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

Constructing and analysing financial tools

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

Combating Terrorism :: essays research papers fc

At 8:45am, on September 11th, 2001 America’s heart was torn by a hijacked plane crashing through the north tower of the World Trade Center. Eighteen minutes later, a shocked country received a second blow as a second plane tore through the south tower. An estimated 2,819 lives were lost that day. The attack seemed to have come out of nowhere. As a country, we were not properly prepared to defend ourselves. America needs to devote as much money and as many resources as possible to combating terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been argued that if we focus too much on preventing terrorism, we risk ignoring or reducing support for measures designed to reduce other threats to life and health (Source 1). The suggested threats we risk ignoring included heart disease, automobile accidents, and drunk driving. While these are completely valid daily threats, they are also often easily preventable. While there is not much an individual can do to protect themselves from terrorism, they can definitely have a strong influence on preventing the aforementioned. Many of societies concerns can be prevented by the self control of the individual. With the exception of heredity, heart disease may be prevented by eating healthy and exercising. Car accidents can be prevented by being more aware, and focusing on driving instead of text messaging on cell phones at every red light. The American individual needs to be more responsible so that the government can focus on bigger things such as terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If America had given homeland security as much attention five years ago as it does today, the twin towers may still be standing. The events on September 11th, 2001 should have never happened to a country with as much resource and technology as America. It is difficult to understand why a country that has enough technology to create human body parts from stem cells would not have the technology to prevent a terrorist from boarding and taking over a U.S. airplane.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We made the mistake of not worrying about terrorism enough in the past. Now America needs to learn from that mistake and look towards the future. Many people think that we are spending too much on counter terrorism. Since September 11th, America has spent 18 billion dollars combating terrorism (Source 2). That may sound like a lot, but not when we had a total of $1,946 trillion dollars of expenditures in 2003 alone Combating Terrorism :: essays research papers fc At 8:45am, on September 11th, 2001 America’s heart was torn by a hijacked plane crashing through the north tower of the World Trade Center. Eighteen minutes later, a shocked country received a second blow as a second plane tore through the south tower. An estimated 2,819 lives were lost that day. The attack seemed to have come out of nowhere. As a country, we were not properly prepared to defend ourselves. America needs to devote as much money and as many resources as possible to combating terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been argued that if we focus too much on preventing terrorism, we risk ignoring or reducing support for measures designed to reduce other threats to life and health (Source 1). The suggested threats we risk ignoring included heart disease, automobile accidents, and drunk driving. While these are completely valid daily threats, they are also often easily preventable. While there is not much an individual can do to protect themselves from terrorism, they can definitely have a strong influence on preventing the aforementioned. Many of societies concerns can be prevented by the self control of the individual. With the exception of heredity, heart disease may be prevented by eating healthy and exercising. Car accidents can be prevented by being more aware, and focusing on driving instead of text messaging on cell phones at every red light. The American individual needs to be more responsible so that the government can focus on bigger things such as terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If America had given homeland security as much attention five years ago as it does today, the twin towers may still be standing. The events on September 11th, 2001 should have never happened to a country with as much resource and technology as America. It is difficult to understand why a country that has enough technology to create human body parts from stem cells would not have the technology to prevent a terrorist from boarding and taking over a U.S. airplane.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We made the mistake of not worrying about terrorism enough in the past. Now America needs to learn from that mistake and look towards the future. Many people think that we are spending too much on counter terrorism. Since September 11th, America has spent 18 billion dollars combating terrorism (Source 2). That may sound like a lot, but not when we had a total of $1,946 trillion dollars of expenditures in 2003 alone

Movie: Stand And Deliver - Mr. Escalante Should Be An Inspiration To E

Movie: Stand and Deliver - Mr. Escalante Should Be An Inspiration to Everyone In the movie Stand and Deliver, double entendre ran rampant. During an Algebra lesson one day at the beginning of the school year, Mr. Escalante told Angel, a gang member, to "fill the hole". Not only was he referring to the hole as an illustration, but also to the hole in the students lives as a result of lack of education, the gangs, and in many cases, a poor upbringing. Mr. Escalante must have seen some potential in Angel and was trying desperately to fill the hole caused by a lack of education in his life. However, Angel, tied very deeply to his gang "family", would have none of it. Jaime wants Angel to pull a complete attitude reversal by learning and self...

Book Of Job: Suffering Essay -- essays research papers

Book of Job: Suffering The book of Job 1:3, in The New Oxford Annonated Bible, states "Job was the greatest man among all in the East." He was a faithful servant of God, he owned thousands of animals, and had many servants and friends. Job had a very large family with seven sons and three daughters. Why was Job chosen to suffer and receive punishment at the hands of the Lord one may ask? The major themes in the book describe the ways Job deals with suffering and despair the Lord handed him. How one deals with despair and suffering is what makes a person who he or she is. The Lord is not a stranger to suffering. Psalms 69:33-36, states â€Å"The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people. Let heaven and earth praise him. The seas and all that move in them. For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it; the children of his servants will inherit it; and those who love his name will dwell there.† God does not intentionally inflict despair and heartache on his believers for no reason at all. I think the despair we experience, and how we deal with it, is a test to show our true selves. The Lord does not make us suffer because of what we have done. Through suffering, we become better people and grow as an individual. You find your identity through terrible experiences. I have dealt with serious heartache and do believe that I have grown from it...

Analysis of Dynacorp Case Essay

The strategic design lens assumes organizations are deliberate, goal-achieving entities. In this view, managers can achieve organizational goals by understanding the fundamentals of design and fitting design to strategy, as well as to the larger organizational environment. In this paper, I discuss the five major elements of strategy – environmental fit, strategic intent, strategic grouping, strategic linking, and alignment – and identify two specific elements as causes of the problems Dynacorp is experiencing with its redesign. These elements are strategic linking and alignment. Fit with the Environment In the 1980s, Dynacorp was an excellent fit with the environment; it produced high-quality, innovation products. As result, its customers were happy to wait months or even a year for the company to bring out a new product and to â€Å"do some of their own applications work and figure out how to integrate Dynacorp’s products with the rest of their operations†. In the 1990s, however, the company lost the technological advantage it had maintained over the competition. According to Carl Greystone, executive vice president of the U. S. Cus-tomer Operations Group, â€Å"Both foreign and domestic competitors have been cutting into our market share, and our gross margins are way down,†. Indeed, Dynacorp was finding that many of its customers needed more than hardware, but want-ed ‘complete solutions’ to problems. Customers were â€Å"looking for systems solutions, more cus-tomized software, and more value-added services†. Dynacorp’s senior managers recognized that the firm’s existing functional structure was seriously inhibiting the organization from creating effective cross-functional responses to its external environment. Strategic Intent Dynacorp’s senior management thus moved to redefine the firm’s strategic intent, a no-tion that Ancona et al. define as â€Å"setting the strategy or mandate of the organization†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Instead of continuing to think of itself as a company merely selling hardware, the firm reorganized with the intention of providing customers with the integrated solutions they were demanding, and, where necessary, to do all this on a global basis. Strategic Grouping To implement its strategic intent, Dynacorp executives first had to make decisions about how to regroup tasks and functions. According to Ancona et al. , strategic grouping is a process of deciding â€Å"how the necessary activities are to be allocated into jobs, department, divisions, and other units, and how people are assigned to each†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The textbook describes five possible methods by which grouping of functions can be organized: activity; output; user, customer, or geography; matrix; and business process. At Dynacorp, the decision was made to move away from grouping by activity. Instead, the development, manufacturing, and marketing functions were grouped together into an output-oriented set of â€Å"‘end-to-end’ business units† in which all the functions would be ex-pected to contribute to the success of a product or a family of products or services. Within the sales area, executives decided to group by geography (U. S. , Europe, Latin America/Asia, with each of these areas further subdivided into regions) rather than to create multiple sales forces for each business unit. â€Å"Since products overlapped,† the interviewer was told, â€Å"the purchasers of different products were frequently the same people, and the cost inherent in replicating the field structure several times was prohibitive,†. Within each sales region, management created account teams with each team focusing on customers within market segments and industries. Greystone asserts that such a restructuring will result in industry specialists, rather than salespersons who were only knowledgeable about particular products. Greystone seemed optimistic: â€Å"You see, we feel that by targeting our investments toward growth of sales in specific industries and developing solutions to fit their needs, we’ll rebuild our market share and increase margins,† Strategic Linking Ancona et al. describe strategic linking as both formal and informal processes and posi-tions that would integrate units and subunits which are interdependent in tasks. The text identifies a wide array of linking mechanisms, including formal reporting structures, liaison roles, permanent or temporary cross-unit groups, integrator roles, information technology systems, and planning processes. Strategic linking at Dynacorp was to be accomplished, in the first instance, by linking development, manufacturing, and marketing within each Business Unit through a change in the formal reporting structure. Carl Greystone expressed his conviction that a â€Å"tremendous amount of progress† has been made since these changes were instituted and that his personnel are â€Å"thinking about the business in new terms†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Even Greystone, however, was forced to admit that his group had been â€Å"consistently behind plan in both revenue and profit† for the past year and a half and that the â€Å"Business Unit presidents have expressed some frustration with the performance of his group. †Martha Pauley, a Branch Manager in Greystone’s division who supervised six teams that â€Å"handle financial institutions, insurance, and education in the Northeast Region,† was considerably quite disillusioned about the absence of effective cross-functional relations between sales and the Business Units. Specifically, Pauley was finding it difficult to compete because of business decisions in which she had been given no role. She had several complaints: â€Å"Our prices are still higher than our competitors’, and technical support services are way too slow. The new plant in Indonesia was supposed to help bring prices down, but they’re having problems getting the factory up and running. Since I have no control over unit manufacturing costs or the availability of technical support resources, I can’t help the team’s effectiveness in these areas†. A second way in which strategic linking was to be accomplished was to establish multi-function Account Teams focused on â€Å"selling customized solutions based on integrating our products, rather than on selling fancy hardware. †These permanent cross-unit groups were comprised of â€Å"account managers, product specialists, solution consultants, service technicians, customer administration specialists, and systems specialists. † Describing the actual functioning of these new teams to the interviewer, Martha Pauley confessed that â€Å"everyone has been so busy trying to understand their new responsibilities while still keeping up with our customers that we have communicated only through e-mail messages. We haven’t had time for the off site meeting that I had planned. Anyway, we’re still getting modifications on the job guidelines from the staff group. † The time pressures reported by Pauley were evident when she takes the interviewer into a meeting of one account team; there, they found â€Å"about half† of the members missing because of other obligations. As the meeting progressed, it also became apparent that this account team was struggling to meet its goals. The team had just been outbid for a contract with a Boston bank because its competitor had been able to offer â€Å"lower prices and a much more comprehensive package† . With regard to planning as a means of strategic linking, there too Pauley’s teams were struggling. Pauley admitted to the interviewer that she â€Å"hadn’t had a chance to develop a cohe-sive sales plan to show you†. Alignment The last of the strategic design processes is alignment: â€Å"that is, assessing the implica-tions of strategic grouping and linking patterns for the rest of the organization’s structures and processes, and making changes to ensure that the grouping and linking patterns can be implemented effectively†. suggest that each of the following be considered as elements of alignment: organizational performance measurement systems, individual rewards and incentives, resource allocation, human resource development, and informal systems and processes. One obvious alignment problem in this case concerns individual rewards and incen-tives. Ben Walker, VP of the Northeast Region, notes that the new reward system compensates branch managers in sales and product managers in the Business Units on â€Å"performance against revenue and margin goals,† but Walker worries that â€Å"no one in these jobs has the skills to be a team player. † Soon thereafter, Martha Pauley complained to the interviewer about precisely this problem. Although she shared revenue goals for her teams with the product team’s general managers in the Business Units, her own performance was being hampered by the fact that â€Å"different product team leaders in the Business Units are pushing different types of sales, depending on their particular product lines. † Something similar was happening to Pauley’s Account Teams, whose sales performance depended, in part, on their ability to get adequate Technical Support to their clients, yet they had no control over this support unit. Dynacorp’s turnaround also was being hurt by the company’s failure to give appropriate support to human resources development. Ben Walker is convinced that the company has â€Å"too many people who know how to sell products but not solutions† and projects that â€Å"at least 25 percent of the current staff needs to be replaced. † Right now we have the customer teams functioning under new guidelines that force them to collect information on customer needs and develop solutions. But too many team members are still operating under the old attitude that the equipment sells itself and the customers will do the work of integrating our products into their operations. The notion of helping the customer from initial call through implementation and use of the system is still quite alien to many of our people. The fact that Sales Team Member 2 soon was seen expressing a desire for more customers who want â€Å"standard off-the-shelf equipment† suggests that Walker’s concerns have merit. And Martha Pauley, to her credit, does not hide the fact that her teams lack training. â€Å"You see,† Pauley says, â€Å"moving from a product salesperson to a provider of solutions in a big change. It involves knowledge of the industry and the company, the full line of products, our various software applications, and concepts of systems integration. Exactly who handles all the pieces of a sale like this is still unclear†. Finally, there is some evidence of dissatisfaction with Dynacorp’s resource allocation practices, given the perceived high cost of manufacturing and the problems with Technical Support. As we have seen, at least one account team is having difficulty competing on price; and Martha Pauley complains that Dynacorp’s prices â€Å"are still higher than our competitors’, and technical support services are way too slow†.   Dynacorp appears to have done a good job of analyzing its fit with the environment and crafting a strategy that is likely to be responsive to that environment. The strategic groupings are well-suited to the strategic intent, positioning Dynacorp to be a geographically-focused, industry-specific organization that is organized to bring cross-functional talent to bear on the service as well as hardware needs of its customers. Dynacorp fails, however, to give adequate attention to strategic linking processes. There is evidence of a lack of planning, particularly as it involves product and branch managers and their staffs, apparently resulting in a lack of widespread commitment at all levels of the organization to the new mission. There also are problems of coordination between branch managers in sales and the Business Units and between the Account Teams and the Technology Specialists. Finally, the new cross-functional sales teams have had little opportunity to work out their methods of operation. Dynacorp also fails to give adequate attention to alignment. Individual reward systems and incentives work at cross-purposes with unit goals, and manufacturing costs are too high for sales teams to compete effectively. Finally, there is almost a complete absence of training—both for product and branch managers and for the various functional specialists who are now expected to work as members of teams. The senior managers at Dynacorp have made impressive efforts to respond to their highly competitive environment. However, unless careful attention is given to the strategic linking and alignment processes, this organizational redesign effort is destined to fail.

Holland Theory and Application Essay

John Holland made his mark from 1953-1556 while working at Vocational Counseling Service in Perry Point Veterans Hospital followed by his work as the Director of Research for the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. His work at these two organizations leads to the first edition of Vocational Preference Inventory. In 1959, John Holland was published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology for his vocational theory (Gottfredson & Johnstun, 2009). He established his theory of matching people to vocations in the world of work. Although the trait and factor approach was established in 1909, John Holland took it a step further using the Army as his model (Bolles & Figler, 1999). John Holland was quoted, â€Å"I am a psychologist who pays attention to the obvious† (Bolles & Figler, 1999, p. 63). This was the theme of his theory. Holland theory is about the fit of the individual to the work environment. Some clients will be better suited for certain working environments and poorly matched to others (Anderson & Vandehey, 2012). The Holland theory is based on identification of people environment, skills, and values leading into six occupational categories known as ‘RIASEC’ (realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional) (Bolles & Figler, 1999). Although each category is consider a unaltered type of personality most clients will not fit into just one type. Holland’s theory assigns them a set of two or three of the types (Anderson & Vandehey, 2012). The first of Holland’s types, realistic, are clients who have athletic or mechanical ability, work with objects, machines, tools, plants, animals and the outdoors. Realistic client will be competent in reading blue prints, repair of furniture, making mechanical types of drawings, using special instruments such as a voltmeter, and will also have good math and mechanical backgrounds. They will also have interests in woodwork, metal work, and easily work with tools. Some realistic occupations would include radio operator, civil engineer, machinist, or piano tuner (Bolles & Figler, 1999). The next type, investigative, will be clients who like to observe, learn, analyze, investigative, solve problems or evaluate in general. Their proficiencies include scientific and technical training using a slide rule or microscope, using a logarithmic table, describes white blood cells by their uses, interpret chemical formulas, and understand the workings of a vacuum tube. These clients readily enjoy scientific books, lab work, chemistry, math puzzles, and normally take several classes in physics, math, and biology. Investigative job opportunities could be physician, math teacher, lab technician, or oceanographer (Bolles & Figler, 1999). The artistic clients, Holland’s third type, are innovating or intuitive thinkers, like to work in unrestrictive environments, and tend to be extremely creative or imaginative. Skills for creative people would contain playing a musical instrument, choir, designing, creating photography or art, or read/write poetry. Artistic types, according to Holland, would enjoy sketching, attending plays, taking an art class, or reading popular fiction. Occupations for these clients can be drama coach, advertising executive, photographer, or foreign language interpreter (Bolles & Figler, 1999). Holland’s fourth types of clients, social, like to work with people by informing, helping, training, or are skilled with words. These clients will feel competent with peers older than them, easily plan a school or church function, and are good judge of others personalities. They will belong to clubs, write letters, attend sports events, go to parties, help others with personal problems, and like to meet new people. Director of social services, employment representative, counselor, recreation administrator, and Foreign Service officer are a few of the occupations well suited for a social Holland code (Bolles & Figler, 1999). Enterprising, Holland’s fifth code, are comprised of clients that a people-influencing, leaders, persuaders, or economic goal friendly. They easily sell, influence others, give pep talks, meet important people, and discuss politics. In college or high school these clients were elected to office, organized clubs, debated, supervised the work of others, or acted as a spokesperson for a cause. They become bankers, personnel recruiters, labor arbitrators, insurance managers, and small business owners (Bolles & Figler, 1999). The conventional is the last of Holland’s types. Conventional types like to work with data and carrying out in detailed instructions. They have the ability to file correspondence, work in office setting, type 40 words per minute, use shorthand, post credits and debits, and keep accurate records. They may have done bookkeeping, operated business machines, written business letters, or maintain neat records and files. Conventational types are often employed as accountants, credit managers, payroll clerks, bookkeepers, library assistants or personnel secretary (Bolles & Figler, 1999). Holland realized that not every client would fit into a type nice and neatly hence the Holland two or three codes are established in order to have a person in a job that would give work satisfaction. They are several resources available to clients and counselors to aid in discovering a client’s RIASEC code. The Self-Directed Search (SDS) was first published in 1970 and was development by John Holland. The advantage of this assessment is that it is intended for the college or adult setting. The written version not only includes the assessment but also Holland’s Occupation Finder (OF) booklet for a counselor to use with their clients. Holland also created a seven page booklet, You and Your Career, that can be used to enhance the SDS and OF with suggestions for effective career planning (Reardon & Lumsden, 2002). Later, Holland, with Amy Powell, created SDS Career Explorer designed for middle school students along with his booklet Exploring Your Future with the SDS. Along with the assessment are several tools for educators and students alike. Holland, along with several other colleagues, has expanded the abilities of instruments to include measures for stability, environment, and additional resource to ensure understanding of the instruments and proper use and application (Reardon & Lumsden, 2002). In my world of career counseling, I apply Holland’s theory of putting the right client into the best fit for client. I agree with his theory that if a client is not using the skills or interests that they enjoy that will have poor performance. This ultimately in my opinion leads to job hopping, lack of self-efficacy, and depression. I have the advantage of money on my side and we use the program Discover for most assessments. However, I do not always jump to test. By having knowledge of Holland theory and his types and code match through counselor I am able to get a client to find their career goals on their own without test. With my â€Å"type† of client they do not want to sit through testing no matter how short it is, they already have to study for their current jobs, college classes, and advancement exams. I try to incorporate Holland’s theory daily which can have its drawbacks. They occupation that my client would be good at may not have openings or worse the Navy does not have it, so I try help them compromise with community service or college course that would satisfy their needs. Over the last ten years, I have learned that I am not the answer person more like their vessel to maintenance phase of their transition cycles (Anderson & Vandehey, 2002). I could not trade in the feeling of when I see them finally figure out what they want to do when the grow up.