Tell me I'm hallucinating; Could Bihar be a role model for other states? (edited)
The BBC reports:
For many years, Bihar in northern India has earned notoriety for being one of the poorest and most lawless states in the country.
Nobel-prize winning author VS Naipaul once described it as the place where “civilisation ends”.
But all is not lost, perhaps. We discover five areas where Bihar might consider itself to be ahead of other Indian states. More here.
- %50% reservation for women in the local Municipallties
- Speedy Trials. Fastest was in 13 days after the incident!
- Recruiting retired soldiers for an auxillary force
- Turning around state enterprises
- Model for Property Tax Evaluation receives a UN award!
All coz of Laloo 😛
Arun Shanbhag 
Supriya
In the long run, I think merit is certainly the only way to go. In larges swaths of rural india, girls still do not have similar opportunities to attend schools and colleges; and societal sterotypes tend to give guys more breaks. This reservation step can be a gender-leveller atleast in Bihar and many other rural areas.
I am working with a school in Kumta and was astonished at the number of girls who drop-out in high school, particularll from very poor families. I think at that age, they readily find employment as maids, or work as laborers. We need to stop that!
Visit us in Kumta in Dec, and I can show you the scholarship programs we are developing for girls there.
🙂
50% reservation for women surely caught my eyes… but i strongly feel there shouldn’t be any reservations in any sector. people should be selected based on their merit. and hey, i am not any feminist campaigner 😉