The problem of food security in India has been analyzed in this paper. This paper also tries to explore the strategies of government of India [GOI] in fighting the problem. It has been observed that the government of India has taken several steps to curb the problem, which has already reached at an alarming stage in the form of PDS, MDMS, MNREGA, SJSY, SGSY, FSB, etc. Yet, the problem of hunger has not been eradicated from the country due to several reasons such ascorruption,mismanagement, inflation, natural hazards, etc. But, now-a-days,MNREGA is playing a significant role in making India hunger free and the National Food Security Bill [FSB] is also going to play a revolutionary role in this context. The paper concludes that the MNREG Act and FSB are feathers in the cap of UPA government, who seems to be feeling concerned seriously about the welfare and wellbeing of common man of India.

West Bengal agriculture has started to show a sign of change since 1980’s, by registering a modest growth in foodgrains production after three decades of near stagnation. Over the entire period i.e, 1950-51 to 2007-08, the state has recorded foodgrains production growth rate accounting 2.59% mainly due to moderate rise in productivity (2.23%) in spite of deceleration in area under aus (Bhadoi) rice and pulses. Study on effect of new crop production technology on growth and instability of foodgrains production reveals that growth in output of foodgrains along with constituents has become more stable compared to remaining two phases, but it is difficult to conclude a definite relationship between them. Again, yield effect has emerged as major contributor to foodgrains production increase in successive periods except wheat which clearly indicates that policy measures need to be directed towards augmentation of yields of major crops through development and popularisation of location specific HYV along with improved crop management practices to meet the growing demand of foodgrains in future.

The importance of precise estimation of marketed and marketable surplus has

been felt in India in view of its crucial role in forming the economic database for formulation of economic policies/decisions by the government. As available data of marketable surplus has become obsolete, the present survey throws up information not only on marketed & marketable surplus ratios but also on factors that influence them with particular reference to cultivation of paddy in West Bengal. It has been observed that both marketed & marketable surplus ratio tends to increase steadily with increase in farm-size. While average marketed surplus ratio, taking all farms together, stands at 55.30 percent of net availability of paddy or 61.19 percent of current production of paddy, the marketable surplus/ ratio stands at 43.49 percent of net availability of paddy 36.43 percent of current production.

It is evident that factors like farm size, average price received by the farms, access to credit and possession of pucca storage have significant positive relationship with marketed/marketable surplus ratio, while factors like household size, indebtedness of farm households exhibit a significant negative relationship with marketed/marketable surplus ratio. On the whole it comes out that marketed/ marketable surplus ratio of paddy in West Bengal is much lower as compared to other agriculturally advanced states, and that the ratio of marketed/marketable surplus depends much upon the socio-economic condition of the farmer households.

Under the given circumstances the agribusiness courses offered by agricultural

universities/ institutions need a market orientation for sustainability. The institutes should be sensitive to students’ and industry needs by identifying the target agroindustry, trade or services enterprises and co-coordinating with them in course structure design. This will also make the courses commercially viable and sustainable. The industry focus can give them an edge in the market if some experimental learning is facilitated by placing them in specific industries in the last semester over and above the usual summer training as a part of the course as is done in some leading institutions. The institutes should provide functional area managers to the concerned trade and industrial units who should also be capable to manage independently small business units and entrepreneurial ventures. On the-job training is very helpful for developing such skills to make the students self dependant. Since the PG students in such courses come from B. Sc. (Ag.) stream they are technically conversant with most of the agricultural specialties but lack seriously in managerial orientation and leadership qualities. They are also found to be deficient in communication and soft skills. Added emphasis should be given on these components. They have to be made better managers in addition to being good technocrats. A package with an outsourcing of such modules through collaboration with professional management institutes may do wonders for the conventional institutes. Such leading institutes may also offer teachers’ training for preparing the faculty to take the challenge themselves in future.

Education for all is must at one hand and a challenge on other for an all round

development of third world society. Gender wise disparity in education has also remained as a head ace for a country like India. Indian women constituting 50% of the country’s human resource, still faces literacy-gender-gaps with only 54.16% literate female. The present study is an attempt to evaluate the disparities in education sector in India along with their impact status based on the data procured from secondary sources. The disparity is calculated by Sopher’s Disparity Index on male female literacy state-wise, age-wise in terms of levels of education, socialgroups and residence. Finally by employing the technique of Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient, it has been observed that female education has significant impact on gender and human development. The study concludes that the essence of development lies in literating women by degendering that will pave way for better future by literating their kids.

Quality management has been extensively used for few decades now. Organisations worldwide have leveraged the concept of quality to achieve their goals and survive the tides of competition. Organisational culture represents a collective belief and values of the organisation’s members. Literatures relating to quality initiatives and organisational culture have repeatedly described that organisational culture study is imperative to implementation of quality initiatives. Now, with an aim to digress the focus from culture as a predecessor to quality initiatives, attempt has been made to find out the scope of research of impact of various quality initiatives on organisational culture as the organisation evolves. It would be of much interest

to the young managers to understand the implications of process improvements on the organisational culture. Changes in processes may bring changes in the values, beliefs, attitudes of the individuals engaged in process improvements.The culture, thus created will instil a confidence to take up any change activity for organisational development and facilitate in surviving the stress and strains of any unpredictable environment.

The study reveals that initially most of the members of SHGs were very poor and they had no alternative sources for generating some additional income but after involvement in SHGs they have been able to increase their income as well as savings from their additional economic activities. Again it has been found that the SHGs have become instrumental in empowering the normal housewives in terms of their capacity building and household decision making along with other social and economic activity. To strengthening the SHG movement, the most profitable and cost saving activities should be encouraged along with development of efficient marketing channels for the products produced through the pursued economic activities. With a view to increase standard of living, economic activities taken up by members need to be diversified.