Propaganda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Propaganda - Essay Example This is because it has a way of distorting truths. The media helps in spreading propaganda to reach a wide target audience. The intention of the conveyer of the message is usually to create an understanding that is different from the people’s belief. For instance, a leader can use propaganda to propagate hate in communities. The leader can mislead the masses by giving them false information concerning the ongoing in the government. Interestingly, propaganda contains some element of truth as indicated by Jowett, Garth & Victoria (289). However, propagandist coats the lie with facts to deceive the audiences. Sometimes people who spread propaganda base their information on rumors in most circumstances. In addition, there are occasions when individuals spread propaganda unknowingly. Authorities use propaganda in justifying certain behaviors in the society. This mode of communication during the holocaust period appeared to support the heinous acts perpetrated by the supporters of the Nazi movement in Germany. Besides, I have come to realize that the use of propaganda can be beneficial of the society. For instance, campaigns to sensitize individuals in the community can take the form of propaganda. Consequently, the government can use it to eliminate fears among the masses by providing information concerning certain events in the society. There are times in which propaganda fails to reach its target audience. For example, the opponents of the ideology might receive propaganda aimed at convincing the supporters of a given ideology positively (Jowett, Garth & Victoria 307). Moreover, propaganda creates confusion when the message conveyed to the audience is incomplete. As such, it has contributed to rise of conflicts in the societies. The use of propaganda is not a new concept in the society. Records indicate that civilizations used it in communication during the 15th century. It began as a

Personal Reflection Essay Example for Free

Personal Reflection Essay Personal Reflection I will begin observing the environment through nurture and nature in developing our self concept. Self concepts are the realization of experiences gathered from history and the future in how people were, and who he or she aspires to be. Studies demonstrate that people look to society for suspicions, trust, and an accepting of what to expect from situations in society. For example, the way we intermingle and what society believes he or she is supposed to adhere to. In the social world it is our mind-set about the world, and the part we play effects our dealings. The social influences of an individual are viewed acceptable in guiding the self’s behavior. The concept of self is broken into three components; self efficacy, concept, and our self-esteem. After reviewing these concepts it becomes clearer in appreciating who I am, and my place in society. I can share my own experiences that have contributed to my social development. It gives me more knowledge and confidence of myself. Self The way we recognize ourselves defines who we are. Self concept relates to how we categorize our features and roles we see when viewing our self. A better definition of oneself is how we interrelate; the interactions influence and lead our behavior. The self concept correlates to three theories: self perception, self presentation, and dissonance theory (Myers, 2011). Self perception is how one determines their actions of other situations environmentally, persona, and approach. Our self perception allows us to witness an individual’s poor attitude; the individual can see how his or her behavior and situation relates to the manner. He or she can inspect his or herself from the outside world, deciding on values of how the individual retorts to circumstances. Self presentation presents consistency. One does not want to be or prove foolishness and inconsistent. The scrutiny of inconsistencies is a person showing artificiality and behaving as a hypocrite. However, the actions assist in giving good wisdom, which reveals the reality of us. In cognitive dissonance this shows how an individual is motivated to retain consistencies with his or her self’s cognition. The theory illustrates an individual who can sense anxiety and a need of synchronization when two ideas are incompatible (Myers, 2011). When an individual tries to validate their actions by defending it, he or she will not be amenable to correcting his or her self; demonstrating that the self is becoming consistent with actions without remembering past values. The theory is similar to the notion of self persuasion, although self perception illustrates why individuals compare his or herself to other individuals (Myers, 2011). Self Concept, Self-Esteem, and Self Efficacy I am viewed in three different aspects of life. The three perspectives explain my behavior on how I see my persona, physical self, self beliefs, and objectives, and exchanges within society. One of the first concepts is self concept. This is how the self sees his or herself in the social world. In present studies of the exact self and opposites of hopelessness are the relationships of self concept. When we are true to ourselves it provides the meaning of life. The way we see ourselves establishes our experiences of social life. I observe myself as a mother, an individual, and a friend. I hold a set of standards by setting goals, and following through with good examples that my children will follow. I rely on my friends and family for advice on adequate behavior as well as dealing with events in my life. I learn from others experiences but also link them to my own version of how situations should be dealt with. We are products of our own environment, and as I become older I expect that I will always love, know, and appreciate myself. The second concept is self-esteem that pertains to our confidence. This concept is more than thinking of one’s self, but a normalcy of our own aptitude. Self-esteem is something we all have; however, some can become the victims to grovel (Buhrmester, Blanton, amp; Swann, 2011). As I think of my self-esteem and reflections of holding my head up, not listening to others hypocritical words, and I am capable of meeting requirements; shows that I am far from perfect. However, I am comfortable with the person I am. Self-esteem is one who’s able to know and recognize who he or she is when the world is cruel and mean. The last concept is self efficacy. Self efficacy is being able to complete task that someone else can do, but he or she can do it better and more quickly. In addition there is acknowledgment of appraisal for a job well done. Self efficacy is also how a person thinks, believes, proceeds and is goaded to complete the task. It is important to the individual how well we execute in comparison to others; if we are competent and can accomplish objectives. Self efficacy is also the ability to take on new task and be successful at that. For example, my ability in obtaining a degree from UOPX to get to my ultimate goal and it contributes to myself concept and self-esteem (Myers, 2011). Social Experiences or Events of Personal Development As I reflect back on my life there were many incidents and many people who influenced me. I have been on my own as of the age of 18 and began my life as a mother at the age of 21. Once I had my first daughter I realized I could define myself and my part in society. I was no longer an individual, just a friend, or daughter. Becoming a mother was to me this life fulfilling prophecy and fueled me to want more out of life. In this stage of my life as a single woman raising a child motivated me to become a better person. My other three girls have led me to the second stage of personal development. I was married, but have separated from my husband. I walk away from that marriage with a total of four daughters, and it has given me the ambition to finish college with a degree in Psychology. This finally will put me in a place where I can do what I enjoy and be successful at the same time. I know who I am and where I want to be. This is the role I was meant to play; I am secure and gifted in meeting new people and going new places. I have conquered the element of motherhood, which others look to me for guidance. Each day I put my best foot forward to be better than the day before. Conclusion The environment has a profound impact on what we do and who we are, but the self is how we see ourselves socially and personally. The individual is a combination of his or her self concept, self-esteem, and self efficacy. We rely solely on these aspects of our lives to develop into the individual we will become or aspire to be, knowing who we are aids us in the world. It helps to make our lives easier and maneuver through every day task with ease. My past has given me an inner strength to strive and to change as the world changes. I have matured and become the person I am because I am unique; possessing qualities that make it possible for self actualization.

The Industrial Revolution :: European Europe History

The Industrial Revolution Examine in detail the History of the Industrial Revolution. Discuss why Britain led the way in the Industrial Revolution and also explain in detail the effects of industrialization on society. Had it not been for the industrial revolution, I would doubt very much that we would enjoy the technology we have in the year 2000. The reason we have this technology is that between the years 1750 and 1914 a great change in the world's history was made. People started to discover faster methods of producing goods, which increased their economy. These people were mainly British and French, but after a few years the French were distracted by their revolution, and the British continued to industrialize. However you must not think this industrialization had no effects on society because it did. So in this essay I am going to talk about the history of the industrial revolution, discuss why Britain led the way in the industrial revolution and also I am going to explain to you in detail the effects of industrialization on society. In the midevel ages people were living in total darkness, and they did not know what was going on in the world around them. Happily the medieval ages were followed by the renaissance. Then came the year 1750, the year of the agricultural revolution in Britain which led away to a revolution in industry. Charles Townshend for example was one of the people who made the agricultural revolution possible. He suggested rotating the crops every year or two, to help the soil get enriched with vitamins and nutrition's. The America's then introduced potatoes to Great Britain. New farm machines were invented, for example Jethro Tull developed a seed drill which planted seeds in straight rows and farmers began using new iron plows in place of inofitiant wooden plows. In addition to that, the enclosure movement brought wealthy people to farm larger amounts of land, which was very good for the agricultural revolution. This revolution improved peoples diet and health leading to an increased populati on, which demanded healthy food, clothing and employment. Since many farmers were seeking jobs, they found it now in the textile industry, which created a new demand for laborers. You shall notice now that the mechanical inventions were so rapid and each one triggered another new one. A few examples of these inventions are the flying shuttle by John Kay, the spinning jenny by James Hargraves, the water frame by Richard Akriwght, the power loom by Edward Cartwight, Samuel Cromptons spinning mule, and Eli Whitney's cotton gin.

The Civil Rights Movement and the Decline in Racisim :: Racism, Civil Rights, Discrimination

Throughout the 60's, racism changed dramatically in a various number of ways. Changes involved the passage of bills into laws as well as involving the overall attitude of the people. Racism was largely based on white people's hatred towards blacks until the 1960's, when several major events increased problems both from whites towards blacks and from blacks towards whites. The biggest Social protest of the 1960's was the civil rights movement. It began on February 1, 1960, in Greensboro, North Carolina when four black students seated themselves at the whites only lunch counter and refused to leave until they were served. After the first sit-in, it began happening all over the country and by the end of the year, 70,000 blacks staged sit-ins. Throughout this, over 3,600 people were arrested. This movement was successful, but it demonstrated non-violent protests. After this movement began, several organizations developed. Such programs include; The NAACP, SNCC, SCLC, CORE, and the Black Panthers. The NAACP stands for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, while the SNCC stands for the Student Non Violent Coordinating Committee. The SCLC stands for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference who started a segregation protest traveling to Birmingham, Alabama who had the reputation of one of the most segregated cities in the United States. On May 2, 1963, over six hundred protesters were arrested, and t he majority was teenage high schoolers. The next day, the police chief, Bull Conor, ordered his police officers to shoot the protestors with high-powered water hoses ordered their dogs to attack them. By the end of the march, only twenty people reached the City Hall. After the Birmingham demonstrations, the blacks gained support from the people from the North because they witnessed how violent the South was towards the black protestors. The CORE is for the Congress of Racial Equality and started the first series of Freedom Riders in May of 1961. They traveled on two interstate buses starting in Washington D.C. and traveling to New Orleans. The people who disagreed with this movement threw stones and burnt these traveling buses in order to show their dislikeness of the blacks. All of these programs promoted rights for African Americans. The Black Panthers was organized by the SNCC and became popular in the late 60's. It was founded in Oakland, California after they protested the bill that outlawed carrying loaded weapons in public.

Smartphones Are an Essential Part of Society

Smartphones are an Essential Part of Society Smartphones are helping people to be more efficient, but with some side effects. â€Å"Many colleges and universities are further pushing the boundaries of services that can be delivered on smartphones† (Gordon 2007). Even though smartphones are making the human race complacent and dependent, these mobile devices are useful tools because they make life easy and keep one organized in a fast-paced world. â€Å"Wake Forest has a MobileU (mobileu. wfu. du) pilot program focusing on mobile messaging, mobile access to information such as calendars, campus announcements, and real-time location of the campus shuttle bus† (Gordon 2007). If one were to only read, the Korean Herald, one would believe that everybody who has a smartphone; does not like to get out of their pajamas or leave the house. â€Å"The smart device boom may be a blessing for many who now have instant access to everything from emails to the nearest restaurant servi ng their favorite foods, but smart products also are making electronics companies increasingly lazy† (Herald 2011).Another example that shows that smartphones are making people lazy and too dependent is stated in, †The trend is partly blamed on technology making it easier for lazy staff to email a colleague rather than walk over to see them† (Express 2012). Smartphones are making people lazy and too dependent; they are useful tools because phones make a person’s life easier.For example, sending an Army SPOT Report message, a concise narrative report of essential information covering tactical events or conditions, requires a soldier to first enter a 12-digit date-time group and a six-digit grid coordinate, a task that takes up time in a critical situation. Smartphones, which have their own built-in clocks and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, automatically populate those fields in the SPOT Reports and other Army messages that require a time stamp and precise location information (Brewin 2011).Another example that shows that smartphones make a person’s life easier is â€Å"Connecting Soldiers application will help soldiers communicate in languages other than English, McCarthy said, outputting translation audibly through the smartphone speaker and by text on its screen. The project already has an Arabic language application, and he would like to find an affordable application that can translate Pashto and Dari, the main languages of Afghanistan† (Brewin 2011). Smartphones are a useful tool because these handheld devices help people to stay organized. An individual can do almost anything with a smartphone.Today with all the applications to download, it is easy to stay on track. Individuals can you use the calendar function to keep their appointments and send reminders about up and coming events. Smartphones also allow for checking emails and surfing the web. Smartphones also let people play games. The days of the old paper organizer are gone forever! Users of smartphones and even those that do not have these handheld devices can appreciate them. Although smartphones are making people lazy and too dependent, smartphones are useful tools for two main reasons.First, smartphones make a one’s life easier. Nevertheless, most importantly, smartphones help people to stay organized.References Brewin, Bob (2011). Army confirms battlefield smartphones tests began in December. Computers–Information Science And Information Theory Gordon, Rachel Singer (2007). Information Tomorrow: Reflections on Technology and the Future of Public and Academic Libraries. Medford, NJ, USA: Information Today, Inc. , doi: 10492819. P. 31 The Express. (2012) â€Å"Office work ‘makes you fat and lazy† THE KOREA HERALD, (2011): â€Å"IT industry too dependent on smart devices†

My Week as a Room-Service Waiter at the Ritz – Customer Service that Puts the “Ritz” in Ritzy

The phrase â€Å"the customer is never wrong,† has been attributed to Cesar Ritz, the founder of the Ritz-Carlton empire. Needless to say, the man knew from customer service. How does this luxury hotel keep its customers content—and coming back?Paul Hemp, a senior editor at Harvard Business Review, stepped into the shoes of a Ritz-Carlton room-service waiter to find out. One observation: Empowering your employees to provide top-notch customer service is not enough. You must also inspire them to exercise that power. by Paul Hemp  Reflecting on the experienceOne element of the Ritz-Carlton training is a follow-up session, known as Day 21. It typically takes place about three weeks after the initial orientation. The aim is to review the Gold Standards after new employees have had a chance to put them into practice. Though I didn't work the full twenty-one days, I sit in on the half-day session (which, amidst the frenzy of the hotel's early months, actually takes place on the 49th day after our orientation). Training director Tim Kirkpatrick starts with another mock lineup.He discusses the new-employee job certification test that department managers should have administered. He announces a new guest recognition hotline, which employees can use to call in guest preferences. And he unveils an updated version of the company's principles, now in the form of a three-dimensional pyramid. This supplements the existing Gold Standards with an additional category of seven â€Å"key success factors. † But for staff to delight customers, managers must do more than grant their employees the freedom to do what is necessary; they must motivate employees to exercise that freedom.— Paul Hemp Employees are asked about their experiences on the job. Erin Garrity, the new front-desk clerk from Johnson & Wales, is disappointed she has been assigned the overnight shift but looks on the bright side. â€Å"I get to see a lot of celebrities† at that time , she says. Her goal for the year is to be named one of the hotel's select five-star employees, and she intends to continue being the â€Å"friendliest person I can be. † John Rolfs reinforces his message from orientation that our sole job is to â€Å"make guests feel good so they come back.â€Å"The hotel's 320 employees have countless interactions with guests, he says, and it takes just one interaction to make a guest feel bad. â€Å"If you're thinking about doing your job well, trying to understand and master your day-to-day routines but not thinking about how guests feel, they'll have a difficult time forgiving you. They'll probably forgive us if the air-conditioning fails. But they won't forgive us for failing to make them feel good—because that's why they selected Ritz-Carlton. † Tim's final announcement concerns the results of the first monthly Gallup survey of Ritz-Carlton guests, released to managers earlier that day.The Ritz-Carlton/Boston Common lea ds the company's hotels in overall customer satisfaction. There is a stunned silence—after all, this is a new hotel still smoothing out the rough spots—followed by loud applause. As I leave the hotel and walk across the Boston Common in the gathering dusk, I reflect on what I've learned about teaching and motivating employees to provide truly memorable service. One thing seems clear. Great customer service should be based on dynamic principles rather than a rigid formula.You don't demand that employees say, â€Å"Certainly, my pleasure,† until it feels right to them. You don't mindlessly assume every guest wants to be pampered; some people just want to eat their dinners. I also ponder Ritz-Carlton's efforts to win the hearts and minds of its employees by, for example, making them feel part of a proud heritage. A recent study of hotel workers by researchers at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration found that, while job satisfaction plays a major role in employ ee retention, it isn't the key factor in a hotel's ability to provide excellent customer service.Rather, it is employees' emotional commitment—which is achieved in part through symbols and rituals that enhance employees' sense of identity with the company—that contributes most to superior performance. Ritz Carlton certainly has an unusually rich tradition to draw on in creating that feeling of identity. But every company, even a two-year-old startup, has traditions and even legends that can be tapped to help build employee commitment. Great customer service should be based on dynamic principles rather than a rigid formula.— Paul Hemp That kind of commitment serves as a driver of excellent customer service only when employees are empowered to take initiative. And that sort of empowerment has no potency unless employees are motivated to seize it. I am haunted by my failure to point out the confusing bin numbers on the hotel wine list, which led my guest to mistake nly order that half-bottle of burgundy. Certainly, I was encouraged during my time at the hotel to point out problems that needed fixing. Why didn't I follow through in this case? I'm not sure.But for staff to delight customers, managers must do more than grant their employees the freedom to do what is necessary; they must motivate employees to exercise that freedom. Doing that depends in part on the kinds of people you hire. Ritz-Carlton has an elaborate system for assessing in job candidates the qualities the company believes are crucial to its success. One night while I was working at the hotel, I went through the basic interview to see how I'd do. I was fairly confident I was just the sort of caring, conscientious person the Ritz was looking for.In fact, though, even after fudging my answers to a few questions, I got only ten points out of a possible fifteen in the composite hospitality assessment. Tim said that wasn't bad—†though, honestly, we'd shoot for someone w ith a twelve. † I later discovered that I fell short in my response to a question asking me to cite an instance when I took care of someone else. I said I'd often provided emotional support to my sister during tough times. But the company was looking for something more than this, an â€Å"extraordinary† example of caring. â€Å"Helping your sister? You better,† Tim said with a laugh.â€Å"Now, if you'd moved out of your house for a month and let her move in, that would be different. † Since instituting its candidate assessment system in 1991, Ritz Carlton says it has reduced its annual turnover rate from 55%, roughly the industry average, to 28%. Certainly, a genuine concern for the well-being of guests is key to providing superior customer service. But that isn't enough to truly anticipate customer needs. Another component of the Ritz Carlton's hospitality assessment is empathy—being able to imagine guests' emotional responses to their experience i n the hotel.I am reminded of Steve's care in preparing the champagne setting for the newlyweds that night and how he thought back to his grandparents' wedding seventy-five years before. To truly achieve empathy, however, I wonder if you need to jettison at least some of your personal perspective. One of John Rolfs's comments during the Day 21 session—about the dangers of employees focusing solely on the successful fulfillment of their duties—resonated with my experience as a waiter.If you're constantly assessing how well you're doing in your job—even in your genuine efforts to satisfy guests—you, not the guest, become the point of reference. Your self-consciousness, natural though it may be, distracts you from providing superior service. It's getting dark. And this train of thought risks hurtling far beyond the practical demands of a frenetic evening of room service. But, when you get down to it, my musings don't seem all that far from the Ritz-Carlton ph ilosophy.Companies dedicated to providing what might be called â€Å"extreme† customer service may need to recognize that—like great military, government, or religious service—it is, in the end, a truly selfless endeavor. They may need to establish such practices as the formal inculcation of a customer-centered credo. They might even consider providing workers with a weeklong immersion in the experience of being a customer! Whatever the means, the aim would be getting employees to leave their egos at the door and adopt the mind-set of the people they're serving.

Food Inflations-the Real Problem of Common Man in India

In simple terms inflation, or price rise is caused by too much money chasing too few goods, or, demand being more than supply. The free play of the twin market forces of demand and supply determine the price of any commodity or service. In a mixed economy like India, Government is also an important player in the market. Hence to search for the causes of inflation, becomes somewhat complex. The last couple of months witnessed a sudden and almost a run-away type of food inflation. The way the price of vegetables and other food items soared, it created doubts in the minds of the common people and the economists alike. Winter is generally the time when fruits & vegetables are at the lowest prices. This was not so this year. The prices were way above the expected normal. This happened in spite of the normal monsoon and average inflation in other sectors. It was the other way round this time. Inflation in the food sector spilled to other sectors causing the rise in overall inflation. The government and RBI are working on the lines of monetary regulations like change in the interest rates, CRR etc. But looking at the way the food prices are stuck at the higher side, don’t these monetary measures appear just temporary remedies? There are certain deeper, grass root causes which have to be actually tackled. India has come a long way in case of food grain productivity. There was a time when our Balance of payments, account was always weighed down by food grain imports and the debts incurred for these essential imports. It is not so anymore. We are self reliant now. In case of sugar, global prices are determined by the amount of India’s sugar production! States like Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat are doing well in the field of agriculture. Production may be slightly short of demand considering the huge population. Such inflation can be checked by importing. But our problem is actually the middlemen. There is a huge difference between the cost of production and the price the final consumer pays. The farmer gets a very small amount of this profit/difference of cost and final price. For example – If we are buying a vegetable for Rs. 40 per kg. , the dealer at the wholesale market gets Rs. 10 per Kg. , and the poor farmer gets a meager Rs. 3. Again this Rs. 40 too will differ depending on the locality it is being sold. Then there is always the problem of black marketing & illegal stocking of goods to get a higher price. So we actually need checks on the middlemen and the retailers. Secondly, the system of direct farm to shops has to be developed, so that the farmers are the real beneficiaries. This will also motivate the farmers to increase production. Wastage is another important avoidable problem, leading to shortage. Production we have raised. But so much is wasted because we still are a laggard when it comes to state of the art storage facilities. Even the government’s huge food buffer stock lies unused till it gets finally rotten. Why doesn’t the government release its buffer stock on time to check shortage and food inflation? Is the buffer stock merely for psychological security? The government has raised the support prices of some food items. This along with the rural employment schemes and high urban salaries has also infused excess money in the market causing the inflation. Lastly, does the government know or sincerely follow, what is happening to the prices which are subsidized or fixed by the government? There are cases where the inflation will not show in the Government statistics, but will certainly affect our household budget. As usual when the Union Budget is presented, all eyes will be on the Finance Minister and his speech will be thoroughly scanned for all the implications on the economy. But this time, there is one particular reason why ordinary citizens will be specially focused on the Budget: the hope that the Government is finally going to act decisively to contain food price inflation. It is not surprising that questions of food security and the right to food have become such urgent political and social issues in India today. Rapid aggregate income growth over the past two decades has not addressed the basic issue of ensuring the food security of the population. Instead, nutrition indicators have stagnated and per capita calorie consumption has actually declined, suggesting that the problem of hunger may have got worse rather than better. So, despite apparent material progress in the last decade, India is one of the worst countries in the world in terms of hunger among the population, and the number of hungry people in India is reported by the UN to have increased between the early 1990s and the mid-2000s. These very depressing indicators were calculated even before the recent rise in food prices in India, which is likely to have made matters much worse. Indeed, the rise in food prices in the past two years has been higher than any period since the mid-1970s, when such inflation sparked widespread social unrest and political instability. What is especially remarkable is that food prices have been rising even when the general price index (for wholesale prices) has been almost flat; thus, when the overall inflation rate was only 1-2 per cent in the past year, food prices increased by nearly 20 per cent. Sharp rise in prices It is evident that the price increase has been so rapid as to be alarming especially over the past two years, with rice prices increasing by nearly half in Northern cities and more than half in Southern cities. Atta prices have on average increased by around one-fifth from their level of two years ago. The most shocking increase has been in sugar prices, which have more than doubled across the country. Other food items, ranging from pulses and dal to milk and vegetables, have also shown dramatic increase especially in the past year. There are many reasons why food prices have risen at such a rapid rate, and all of them point to major failures of state policy. Domestic food production has been adversely affected by neoliberal economic policies that have opened up trade and exposed farmers to volatile international prices even as internal support systems have been dismantled and input prices have been rising continuously. Inadequate agricultural research, poor extension services, overuse of groundwater, and incentives for unsuitable cropping patterns have caused degeneration of soil quality and reduced the productivity of land and other inputs. Women farmers, who constitute a large (and growing) proportion of those tilling the land, have been deprived of many of the rights of cultivators, ranging from land titles to access to institutional credit, knowledge and inputs, and this too has affected the productivity and viability of cultivation. Poor distribution But in addition to production, poor distribution, growing concentration in the market and inadequate public involvement, have all been crucial in allowing food prices to rise in this appalling manner. Successive governments at the Centre have been reducing the scope of the public food distribution system, and even now, in the face of the massive increase in prices, the Central Government is delaying the allocation of food grains for the Above Poverty Line population to the States. This has prevented the public system from becoming a viable alternative for consumers and preventing private speculation and hoarding. In addition, allowing corporates (both domestic and foreign companies) to enter the market for grains and other food items has led to some increase in concentration of distribution. This has not been adequately studied, but it has many adverse implications, including the fact that farmers will benefit less from period of high prices even as consumers suffer, because the benefit will be garnered by middlemen. Sugar is slightly more complicated, as marketing margins appear to show different trends in different regions and also tend to be significantly lower than the other major crops. The dramatic increase in sugar prices is more a reflection of massive policy errors over the past two years, in terms of supply and domestic price management and exports and imports. Marketing margins So what exactly is happening? It appears that there are forces that are allowing marketing margins — at both wholesale and retail levels — to increase. This means that the direct producers, the farmers, do not get the benefit of the rising prices which consumers in both rural and urban areas are forced to pay. The factors behind these increasing retail margins need to be studied in much more detail. In addition to this, there is also initial evidence that there has been a process of concentration of crop distribution, as more and more corporate entities get involved in this activity. Such companies are both national and multinational. On the basis of international experience, their involvement in food distribution initially tends to bring down marketing margins and then leads to their increase as concentration grows. This may have been the case in certain Indian markets, but this is an area that clearly merits further examination. Many people have argued, convincingly, that increased and more stable food production is the key to food security in the country. This is certainly true, and it calls for concerted public action for agriculture, on the basis of many recommendations that have already been made by the Farmers' Commission and others. But another very important element cannot be ignored: food distribution. Here too, the recent trends make it evident that an efficiently functioning and widespread public system for distributing essential food items is important to prevent retail margins from rising. Food security A universal system of public food distribution provides economies of scale; it reduces the transaction costs and administrative hassles involved in ascertaining the target group and making sure it reaches them; it allows for better public provision because even the better-off groups with more political voice have a stake in making sure it works well; it generates greater stability in government plans for ensuring food production and procurement. It is clear that emergency measures are required to strengthen public food distribution, in addition to medium-term policies to improve domestic food supply. A properly funded, efficiently functioning and accountable system of public delivery of food items through a network of fair price shops and co-operatives is the best and most cost-effective way of limiting increases in food prices and ensuring that every citizen has access to enough food. In a context in which the inflation is concentrated on food prices, measures such as raising the interest rate are counterproductive because they affect all producers without striking at the heart of the problem. Instead, if he is serious about curtailing food inflation, the Finance Minister must provide substantially more funds to enable a proper and effect to public food distribution system. Inflation Statistics. Snapping the five week rising trend, food inflation softened to 16. 91 per cent for the week ended January 1, 2011, although vegetables, onions and protein-based items continued to remained costly. Food inflation fell by 1. 41 percentage points from 18. 32 per cent recorded in the previous reporting week. Even as the index of food inflation showed a meagre decline, vegetable prices soared by 70. 3 per cent on an annual basis in the wholesale market, official data showed. Also onions continued to pinch the pocket of the common man as the prices went up by 70. 70 per cent on a year on year basis. Among the individual items in the food inflation index, egg, meat and fish became costly by 16. 70 per cent, milk by 13. 20 per cent and fruits by 17. 71 per cent annually. However, prices of pulses declined by 14. 84 per cent, wheat by 4. 87 per cent, potatoes by 1. 67 per cent and cereals by 0. 12 per cent on an annual basis. Meanwhile, in the non-food category, the prices of fibers and minerals have climbed up by 36. 1 per cent and 16. 70 per cent, respectively. India’s food inflation rose marginally to 15. 57 percent for the week ended January 15 from previous week’s 15. 52 percent. According to official figures from country’s Commerce ministry, the primary articles price index was up 17. 26 per cent in the latest week, compared with an annual rise of 17. 03 per cent a week earlier. India has the highest food inflation of any major Asian economy, but other emerging markets such as China and Brazil are also battling double-digit food price rises.