I wish I could come. But the issues are genuine and need to be fought tooth and nail.
On the lighter note, why don't they simply privatize or outsource PM's office, itself? Smile. सादर / With thanks & Regards राजेश आसुदानी Rajesh Asudani सहायक महाप्रबन्धक AGM बाजार आसूचना ईकाई MIU भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक Reserve Bank of India नागपुर Nagpur 0712 2806846 President VIBEWA Co-Moderator VIB-India A-pilll = Action coupled with Positivity, Interest, Love, Logic and laughter. -----Original Message----- From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of pratap bisht Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2015 9:41 AM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: [AI] No Legal Recognition of Disability Agenda Once Higher Education Sector Goes to the WTO-GATS Regime Dear All, There is an alarm for disabled: please don’t snooze it! Sambhavana appeals you to participate in the ‘National Resistance Camp Against WTO-GATS in Higher Education’ on 10th December at Jantar Mantar, near Kerala Bhavan from 10 AM onwards. The venue is only two minutes’ walking distance if you take Delhi Metro and get down at Patel Chauk station. Exit from Gate number 2, take the L2 lift, turn right after reaching at the roadside, walk strait for two minutes and you are there. GATS framework of higher education is opposed to the legally enshrined education rights of disabled, which we have secured through long and hard struggles! If not resisted, the provisions for reservation in admissions and employment, accessibility, and fellowships might be jeopardized! Government of India made commitments in higher education as a tradable commodity in the Doha Round Discussions of GATS (General Agreement on Trade and Services) of World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2004-5. This will become an irrevocable commitment for the Government of India at the close of the Doha Round negotiations, which is likely to happen in the Tenth Ministerial Meeting of WTO to be held during 15th-18th December 2015 in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, if not withdrawn by then. It not only includes provision for privatization of higher education sector, but more worryingly, there is no mechanism for social justice instruments and legal protections. Most alarmingly, there is a clause for ‘level playing field’ between Government and private sectors, which means that Government could only offer those facilities which could be given by it to the stakeholders in the private sector as well. It can’t provide facilities which are not offered by the private sector. Else, it will be a violation of the GATS. Even to bring any change in the laws, the GOI will have to take in confidence the international investors. Thus, our battle to fight the private institutions for making them disabled friendly will become all the more challenging. Moreover, the contradiction between our domestic laws for disabled and the compulsions of WTO-GATS will complicate our fight with the Government too. We have already witnessed it in two recent developments for the nation at large. First, huge cut in the educational budget of the GOI. Second, stopping of the Non-NET Fellowship for future students. Both of these will have negative consequences for disabled friends as well. Until now, Government was doing its business and private sector its own. Hence, disabled community could afford to focus on the Government sector for legal entitlements and their implementation remaining less-concerned about the private one. But we can’t afford it now! When Government Sector shall shrink, we will have nowhere to go. Please note that since higher education sector is organically linked with elementary education, the implementation of GATS will impact entire education system, not higher education alone. It is also noteworthy that GATS has provoked world-wide opposition. Of course, in our country, until now, there was not much public discussion about these issues in the media for a variety of reasons not to be detailed here at the moment. At best, a large number of intellectuals, unions and NGOs were fighting against the inclusion of food and health in WTO-GATS. Media was only covering these issues. However, during last few months, the issue of education has got attention. Yesterday, a question was raised in the Rajya Sabha about the mandate of our Foreign Minister to ratify such a disastrous treaty. Besides this, during last few weeks, there have been nation-wide protests on this issue. Many organizations of different ideological persuasions from across the country have come together at the appeal of All-India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) and they have organized a ‘National Resistance Camp’ against the GOI’s offer of higher education as a tradable commodity to WTO-GATS. Alongside with Gandhians, Socialists, and Marxists groups, a large number of organizations of Dalits, Adivasis, religious minorities, artists, professionals and trade unions, student unions and teachers unions have come together to oppose the decision of the GOI to offer higher education sector to WTO-GATS. They all agree that GATS is not in the interest of marginalized people and for the sovereignty of the nation. We believe that it is equally detrimental to the legal rights of disabled. , The Resistance Camp of AIFRTE and allied organizations at Jantar Mantar has already commenced on 7th December and shall continue up to 14th December. Sambhavana has decided to join it on 10th December, as we believe that offering higher education sector under WTO GATS would prove detrimental to the interests of disabled community. Therefore, we look forward to seeing you there in great numbers. We will fight and we will win! For more details about the issue, you may visit the following link: http://aifrte.in/content/fight-wto-save-education Sambhavana Organization -- Dr. Pratap Bisht Mobile +919818685889 Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Caution: The Reserve Bank of India never sends mails, SMSs or makes calls asking for personal information such as your bank account details, passwords, etc. It never keeps or offers funds to anyone. Please do not respond in any manner to such offers, however official or attractive they may look. Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. 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To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
