The space for information identification and dissemination is filled by the media. The situation is problematic when political biases and vested interests intrude
We live in an information determined era. The complete set of indicators of what constitutes information are unknown. The space for information identification and dissemination is filled by the media. The norms of the conduct of affairs of the media, do exist, but are far from complete.
This state of affairs could constitute a civilisational crisis. The situation is worsened when some of the favourite topics of some select stakeholder groups are serenaded and there is so much noise created about it. The noise itself becomes news. The upshot is discernible but is not being flagged.
The confusion is worse confounded when it passes through the prism of political biases and interests of the media groups. The refraction of news is also influenced by growth theories, the views of economists and indeed the biases of certain perspectives which have achieved cult status like the views of the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. This is not likely to be reversed in a hurry.
In the meanwhile, the situation at the survival level of the planet and at a national level for a country like India continues to escalate. Some illustrations will make the statement clearer.
Water is a major global concern. It is basic to agriculture and human living. land masses have been defined by the quantum of availability of water. The fact that an overwhelming surface area of the planet is covered by it, is irrelevant to life and crop. This is because of its saline nature.
On June 14, in one of its few policy level based surveys and analysis, NITI Aayog made a statement on ‘water'. It is reported that about 600 million people face high to extreme water stress and about 200,000 die every year because of inadequate access to safe water. This is a deeper crisis than any known epidemic. NITI Aayog went on to do what it enjoys doing, rank states on how well they use and manage water resources. This was understandable because the document is entitled, ‘Composite Water Management Index'. There is obviously a need to enhance the quality of our understanding of water resources.
In the meanwhile, it is recognised that underground water level is receding. However, if this realisation has helped better monitoring of tube wells, it is still to show.
The above statement notwithstanding, there are other yawning gaps in the developmental discourse of India. Consider the shortage of teachers at all levels of formal instruction. It hasn't reduced the zeal for setting up and approving more institutions.
A shift in scene will help to amplify the contradictions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a penchant for coining accurate and pithy slogans. At the Maritime Summit of 2016, Modi gave the slogan of ‘port-led development’. The slogan was dutifully picked up, orchestrated, and choruses were sung in praise and confirmation of the same.
Consider the situation two years down the line. In the report card of the Government so meticulously prepared and so widely disseminated, there is not a page to what happened to the slogan ‘port-led development’. The thundering silence may be at a far bigger cost than even the media is willing to flag. One is not talking of the biased, the paid and the sponsored media. One is talking of the basic straight forward media as media.
There can be no maritime activity without shipping. The state of the ship building industry, in India, is conspicuous by its absence. In the meanwhile, there is ceaseless talk of competiveness with China. let's take shipping. COSCO Shipping Aries, China's first domestically built 21000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) container vessel has been officially put into service as reported by CCTV news on June 12, that very day.
The 400-metre vessel has moulded beams, a draft (underwater depth) of 58.6 metres and free board (above water depth) of 33.5 metres. It can travel at a projected speed of 22 nautical miles per hour and has a cargo capacity of 19,8000 tons or 21,237 TEU.
It is built by a state-owned corporation.
Did our media notice thisIJ Did it merit any relook at the state of the slogan ‘port-led development'IJ
(The writer is a well-known management consultant)