Singapore MACRO environment Essay Example

Singapore MACRO environment Paper Singapore economy is one of the best performers. In the 2nd quarter of 2013, Singapore economy posted a 3. 7 per cent on-year growth. On a quarter-on- quarter seasonally-adjusted annelids basis, the economy grew by 15. 2 per cent, faster than the 1. 8 per cent growth in the previous quarter. The increase is supported by supported by robust growth in the manufacturing wholesale and retail trade, transportation and storage, and finance and insurance sectors. Singapore residential market has a strong end-user demand as evidenced from the vacancy rates of around 5 to 6 per cent. With a high utilization rate, it means that the mortgages will get paid either by the owner-occupier or by the landlord who has let out the home to a tenant. Coupled with an employment rate of just below 2 per cent, we can expect that mortgage default risks will remain low, as cheap borrowing costs could last till late 2015. The construction sector grew by 1 1. 2 percent, faster than the 10. 3 percent growth in the preceding quarter. Singapore is one of the most business-friendly countries in the world. According to the 2011 Index of Economic Freedom, Singapore is the 2nd freest economy in the world. We will write a custom essay sample on Singapore MACRO environment specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Singapore MACRO environment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Singapore MACRO environment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Singapore business freedom score is exceptionally high it takes three days to start a business in Singapore compared to the worlds average of thirty-four days. Apart from strong cuisines and regulatory policies, other factors such as the countrys strategic geographic position, a vast natural seaport, a highly skilled workforce and a favorable tax regime. Social Singapore has a multi-racial and multi-religious character, where giving fair treatment to all races in education, housing and health is considered very important. The minorities are assured of equal representation in Parliament through the Group Representation Constituency or GAR system. The total population in Singapore was last recorded at 5. 3 million in 201 2 by the Statistics Singapore (http://www. Tragicomedies. Com/Singapore/ population). The population is highly diverse; the majority are Chinese with almost 75% of the total population, while Malay and Underperforming significant minorities. Reflecting this diversity, the county has four official languages: English, Malay, Chinese, and Tamil, whereby 90% Of population speak English. S engravers lifestyle is multi-cultural with each of these ethnic communities maintaining their unique way of life and at the same time living harmoniously. In December 2011, Singapore had 3. 27 million Singapore Citizens (CSS), and 0. 54 million Permanent Residents (Pros) that made up the resident population f 3. 81 million. The country also had a non-resident population of 1. 46 million who are working, studying or living in Singapore on a non-permanent basis. As of the year 201 0, Singapore literacy rate is 95. 86% of the population. The high rate is attributed to the governments free education among the citizens. Http://yachts. Com/indicators/Singapore_adult_literacy_rate The country has a strong social system which offers social benefits to its citizens, who are likewise obliged to contribute a minimum of 10% of their salaries into Central Provident Fund for public pension and retirement fund. Singapore society is sophisticated due to the influx of foreigners over the years. Alo ng with it comes an open mind and respect for all nationalities. People are sociable and courteous to each other. High emphasis is placed on public and racial agreement. Singapore are honest, highly disciplined and extremely hard-working. There is respect for seniority, authority and social norms. While individualism is important, Singapore is a society that honors socialism. Racism is taken seriously in the country. The Singapore government has laid down five basic Shared Vales to develop a distinct Singapore identity nation before community and society above self; family as the basic unit of society; community support and respect for the individual; consensus not conflict; racial and religious harmony. Due to the recent influx of foreign talent in Singapore, housing is no longer as cheap as it used to be. The year 2011 saw unprecedented growth in the property market and expects felt the pinch as well. However, when compared to Hong Kong or Japan, housing is still affordable in Singapore. Housing falls under two main categories public HAD flats (built by the Housing Development Board) and private condos/bungalows. The choice of housing purely depends on budget, location, facilities/amenities, transportation and personal preferences. Technological Singapore has a world class reputation for developing, implementing and innovating new technologies and is considered as one of the most developed IT infrastructure in the world. The countrys main exports are electronic and technological products. Singapore believes that information technology is a fundamental ingredient to strengthen a country. Singapore aims to become an IT-city state. To accomplish its goal, Singapore equipped every home, office and hotels with broadband, no matter wired or airless. The country is required by regulation of installing broadband in every newly-built household. Singapore has a high literacy rate of 95. 8% if the total population. The government is inculcating information technology in the education to children from first grade and above. This is to ensure that the new generation will become adept and skilled in the latest technology. According to research made by Nielsen, 85% of digital consumers in Singapore own an internet, capable mobile phone, 23% of Singapore internet users have a tablet computer in their home. Http://www. So. Nielsen. Mom/site/Instrumentalities 2011 . SHTML Singapore construction sector has been seeing positive growth since adopting building information technology aimed at enhancing productivity, data shows. In fact, about 65 percent of 1 ,OHO companies polled by the Building and Construction Authority (BCC) are already using Building Information Modeling (MM). This is an increase from 28 percent in 2010 when BCC pushed for the implementation of IBM. The agency aims to achieve an 80 percent adoption of the technology by 2015. After three years, BCC Chief Executive John Gung said it was about time to eve all of you a report card on the progress. The technology involves the generation and management of AD building designs, allowing building models to be shared easily with minimal loss of information. Http://www. Propertys. Com. So/property-management- news/2013/8/36360/65-of-co nest action-industry- uses-state-of-the-art- gal The Singapore Constitution is a supreme written law which states the basic freedom of individuals and the structure and organization of Singapore Executive, Legislation and Judiciary. A highlight of Singapore Legal System is the strong anti-corruption law. In Singapor e, the penalty for any person convicted in a corruption Can either receive a fine of up to $1 00,000 or up to five year of imprisonment or both. If the incidence involved government contracts or parliament member or a member of public service, the penalty of imprisonment will increase to 7 years. The corruption rate in the country is one of the lowest in the world. Buying a property in Singapore could be considered the most expensive of purchases in the lifetime of most Singapore, especially with todays high property prices. Whether the property is for ones own use or for investment, t is a financial commitment that one has to maintain as long as the housing loan is not fully repaid or the property is not sold. The latest property cooling measures introduced by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MASS) in January are timely in reducing the increasing investment and speculative demand in the property market spurred by the extremely low interest rate environment. Other than imposing higher additional buyers stamp duty (ABS) rates for the purchase of residential properties, reducing borrowing limits and increasing the cash downplaying, MASS has also introduced new rules overriding loans for Housing and Development Board (HAD) flats. One of the rules states that if a buyer takes a housing mortgage from a financial institution for the purchase of an HAD flat, the mortgage servicing ratio (MS) is capped at 30 per cent of the borrowers monthly income. MS is the proportion Of a borrowers gross monthly income going towards home loan repayment only. This is the first time that such a rule has been imposed on loans from banks, which is mainly to prevent excessive lending as well as to ensure that buyers do not overstretch their finances, especially for HAD resale flat buyers. Most importantly, it is to encourage home owners to go for properties that are within their means. Http://www. Businessmen. Com. So/specials/bat- supplements/housing-loan-tips-20130301 The Central Provident Fund Act (Cap. 36) Employers are required by law to contribute to the Central Provident Fund (CPRM). The CAP was essentially set up as an old-age savings scheme for employees. With time, the scheme has evolved into a comprehensive social security savings system providing financial security in old age in meeting the needs of its members in retirement, healthcare, home-ownership, family retention and asset enhancement. Under the scheme, employers are to ensure that CAP contributions are paid monthly for its employees at the rates set Out in the Central Provident Fund Act (Cap. 36). The employer is entitled to recover a percentage of that contribution from the employee through deductions from the employees wages. This occurs when wages are paid out. For illustration purpose, the contribution rate applicable to an employee who is 50 years and below is currently 33% of the employees wages for the month (up to an ordinary wage ceiling as stipulated from time to time). The employer is entitled to recover from the employee an amount equivalent to 20% of the employees wages for the month (subject to caps stipulated from time to time). Http://mad. Goodwills. Com/information/ Gu PDF In Singapore the Central Provident Fund is a compulsory comprehensive savings plan for working Singapore and permanent residents primarily to fund their retirement, healthcare, and housing needs. It is administered by the Central Provident Fund Board, a statutory board under the Ministry of Manpower. The employer has to contribute 15. % of the employees monthly Ross salary while the employee contributes of his monthly gross salary. The CAP was started on 1 July 1955. (http://en. Wisped. Org/wick/ Central_Provident_Fund) Still, even with the emphasis placed on home improvement, the Singapore government imposes restrictions on renovating HOBS, where majority of the population live. Renovation contractors must be registered under the HAD and are given four months to complete t he renovation project. Noisy works, such as removing walls and floor tiles, can only be done at specified days and times. Renovators are not allowed to drill house and to paint the exterior alls with a color that is different from that of the structures facade. The restrictions are imposed in order to ensure neatness and safety, as well as to avoid disturbing ones neighbors. Different countries may have different notions on what home improvements are acceptable or not, but all recognize its importance. Because of this, home improvement is widely discussed on the Internet. The websites that we have listed below according to their popularity and ratings provide a thorough guide to home improvement. Http://www. Had. Gob. So/if 1 D/if 1 IPPP. SF/w/ Homogeneousness? Abandonment Environment Singapore aims to deliver and sustain a clean and healthy environment and water resources for all Singapore. The government is focusing on Air, Water, land and energy/climate change. Singapore is eliminating the air pollution by setting regulation and standards of stringent emission, promotion or energy efficiency and intr oducing natural energy. The country achieved in good range for at least 85% if the days in SSI (Pollutant Standards Index) from year 2003 to 2006 and also the pollutant lever are managed to stay within the SEEPS (United States Environmental Protection Agency) tankard. There are two strategies for Stationery and Mobile sectors. For the Stationery sector, the government is working on the city planning and locations of the factories to reduce the impact of air pollution to the country. For the Mobile sector, the government is reducing the emission of vehicles and applying the newest regulation of emission on diesel vehicles, so that encourage the drive use more public transportation or using environmental friendly cars and energy then the emission will be reduced sharply. Water is a scarcity in the globe, especially in this island state, the main source f water is rainwater and the government is building more cattlemen to collect the rainwater. However the land used for the catchments is huge and Singapore is lack of land so the government seeks for other ways of getting potable water. The government is developing the technology of purifying and desalination of sea water. A desalination plan worth IIS$1 19 million has been running since September 2005. The plant is capable of producing 1 14 million liters Of potable water per day with the price of LOS$46/liter, which wiped off the threats of price increase of Malaysia. Due to the agreement sign The Central Building Plan Unit (CUP) of NEE provides one-stop service for clearance of Industrial Allocation/Land use applications, Development Control (DC) Plans and Building/Detailed Plans (BP/EDP) for development proposals on environmental matters consisting of Pollution Control, Environmental Health, Sewerage/Sanitary and Drainage Matters. CUP screens and assesses the hazards and pollution impacts of the proposed development to ensure that they do not pose unmanageable health and safety hazards and pollution problems, and do not generate wastes that cannot be safely managed and properly disposed off. Http://www. Bcc. Gob. So/ Publications/others/ Guide_on_Construction_of_Industrial_Developments_in_Singapore. UDF clearance of Industrial Allocation/l_Andes applications, Development Control (DC) Plans and Building/Detailed Plans (PAID) for development proposals on environmental matters consisting of Pollution Control, Environmental Health, Sewerage/Sanitary and Drainage Matters. To ensure that Singapore continue to enjoy a quality living environment, environmental considerations and factors are incorporated at the land use planning, development control and building control stages so as to minimize illusion impacts to the environment, mitigate nuisance impacts to surrounding land use and safeguard environmental health. CUP screens and assesses the hazards and pollution impacts of the proposed industries at the Industrial Allocation (IA) stage to ensure that they do not pose unmanageable health and safety hazards and pollution problems, and do not generate wastes that cannot be safely managed and properly disposed off. A proposed factory will be allowed only if it is sited in an appropriate industrial estate, is compatible with the surrounding land use and can comply with the pollution control requirements. The sitting requirements for industries and pollution control requirements are specified in the Code of Practice on Pollution Control. The Water Reclamation (Network) Department, PUB or PUB(WREN) plans, operates and maintains the public sewerage network and also regulates the provision of sewerage system and sanitary facilities in Singapore. The public sewerage network collects used water from domestic and non-domestic (e. G. Industrial, commercial, etc) sources. The Catchments and Waterways Department, PUB or PUB(CW) plans, develops and manages our reservoirs and waterways for water supply and load control, and integrates them with the surrounding environment in a sustainable manner. Internal Analysis Bulb has been conceptualizing, developing and building brilliantly functional fittings and ergonomic home storage solutions for more than 50 years. Amazingly smooth, superbly damped motion for doors, pull-outs and lift systems combined with outstanding use of storage space is the Bulb hallmark. Around the world Some 5,300 employees are realizing Our goal Of creating perfect motion for Bulb systems, focusing always on the needs of our demanding customers. We have seven factories in Overlarge, in Western

Effect of Different Concentrations of Enzyme on Enzyme Activity Essays

Effect of Different Concentrations of Enzyme on Enzyme Activity Essays Mashrek International School Effect of Different Concentrations of Enzyme on Enzyme Activity What is the effect of changing the concentration of lipase enzyme on the enzyme activity in catalyzing lipids in whole milk? Naim Al-Haj Ali MYP Year 4B Aim: To investigate the effect of changing the concentration of lipase enzyme (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%) on the rate of enzyme activity in catalyzing lipids in whole milk (5cm3), by measuring the pH of the solution before and after adding the enzyme, keeping all the other variables controlled like the temperature, pH, and substrate concentration. Scientific Background: Enzymes are biological catalysts, proteins that help in speeding up chemical reactions without being consumed. Enzymes have an active site to which one molecule called substrate can bind to. The active site makes each enzyme specific to one substrate; as the shape of the active site must complement the substrates to catalyze it. Enzymes catalyze chemical reactions by lowering their activation energy needed to start the reaction. Lipase is an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of lipids. Lipids are macromolecules, also called fats; they are made up of glycerol and fatty acids. Lipids can be found in dairy products, oil, and butter. Lipids can be used as long term energy storage and insulation; lipids are also a main part of the plasma membrane. Many factors can affect the rate of enzyme activity, like the enzyme concentration, substrate concentration, temperature, and pH. Hypothesis: If the enzyme lipase concentration increases, then the rate of enzyme activity would also increase; due to the fact that more enzyme molecules are present, thus more collisions with the substrate molecules happen in the same amount of time. Until a point (optimum point), where having a higher enzyme concentration would not increase the rate of enzyme activity, because the number of enzyme molecules become equal or more than the number of substrate molecules, thus having enzyme molecules with no substrate molecules to bind with. Also if the concentration of the enzyme decreases, then the rate of enzyme activity would also decrease. The rate of enzyme activity increase when the concentration of enzyme increases due to the collision theory, where the more particles there is, the more effective collisions there is, thus increasing the rate of enzyme activity. Variables: Independent: The concentration of lipase enzyme (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%). Dependant: I will measure the pH of the solution after 5 minutes of adding the enzyme to the milk, using a pH meter. Controlled: Temperature: an increase in temperature would make the particles Materials:

Effects of Medicare cutbacks for dme companies and patients Essay

Effects of Medicare cutbacks for dme companies and patients - Essay Example The new rates that have evolved from the bidding system are initially meant for ten metropolitan areas, but will soon be extended to other areas and possibly nationwide. Information of the cuts in the reimbursement indicate steep reimburse cuts for oxygen and oxygen equipment at 30% and sleep apnea products at 29%. This is likely to cause revenue return issues for companies like Apria Healthcare Group Inc and Lincare Holdings Inc, who market oxygen equipment and ResMed Inc marketing sleep apnea products. The average reimbursement cuts for DMEs is 26%, which has significant implications for the bottom line of companies dealing with DMEs (U.S. Medicare cuts oxygen, apnea pay rates). The relevance of the study of this issue lies in these implications for the DME markting organizations and the consequent fall-out on the many senior and disabled citizens dependent on Medicare for access to DME to assist them through their difficulties. Consequent to the provisions of Medicare Part B mandatory accreditation and competitive bidding have become a part of the supply procedures at the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid throughout the ten major metropolitan areas that have selected for implementattion of these new procedures with regard to DMEs. The category of products affected by the complicated adjudication protocols as necessitated by Medicare Part B include DMEs, prosthetics and orthotics, commencing from the beginning of 2007 (Johnson, 2007). From the companies marketing DMEs and the chain retail pharmacies involved in making available DMEs for purchase the stumbling blocks lie in the administrative burden involved in the bidding process and the crippling $65,000 bond to participitate in the bidding process. These two hindrances may well cause many of the retail pharmacies to opt out of serving patients in this segment of health care and for the DME marketing companies there is the definite possibility of reduced revenue generation,

How information Technology can be used to achieve sustainable Essay

How information Technology can be used to achieve sustainable competitive advantages - Essay Example In addition, the basic purpose of developing and implementing the modern and up-to-date information systems in the business and corporate structures is to enhance the overall corporate performance and enhanced management of the business data (Laudon & Laudon, 1999; Turban et al., 2005). Literature Review According to (Turban et al., 2005, p.18) â€Å"an information system is set of different aspects that work collectively in order to gather, operate, store, assess, and transmit information with the intention of performing a particular task.† Basically, the products and business processes to develop those products differ from organization to organization. Hence, a business organization can make use of information system for different purposes according to their needs and requirements. For instance, an organization can make use of an information system to deal with its human resource related processes or for dealing with accorunts and financial matters. In this scenario, as an o rganization is based on different aspects such as departments and employees in the same way an IS encompasses a variety of aspects like that inputs (whuch an information system receives in the forms of data and instructions from its users) and outputs (which are delivered by the information system in the forms of results, calculations and reports). Thus, it provides the desired outputs by carrying out certain operations on the inputs. Value Chain Model Operations: This process involves the activities that are involves in the transformation of inputs into final products. In this scenario, information systems can play a significant role. As the figure 1 demonstrates, this process can be supported through computer aided manufacturing. These systems can be used in design and development of the products (CiteHR, 2013; Schwanzer, 2007). In this scenario, information systems cannot only be used as a wonderful tool for automating desired business processes and activities but they can also b e used to support the business organizations in designing and putting into practice a number of value added-systems in the business organizations like that the majority of bussiness organizations combine and arrange their manufacturing cycle along with information systems so as to confirm that the outputs it generates comply with the organization’s requirements and needs as well as various quality management mechanisms. The research has shown that the implementation of information systems allows the business organizations to make their business operations simple and do not waste their precious time in performing unnecessary operations. Additionally, the majority of business organizations take benefit of information systems to incorporate control and measures to human resource related activities, in an attempt to make sure that only human resources having the proper privileges and authority can be allowed to perform particular tasks. Also, the use of information systems allows the business oraganizations to throw away chronic actions and improve correctness, supporting company’s employees to contemplate on more difficult processes. Furthermore, an organization can also use information syste

Law and Conflicting Perspectives Essay Example for Free

Law and Conflicting Perspectives Essay Composers represent conflicting perspectives through their own unique experiences and values as their political and social contexts. Geoffrey Robertsons self styled memoir The Justice Game written in the late 1900s heavily reflects these conflicting perspectives in the Trials of Oz and The Romans in Britain through the employment of emotive and persuasive language and ridicule in the form of satire to which convey Robertsons view through his eyes. Such conflicts also portrayed in Charles Waterstreets article Its a long fickle road to justice which similar to Robertsons use of persuasive techniques utilizes satire to challenge and question the myopic procedures of the legal system. As society develops, along with it come the changes in values and beliefs this is evident in The Trials of Oz which displays the differing attitudes and conflicting perspectives between generation gaps. The Trials of Ozs Rupert Bear was one of great offence in Robertsons time, whereas today material similar to this is everywhere and is mostly socially acceptable which parallely reflect the beliefs of freedom of speech and individuality growing within society. Robertson himself believed these values which is evident in his view put across in a metaphor for describing the legal system as â€Å" the justice game† revealing the lack of freedom of speech and individuality acknowledgement within it, which is reinforced through the chapter through repetition, arising questions for the responder. In the Trials Of Oz, Robertson uses persuasive language to describe the defendants as â€Å"honest young men† and to characterise Oz as a â€Å"harmless coffee-table magazine for the revolution that would never happen†.

symbolaw Symbols and Symbolism - Birds as a Symbol in The Awakening Es

Birds as the Symbol of Bondage and Freedom in The Awakening Birds that are enclosed in cages indicate solitude and bondage; those that roam in the open air above the seas represent freedom and happiness. The captivity or freedom of these animals is the symbolism that Chopin uses to illustrate the captivity Edna experiences from society and the freedom she desires.   Through this vivid bird imagery in her novel The Awakening, Chopin elucidates the struggle and freedom Edna encounters. From the beginning of the novel, the author supplies bird imagery to represent captivity and solitude. The "green and yellow parrot, which h[angs] in a cage outside the door [of Madame Lebrun's home], ke[eps] repeating over and over: 'Allez vous-en,' [come in]" (43).   The pleas of the parrot parallel with those of Edna, a desire for communication. She longs for a companion to whom she can pour her heart and soul into, without being reminded of the restrictions and cares of Victorian society; a relationship that she did not have with her husband, but with Robert. Though E... symbolaw Symbols and Symbolism - Birds as a Symbol in The Awakening Es Birds as the Symbol of Bondage and Freedom in The Awakening Birds that are enclosed in cages indicate solitude and bondage; those that roam in the open air above the seas represent freedom and happiness. The captivity or freedom of these animals is the symbolism that Chopin uses to illustrate the captivity Edna experiences from society and the freedom she desires.   Through this vivid bird imagery in her novel The Awakening, Chopin elucidates the struggle and freedom Edna encounters. From the beginning of the novel, the author supplies bird imagery to represent captivity and solitude. The "green and yellow parrot, which h[angs] in a cage outside the door [of Madame Lebrun's home], ke[eps] repeating over and over: 'Allez vous-en,' [come in]" (43).   The pleas of the parrot parallel with those of Edna, a desire for communication. She longs for a companion to whom she can pour her heart and soul into, without being reminded of the restrictions and cares of Victorian society; a relationship that she did not have with her husband, but with Robert. Though E...

Awarness and Attitude of Primary Teachers Essay

Child Rights: A Gist The Convention on the Rights of the Child defines basic rights of children covering multiple needs and issues. India endorsed it on December 11, 1992. Following are a few rights in the immediate purview of Smile Foundation as well as India. The right to Education: 50% of Indian children aged 6-18 do not go to school Dropout rates increase alarmingly in class III to V, its 50% for boys, 58% for girls. The right to Expression: Every child has a right to express himself freely in which ever way he likes. Majority of children however are exploited by their elders and not allowed to express. The right to Information: Every child has a right to know his basic rights and his position in the society. High incidence of illiteracy and ignorance among the deprived and underprivileged children prevents them from having access to information about them and their society. The right to Nutrition: More than 50% of India’s children are malnourished. While one in every five adolescent boys is m alnourished, one in every two girls in India is undernourished. The right to Health & Care: 58% of India’s children below the age of 2 years are not fully vaccinated. And 24% of these children do not receive any form of vaccination. Over 60% of children in India are anemic. 95 in every 1000 children born in India, do not see their fifth birthday. 70 in every 1000 children born in India, do not see their first birthday. The right to protection from Abuse: There are approximately 2 million child commercial sex workers between the age of 5 and 15 years and about 3.3 million between 15 and 18 years. They form 40% of the total population of commercial sex workers in India. 500,000 children are forced into this trade every year. The right to protection from Exploitation: 17 million children in India work as per official estimates. A study found that children were sent to work by compulsion and not by choice, mostly by parents, but with recruiter playing a crucial role in influencing decision. When working outside the family, children put in an average of 21 hours of labour per week. Poor and bonded families often â€Å"sell† their children to contractors who promise lucrative jobs in the cities and the children end up being employed in brothels, hotels and domestic work. Many run away and find a life on the streets. The right to protection from Neglect: Every child has a right to lead a well protected and secure life away from neglect. However, children working under exploitative and inhuman conditions get neglected  badly. The right to Development: Every child has the right to development that lets the child explore her/his full potential. Unfavourable living conditions of underprivileged children prevents them from growing in a free and uninhibited way. The right to Recreation: Every child has a right to spend some time on recreational pursuits like sports, entertainment and hobbies to explore and develop. Majority of poor children in India do not get time to spend on recreational activities. The right to Name & Nationality: Every child has a right to identify himself with a nation. A vast majority of underprivileged children in India are treated like commodities and exported to other countries as labour or prostitutes. The right to Survival: Of the 12 million girls born in India, 3 million do not see their fifteenth birthday, and a million of them are unable to survive even their first birthday. Every sixth girl child’s death is due to gender discrimination. Child Rights in India: An Introduction India is a party to the UN declaration on the Rights of the Child 1959. Accordingly, it adopted a National Policy on Children in 1974. The policy reaffirmed the constitutional provisions for adequate services to children, both before and after birth and through the period of growth to ensure their full physical, mental and social development. Accordingly, the government is taking action to review the national and state legislation and bring it in line with the provisions of the Convention. It has also developed appropriate monitoring procedures to assess progress in implementing the Convention-involving various stake holders in the society. India is also a signatory to the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children. In pursuance of the commitment made at the World Summit, the Department of Women and Child Development under the Ministry of Human Resource Development has formulated a National Plan of Action for Children. Most of the recommendations of the World Summit Action Plan are reflected in India’s National Plan of Action- keeping in mind the needs, rights and aspirations of 300 million children in the country. The priority areas in the Plan are health, nutrition, education, water, sanitation and environment. The Plan gives special consideration to children in difficult circumstances and aims at providing a framework, for actualization of the objectives of the Convention in the Indian context. Status of Children in  India Recent UNICEF (2005) report on the state of the world’s children under the title â€Å"Childhood Under Threat† , speaking about India, states that millions of Indian children are equally deprived of their rights to survival, health, nutrition, education and safe drinking water. It is reported that 63 per cent of them go to bed hungry and 53 per cent suffer from chronic malnutrition. The report says that 147 million children live in kuchcha houses, 77 million do not use drinking water from a tap, 85 million are not being immunized, 27 million are severely underweight and 33 million have never been to school. It estimates that 72 million children in India between five and 14 years do not have access to basic education. A girl child is the worst victim as she is often neglected and is discriminated against because of the preference for a boy child. National Commission for Protection of Child Rights In order to ensure child rights practices and in response to India’s commitment to UN declaration to this effect, the government of India set up a National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. The Commission is a statutory body notified under an Act of the Parliament on December 29, 2006. Besides the chairperson, it will have six members from the fields of child health, education, childcare and development, juvenile justice, children with disabilities, elimination of child labour, child psychology or sociology and laws relating to children. The Commission has the power to inquire into complaints and take suo motu notice of matters relating to deprivation of child’s rights and non-implementation of laws providing for protection and development of children among other things. Aimed at examining and reviewing the safeguards provided by the law to protect child rights, the Commission will recommend measures for their effective implementation. It will suggest amendments, if needed, and look into complaints or take suo motu notice of cases of violation of the constitutional and legal rights of children. The Commission is to ensure proper enforcement of child rights and effective implementation of laws and programmes relating to children- enquiring into complaints and take suo motu  cognizance of matters relating to deprivation of child rights; non-implementation of laws providing for protection and development of children and non-compliance of policy decisions, guidelines or instructions aimed at their welfare and announcing relief for children and issuing remedial measures to the state governments. Convention on the Rights of the Child Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989 Right to education From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search The right to education is a universal entitlement to education, a right that is recognized as a human right. According to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights the right to education includes the right to free, compulsory primary education for all[1], an obligation to develop secondary education accessible to all, in particular by the progressive introduction of free secondary education[2], as well as an obligation to develop equitable access to higher education, ideally by the progressive introduction of free higher education.[3] The right to education also includes a responsibility to provide basic education for individuals who have not completed primary education. In addition to these access to education provisions, the right to education encompasses the obligation to rule out discrimination at all levels of the educational system, to set minimum standards and to improve quality of education. [4] International legal basis The right to education is law in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Articles 200 and 14 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.[5][6][7] The right to education has been reaffirmed in the 1960 UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education and the 1981 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.[8] In Europe, Article 2 of the first Protocol of 20 March 1952 to the European Convention on Human Rights states that the right to education is recognized as a human right and is understood to establish an entitlement to education. According to the International  Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the right to education includes the right to free, compulsory primary education for all, an obligation to develop secondary education accessible to all in particular by the progressive introduction of free secondary education, as well as an obligation to develop equitable access to higher education in particular by the progressive introduction of free higher education. The right to education also includes a responsibility to provide basic education for individuals who have not completed primary education. In addition to these access to education provisions, the right to education encompasses also the obligation to eliminate discrimination at all levels of the educational system, to set minimum standards and to improve quality. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has applied this norm for example in the Belgian linguistic case.[9] Article 10 of the European Social Charter guarantees the ri ght to vocational education. [10] Definition Education narrowly refers to formal institutional instructions. Generally, international instruments use the term in this sense and the right to education, as protected by international human rights instruments, refers primarily to education in a narrow sense. The 1960 UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education defines education in Article 1(2) as: â€Å"all types and levels of education, (including) access to education, the standard and quality of education, and the conditions under which it is given.†[11] In a wider sense education may describe â€Å"all activities by which a human group transmits to its descendants a body of knowledge and skills and a moral code which enable the group to subsist†.[11] In this sense education refers to the transmission to a subsequent generation of those skills needed to perform tasks of daily living, and further passing on the social, cultural, spiritual and philosophical values of the particular community. The wider meaning of education has been recognised in Article 1(a) of UNESCO’s 1974 Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.[12] The article states that education implies: â€Å"the entire process of social life by means of which individuals and social groups learn to develop consciously within, and for the benefit of, the national and international communities, the whole of their personal  capabilities, attitudes, aptitudes and knowledge.†[11] The European Court of Human Rights has defined education in a narrow sense as â€Å"teaching or instructions†¦ in particular to the transmission of knowledge and to intellectual development† and in a wider sense as â€Å"the whole process whereby, in any society, adults endeavour to transmit their beliefs, culture and other values to the young.† [11] Assessment of fulfilment The fulfilment of the right to education can be assessed using the 4 As framework, which asserts that for education to be a meaningful right it must be available, accessible, acceptable and adaptable. The 4 As framework was developed by the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Katarina Tomasevski, but is not necessarily the standard used in every international human rights instrument and hence not a generic guide to how the right to education is treated under national law.[13] The 4 As framework proposes that governments, as the prime duty-bearer, has to respect, protect and fulfil the right to education by making education available, accessible, acceptable and adaptable. The framework also places duties on other stakeholders in the education process: the child, which as the privileged subject of the right to education has the duty to comply with compulsory education requirements, the parents as the ‘first educators’, and professional educators, namely teachers.[13] The 4 As have been further elaborated as follows:[14] * Availability – funded by governments, education is universal, free and compulsory. There should be proper infrastructure and facilities in place with adequate books and materials for students. Buildings should meet both safety and sanitation standards, such as having clean drinking water. Active recruitment, proper training and appropriate retention methods should ensure that enough qualified staff is available at each school. [15] * Accessibility – all children should have equal access to school services regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnicity or socio-economic status. Efforts should be made to ensure the inclusion of marginalized groups including children of refugees, the homeless or those with disabilities. There should be no forms of segregation or denial of access to any students. This includes ensuring that proper laws are in place against any child  labour or exploitation to prevent children from obtaining primary or secondary education. Schools must be within a reasonable distance for children within the community, otherwise transportation should be provided to students, particularly those that might live in rural areas, to ensure ways to school are safe and convenient. Education should be affordable to all, with textbooks, supplies and uniforms provided to students at no additional costs. [16] * Acceptability – the quality of education provided should be free of discrimination, relevant and culturally appropriate for all students. Students should not be expected to conform to any specific religious or ideological views. Methods of teaching should be objective and unbiased and material available should reflect a wide array of ideas and beliefs. Health and safety should be emphasized within schools including the elimination of any forms of corporal punishment. Professionalism of staff and teachers should be maintained.[17] * Adaptability – educational programs should be flexible and able to adjust according to societal changes and the needs of the community. Observance of religious or cultural holidays should be respected by schools in order to accommodate students, along with providing adequate care to those students with disabilities. [18] A number of international NGOs and charities work to realise the right to education using a rights-based approach to development.[citation needed] Historical development In Europe, before the Enlightenment of the eighteenth and nineteenth century, education was the responsibility of parents and the church. With the French and American Revolution education was established also as a public function. It was thought that the state, by assuming a more active role in the sphere of education, could help to make education available and accessible to all. Education had thus far been primarily available to the upper social classes and public education was perceived as a means of realising the egalitarian ideals underlining both revolutions.[19] However, neither the American Declaration of Independence (1776) nor the French Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789) protected the right to education as the liberal concepts of human rights in the nineteenth century envisaged that parents retained the primary duty for providing education to their children. It was the states obligation to ensure that parents complied with this duty, and many states  enacted legislat ion making school attendance compulsory. Furthermore child labour laws were enacted to limit the number of hours per day children could be employed, to ensure children would attend school. States also became involved in the legal regulation of curricula and established minimum educational standards.[20] In On Liberty John Stuart Mill wrote that an â€Å"education established and controlled by the State should only exist, if it exists at all, as one among many competing experiments, carried on for the purpose of example and stimulus to keep the others up to a certain standard of excellence.† Liberal thinkers of the nineteenth century pointed to the dangers to too much state involvement in the sphere of education, but relied on state intervention to reduce the dominance of the church, and to protect the right to education of children against their own parents. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, educational rights were included in domestic bills of rights.[21] The 1849 Paulskirchenverfassung, the constitution of the German Empire, strongly influenced subsequent European constitutions and devoted Article 152 to 158 of its bill of rights to education. The constitution recognised education as a function of the state, independent of the church. Remarkable at the time, the constitution proclaimed the right to free education for the poor, but the constitution did not explicitly require the state to set up educational institutions. Instead the constitution protected the rights of citizens to found and operate schools and to provide home education. The constitution also provided for freedom of science and teaching, and it guaranteed the right of everybody to choose a vocation and train for it.[22] The nineteenth century also saw the development of socialist theory, which held that the primary task of the state was to ensure the economic and social well-being of the community through government intervention and regulation. Socialist theory recognised that individuals had claims to basic welfare services against the state and education was viewed as one of these welfare entitlements. This was in contrast to liberal theory at the time, which regarded non-state actors as the prime providers of education. Socialist ideals were enshrined in the 1936 Soviet Constitution, which was the first constitution to recognise the right to education with a corresponding obligation of the state to provide such education. The constitution guaranteed free and compulsory education at all levels, a system of state scholarships and vocational training in state  enterprises. Subsequently the right to education featured strongly in the constitutions of socialist states.[23] As a political goal, right to education was declared in F. D. Roosevelt’s 1944 speech on the Second Bill of Rights. Implementation International law does not protect the right to pre-primary education and international documents generally omit references to education at this level.[24] The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to education, hence the right applies to all individuals, although children are understood as the main beneficiaries.[25] The rights to education are separated into three levels: * Primary (Elemental or Fundamental) Education. This shall be compulsory and free for any child regardless of their nationality, gender, place of birth, or any other discrimination. Upon ratifying the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights States must provide free primary education within two years. * Secondary (or Elementary, Technical and Professional in the UDHR) Education must be generally available and accessible. * Higher Education (at the University Level) should be provided according to capacity. That is, anyone who meets the necessary education standards should be able to go to university. Both secondary and higher education shall be made accessible â€Å"by every appropriate means, and in particular by the progressive introduction of free education†. [26] Compulsory education The realisation of the right to education on a national level may be achieved through compulsory education, or more specifically free compulsory primary education, as stated in both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.[27][28] Action For Children (AFC) Action for Children (AFC) conceptualised by Wild Ganzen and supported by Net4Kids and Kids Rights aims at involving privileged citizens, civil society groups and various institutions including corporates in the development process. This programme supported by the Dutch Government promoted consortium (Wild Ganzen, Net4Kids and Kids Rights) has given a boost to the initiative. The programme is being implemented in three developing economies of the world namely Brazil, South Africa and India. Smile Foundation joined hands with the Consortium in April 2008 and since then has been executing the programme in India. The objective is to stimulate more fortunate mass to be a part of the development process and ensure sustainability of grassroots initiatives across India. Through AFC, Smile Foundation encourages people to ‘stand up and act’ to bring a change in the lives of underprivileged children and youth. Action For Children is based on the concept that development is a people’s issue and not just the government’s concern. With this premise, the Foundation has been striving to build a civil society that owes responsibility for societal development and participate whole-heartedly in transforming the lives of underprivileged children. Through AFC, Smile Foundation encourages individuals, civil society groups, corporate houses, professional associations, schools, colleges, youth wings to participate in the development process. The Action for Children programme sensitizes and involves the fortunate mass through: 1. Local Actions Local Action connotes organizing an event to raise funds for a child centric project. It can be organised by individuals, groups and institutions in their region. Local action aims at sensitization and consequent involvement of the privileged mass in raising funds for children through various activities 2. KidsXL KidsXL is a school exchange programme wherein children of privileged school and underprivileged school are brought together under one platform. Several interactive sessions and special activities are organized for the children. KidsXL aims at bringing the children from both the segments closer, thereby reducing social disparities. In the process, the children also learn to be sensitive and responsible towards the society 3. Media Advocacy The aim is to involve media in creating awareness among the people and advocating the cause before a wide audience. The Foundation sensitizes  people through documentaries, Public Service Advertisements, news features, advocacy campaigns, rallies etc. 4. Corporate Social Responsibility CSR aims at sensitising and involving corporates in the development process. It gives the corporates an opportunity to give back to the society. It is based on a partnership model wherein corporates partner with Smile Foundation either to support the whole or a part of capital cost or running cost of a child centric project. The inherent objective of the programme is to ensure that the development activities become locally sustainable.