As a result, India’s look east policy has, by and large, bypassed the region. The percentage of trade with neighbouring countries have zoom up to 8 per cent of the country’s total volume of trade in 2003-04 from a mere 1.7 per cent in 1987-88. However, over two-third of the total volume of trade with these countries flow via Bay of Bengal while the land borders of the region have been left for transit corridors for illegal trade . The tepidity of the central government in implementation of the policy has only led to rise in the porosity of these borderlands. An impressionistic assessment reveals that there is a rise in negative activities like cross-border insurgency, gunrunning, smuggling drugs, narcotics and AIDS, money laundering, trafficking women, illegal immigration etc. which further add to the existing multifarious problems in the region. Conclusion Globalization has become the most potent force emerged in recent time. It virtually affects every walk of life–positive or negative. Unlike other regions of the Indian union, North East India is more likely to swamp by its negative effects. The region is at the throes of discernible crisis. Since 1991, there has been increase in inequality and unemployment, decline in the quality of the governance, rise in smuggling, trafficking, illegal immigration, corruption, squandering of public funds, escalation in insurgency related activities, etc. These have led to underdevelopment and erosion of the capacity of the individual and quality of life. A sense of deprivation has developed particularly among the educated youths of the region. The clock is ticking fast and fuse is not long. It is time to work on a holistic approach to resolve problems in the region. Notes 1. Chanda, Nayan, 2003, â€Å"What is Globalization? Coming Together: Globalization Means Reconnecting the Human Community†, YaleGlobal Online, http://www.globalenvision.org/library/8/567. 2. Recently it has been argued that the turning point of higher growth rate in India was 1980 but not 1991 as perceived by many. For more details see Nayyar, Deepak. 2006. â€Å"Economic Growth in Independence India: Lumbering Elephant or Running Tiger?†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 41, no. 15, pp. 1451-1458. 3. Some authors even argued that coastal states with open port facility have outperformed non-coastal states in the post globalization era. For more detail see Kishore, Adharsh. 2002. Towards an Indian Approach to Globalization, http://www.rba.gov.au/PublicationsAndResearch/Conferences/2002/kishore.pdf. 4. Sen, Amartya, 2005, â€Å"The Three R’s of Reforms†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 40, no. 19, p. 1. 5. ibid., p. 1. 6. Sikkim becomes the member of North East Council on December 2002 after an amendment of the NEC Act 1971. Since then all development purposes of the state has been treated at per with the other seven states of the region. However, the addition of Sikkim in the North Eastern Region is yet to be reflected in the literature of NER. 7. The Report of the Special Group on Targeting Ten Million Employment Opportunities per Year over the Tenth Plan Period has viewed that Current Daily Status (CDS) is the better measure to capture unemployment than Usual Principal and Subsidiary Status (UPSS). 8. The National Human Development Report 2001 provides the estimate of Gini Coefficient for rural and urban area only. It does not provide the combine estimate of the two. 11. For more detail analysis see Roy, Sanjay K. 2005. â€Å"Conflicting Nations in North-East India†, Economic and Political weekly, vol. 40, no. 21, pp. 2176-2182. 12. Prabhakra, M. S. 2004. â€Å"Is North-East India Landlocked?†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 39, no. 42, p. 4608. 13. GOI. 1997. Transforming the North East: Tackling Backlogs in Basic Minimum Services and Infrastructure Needs, High Level Commission Report to the Prime Minister, Planning Commission, http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/ne_exe.pdf, p. 2. 14. GOI. 2001. National Human Development Report, Planning Commission, http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/nhdrep/nhdreportf.htm, p. 114. 15. ibid, p. 114. 16. Apart from all the constituent states being classified as Special Category States, establishment of NEC and induction of DoNER speaks the volume of fund allocated to this region. 17. Verghese, B. G., op. cit. Reference Ahluwalia, Montek S. (2000): â€Å"Economic Performance of States in Post-Reforms Period†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 35, no. 19, pp. 1637-1648. Bajpai, M. (2002): â€Å"A Decade of Economic Reforms in India: The Unfinished Agenda†, Working Paper no. 89, Center for International Development, Harvard University, http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/CID/cidwp/089.pdf. 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