Evaluating a Health Promotion Website Essay

Health Information Technology (HIT) has been introduced into the National Health Service (NHS) in order to improve the quality, efficiency, safety and cost effectiveness of the delivery of health care. The application of computerized information technology in health care settings has so far played a vital role in improving the accessibility of information and has replaced more labour intensive and unproductive methods (Shekelle and Goldzweig, 2009). The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2009) maintain that that nurses’ skills, knowledge and practice must be guided by the best available evidence. Often this evidence is found on the internet however many sources of information can be inaccurate so a good standard of critical evaluation is required (Kim, Eng, Deering et al 1998). To evaluate the quality and reliability of a chosen website the use of a framework can be helpful such as Roberts (2012) 5 C’s website tool. This framework evaluates five areas: credibility, currency, content, construction and clarity. The website The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RC Psych, 2012 a) was chosen to be evaluated because as a mental health nursing student this will develop an awareness of how information technology is implemented and applied to practice in health care. Additionally, by using Roberts (2012) 5 C’s framework to critically evaluate this website, knowledge and skills of the quality and reliability of HIT will be acquired. Main Body RC Psych is the professional and educational organisation for psychiatrist in the UK as well as being a registered charity (RC Psych, 2012 b). Their website is aimed at improving the lives of individuals affected by mental illness through educating the public. They claim to be at the head of developing and promoting best practice in mental health services through their education, training and research projects. Additionally they are involved in the publishing of the following world-class journals; British Journal of Psychiatry, The Psychiatrist, Advances in Psychiatric Treatment and International Psychiatry (RC Psych, 2012 c). Credibility Having gained a royal charter this shows us that the organisation has been recognised by the Queen and seconded by the government to call itself a registered organisation of the highest regard. As stated by the Privy Council Office (2012) organisations granted a Royal Charter must have a solid record of achievement. 75% of its members should be qualified to at least first degree level and the work completed by the organisation must be in the interest of the public. Professor Peter Tyrer is named as the Editor, of the website, and is said to be responsible for the editorial and production aspects of its publications in addition to the production of their online continuing professional development (CPD) e-learning resources and its sales and marketing (RC Psych, 2012 d). After researching Peter Tyrer it is evident that he is highly qualified within the field of mental health and is a professor of community psychiatry for the Department of Medicine, within the Imperial College London (Imperial College London, 2012). The website offers a vast amount of information around mental health including conditions, diagnoses, treatments and types of therapies. The advice provided is produced in the form of online leaflets for the use of the public as well as professionals. Within the website there is no evidence to show that the same specific authors are used regularly for their published articles however, at the end of each article the producer, editor and sometimes an author are named in addition to any expert that has been involved in the making of it. All these leaflets are produced by the RC Psych Public Education Editorial Board that is responsible for producing 300 educational leaflets. These leaflets have been accredited by the NHS Information Standard and subsequently gained numerous awards (Byrne, 2011). They have achieved Plain English and BMA patient information awards and have received consistently positive feedback for the web versions. The editor of these leaflets is Dr Phillip Timms who is currently employed as a consultant Psychiatrist for the South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust as well as a senior lecturer in psychiatry at King’s College, London (BMJ Masterclasses, 2012). This site’s web address shows that it is delivered by a UK based academic body as it has an ac.uk URL. This confirms their credibility and reassures the reader that they are qualified experts able to give advice in this field (Roberts, 2010). Combining all this it is apparent that the producers of the website have appropriate qualifications and expertise to offer advice in regards to mental health and supports the credibility of the organisation and the website. Some of these points also link into the other five C’s for example, the awards that the leaflets have received show that the content and clarity of their work has been assessed and found to be of an acceptable standard. Currency When using a website for personal development reasons or to recommend to a patient the information being accessed should be the most current evidence available that has been proven in practice. In regards to the advice provided on the website RC Psych (2012 e) states that they endeavour to update it every two to three years. This is reflected in the articles by showing the date the information was last updated and the date it will be reviewed in the future. Additionally RC Psych (2012 d) state that their information derives from the best evidence available at the time of writing and is updated regularly to reflect any changes in knowledge. Another way to determine the currency of information is to consider the references used to back it up (Roberts, 2010). If the sources are dated then what you are reading may not come from the most current research so there may be more up to date evidence elsewhere. The dates of the references used throughout the website are quite varied however, they do contain many recently published articles and up to date clinical guidelines so this suggests that they are committed to producing up to date information and evidence. This is seen in a leaflet on depression where RC Psyche (2012 f) cites a recently updated guideline by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE, 2009) which looks at the treatment and management of depression in adults. The currency and credibility of the website can also be reflected in its content and therefore this should also be assessed during the evaluation process. Content As well as being credible and current the content must be assessed for its objectivity, accuracy and completeness (Roberts, 2010). The content of a website can be judged by assessing what the website aims to achieve. This could be selling a product, persuading the audience to believe in something or to provide the reader with unbiased and up to date information on a specific topic (Roberts, 2010). RC Psych (2012 a) profess that they aim to improve the lives of individuals with a mental health illness. They aim to do this by educating people through making information and advice available on their website. This would indicate that it falls under the category of providing unbiased and up to date information to the public. The articles on the website are written in the third person so prevents the author from expressing personal opinion. Furthermore the leaflets produced provide links to various other sources of information on the topic being discussed. This encourages further reading which provides a complete and balanced view preventing bias and, where treatment is recommended, allows the reader to make an informed choice (Roberts, 2010). The references used within the website are taken from well known and respected sources that provide current and acknowledged recommendations such as NICE, the Department of Health (DOH) and various field related journals. This indicates that the website seeks to provide and maintain up to date, accurate and unbiased information that concurs with information available in books and journals on the same subjects. Construction The construction of a website, for example, the layout, colours, fonts, sizes and ease of access can determine whether or not a reader believes the website is of good quality or not (Roberts, 2010). A study by Lindgaard, Fernandes and Dudek et al. (2006) found that the first 50 milliseconds that the reader is exposed to a website can cause the reader to form an opinion as to whether a website is worth using or not. On first impression, the website in question looks colourful and professional. The eye is drawn to the bolder writing that states the websites purpose and there are minimal graphics to distract the reader from this. There is a lot of information on the home page of the website and could be considered cluttered, however it is divided into clear sections and appears well organised, giving clear subheadings which guide the reader to their areas of interest easily. The main colour used for the website is grey and presents a professional look. It is subtle but effective in breaking up different sections of the website without being obtrusive. The font size is varied throughout but mainly of a larger size making the website easy to read. There is no option for the reader to change the font sizing or colour which could cause some difficulty as it is not possible to suit everyone with one font size, style and colour (Roberts, 2010). As this is a registered charitable organisation it would be unfair to expect them not to promote money making offers. There are two links to buy books that are published by the royal college of psychiatrists and an option to support them in future development projects. They have presented these links as the last things you would come across on the website. Because of where they are situated it comes across to the reader that they are more interested in providing free and accessible information to educate the pubic over making money. Clarity Clarity is another important area to consider when evaluating a website. Due to our continually growing multi-cultural society it is important that websites cater for all groups in society and not just the English readers. One part of the website caters for professionals working in psychiatry and another to the public wanting to learn more about mental illness. Both sections are presented and written in a way that is understandable to the general public. In the public section they offer their advice in 21 different languages in addition to visual aids using BSL sign language as well as audio pod casts and printable versions. This shows that they have made an effort to cater for diverse cultures and needs. Unfortunately it appears that they have not taken into account the needs of people with dyslexia. Approximately two million people in the UK population are affected by dyslexia of which around 35 to 40 percent experience visual disturbances when reading (Dyslexia Action, 2012). The British Dyslexia Association, (2012) states that the reading ability of an individual with dyslexia can be negatively affected by bright white backgrounds and the use of too much text. By changing the background to an off white colour and spreading out the information over larger areas this would cater for yet another group in society. Conclusion Having the ability to access health information via the internet has given nurses the capacity to constantly improve their knowledge base and skills knowing that they are delivering the best possible care derived from the best available evidence. The RC Psych website not only offers nurses a place to go and build on their knowledge and skills but it also provides them with a safe, reliable and easily accessible knowledge base that they can confidently refer their patients to. The evaluation of this website has shown that the website contains quality, reliable evidence and could be recommended to anyone interested in the field of mental illness. In addition to this the use of the five C’s evaluation tool has provided a great foundation to the development of evaluating skills. It has given an opportunity to discover that the evidence being accessed is suitable for developing personal practice and to help educate patients and is accepted within the NMC code of conduct (Roberts, 2 010).

Primo Levi

The Reawakening, by Primo Levi, is a sequel to his first novel, Survival in Auschwitz. It is a deeply powerful memoir of his liberation from the most brutal concentration camps of them all, Auschwitz. Published in 1946, the story of Primo Levi’s pursuit for freedom has inspired many people around the world. Levi’s quest back home to Italy was a grueling mission, from ruthless acts of the Nazi regime, the traumatic effects of imprisonment in Auschwitz and the near death experience of hunger and illness.The Holocaust brought a cloud of darkness filled with pain and despair. Very few victims of the Holocaust survived and those who did found it extremely hard to cope with the traumatic memories that the Holocaust instilled in them. Those who were liberated from Nazi persecution did not feel the freedom they longed for but instead felt that their quest for freedom was like a dream; a nightmare that they would never wake up from. It is fair to say that Primo Levi’s jou rney back home was his own â€Å"reawakening† from the nightmare of Auschwitz.Primo Levi’s encounters, tenacity and determination kept his moral spirit alive enabling him to survive one of the most grueling times in history. The liberation of Nazi concentration camps by allied forces was a great accomplishment during the World War II. After many long years, the victims of the concentration camps were finally granted freedom. However, the chance of survival for the recently liberated prisoners was just as dim as if they were in the camps. Many Jews wanted to immigrate to the â€Å"promise land† located in Israel but because of the lack of resources and strict immigration laws many were unable to do so.Primo Levi, a survivor from Auschwitz, encounters many challenges through his ten month quest back to his home in Italy. Levi’s determination to return to his â€Å"promise land† forced him fight against the great darkness of death, illness and hunger. Levi’s long and grueling journey made him realize that liberty did not bring the survivors to the â€Å"promised land. † They were left to fend for themselves, suffering each day like they did in the camps. Those who were lucky enough to survive the aftermath of the war struggled to establish a new â€Å"free† life.Primo Levi’s Reawakening displays the many hardships that the survivors of the Holocaust had to face trying to get to their â€Å"promise land. † Levi’s liberation and quest back home took him through many countries in Europe, from Hungry to Russia and finally Romania before reaching Italy. Throughout this journey, Levi had the opportunity to see all walks of life. The vision of Auschwitz was traumatizing but through his travels he was able to see beautiful country sides and villages, burned homes, and places of death and destruction.The darkness of poverty and the illuminating light of flourishing markets made Levi’s jour ney a very strange and awkward quest. Primo Levi was able to see the beauty in freedom but he was still haunted by the memories of death and despair that the Holocaust left on its victims in Europe. The memory of Auschwitz will never subside in Levi’s thoughts. Throughout the novel, Levi recalls the brutal experiences that he and his fellow Jewish people encountered in the concentration camps.The haunting of the Holocaust took a huge toll on Primo Levi’s emotional and physical well being, leaving him with many unanswered questions. If the war was over why was there still hungry mouths to feed, sick souls to nourish and damaged lives to fix? The end of the war did not promise freedom for Jews but instead made them walk a path of fear and hatred. The establishment of new life was hard for the survivors of the concentration camps, for they had been so dehumanized that is was impossible for them to come to grips with reality.The survivors were so used to living and sleepin g with corpses that they too felt that their own soul was no longer with them. It was very difficult for Jews to recuperate from the racial purification attempts of the Holocaust, but those who showed hope and perseverance through theses grueling times were able to regain their life and self worth. Throughout Levi’s reawakening, he met very extraordinary people, many of whom are survivors of the Holocaust just like him. These people can be seen as a symbol in Levi’s reawakening helping him establish new life after liberation.Jews are deeply hated amongst the European nation and Levi encounters three authority figures they guide him with rules that he must abide in order to escape detestation. During a walk along the churches of Cracow, Levi came across the first authority figure, a priest. They carried the most â€Å"extravagant and chaotic conversation in Latin. † (Levi, 50) At the end of their encounter the priest advises Levi not to speak German in public. Th e second authority figure that Levi encountered was a lawyer traveling through Treblinka. He was a Polish man but he could speak German as well.Like the priest, he also advised Levi not to speak German in public. A police officer, the third figure of authority in Levi’s reawakening, showed compassion towards Levi and offered him â€Å"a night in warmth, in jail. † (Levi, 56) This kind Italian officer warned Levi not to speak in German as well. German is the language of the Nazis, who are greatly feared and hated because of their malicious actions towards Jews. These figures in Levi’s reawakening gave Levi comfort with their advice and shown him that in order to establish new life he must abide by the rules.Another very important figure in Levi’s reawakening was Mordo Nahum, the â€Å"Greek. † The Greek was the vision of life, showing Levi the qualities of hard work, perseverance and friendship. Qualities such as these were vital in they key to surv ival during the aftermath of the War. Like Levi, Greek was also a Jew but he was not like anyone Levi had ever met. He was a strong, logical and cold man that believed â€Å"his life has been one of war. † (Levi, 52) Many survivors believed that the world owed them for their sufferings during the Holocaust but liberty never took place.Immigration laws and conferences such as the Bermuda Conference and the Evian Conference did not do much for the Jewish refugees. The Greek realized the ignorance and selfishness that the world shared and made it clear to Levi that he must learn how to fend for himself because no one will do it for him. This may sound insensitive of the Greek but there is always war and one must learn how to fight against darkness. The Reawakening, by Primo Levi, is a remarkable account of the brutal hardships and hope that the survivors of the Holocaust had to endure.Levi’s memory and experience of the Holocaust have made him a very humble and non-judgme ntal person. Levi does not tell his story with a biased approach, but instead writes like a journalist that gives every detail about the events that has happened in his life. I feel that Levi’s ability to face the darkness of Holocaust without hatred and animosity is a great testament to his strength and character. He gives the facts about Jewish liberation and shows the reader his account and â€Å"reawakening† from the Holocaust. Primo Levi The Reawakening, by Primo Levi, is a sequel to his first novel, Survival in Auschwitz. It is a deeply powerful memoir of his liberation from the most brutal concentration camps of them all, Auschwitz. Published in 1946, the story of Primo Levi’s pursuit for freedom has inspired many people around the world. Levi’s quest back home to Italy was a grueling mission, from ruthless acts of the Nazi regime, the traumatic effects of imprisonment in Auschwitz and the near death experience of hunger and illness.The Holocaust brought a cloud of darkness filled with pain and despair. Very few victims of the Holocaust survived and those who did found it extremely hard to cope with the traumatic memories that the Holocaust instilled in them. Those who were liberated from Nazi persecution did not feel the freedom they longed for but instead felt that their quest for freedom was like a dream; a nightmare that they would never wake up from. It is fair to say that Primo Levi’s jou rney back home was his own â€Å"reawakening† from the nightmare of Auschwitz.Primo Levi’s encounters, tenacity and determination kept his moral spirit alive enabling him to survive one of the most grueling times in history. The liberation of Nazi concentration camps by allied forces was a great accomplishment during the World War II. After many long years, the victims of the concentration camps were finally granted freedom. However, the chance of survival for the recently liberated prisoners was just as dim as if they were in the camps. Many Jews wanted to immigrate to the â€Å"promise land† located in Israel but because of the lack of resources and strict immigration laws many were unable to do so.Primo Levi, a survivor from Auschwitz, encounters many challenges through his ten month quest back to his home in Italy. Levi’s determination to return to his â€Å"promise land† forced him fight against the great darkness of death, illness and hunger. Levi’s long and grueling journey made him realize that liberty did not bring the survivors to the â€Å"promised land. † They were left to fend for themselves, suffering each day like they did in the camps. Those who were lucky enough to survive the aftermath of the war struggled to establish a new â€Å"free† life.Primo Levi’s Reawakening displays the many hardships that the survivors of the Holocaust had to face trying to get to their â€Å"promise land. † Levi’s liberation and quest back home took him through many countries in Europe, from Hungry to Russia and finally Romania before reaching Italy. Throughout this journey, Levi had the opportunity to see all walks of life. The vision of Auschwitz was traumatizing but through his travels he was able to see beautiful country sides and villages, burned homes, and places of death and destruction.The darkness of poverty and the illuminating light of flourishing markets made Levi’s jour ney a very strange and awkward quest. Primo Levi was able to see the beauty in freedom but he was still haunted by the memories of death and despair that the Holocaust left on its victims in Europe. The memory of Auschwitz will never subside in Levi’s thoughts. Throughout the novel, Levi recalls the brutal experiences that he and his fellow Jewish people encountered in the concentration camps.The haunting of the Holocaust took a huge toll on Primo Levi’s emotional and physical well being, leaving him with many unanswered questions. If the war was over why was there still hungry mouths to feed, sick souls to nourish and damaged lives to fix? The end of the war did not promise freedom for Jews but instead made them walk a path of fear and hatred. The establishment of new life was hard for the survivors of the concentration camps, for they had been so dehumanized that is was impossible for them to come to grips with reality.The survivors were so used to living and sleepin g with corpses that they too felt that their own soul was no longer with them. It was very difficult for Jews to recuperate from the racial purification attempts of the Holocaust, but those who showed hope and perseverance through theses grueling times were able to regain their life and self worth. Throughout Levi’s reawakening, he met very extraordinary people, many of whom are survivors of the Holocaust just like him. These people can be seen as a symbol in Levi’s reawakening helping him establish new life after liberation.Jews are deeply hated amongst the European nation and Levi encounters three authority figures they guide him with rules that he must abide in order to escape detestation. During a walk along the churches of Cracow, Levi came across the first authority figure, a priest. They carried the most â€Å"extravagant and chaotic conversation in Latin. † (Levi, 50) At the end of their encounter the priest advises Levi not to speak German in public. Th e second authority figure that Levi encountered was a lawyer traveling through Treblinka. He was a Polish man but he could speak German as well.Like the priest, he also advised Levi not to speak German in public. A police officer, the third figure of authority in Levi’s reawakening, showed compassion towards Levi and offered him â€Å"a night in warmth, in jail. † (Levi, 56) This kind Italian officer warned Levi not to speak in German as well. German is the language of the Nazis, who are greatly feared and hated because of their malicious actions towards Jews. These figures in Levi’s reawakening gave Levi comfort with their advice and shown him that in order to establish new life he must abide by the rules.Another very important figure in Levi’s reawakening was Mordo Nahum, the â€Å"Greek. † The Greek was the vision of life, showing Levi the qualities of hard work, perseverance and friendship. Qualities such as these were vital in they key to surv ival during the aftermath of the War. Like Levi, Greek was also a Jew but he was not like anyone Levi had ever met. He was a strong, logical and cold man that believed â€Å"his life has been one of war. † (Levi, 52) Many survivors believed that the world owed them for their sufferings during the Holocaust but liberty never took place.Immigration laws and conferences such as the Bermuda Conference and the Evian Conference did not do much for the Jewish refugees. The Greek realized the ignorance and selfishness that the world shared and made it clear to Levi that he must learn how to fend for himself because no one will do it for him. This may sound insensitive of the Greek but there is always war and one must learn how to fight against darkness. The Reawakening, by Primo Levi, is a remarkable account of the brutal hardships and hope that the survivors of the Holocaust had to endure.Levi’s memory and experience of the Holocaust have made him a very humble and non-judgme ntal person. Levi does not tell his story with a biased approach, but instead writes like a journalist that gives every detail about the events that has happened in his life. I feel that Levi’s ability to face the darkness of Holocaust without hatred and animosity is a great testament to his strength and character. He gives the facts about Jewish liberation and shows the reader his account and â€Å"reawakening† from the Holocaust.

The Attention Span of the Preschool Child Research Paper

The Attention Span of the Preschool Child - Research Paper Example He was wearing a navy t-shirt, khaki shorts, plain white socks and white tennis shoes. He paid no attention whatsoever to his clothing during the period of observation. He was accompanied by his mother, a young woman who referred to him exclusively as â€Å"Pumpkin†. I observed Pumpkin run, walk, climb a short ladder, slide down a small twisty slide and write legible letters in dirt with a stick, as well as drawing various human and animal figures and numbers. His physical development and coordination seemed appropriate to his age, perhaps slightly advanced but not significantly so. Pumpkin did not appear to derive the same degree of satisfaction with his playground exploits as did the other children in his age range, and only climbed the ladder to the slide at the insistence of his mother. At no point did Pumpkin interact in a sustained way with any children his own age on the playground. I observed some fantasy play, but no cooperative or parallel play during this period. Pu mpkin engaged exclusively in solitary play for the duration, with occasional attempts to engage his mother's attention. Pumpkin interacted only with his mother during the course of the observation. He was very independent throughout, and showed no discomfort or significant displeasure at any point. He appeared to have fostered a healthy and secure attachment to his mother, and was comfortable venturing a reasonable distance away from her. Pumpkin was fairly polite with his mother, asking, â€Å"Please help me write this† and so on. His mother made several attempts to redirect Pumpkin toward the playground before he gave up and went back to entertaining himself by writing in the dirt. I observed some fairly sophisticated grammar from Pumpkin during this time period. Most notable about his speech was that despite the complexity and length of his statements, the sound /r/ was entirely absent. This made even sophisticated phrasing sound very juvenile at times. Much of Pumpkin's s peech was directed toward himself, in the form of questions and answers (â€Å"What do we call animals who eat plants? Animals who eat plants are called 'herbivores'.†) as well as running commentary about what he was drawing (â€Å"I'm a friendly triceratops, I like to run fast and I have three horns on my face.†) Pumpkin engaged in running commentary at every stage of self-directed play. A smaller portion of his speech was directed toward his mother, usually in the form of a question such as "How do you spell 'diplodocus'," or "How many groups have more than three?" His mother usually responded only by repeating the question back to Pumpkin, smiling and saying, "That's nice, Pumpkin", or with a non-committal hum as she continued working on a crossword puzzle. When I began my observation, Pumpkin's mother had just convinced him to climb the slide. As soon as he got to the bottom, he began drawing with a stick and did not stop before I completed my observations. During his drawing time, Pumpkin drew dinosaurs, dinosaur footprints, letters, numbers, and circles (around â€Å"groups†). His favorite number was 3. This observation leads me to believe that Pumpkin is not a typical preschooler. His attention span was extremely long, and his choice of activities did not align with those of his age mates. At no point did he attempt to engage any children of his own age in play, though he seemed perfectly comfortable speaking with his mother and seemed aware of the other children (if not particularly interested in them).

Chemical enginering Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chemical enginering - Personal Statement Example The ceremony was simply fascinating and the deep impression lasted for years. I realised that this was the turning point of every person’s life. A young graduated professional walks into the unknown to pursue his hopes and dreams in his future career. Also, I felt a sense of community while observing other students. The community I became eager to be a part of. I understood that this was a whole new level and I had to work hard to achieve it. It was my time to start planning my future and my life, to start thinking about my place in the society and the purpose of my life. I felt that I needed achievements that I could be proud of so that one day I would share my experience with future generations. I chose chemical engineering to be my intended major and my future career. I have great passion for science and technology because it is my strong conviction that they can be beneficial to people and improve the quality of life of each and every individual. Especially, I am intereste d in biofuel as the research in this area can improve the situation with global warming. Biodiesel is significantly more environment friendly then traditional diesel fuel. For example, while burning it produces less pollution and its engine behaviour it approximately the same as in case of traditional fossil fuel. However, the current biodiesel production technology is still not able to satisfy the needs of industry. The fact points out to the importance of research in the area and the development of new production methods. In this way I will be able to make my contribution into society and help people. In my life I had hopeless moments and I know what it feels like. My sister and I were raised only by my mother in Hong Kong. Because I was older, I had to take care of my sister during school time and our way home. She always turned to me in case of any problems. It significantly helped me to realize the importance of responsibility and develop my leadership skills. I also had to dev elop strong communications skills and the ability to fit into new environment while interacting with people substantially older then we were. I am proud of that because I did not turn to anyone for an advice doing everything on my own. I became independent in my views and developed the feeling that I can find a way out of almost any situation. We later moved to the US to start a new life. I absolutely agree with my mother’s decision because a person must always evolve both spiritually and as a professional. Also, it was a great opportunity to face new challenges and see what I really could do. Talking about chemical engineering, I am full of ambitions. By my example, I want to show everybody how we must push the frontier of knowledge. Showing outstanding leadership skills, highlight that it is never too late to better ourselves and persuade people to change their treatment of the environment. 2. Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experie nce that is important to you. It is my strong conviction that a person must try a number of part time jobs before entering college or university. It is very important to feel a sense of community you live in, develop skills necessary to fit in the group and be more social. Also, by working from an early age a person will become more responsible while making new contacts. It can help you develop vital characteristics that

Legalizing Prostitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Legalizing Prostitution - Essay Example Today, most countries consider prostitution as illegal, unacceptable, and subject to sanctions. However, these conditions have not killed this practice, as it continues invisibly from the law. Due to this case, authorities cannot address the problems that emanate from prostitution, since they cannot be reported as well. This therefore, puts the whole society at risk. Nonetheless, it is wise for countries to legalize prostitution so that it is practised in an organized manner that will ensure the safety of the prostitutes, their clients, and the society as a whole. According to Floyd, there are differences in the way prostitution was practised in the past, and how it is practised today. These changes are in the form of society’s perception of the practice, and the changes in prostitution itself over the years. Ancient Samaria, which is the present Iraq, holds the record of the earliest prostitution in 2400 B.C.E. This was in the form of temple maidens pleasing the gods and ensu ring land fertility through soliciting for temple donations in return for sexual favors. However, in later years, the Greek started practicing prostitution as business. This practice later spread to other areas, including Rome, China, among others. Today, prostitution is practised in almost all world countries in different ways. Weitzer notes that legalizing prostitution means that prostitution is tolerated provided it adheres to the set standards and regulations to ensure control. Legalization therefore, is part of regulation and aims at controlling all activities related to prostitution. When prostitution is legalized, it may involve conditions such as compulsory medical tests, registration of prostitutes, location, or zoning conditions, and registration and licensing of brothels, as well as escort agencies (â€Å"Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Legal Business.† 49). All these conditions and new prostitution laws will have to be enforced by the police. In lega lized prostitution therefore, any prostitute found operating outside the laid down set of rules is considered a criminal, as they will be guilty of engaging in unlawful prostitution (Dressler 102). Today, in most countries, including the USA, where prostitution is illegal, the government, through the legal system, penalizes prostitutes and their clients for actions they are involved in as consenting adults. In this situation, government finances are spent on efforts aimed at arresting prostitutes and their clients, and enforcing laws regarding prostitution. According to Weitzer, when prostitutes and their clients are arrested, the government incurs costs in the series of their prosecution process (â€Å"Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Legal Business.† 48). However, the resultant issue is that the police force and courtrooms are burdened with numerous prostitution cases they have to address, and finally, have very little or no impact at all on the case of prostit ution in the country. The prostitutes and their clients are always set free after paying their fines, and so they go back to the streets to continue with their business of prostitution. Therefore, the approach of catch and release employed by the legal system to curb prostitution has never worked nor has it registered any alleviation in the prostitution level in the country (Lehman & Shirelle 88). According to Weitzer, the rate of prostitution has sharply increased in the present years. This increase is attributed to the role the

Compare Public Management Reform in the UK with one other country of Essay

Compare Public Management Reform in the UK with one other country of your choice. What does the comparison tell you about the factors that shape public management in each country - Essay Example The objective is to understand deeper the specific circumstances confronted by each country in public sector management. The first, command and control, involves top-down management and asserts that government can take charge and â€Å"can be highly effective† (Barber 2007, p. 21). Two such examples of the â€Å"command and control† approach is the UK government’s National Literacy Strategy between 1997 and 2001 and the UK government’s reduction of health care waiting times between 2000 and 2005 (Barber 2007, p. 21). The â€Å"quasi-market† approach attempts to provide government services as how one may provide a service in the market wherein privatisation is an option (Barber 2007, p. 21-22). According to Barber (2007, p. 22), some of the good examples of the â€Å"quasi-market† market approach are as follows: (1) the Medicare program of the United States; (2) the UK policy of encouraging the use of independent providers for routine operations in the UK health care system; and (3) the use of private providers for public schools in Philadelphia. According to Barber (2007, p. 22), evidence on the quality of impact of the â€Å"quasi-market† approach is mixed but â€Å"success seems to depend on the precise design of the program†. In third approach, â€Å"devolution and transparency,† government devolves â€Å"responsibility to the frontline units delivering the service and then use transparency† or making public the results in a way that allows comparison s to drive performance higher (Barber 2007, p. 22). On the other hand, Briggs and Fisher (2006, p. 30) advanced that the three paradigms of public sector management are the traditional public administration approach, the new public management paradigm, and the public value management. In the traditional public management approach, public managers are assumed to have the task of ensuring that rules and appropriate procedures are followed and that the public sector has the monopoly of the service ethos

Product analysis ( Philip Starch Juicer) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Product analysis ( Philip Starch Juicer) - Essay Example It appeals to customers who want classic and different items. The customer could include an organization or any other entity that wants to use the Philip starch juicer in their day to day operations. The Philip starch juicer retails at  £43. Such is a good price for an effective, simple and durable product. The operation procedure of this product is simple. It involves inserting pressure on the lemon to force the juice together with the pulp from rind through the sieve or filter. During this process, Philip starch juicer itself must resist pressure; hence easily deformable materials cannot be used. The Philip starch juicer is mostly used in lemons. Consequently, since lemon is acidic, only acid based materials can be used to make the product. The safety of the product can only be judged during its normal use. In all products, using them in a different way or purpose from that directed by the manufacturers makes them to become unsafe. There is the manual and electric option of the Philip starch juicer. For the manual, after turning the device, the operator must hold the lemon while for the electric option; the squeezer turns the device on automatically. However, the operator must still hold on to the lemon. Other squeezers crush the lemon against projections. Thus, they usually have long handles in order for them to gain mechanical advantage of the

Humanism in Utopia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Humanism in Utopia - Essay Example He was born in London to Sir John More who was a famous judge. He studied at St Anthony's School in London and as a teen he served as a page to Archbishop Morton who said that More would be a great man. More went to  Oxford  to study under William Grocyn and  Thomas Linacre. During his stay, he made comedies and focused on Greek and Latin literature. He translated the Latin biography of the famous Italian humanist  Pico della Mirandola. Afterwards, More returned to London to pursue law and he was admitted to  Lincoln's Inn as a barrister. Despite of that, he did not automatically follow his father’s shadow. He was confused between a religious life and a life as a civil servant. During his stay at Lincoln's Inn, becoming a monk was in his mind and studied the the  Carthusian discipline. The religious habits were permanently became part of his life. Later on he decided to take the path of a civil servant and a married life (Luminarium). He married Jane Colt and they had four children but Colt died young. He remarried for the sake of his children to Alice Middleton who was six years older than him. Middleton became a good housewife although she was different from More. More then became a famous judge, lawyer and a personal secretary to Henry VIII. He was then executed when he did not sign the oath making the king as the supreme head of the church in England. He still left a legacy and one of his famous works is Utopia (Liukkonen and Pesonen). His idea on Utopia was greatly influenced by the concept of humanism. The broad concept of humanism is concerned with the what aspects to become a human or human-being centered (Fowler 5). Humanism can also be defined as the term pertaining to a famous social philosophy and intellectual and literary currents from 1400 to 1650. The concept favor the classical pagan beliefs revolving around the philosophy of secularism or the appreciation of worldly pleasures. It also promoted individualism. Prosperity and gr owth in trade increased the interest in materialism or worldly pleasures even though people formed allegiance to the Catholic Church. Humanism therefore pushed forth the ideas of classical writers on social values and secular attitudes. Humanism embraced the mystical and aesthetic aspects of the period before the development of science. People were not free from the ancient authority. They transferred authorities instead of removing them. The humanists followed and read their authorities due to aesthetic pleasure and moral uplift (Kreis). The characters of the book Utopia were Thomas More, Peter Giles and a fictional character named Raphael Hythloday. More was a London public servant who wrote a letter to his friend Giles in Belgium who was an editor and clerk. The story was divided into two books. In book one, the background of Hythloday was introduced and More met Hythloday because of Giles. Hythloday was a Portuguese explorer who sailed to the New World with the Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci. He traveled in the New World and became close to the Utopians. The conversation of the three men revolved around the existence of the New World and compared it to the European political and economic issues. Book two unfolded the information regarding Utopia as Hythloday revealed it to More and Giles. The history, geography, social customs, legal and political systems, economic structures, religious beliefs and philosophy of Utopia were all tackled. Utopia started when General Utopus civilized the area and turned it into an

The Cove Movie Critique Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Cove Critique - Movie Review Example After watching the film about a week ago, it emerged that it is an outstanding documentary that carries a strong message. The theme of the documentary is a campaign against the hunting and slaughtering of dolphins in Japan, although the activism applies to other countries as well. In a bid to support this theme, the film depicts the extreme treatment of dolphins in a cove in Japan. The team that put together this documentary made efforts of installing secret cameras in the cove hence obtained images of how trapping and killing of dolphins in the coastal village occurred (Eger n.p). After slaughtering the dolphins, the meat was marketed as well whale meat confusing many buyers. The film consists of individuals who are committed to stopping the hunting of dolphins to the point whereby they are almost becoming extinct. Richard O’Barry is an outstanding character in the film. This is because he had been a trainer of five dolphins that had been used on a TV show called Flipper. Evidently, he was an expert in training dolphins explaining why he had excellently trained the dolphins appearing in the show. However, one of the experiences he has during that career was witnessing a dolphin die in his hands because of the distress resulting from the captivity. After that incident, he has been an activist against the capturing of dolphins and their use by companies such as Sea World Entertainment (Eger n.p). The presence of Richard O’Barry in this documentary makes it compelling considering his first career in training dolphins and his modern activism against captivity of dolphins. In my opinion, the documentary presents a very strong message regarding the activism against captivity and the hunting of dolphins. The images depicting the slaughtering and capturing of dolphins and the failure to regard animals in accordance with the defined animal rights serves to affect the audience emotionally. The images expose the evil done against dolphins. The

LANDSCAPE REHABILITATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

LANDSCAPE REHABILITATION - Essay Example Currently, the area is filled with water and disused from the excavations and the pits. The pits on the site have served as a dumping area for wastes for many decades and would require restoration. The restoration of the site will include removal of the excess water in the pits, filling the pits and planting appropriate plant species to improve the soil stability. The Strategic Context The Formulated Objectives i. To provide of an expert report on the means to rehabilitate Blackpool working area. The plan would provide procedures to realize a full reclamation and maintenance of the region. ii. To explain and the principles behind each technique employed in the process to foster understanding amongst the planets. The explanations would advise on the appropriate criterion by identifying the merits and demerits of each criterion and need for its implementation (Liddle, 1997). iii. To utilize the conventional models of reclamation on degenerated environments. http://www.mindat.org/gphoto s/0357418001078092838.jpg Setting of the Site The Plan Layout Retrieved on April 24th 2012 http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/register/report/eiareport/eia_0552001/report/vol1/vo_1.htm Site Plan and Design Design Considerations The Landscape Plan Goals To provide a strategic context for the plan would require the inclusion of created and approved objectives. The planners must also consider the incorporation of the local community in the selection of the site to use and the necessary facilities. To provide the feasibility framework for the rehabilitation will demand a plan for the site layout and the approved locations for landscaping, the phases of work and the procedures. The wildlife considerations will target the increment of the plants’ species diversification. The variation will additionally increase the number of the native animals’ populace that the Blackpool mining site can tolerate. Eventually, the other concern worth incorporation is the preference of the users. This consideration will define the entry point of the site and the order of entry and an arbor structure will be located at the entrance (Heywood & Carver, 2006). The Physical Reclamation Design This plan targets the creation of a conducive environment for the public into the Blackpool and creates a woodland feel within the urban setup. Plants should be located and accumulated to direct views and provide avenues in the space between the rehabilitated site and the Clay Works. The plants should be installed in natural arrangements. The plan should avert straightforward rows or formal procedures of planting trees. Limited groupings of similar plant species should offer the reigning pattern (Hawke & Jose, 1995).The planners have to consider reason for rehabilitation to provide a tentative guideline. The need for rehabilitation should direct the rehabilitating team on the areas to emphasize on with respect to the objectives. The availability of resources has to be addressed and considered as one of the critical facets for the success of the rehabilitation process. There has to be adequate finances to fund the process by hiring or purchasing the heavy machinery and tools together with the plant operators employed. The personnel involved in the rehabilitation process have to be competent and conversant with the geological and environmental issues. The ownership of the land is essential for consideration because the ownership

Whistle Blowing Essay Example for Free

Whistle Blowing Essay Write a report explaining the importance of ensuring children and young peoples safety and protection in the work setting. The report needs to cover the following sections:Section 1: InductionExplain why it is important to ensure children and young people are protected from harm in the work setting. As part of the Working Together to Safeguard children, organisations and individuals have a responsibility to work together to safeguard the well-being and welfare of all children and young people in their care. This of course, includes looking after the health, well-being and welfare while they are in the school environment. Everyone who works within a setting and cares for children and young people have clear responsibilities to; Protect children and young people from harm.  Help children to build tools to protect, understand and have the knowledge to some extent safeguard themselves and others. Promote the welfare of all children and young people they work with. The policies and procedures that are in place help train, guide and allow everyone who works with children and young people to help ensure that they are not put at risk from things such as neglect, abuse or bullying. Policies and procedures are also in place to protect the health and safety of everyone in a school setting, this can be for example staff carrying out risk assessments for activities in school. Every member of staff working in a setting can help children and young people to gain knowledge and achieve some level of understanding in how to protect themselves. This can be done through daily teaching, assemblies and play and break times. Section 2: Describe the policies and procedures that are in place to protect children and young people and the adults who work with them. There are many policies and procedures in place to protect children and young people and also the adults who work with them. Here are some examples; Safeguarding The Childrens Act 2004 is in place to make the UK a safer and better place for children and young people. Everyone who works within a setting  should know what to do if a child or young person makes a disclosure or they have a suspicion about the behaviour/general well being of someone in their care. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 was introduced to make sure that staff in working environments know and understand the requirements and responsibilities in making sure that the working environment is a safe place to be. This Act covers things such as; Teaching children how to use sports and play equipment correctly. Ensuring that the children know, for example, what the correct clothing is when using apparatus. Explaining and practising a Fire Drill. Teaching children and young people to move through the school in a safe manner, e.g. to run and not to run. This Act also covers areas such as COSSH, Manual Handling Regulations And Workplace Safety. Risk Assessments It would be impossible to make every area of the school completely safe and never expect anything to happen. Risk assessing activities and experiences in school is incredibly important and all school settings will carry out risk assessments on activities in school, equipment used in school, for example PE Equipment, Art and Craft tools and even on trips outside of the school environment. Anti-bullying Every school will have an anti-bullying policy in place. Children maybe involved in things such as school council or drawing and putting up anti-bullying posters around the school. Children can be rewarded for offering friendship to others and some settings have a friendship bench or area for children or young people to go to if they feel lonely or upset. Food and Hygiene Teaching and reminding children and young people to wash their hands after using the toilet. This will help to reduce chance of illnesses and  infections being passed on. Washing hands before being included in cookery lessons. Having a policy in place for how soon a child or adult can return to school after a bout of sickness and diarrhoea. Having a dental nurse or dentist visit the school to teach the children about cleaning teeth properly. The school, headteacher and governing board are legally responsible for making sure all of the policies and procedures are in place and followed by staff, visitors and volunteers. For example, all Risk Assessments are signed by the Headteacher and also by the Governors. Annual Reports and Audits are carried out by the Headteacher and passed to the governing board and the Local Authority. The Local Authority will also carry out their own reports, visits and audits annually. Section 3:Explain how practitioners can take steps to protect themselves within their everyday practice in the work setting during both on-site and off-site visits.When working in a school setting it is an important part of any employee’s job to read and be familiar with the policies and procedures in place to protect themselves and the children and young people in their care. Adequate training should also be provided by the Headteacher, Governing Board and Local Authority to ensure the messages from these policies and procedures are clear and followed. When working at school, you can help to protect yourself by following theses steps; Read, understand and always follow your schools policies and procedures. If you do not understand any of them in place, ask your direct line manager or Headteacher for advice.   Always sign into school on arrival and again on departure. At Barnham Primary, sign in and sign out books are stored by reception and must be filled in every time staff or visitors enter or leave the building. All children and young people at school should have their registers arrival and departure times recorded in the class registers. Always wear a clear name badge and ensure all visitors, volunteers also do the same.   Always avoid, if you can being alone in a classroom with one child. Sometimes in school, you may find yourself working one to one with a child. It is important to consider how to work safely whilst carrying out this work. You should try and keep yourself in a visible position, for example in the corner of the classroom or in view of a witness. If you are working in an empty classroom, chose a space near an open door and in view of anyone walking past. Keep an eye on your body language, position and closeness to the child. If a child or young person is late at school and delayed in going home, two members of staff must remain at school and with them until their parent or carer collects them. If an incident or accident occurs at school they should be written up on the appropriate paperwork and stored in the correct folder. At Barnham Primary the paperwork for accidents is kept in the staff room and must be filled in by the person who witnessed the accident and then signed by the class teacher. A detachable part of the form is then sent home with the child and this is especially important for any head injuries. Any behaviour incidents that require writing up and recording need to be seen by the class teacher and the headteacher.   If you are ever involved in an off-site visit you need to protect yourself by; Always follow the policies and procedures for off site visits set up by your school. The class teacher will have completed a risk assessment for the trip so make sure that you are familiar with key points and anything that you may need to be extra vigilant about. An off site trip may include, using seatbelts on a coach, planning for toilet stops, dealing with a sick child and walking with large groups of children outside. All of these will be included on the risk assessment. Always ensure that the off site trip has been agreed with the Headteacher. Over night stays will need to have the approval of the governing board also.  Parental consent must also be given by parents and carers for all school trips. Any children who are not permitted on off site trips have to remain in school and adequate cover must be provided in school to ensure that they are looked after. It will be the job of the Headteacher to ensure that any off site trip is covered by adequate insurance. There is no legal requirement for staff to pupil ratio on off site trips. However it is important to stay within the guidance of Ofsted. They recommend a ratio of 1 adult to every 15 primary school age children. Often on off site trips, parent helpers and volunteers are encouraged and with this help this ratio is greatly reduced and therefore helps increase the safety of the trip. When the trip is taking place, ensure that a fully stocked first aid kit is taken. At Barnham Primary a First Aid bum-bag is provided and carried on all trips. A current and up to date list of all children and their emergency contacts and any medical issues is also taken on every trip. This must be taken in case of any injury, accident or illness so parents and carers can be contacted quickly. Section 4:Research, evaluate and explain ways in which concerns about poor practice can be reported, including protective measures for whistle blowers and those whose practice or behaviour is being questioned. At every school or setting there should be policies and procedures for everyone to follow on whistle-blowing. A whistle blower can be defined as a person who tells the public or someone in authority about an alleged incident or illegal activity. Whistle-blowing policies and procedures are in place to provide some level of protection for the person in the work place who raises the concern. They aim to protect the person from victimisation or any form of other punishment  when they have only raised their genuine concerns. Once a whistle-blower has raised their concerns and from that do suffer from Victimisation, then that person maybe able to take their case further and go to an Employment Tribunal. However this is only in more serious cases. At Barnham Primary school if there are any concerns about an alleged incident, misconduct or malpractice then it should in he first instance, it should be reported to the persons line manager or supervisor. It is important to remember that anything reported under these circumstances will be treated with confidentiality. To be protected as a whistle-blower they need to make a ‘qualifying disclosure’ about an alleged incident, misconduct or malpractice. For example this could be; Criminal offences Failure to comply with a legal obligation Miscarriages of justice Threats to an individual’s health and safety Damage to the environment A deliberate attempt to cover up any of the above. A qualifying whistle-blower will be protected only if they report their concern to the appropriate person and in the correct way. If an employee or whistle-blower wishes to raise a genuine concern, this is the procedure that must be followed; Staff need to act in good faith when they suspect any level of misconduct or malpractice. The whistle-blower needs to really think through what their concern and think through why the issue is worrying them and why. It is a serious procedure to follow so it should not be taken lightly. Their concerns will in the first instance, report their concerns to their line manager or supervisor. This could be a teacher, senior teacher, head of year or Headteacher. It is important to pick a time of day where time can be given to discuss the issue, so it is a good idea to chose a time carefully.   Before talking to a senior member of staff, the whistle-blower should take the time to write their concerns down. Ti could for example include a detailed report or diary of events. It should include as much detail as possible, for example; background details history names dates and times witnesses places and locations. If the concerns raised are deemed as genuine and there is cause for concern, then an investigation into the alleged incident will begin.   During an investigation period, both the whistle-blower and the accused will be continually supported and informed of the any progress that has been made. The investigation, depending on its level of severity may be carried out by a senior member of staff or someone from the local authority. A Barnham Primary, the SDP (Senior Designated Person) and the Headteacher will be the main contacts to go to if any allegations against a staff member are made.   A time-scale should always be put in place and shard with both the whistle-blower and the accused should have a full understanding of how long the process will be.   During the time of the investigation, both parties should be offered support and opportunity to discuss confidentiality any issues that may have arisen since the incident was disclosed and the investigation began. This would be time for either party to discuss if they have been treated any  differently or unfairly since it began. It is also important to make both parties aware that they have the right to be accompanied at any interview by a trade union representative or work colleague. As well as the whistle-blower being able to give their version of events, it is only fair that the accused can also defend any complaints and give a detailed version of their version of events. Under the Data Protection Act, all information given by both parties involved must be kept confidentially and the investigation must be reflect this and be carried out discreetly.   If a whistle-blower feels as if nothing happens about their concerns then they have the right to contact further services for help. This could be the local school authority of Ofsted.   If the accused is found guilty of the misconduct, incident or malpractice, plans would need to be put in place. In some more serious case the person maybe dismissed from their job, but in other cases support maybe put in place to improve areas of concern. For example, this could be retraining in the area of concern or providing more support in their job role. On the other hand if there is no substance to the allegation, support will also need to be given. This maybe dealing with the emotional stress of being accused of something they did not do, being socially excluded again for something they didn’t do. It may be necessary to offer counselling or mediation between the whistle-blower and the accused to try and re-build the working relationship after the investigation has finished. As serious as this process is, it is very important that whistle-blowers are protected. To be able to provide a safe, healthy environment for education, any malpractice, incidents or misconduct must be taken seriously and people must feel the need to speak out and raise their concerns.

India in the New World Order as Regional Power

India in the New World Order as Regional Power INTRODUCTION Background 1. Dramatic changes at the global level have initiated a process of reorientation of the power distribution in international politics. The changes initiated with the disintegration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR ), the unification of Europe in pursuit of an identity of its own ,a sharp decline of communism has set in a process of transition in world affairs, the sudden rise of asian countries mainly China, India ASEAN Bloc, emergence of resurgent Russia and establishment of new economic power blocs like the G20,BRIC RIC. The emergence of USA as the sole super power and its global war on terror have changed the security scenario for all and sundry. The existing obscurity has given rise to new opportunities, new speculations and new considerations regarding power distribution. A gradual shift from a geo-political world order to a geo-economical world order has come to stay. There is no doubt that any future order would have the considerations such as comprehensive na tional power to incl Economy and the power it wields albeit indirectly, at the centre of any international power game. 2. Global shifts happen rarely and are even less often peaceful. The transfer of power from west to east will dramatically change the context of dealing with international challenges. In the early 20th century the imperial order and the aspiring states of Germany and Japan failed to adjust to each other. That led to wars which devastated the better part of the world. The coming shift in power will have a greater impact globally and will require assimilation of diverse political and cultural systems. Todays rising powers seek redress of past grievances, are proudly nationalistic and want to claim their rightful place in the comity of nations. Asian rise in economic terms will translate into greater political and military power, thus increasing the potential damage from conflicts. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has noted that In the next two decades China and India will undergo industrialisation four times the size of the United States and at five times the speedFor the first time in many centuries, power is moving East. Blair added that In this new world, we must clear a path to partnership, not stand off against each other competing for power. The worldcannot afford a return to the 20th century struggles for hegemony.[1] 3. India being a part of this evolutionary and revolutionary economic process needs to apprise herself of these changes and redefine: if required, her goals and objectives to emerge as a reckonable force from the present mesh of contradictions and complexities. The term reckonable force can be redefined as regional power when one views Indias prospects vis-Ã  -vis her size, geo-strategic location, abundant natural resources, size of economy and military capability. The Indian nation is not just a nation, but a subcontinent. Being a subcontinent not only in size, but by its population which is in excess of One Billion, sets it apart in a World with a total population of a little above Five Billion means that in every Five Human being on Earth one is an Indian. It is on record that the Indian Armed Forces is the Fourth Largest in the World. India has since the past Twenty Eight years been exerting her influence in the South Asia sub-region. Thus India has functioned for over half her period of independence as a regional power. It is instructive that given the New World Order in which the US is about the only Super power, it is pertinent that in order to maintain the Balance of Power, that Nations like India with a long period of History devoid of expansionist propensity, should emerge as a Super power to enhance the balance of power in the South Asian sub-region, and the World in general. 4. The Indo-Pak conflict of 1971 leading to the emergence of Bangladesh, peace keeping operations in Srilanka, quick repression of an attempted coup in Maldives, deployment of Indian navy in Gulf of Aden and involvement of India in various fora both on strategic geopolitical stage provide ample evidence that India possesses many of the attributes of a regional power. The emergence as a knowledge economy and as a Human resource powerhouse, make India a force to reckon with today and strong vibrant economy in future. In the recent past, India enhanced role in plethora of world fora and the Indo-US Nuclear deal and subsequent ratification by Nuclear Suppliers Group IAEA. However, in some areas like all round economic development, poverty, population explosion, literacy rates and foreign policy to some extent, India is lacking at the moment. For India to emerge as a regional power, these unfavourable areas need critical attention and reappraisal. The Indian economy is growing at an av erage rate of 8 per cent a year. Most Indian and foreign observers are confident that India will sustain this tempo of growth in the near future, and will go on to become one of the worlds leading economies and a global political power in 2020. A few voices draw attention to the tremendous economic, political and social challenges facing India that the country must overcome before it can lay claim to being a world power [2]. Statement of the Argument 5. A countrys role in the international system is not a random occurrence or a result of an accident ; but is basically a function of its power position in the international hierarchy. To have a Subject Role in international politics is to be a part of the power structure that makes vital decisions about the fate and destiny of the international system and the nations within it. The Object Role nations are at the receiving end of the decisions made by the subject role nations. A third in-between category is that of an independent centre of power. These nations do not have the leverage to influence the course of the international system as a whole, but do possess enough capability to have, within a given configuration of power, a considerable degree of autonomy and the capability to resist the application of unwelcome decisions. While subject nations have global influence, independent centres of power are often dominant or pre-eminent in a certain region. They may, therefore may also be referred to as Regional Powers . Typically a subject nation resists the emergence of a regional power; for to accommodate others to a similar role is to diminish ones own power. The tendency is to extend ones own power and exercise domination over others so as to reduce the emerging regional powers to the status of a mere object nation.[3] 6. India gained pre-eminence in South Asia in the aftermath of the Indo-Pak war of 1971 but more recently with the steady economic growth and growing international stature have made it a power centre in South Asia. With the recent changes in the world politics and diffusion of power, countries with regional prominence have come to possess a great capacity for asserting their regional pre-eminence. In this context, India has the capability and the potential to be elevated to the status of a regional power. An analysis of various factors in the light of international power structure would facilitate the prognosis of the status India is likely to achieve by 2020 AD. Aim 7. To assess Indias potential in the new world order so as to forecast the prospects of India emerging as a regional power in South Asia by 2020 AD. Justification for the Study 8. Ever since gaining independence in 1947, India has moved slowly but steadily towards its role as a regional power . Historically India has been the seat of famous ancient civilisations. It invokes memories of past greatness, though episodic; and of epochs of creativity, not only in Philosophy and Literature but also in Science and Mathematics. The fact that the last several centuries saw India under alien rule only makes aspirations in the restoration of greatness all the more deeply felt[4]. Indias influence in South Asia in particular and the world in general, is beginning to emerge. A study of various factors that would aid Indias emergence, as well as various impediments that retard this process merit analysis. India is a fast steadily developing country and stands among the top few industrial nations in the world and has a rapidly growing industrial sector. Although poverty, illiteracy and health deficiencies are some of the vexing problems, yet only few nations have larger pools of trained professionals, scientific, technological and executive talents than that in India. 9. India, as a nation is about over half a century old. In this period of her independence, she has exhibited character and pedigree. She was instrumental to the creation of the Non Aligned Movement in the cold war era. She has on the issue of Nuclear Non proliferation taken a consistent stance even though this posture has met with the ire of the developed world has not deterred her. This attitude was demonstrated by her refusal to sign the CTBT. It is on record that it took her more than a quarter of a century to carry out a follow up nuclear test. This could be placed at the doorstep of the fact that her good neighbours China and Pakistan have continued to arm themselves with these offensive weapons. India in her nuclear policy states that she would abide with the principles of no-first strike, nuclear deterrence as the cornerstone of that policy. And to continue to advocate for a ban on nuclear weapons like the type achieved on Chemical and Biological warfare weapons and the ban o n use of land mines. These stated positions have recently been understood and appreciated by the entire world polity and the Indo-US Nuclear deal and its subsequent ratification at Nuclear Supplier Group International Atomic Energy Asssociation have largely vindicated Indian stance on these issues. The engagement involvement of India in G8, BRIC, RIC, ASEAN, IBSA in the geopolitical arena. The positions on WTO Climate change are also a case in point for growing stature of India on world stage. 10. The Information Technology IT propels the world of technology. In this field India has demonstrated outstanding abilities. In the Silicon Valley of American, it is reported that 60,000 Indians operating there could collectively boast of assets worth more five hundred billion dollars. This is no mean achievement. Its effect on India is the collateral development of the Asian Silicon Valley in Bangalore, Karnataka. In the field of IT, the Indian nation has arrived. For this simple reasons her Engineers and Technologists are being sought across the globe. This is not to talk of the influence of Indian businessmen, in other continents like Africa, where they command an imposing stature in the fields of Textile technology and Pharmaceuticals. Indias stature as an IT Knowledge base powerhouse is a major factor in its rise at the world stage. India is a single democratic political entity, though slightly marred by development problems and religious regional strifes varying from state to state. In view of the existing fluidity in the Asian region following the global paradigm, shift in the power distribution and the present status of India, an attempt to foresee Indias evolution as a regional power in South Asia by 2020 would be relevant. Scope 11. The scope of this paper would be limited to analysing various factors governing the emergence of India as a regional power in South Asia by 2020 AD. Indias performance as an independent state would be given a brief overview along with her present status in the region. Preview 12. To analyse the future, it is essential to critically evaluate Indias power potential as well as the impediments enroute. India has inherited a volatile, ethnic, religious and social mix that generates strong cross-currents of tension between the states of the region. Added to this are the domestic under-currents of religious fundamentalism, communal tensions, demand for autonomous/ independent states and inherent problems of a multi-lingual and multi-racial society. 13. Indias quest for the regional power status in this turbulent environment is underwritten by an increasingly open and vibrant economy and a Military Industrial complex that stretches deep into the bureaucratic structure of the nation. However, Indias attention has been focused more on the problems associated with its immediate neighbourhood and on nation building, than on the Indian Ocean region, let alone the world. Its ironic that while on one hand it is the problems of the neighbourhood that have largely driven Indias military build up, on the other hand it is these very problems that continue to limit its strategic reach. It is this combination of a drive for a great power status and intensifying regional and national problems that pose a number of questions about Indias future. This paper endeavours to answer some of these questions. Source of the Data 14. The source of the data are the various books in the college library, various magazines and articles written by various people from time to time. Internet was also used for collection of data and articles. Bibliography is attached at Appx A. BRIEF HISTORY 15. The colonial powers that ruled India for centuries, apparently visualised her potential and attempted to undermine it through a process of gradual disintegration. Formation of Pakistan is one vivid example of such designs. After independence, the citizens of India have displayed remarkable resilience to destructive forces. Despite impediments like poverty, corruption, ailing bureaucracy and population explosion, India has made significant progress in various fields to incl education, manufacturing, knowledge based industry, IT, space technology, pharmaceutical industry. Today India ranks among fastest growing economies of the world and IT Knowledge based industry powerhouse. 16. In the past sixty years after independence, India has acquired great maturity and realism in the management of its strategic environment albeit with considerable pain and sacrifice. Indias posture has been based on a realistic assessment of its capabilities. It projects a defensive, progress oriented stance rather than an expansionist or a hegemonistic stance. India has continued to follow and propagate the ideology of non-alignment and is now on the threshold of coming out of its shell to play an important role at the world stage as a Global player if not as atleast as a regional player. The nuclear agreement, which followed three weeks later, calling for the separation of Indias nuclear facilities into civilian and military, and bringing Indias civilian facilities under international safeguards in exchange for nuclear energy cooperation, demonstrated the growing strategic convergence between the US India. Domestic political considerations have come in the way of the Indian gov ernment operationalising the nuclear deal. That notwithstanding, the deal was widely welcomed in India because it opened the doors for India to participate in civilian nuclear commerce with members of the NSG while allowing it to retain its nuclear weapons programme despite being outside the NPT[5]. PRESENT STATUS 17. Contemporarily, India enjoys a leading status in South Asia. Militarily, she has displayed her potential either in a direct conflict, coercion or allaying any belligerence by its potential adversaries. Birth of Bangladesh, intervention in Sri Lanka Maldives, Indian Naval involvement in Gulf of Aden are a few indicators that India has acquired a great measure of regional hegemony. 18. Power status takes into account an ideological or political role and above all the economic health of a nation. Regional hegemony or dominance implies the existence of local military pre-ponderance and the availability of non-military instruments of pressure, including economic coercion. Studies of strategic power in the world politics commonly assign to India the status of a middle power of some regional significance, but little more[6]. A state such as India, by virtue of its size, resources and geographical location, finds herself a power in regional terms whether or not it seeks the label and despite the fact that all its capabilities for regional dominance are not yet fully exploited. Indias current pre-eminence over its neighbours, however, is so substantial that its position has been recognised by the entire world, and implicitly so by all South Asian states as well[7]. 19. Recent years have witnessed a steady growth in Indias power, based upon a strong economic performance. According to the World Bank, Indias per capita income is now higher than Chinas and some reports put its rate of economic growth above Chinas in real terms[9]. 20. Furthermore, with the prospect of a declining role for the superpowers in the region, Indias growth in military capability is likely to leave it stronger in relative as well as absolute terms. The erstwhile Soviet Union is no longer a major factor in the Indian Ocean and the peace dividend in the world politics may eventually lead to a reduced presence on the part of the United States [10]. 21. While Indias emerging role is well acknowledged in the world, there are clear limitations both upon the current extent of Indias power and upon the rate at which that power will accrue. With India, it has been very much the question of WATCH THIS SPACE [11]. INDIA S POWER POTENTIAL Geo-Strategic Location. 22. India shares its borders with China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan. It has close proximity to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Therefore, in South Asia, it has to directly interact with many neighbours. Strategically, India lies astride the Indian ocean, flanking the Persian Gulf and the Straits of Malacca. It lies across the routes from West Asia to South-East and East Asia. Therefore, the dominating position of India and its island territories would enable it to control the sea lines of communication between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Natural Resources. 23. India has abundant natural resources. Its soil varies greatly from region to region. It is alluvial in the northern plains, sandy in the western desert, black in the Deccan Plateau and coarse in the hilly terrain. Each type is suitable for a particular group of crops. There are areas where trees grow on their own. They form the source of timber, pulp, resin, lac, gum and cane[12]. 24. Indias hydro-electric and coal reserves are massive. Oil exploration is limited but off shore potentials suggest a great amount of self reliance. Indias Thorium reserves are large. Its known reserves of Iron ore, which represent 10% of the worlds total and those of a wide range of other minerals suggest that India has the potential for a relatively independent economy[13]. Human Resources. 25. Human resources are of paramount importance in any economy. A human being comes not only with a mouth and a belly for consumption, but also with two hands to work. The adverse effects of unchecked population growth cannot be ignored; however, given the right direction and awakening, the population can be utilised constructively. A large young population helps to boost demand by providing an extensive and growing market for industrial products. It can lower wages, increase profits and output, encourage industrial development and open employment avenues. This is borne out by the fact that numerous MNCs are investing huge sums of money to tap the cheap Indian labour and the immense ready market. Economic Base. 26. Till recently, multiple restrictions on private business co-operation and the goal of achieving economic self reliance had shackled the Indian economy by hindering unprejudiced co-operation from industrial nations. With the adoption of a liberalised economic policy, an extensive economic relation is now growing. The new economic policy lays greater emphasis on private enterprise and intensified competition for dynamic industrial progress and mordenisation. Prospects for a substantial upswing of economic growth seem to be favourable now. 27. India has huge reserves of important raw material and a large domestic market. It also has a large group of entrepenures and managers experienced in organising and managing industrial enterprises under difficult circumstances. Given the improved setting for entrepreneurial activities, the large number of scientists and engineers, some of them highly qualified professionals, trained overseas or with practical foreign experience, could be of immense benefit to the country[14]. 28. The expectations of economic development are based on an economic policy that is yet in its infancy. For long term stability the creation of a congenial atmosphere for foreign investment is necessary. Our focus would have to shift from development of industrial sector to the improvement of institutional framework for long term development. Greater efforts to improve social security are needed to cushion the effects of intensified industrial competition and to open up new possibilities for the impoverished classes to take a share in the economic development. Science and Technology. 29. India began to develop its capabilities in science and technology soon after independence. However, the overall programme while impressive compared to that of other poor countries is inadequate and poorly organised in relation to the countrys potential and requirements[15]. Of the total research and development in the country, only 25% is used to promote innovation in industry and agriculture, while the major chunk contributes to development in areas like atomic energy, space programme and defence equipment. 30. The latest thrust to uplift the economy has renewed the vigour in the sphere of science and technology also. The private sector has shown great promise to measure upto the national requirements and a healthy competition with other nations can be seen specially in areas like computer software and electronics. Numerous institutions are doing some original and promising research in various fields. Political System 31. Indias political system was initially dominated by the small urban elite comprising leaders of the nationalist movement and an elitist civil service. At the state level, elected representatives wielded impressive influence in directing benefits to their constituencies and acting as channels of complaint and pressure within the bureaucracy. The system moved rapidly to broaden its base of support by bringing the bulk of peasantry into the system and also by including small business and trading interests. The evolution of such a system from the authoritarian colonial rule was accompanied by tension and uneven progress. 32. India had managed to operate a complex ; constitutional, federal, parliamentary and party dominated political system with remarkable effectiveness. Indias manifold diversity and communal problems often raise the spectre of disintegration; these are common to a nation state building process that the developed countries experienced a century ago. In the Indian democratic set-up, its people have displayed a great amount of maturity in preserving their rights. Any display of authoritarianism by a democratically elected government has met with stiff opposition. A vivid example is the imposition of emergency in 1975 by Mrs Gandhi and her subsequent electoral defeat in 1977. The emergency and the general elections of 1977 were a test of democracy, equivalent in significance to a social revolution[16]. 33. A seemingly large section of illiterate electorate is well aware of its might and is critical of the people who represent them in higher offices. India has managed to solve or at least contain major disputes on language policy and regional autonomy. At the same time religious, caste based and even communist organisations have been brought in and operate in a largely peaceful democratic institution. Indias political leaders have shown a firm resolution in making of both foreign and defence policies. The military also operates under political direction. Inherent stability is provided to the system by the presence of well established institutions like judiciary, banking and stock exchange. 34. Future political crisis no doubt loom large, but this can only be expected considering the countrys social and economic metamorphosis. The durability and resilience of the Indian democratic system indicates that not only would it continue in the coming years but would also gain more strength and experience. Military Capability. 35. Since their debacle in the 1962 Sino- Indian conflict, the Indian Armed Forces have come a long way. Today India possesses adequate defence capability to look after her interests. India is able to produce diverse military items such as small arms, field and anti-aircraft recoilless guns, howitzers, support electronic items, anti-tank, anti-aircraft and naval missiles, armoured vehicles, supersonic aircraft, helicopters, anti-submarine frigates, fast patrol boats and missile boats[17]. It has also demonstrated Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) technology. In space science, India is amongst the world leaders. All this has been achieved at a moderate expenditure of 3% of GNP per annum. Nuclear Potential. 36. Having successfully exploded its first nuclear device on 18 May 1974; India has continued to maintain a stance of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes alone. However, the potential of India to develop a nuclear bomb cannot be denied. Indias nuclear structure is quite diversified. Beginning with the construction of Asias (outside erstwhile USSR ) first nuclear reactor in 1956, India has acquired the following major facilities[18]:- (a) Half a dozen nuclear research reactors, all but one built without foreign assistance or participation. (b) The ability to design and construct from equipment manufactured indigenously one 500 MW nuclear power station every second year. (c) The competence to fabricate all sensitive nuclear instruments, fuelling assemblies, special alloys and materials, fissile plutonium and thorium from its own processes and plants. (d) Asias first indigenously constructed variable energy cyclotron. (e) Numerous other nuclear activities and support facilities, isotope production, mines, medicines, seismic arrays, fissile U-223, extraction processes, fusion, uranium enrichment research and so on. Openness and Resilience. 37. Except for the brief period of emergency, India has had an open society with an active press and an intellectual community. Indian political and economic affairs are subject to constant criticism. Critics find information on India more readily available than for China, Pakistan and several developing countries. In addition, there is a constant flow of constructive criticism from internal sources. Viewed and used correctly, this criticism provides important inputs for betterment. Indian resilience is a widely recognised phenomenon. Many hostile designs to covertly disintegrate India became ineffective owing to the conciliatory approach of the polity. Factional and religio ethnic conflicts can only be expected in a country comprising of people with widely diversified religious faith. The phenomenon of sporadic flare ups is likely to continue in the coming decades too. At the same time, India would be able to absorb such irritants and continue its march forward into the 21st centur y. RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES South Asian Strategic Environment. 38. The strategic environment in South Asia has been remarkably conflict laden; characterised by wars or hostile relations between neighbours, especially between India and her neighbours. Despite this history of war, nations do engage each other in peaceful competition as well as in a large amount of outright co-operation. The changes in the Indian foreign and security policy since the end of the Cold War have been rapid and radical. They have taken place as a reaction to the perceived rather far reaching changes in the global and regional security environments. The growing problem with terrorism, in terms of domestic, Kashmiri and international terrorism, manifested itself in attacks in major Indian cities, the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight and the attack against the Indian parliament. Moreover, the exponentially growing power of China, its strategic assistance to Pakistan and the sudden disappearance of the Soviet backing to balance Chinas growing global and regional powe r resulted in a feeling of encirclement and relative isolation. India felt it had to become a normal nation by placing considerations of national security above its traditional focus on liberal internationalism and the nonalignment/ third world cause. Indias regional policy has been in clear contrast to its global preference of multilateralism and rejection of the ideas of balance of power and exclusive spheres of influence. In the region, India has preferred to handle unresolved issues with neighbours bilaterally and uphold regional security on the premise of its own hegemony and by keeping great powers out of the region. In terms of European security interests in South Asia, the opportunities for EU security policy are limited to soft measures aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region, and in Kashmir in particular. Hence, in order to promote a lasting peace in the region, the EU should utilize preventive diplomacy aimed at promoting a peaceful solution in Kashmir throug h all available venues and prepare to provide technical and financial assistance if a peace agreement is reached. Whilst the EU should actively promote the peaceful resolution of Kashmir, its own experiences show that economic interdependence can have significant positive effects in creating facilitating conditions for peace and stability. Hence, EU policies towards India and Pakistan, as well as South Asia in general, should be aimed at advocating and supporting increasing regional economic interdependence and cooperation. The EU should also nurture and further develop its strategic partnership with India, but without neglecting Pakistan.[19] 39. Those enable regional powers to influence their neighbors and to protect themselves from disagreeable outside interference (Waltz 1979: 191/192). In contrast to this, liberal institutional approaches have emphasized soft power aspects with cultural attraction, ideology, and international institutions as the main resources (Nye 1990: 167). Neo-realism and liberal-institutionalism have different understandings of the concept of power. Neo-realism emphasises the capacity of states to influence others to behave as it wants them to behave whereas the cooptive power of liberal-institutionalism aims at getting others to want what you want (ibid.).Concepts of hard and soft power can be regarded as two poles on a continuum of power. They also imply different ideas, interactions and institutions for foreign policy when looking at the fields of politics, security, and economy. Ideally hard power strategies focus on military intervention, coercive diplomacy, and economic sanctions in order to enforce national interests resulting in confrontational policies vis-Ã  -vis neighbouring countries. In contrast to this soft power strategies emphasise common political values, peaceful means for conflict management, and economic co-operation in order to achieve common solutions[20]. 40. A reassessment of changed of the changed geopolitical and geostrategic realities of South Asia, has to be undertaken by India. If it wishes to enlarge its option in the global regional pulls and pushes it has to tread a course which enables it to safeguard its national interests without treading on controversy.[21] India relations with its neighbours will be the most important fact India in the New World Order as Regional Power India in the New World Order as Regional Power INTRODUCTION Background 1. Dramatic changes at the global level have initiated a process of reorientation of the power distribution in international politics. The changes initiated with the disintegration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR ), the unification of Europe in pursuit of an identity of its own ,a sharp decline of communism has set in a process of transition in world affairs, the sudden rise of asian countries mainly China, India ASEAN Bloc, emergence of resurgent Russia and establishment of new economic power blocs like the G20,BRIC RIC. The emergence of USA as the sole super power and its global war on terror have changed the security scenario for all and sundry. The existing obscurity has given rise to new opportunities, new speculations and new considerations regarding power distribution. A gradual shift from a geo-political world order to a geo-economical world order has come to stay. There is no doubt that any future order would have the considerations such as comprehensive na tional power to incl Economy and the power it wields albeit indirectly, at the centre of any international power game. 2. Global shifts happen rarely and are even less often peaceful. The transfer of power from west to east will dramatically change the context of dealing with international challenges. In the early 20th century the imperial order and the aspiring states of Germany and Japan failed to adjust to each other. That led to wars which devastated the better part of the world. The coming shift in power will have a greater impact globally and will require assimilation of diverse political and cultural systems. Todays rising powers seek redress of past grievances, are proudly nationalistic and want to claim their rightful place in the comity of nations. Asian rise in economic terms will translate into greater political and military power, thus increasing the potential damage from conflicts. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has noted that In the next two decades China and India will undergo industrialisation four times the size of the United States and at five times the speedFor the first time in many centuries, power is moving East. Blair added that In this new world, we must clear a path to partnership, not stand off against each other competing for power. The worldcannot afford a return to the 20th century struggles for hegemony.[1] 3. India being a part of this evolutionary and revolutionary economic process needs to apprise herself of these changes and redefine: if required, her goals and objectives to emerge as a reckonable force from the present mesh of contradictions and complexities. The term reckonable force can be redefined as regional power when one views Indias prospects vis-Ã  -vis her size, geo-strategic location, abundant natural resources, size of economy and military capability. The Indian nation is not just a nation, but a subcontinent. Being a subcontinent not only in size, but by its population which is in excess of One Billion, sets it apart in a World with a total population of a little above Five Billion means that in every Five Human being on Earth one is an Indian. It is on record that the Indian Armed Forces is the Fourth Largest in the World. India has since the past Twenty Eight years been exerting her influence in the South Asia sub-region. Thus India has functioned for over half her period of independence as a regional power. It is instructive that given the New World Order in which the US is about the only Super power, it is pertinent that in order to maintain the Balance of Power, that Nations like India with a long period of History devoid of expansionist propensity, should emerge as a Super power to enhance the balance of power in the South Asian sub-region, and the World in general. 4. The Indo-Pak conflict of 1971 leading to the emergence of Bangladesh, peace keeping operations in Srilanka, quick repression of an attempted coup in Maldives, deployment of Indian navy in Gulf of Aden and involvement of India in various fora both on strategic geopolitical stage provide ample evidence that India possesses many of the attributes of a regional power. The emergence as a knowledge economy and as a Human resource powerhouse, make India a force to reckon with today and strong vibrant economy in future. In the recent past, India enhanced role in plethora of world fora and the Indo-US Nuclear deal and subsequent ratification by Nuclear Suppliers Group IAEA. However, in some areas like all round economic development, poverty, population explosion, literacy rates and foreign policy to some extent, India is lacking at the moment. For India to emerge as a regional power, these unfavourable areas need critical attention and reappraisal. The Indian economy is growing at an av erage rate of 8 per cent a year. Most Indian and foreign observers are confident that India will sustain this tempo of growth in the near future, and will go on to become one of the worlds leading economies and a global political power in 2020. A few voices draw attention to the tremendous economic, political and social challenges facing India that the country must overcome before it can lay claim to being a world power [2]. Statement of the Argument 5. A countrys role in the international system is not a random occurrence or a result of an accident ; but is basically a function of its power position in the international hierarchy. To have a Subject Role in international politics is to be a part of the power structure that makes vital decisions about the fate and destiny of the international system and the nations within it. The Object Role nations are at the receiving end of the decisions made by the subject role nations. A third in-between category is that of an independent centre of power. These nations do not have the leverage to influence the course of the international system as a whole, but do possess enough capability to have, within a given configuration of power, a considerable degree of autonomy and the capability to resist the application of unwelcome decisions. While subject nations have global influence, independent centres of power are often dominant or pre-eminent in a certain region. They may, therefore may also be referred to as Regional Powers . Typically a subject nation resists the emergence of a regional power; for to accommodate others to a similar role is to diminish ones own power. The tendency is to extend ones own power and exercise domination over others so as to reduce the emerging regional powers to the status of a mere object nation.[3] 6. India gained pre-eminence in South Asia in the aftermath of the Indo-Pak war of 1971 but more recently with the steady economic growth and growing international stature have made it a power centre in South Asia. With the recent changes in the world politics and diffusion of power, countries with regional prominence have come to possess a great capacity for asserting their regional pre-eminence. In this context, India has the capability and the potential to be elevated to the status of a regional power. An analysis of various factors in the light of international power structure would facilitate the prognosis of the status India is likely to achieve by 2020 AD. Aim 7. To assess Indias potential in the new world order so as to forecast the prospects of India emerging as a regional power in South Asia by 2020 AD. Justification for the Study 8. Ever since gaining independence in 1947, India has moved slowly but steadily towards its role as a regional power . Historically India has been the seat of famous ancient civilisations. It invokes memories of past greatness, though episodic; and of epochs of creativity, not only in Philosophy and Literature but also in Science and Mathematics. The fact that the last several centuries saw India under alien rule only makes aspirations in the restoration of greatness all the more deeply felt[4]. Indias influence in South Asia in particular and the world in general, is beginning to emerge. A study of various factors that would aid Indias emergence, as well as various impediments that retard this process merit analysis. India is a fast steadily developing country and stands among the top few industrial nations in the world and has a rapidly growing industrial sector. Although poverty, illiteracy and health deficiencies are some of the vexing problems, yet only few nations have larger pools of trained professionals, scientific, technological and executive talents than that in India. 9. India, as a nation is about over half a century old. In this period of her independence, she has exhibited character and pedigree. She was instrumental to the creation of the Non Aligned Movement in the cold war era. She has on the issue of Nuclear Non proliferation taken a consistent stance even though this posture has met with the ire of the developed world has not deterred her. This attitude was demonstrated by her refusal to sign the CTBT. It is on record that it took her more than a quarter of a century to carry out a follow up nuclear test. This could be placed at the doorstep of the fact that her good neighbours China and Pakistan have continued to arm themselves with these offensive weapons. India in her nuclear policy states that she would abide with the principles of no-first strike, nuclear deterrence as the cornerstone of that policy. And to continue to advocate for a ban on nuclear weapons like the type achieved on Chemical and Biological warfare weapons and the ban o n use of land mines. These stated positions have recently been understood and appreciated by the entire world polity and the Indo-US Nuclear deal and its subsequent ratification at Nuclear Supplier Group International Atomic Energy Asssociation have largely vindicated Indian stance on these issues. The engagement involvement of India in G8, BRIC, RIC, ASEAN, IBSA in the geopolitical arena. The positions on WTO Climate change are also a case in point for growing stature of India on world stage. 10. The Information Technology IT propels the world of technology. In this field India has demonstrated outstanding abilities. In the Silicon Valley of American, it is reported that 60,000 Indians operating there could collectively boast of assets worth more five hundred billion dollars. This is no mean achievement. Its effect on India is the collateral development of the Asian Silicon Valley in Bangalore, Karnataka. In the field of IT, the Indian nation has arrived. For this simple reasons her Engineers and Technologists are being sought across the globe. This is not to talk of the influence of Indian businessmen, in other continents like Africa, where they command an imposing stature in the fields of Textile technology and Pharmaceuticals. Indias stature as an IT Knowledge base powerhouse is a major factor in its rise at the world stage. India is a single democratic political entity, though slightly marred by development problems and religious regional strifes varying from state to state. In view of the existing fluidity in the Asian region following the global paradigm, shift in the power distribution and the present status of India, an attempt to foresee Indias evolution as a regional power in South Asia by 2020 would be relevant. Scope 11. The scope of this paper would be limited to analysing various factors governing the emergence of India as a regional power in South Asia by 2020 AD. Indias performance as an independent state would be given a brief overview along with her present status in the region. Preview 12. To analyse the future, it is essential to critically evaluate Indias power potential as well as the impediments enroute. India has inherited a volatile, ethnic, religious and social mix that generates strong cross-currents of tension between the states of the region. Added to this are the domestic under-currents of religious fundamentalism, communal tensions, demand for autonomous/ independent states and inherent problems of a multi-lingual and multi-racial society. 13. Indias quest for the regional power status in this turbulent environment is underwritten by an increasingly open and vibrant economy and a Military Industrial complex that stretches deep into the bureaucratic structure of the nation. However, Indias attention has been focused more on the problems associated with its immediate neighbourhood and on nation building, than on the Indian Ocean region, let alone the world. Its ironic that while on one hand it is the problems of the neighbourhood that have largely driven Indias military build up, on the other hand it is these very problems that continue to limit its strategic reach. It is this combination of a drive for a great power status and intensifying regional and national problems that pose a number of questions about Indias future. This paper endeavours to answer some of these questions. Source of the Data 14. The source of the data are the various books in the college library, various magazines and articles written by various people from time to time. Internet was also used for collection of data and articles. Bibliography is attached at Appx A. BRIEF HISTORY 15. The colonial powers that ruled India for centuries, apparently visualised her potential and attempted to undermine it through a process of gradual disintegration. Formation of Pakistan is one vivid example of such designs. After independence, the citizens of India have displayed remarkable resilience to destructive forces. Despite impediments like poverty, corruption, ailing bureaucracy and population explosion, India has made significant progress in various fields to incl education, manufacturing, knowledge based industry, IT, space technology, pharmaceutical industry. Today India ranks among fastest growing economies of the world and IT Knowledge based industry powerhouse. 16. In the past sixty years after independence, India has acquired great maturity and realism in the management of its strategic environment albeit with considerable pain and sacrifice. Indias posture has been based on a realistic assessment of its capabilities. It projects a defensive, progress oriented stance rather than an expansionist or a hegemonistic stance. India has continued to follow and propagate the ideology of non-alignment and is now on the threshold of coming out of its shell to play an important role at the world stage as a Global player if not as atleast as a regional player. The nuclear agreement, which followed three weeks later, calling for the separation of Indias nuclear facilities into civilian and military, and bringing Indias civilian facilities under international safeguards in exchange for nuclear energy cooperation, demonstrated the growing strategic convergence between the US India. Domestic political considerations have come in the way of the Indian gov ernment operationalising the nuclear deal. That notwithstanding, the deal was widely welcomed in India because it opened the doors for India to participate in civilian nuclear commerce with members of the NSG while allowing it to retain its nuclear weapons programme despite being outside the NPT[5]. PRESENT STATUS 17. Contemporarily, India enjoys a leading status in South Asia. Militarily, she has displayed her potential either in a direct conflict, coercion or allaying any belligerence by its potential adversaries. Birth of Bangladesh, intervention in Sri Lanka Maldives, Indian Naval involvement in Gulf of Aden are a few indicators that India has acquired a great measure of regional hegemony. 18. Power status takes into account an ideological or political role and above all the economic health of a nation. Regional hegemony or dominance implies the existence of local military pre-ponderance and the availability of non-military instruments of pressure, including economic coercion. Studies of strategic power in the world politics commonly assign to India the status of a middle power of some regional significance, but little more[6]. A state such as India, by virtue of its size, resources and geographical location, finds herself a power in regional terms whether or not it seeks the label and despite the fact that all its capabilities for regional dominance are not yet fully exploited. Indias current pre-eminence over its neighbours, however, is so substantial that its position has been recognised by the entire world, and implicitly so by all South Asian states as well[7]. 19. Recent years have witnessed a steady growth in Indias power, based upon a strong economic performance. According to the World Bank, Indias per capita income is now higher than Chinas and some reports put its rate of economic growth above Chinas in real terms[9]. 20. Furthermore, with the prospect of a declining role for the superpowers in the region, Indias growth in military capability is likely to leave it stronger in relative as well as absolute terms. The erstwhile Soviet Union is no longer a major factor in the Indian Ocean and the peace dividend in the world politics may eventually lead to a reduced presence on the part of the United States [10]. 21. While Indias emerging role is well acknowledged in the world, there are clear limitations both upon the current extent of Indias power and upon the rate at which that power will accrue. With India, it has been very much the question of WATCH THIS SPACE [11]. INDIA S POWER POTENTIAL Geo-Strategic Location. 22. India shares its borders with China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan. It has close proximity to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Therefore, in South Asia, it has to directly interact with many neighbours. Strategically, India lies astride the Indian ocean, flanking the Persian Gulf and the Straits of Malacca. It lies across the routes from West Asia to South-East and East Asia. Therefore, the dominating position of India and its island territories would enable it to control the sea lines of communication between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Natural Resources. 23. India has abundant natural resources. Its soil varies greatly from region to region. It is alluvial in the northern plains, sandy in the western desert, black in the Deccan Plateau and coarse in the hilly terrain. Each type is suitable for a particular group of crops. There are areas where trees grow on their own. They form the source of timber, pulp, resin, lac, gum and cane[12]. 24. Indias hydro-electric and coal reserves are massive. Oil exploration is limited but off shore potentials suggest a great amount of self reliance. Indias Thorium reserves are large. Its known reserves of Iron ore, which represent 10% of the worlds total and those of a wide range of other minerals suggest that India has the potential for a relatively independent economy[13]. Human Resources. 25. Human resources are of paramount importance in any economy. A human being comes not only with a mouth and a belly for consumption, but also with two hands to work. The adverse effects of unchecked population growth cannot be ignored; however, given the right direction and awakening, the population can be utilised constructively. A large young population helps to boost demand by providing an extensive and growing market for industrial products. It can lower wages, increase profits and output, encourage industrial development and open employment avenues. This is borne out by the fact that numerous MNCs are investing huge sums of money to tap the cheap Indian labour and the immense ready market. Economic Base. 26. Till recently, multiple restrictions on private business co-operation and the goal of achieving economic self reliance had shackled the Indian economy by hindering unprejudiced co-operation from industrial nations. With the adoption of a liberalised economic policy, an extensive economic relation is now growing. The new economic policy lays greater emphasis on private enterprise and intensified competition for dynamic industrial progress and mordenisation. Prospects for a substantial upswing of economic growth seem to be favourable now. 27. India has huge reserves of important raw material and a large domestic market. It also has a large group of entrepenures and managers experienced in organising and managing industrial enterprises under difficult circumstances. Given the improved setting for entrepreneurial activities, the large number of scientists and engineers, some of them highly qualified professionals, trained overseas or with practical foreign experience, could be of immense benefit to the country[14]. 28. The expectations of economic development are based on an economic policy that is yet in its infancy. For long term stability the creation of a congenial atmosphere for foreign investment is necessary. Our focus would have to shift from development of industrial sector to the improvement of institutional framework for long term development. Greater efforts to improve social security are needed to cushion the effects of intensified industrial competition and to open up new possibilities for the impoverished classes to take a share in the economic development. Science and Technology. 29. India began to develop its capabilities in science and technology soon after independence. However, the overall programme while impressive compared to that of other poor countries is inadequate and poorly organised in relation to the countrys potential and requirements[15]. Of the total research and development in the country, only 25% is used to promote innovation in industry and agriculture, while the major chunk contributes to development in areas like atomic energy, space programme and defence equipment. 30. The latest thrust to uplift the economy has renewed the vigour in the sphere of science and technology also. The private sector has shown great promise to measure upto the national requirements and a healthy competition with other nations can be seen specially in areas like computer software and electronics. Numerous institutions are doing some original and promising research in various fields. Political System 31. Indias political system was initially dominated by the small urban elite comprising leaders of the nationalist movement and an elitist civil service. At the state level, elected representatives wielded impressive influence in directing benefits to their constituencies and acting as channels of complaint and pressure within the bureaucracy. The system moved rapidly to broaden its base of support by bringing the bulk of peasantry into the system and also by including small business and trading interests. The evolution of such a system from the authoritarian colonial rule was accompanied by tension and uneven progress. 32. India had managed to operate a complex ; constitutional, federal, parliamentary and party dominated political system with remarkable effectiveness. Indias manifold diversity and communal problems often raise the spectre of disintegration; these are common to a nation state building process that the developed countries experienced a century ago. In the Indian democratic set-up, its people have displayed a great amount of maturity in preserving their rights. Any display of authoritarianism by a democratically elected government has met with stiff opposition. A vivid example is the imposition of emergency in 1975 by Mrs Gandhi and her subsequent electoral defeat in 1977. The emergency and the general elections of 1977 were a test of democracy, equivalent in significance to a social revolution[16]. 33. A seemingly large section of illiterate electorate is well aware of its might and is critical of the people who represent them in higher offices. India has managed to solve or at least contain major disputes on language policy and regional autonomy. At the same time religious, caste based and even communist organisations have been brought in and operate in a largely peaceful democratic institution. Indias political leaders have shown a firm resolution in making of both foreign and defence policies. The military also operates under political direction. Inherent stability is provided to the system by the presence of well established institutions like judiciary, banking and stock exchange. 34. Future political crisis no doubt loom large, but this can only be expected considering the countrys social and economic metamorphosis. The durability and resilience of the Indian democratic system indicates that not only would it continue in the coming years but would also gain more strength and experience. Military Capability. 35. Since their debacle in the 1962 Sino- Indian conflict, the Indian Armed Forces have come a long way. Today India possesses adequate defence capability to look after her interests. India is able to produce diverse military items such as small arms, field and anti-aircraft recoilless guns, howitzers, support electronic items, anti-tank, anti-aircraft and naval missiles, armoured vehicles, supersonic aircraft, helicopters, anti-submarine frigates, fast patrol boats and missile boats[17]. It has also demonstrated Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) technology. In space science, India is amongst the world leaders. All this has been achieved at a moderate expenditure of 3% of GNP per annum. Nuclear Potential. 36. Having successfully exploded its first nuclear device on 18 May 1974; India has continued to maintain a stance of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes alone. However, the potential of India to develop a nuclear bomb cannot be denied. Indias nuclear structure is quite diversified. Beginning with the construction of Asias (outside erstwhile USSR ) first nuclear reactor in 1956, India has acquired the following major facilities[18]:- (a) Half a dozen nuclear research reactors, all but one built without foreign assistance or participation. (b) The ability to design and construct from equipment manufactured indigenously one 500 MW nuclear power station every second year. (c) The competence to fabricate all sensitive nuclear instruments, fuelling assemblies, special alloys and materials, fissile plutonium and thorium from its own processes and plants. (d) Asias first indigenously constructed variable energy cyclotron. (e) Numerous other nuclear activities and support facilities, isotope production, mines, medicines, seismic arrays, fissile U-223, extraction processes, fusion, uranium enrichment research and so on. Openness and Resilience. 37. Except for the brief period of emergency, India has had an open society with an active press and an intellectual community. Indian political and economic affairs are subject to constant criticism. Critics find information on India more readily available than for China, Pakistan and several developing countries. In addition, there is a constant flow of constructive criticism from internal sources. Viewed and used correctly, this criticism provides important inputs for betterment. Indian resilience is a widely recognised phenomenon. Many hostile designs to covertly disintegrate India became ineffective owing to the conciliatory approach of the polity. Factional and religio ethnic conflicts can only be expected in a country comprising of people with widely diversified religious faith. The phenomenon of sporadic flare ups is likely to continue in the coming decades too. At the same time, India would be able to absorb such irritants and continue its march forward into the 21st centur y. RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES South Asian Strategic Environment. 38. The strategic environment in South Asia has been remarkably conflict laden; characterised by wars or hostile relations between neighbours, especially between India and her neighbours. Despite this history of war, nations do engage each other in peaceful competition as well as in a large amount of outright co-operation. The changes in the Indian foreign and security policy since the end of the Cold War have been rapid and radical. They have taken place as a reaction to the perceived rather far reaching changes in the global and regional security environments. The growing problem with terrorism, in terms of domestic, Kashmiri and international terrorism, manifested itself in attacks in major Indian cities, the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight and the attack against the Indian parliament. Moreover, the exponentially growing power of China, its strategic assistance to Pakistan and the sudden disappearance of the Soviet backing to balance Chinas growing global and regional powe r resulted in a feeling of encirclement and relative isolation. India felt it had to become a normal nation by placing considerations of national security above its traditional focus on liberal internationalism and the nonalignment/ third world cause. Indias regional policy has been in clear contrast to its global preference of multilateralism and rejection of the ideas of balance of power and exclusive spheres of influence. In the region, India has preferred to handle unresolved issues with neighbours bilaterally and uphold regional security on the premise of its own hegemony and by keeping great powers out of the region. In terms of European security interests in South Asia, the opportunities for EU security policy are limited to soft measures aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region, and in Kashmir in particular. Hence, in order to promote a lasting peace in the region, the EU should utilize preventive diplomacy aimed at promoting a peaceful solution in Kashmir throug h all available venues and prepare to provide technical and financial assistance if a peace agreement is reached. Whilst the EU should actively promote the peaceful resolution of Kashmir, its own experiences show that economic interdependence can have significant positive effects in creating facilitating conditions for peace and stability. Hence, EU policies towards India and Pakistan, as well as South Asia in general, should be aimed at advocating and supporting increasing regional economic interdependence and cooperation. The EU should also nurture and further develop its strategic partnership with India, but without neglecting Pakistan.[19] 39. Those enable regional powers to influence their neighbors and to protect themselves from disagreeable outside interference (Waltz 1979: 191/192). In contrast to this, liberal institutional approaches have emphasized soft power aspects with cultural attraction, ideology, and international institutions as the main resources (Nye 1990: 167). Neo-realism and liberal-institutionalism have different understandings of the concept of power. Neo-realism emphasises the capacity of states to influence others to behave as it wants them to behave whereas the cooptive power of liberal-institutionalism aims at getting others to want what you want (ibid.).Concepts of hard and soft power can be regarded as two poles on a continuum of power. They also imply different ideas, interactions and institutions for foreign policy when looking at the fields of politics, security, and economy. Ideally hard power strategies focus on military intervention, coercive diplomacy, and economic sanctions in order to enforce national interests resulting in confrontational policies vis-Ã  -vis neighbouring countries. In contrast to this soft power strategies emphasise common political values, peaceful means for conflict management, and economic co-operation in order to achieve common solutions[20]. 40. A reassessment of changed of the changed geopolitical and geostrategic realities of South Asia, has to be undertaken by India. If it wishes to enlarge its option in the global regional pulls and pushes it has to tread a course which enables it to safeguard its national interests without treading on controversy.[21] India relations with its neighbours will be the most important fact