Foreign Collaboration Free Essays

string(109) " into technology collaboration an agreement is entered into between the foreign entity and an Indian entity\." TAXPERT PROFESSIONALS Article on Foreign Collaboration 24 March 2011 0 TAXPERT Professionals | [Type the company address] Article on Foreign Collaboration Foreign Collaboration An Overview To fulfill the need of freeing the Indian industry from excessive official control and for promoting foreign investments in India in necessary sectors the much required liberalization of Indian economy was brought in by Industrial Policy of 1991. From then the Indian economy is more facilitating to Foreign Direct investment in all form. Foreign investment in India is regulated by ? Foreign Exchange Management Act ? Reserve Bank of India ? Department of Policy and promotion Foreign Exchange Management Act is an act to facilitate, promote and manage the foreign exchange in India. We will write a custom essay sample on Foreign Collaboration or any similar topic only for you Order Now Reserve Bank of India issues various regulations to give effect to the various provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act. The Department of Industrial Policy Promotion was established in 1995 and has been reconstituted in the year 2000 with the merger of the Department of Industrial Development. There has been a consistent shift in the role and functions of this Department since 1991. From regulation and administration of the industrial sector, the role of the Department has been transformed into facilitating investment and technology flows and monitoring industrial development in the liberalized environment. The role and functions of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion [here in after referred as Department or DIPP] primarily includes interalia is following: Formulation and implementation of industrial policy and strategies for industrial development in conformity with the development needs and national objectives; acilitation of FDI; technology collaborations at enterprise level and formulating policy parameters for the same; Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications of Goods and administration of regulations, rules made there under; TAXPERT Professionals | www. taxpertpro. com info@taxpertpro. com 09769134554 Article on Foreign Collaboration The DIPP is in charge for encouraging acquisition of technological capability in various s ectors of the industry where such acquisition is required to promote the economic development. Foreign technology induction is facilitated through liberal foreign technology collaboration regime either through FDI or through Foreign Technology Collaboration (FTC) agreement. There are two types of Foreign Collaboration the Financial collaboration and the technical collaboration. 1. Financial Collaboration refers to collaboration where only equity is involved. The financial collaboration can be by way of entering into Joint Venture agreement with the Indian Company. 2. Technical collaboration refers to collaboration where there is transfer of technology by the Foreign collaborator on due compensation. Foreign Colloboration Financial Colloboration 1 Financial Collaboration Techinical Colloboration Financial collaboration refers to collaboration where there is equity participation. It is regulated by the sectoral caps only and equity is permitted in almost all the sectors till the extent as mentioned in the Foreign Direct Investment Policy. Foreign Direct Investment is permitted under the automatic route in most sectors/activities excluding only few sectors which are prohibited like real estate etc and few where prior approval from FIPB is required. TAXPERT Professionals | www. taxpertpro. om info@taxpertpro. com 09769134554 Article on Foreign Collaboration As per press note 3 (2005 Series) issued by DIPP prior government approval for new proposals would be required only in cases where the foreign investor has an existing joint venture in the â€Å"same field† [refer Annexure I for detailed discussion]. Same field as defined in the same press note mean 4 digit NIC 1987 code. In case of Financial collaboration a new Indian company [referred as Joint venture Company or JVC here in after] is formed, shares of which are subscribed by a foreign party and the Indian Company. When the money is received by Indian company [JVC] for subscription of shares by Foreign Company it has to intimate the RBI within 30 days of the receiving of Consideration and within 180 days of the receipt of consideration the shares are required to be allotted to foreign company, within 30 days of the allotment of shares the FC GPR Form along with Certificate from Chartered Accountant as well as Company secretary is required to be filed by Indian Company [JVC]. As far as Financial collaboration is concerned in most of the cases a Joint Venture agreement is entered separately or all the conditions of joint Venture agreement are incorporated in the Article of Association of the Company. Interalia following are the clauses in Article of Association that will need consideration so that the interest of both the Joint Venture partners is saved: 1. Shares: – There can be restriction on transferring the share of a company [by each Joint Venture Partner] that no shareholder [JV partner] shall transfer the shares without the approval from other JV partner. The shares shall be offered to the other shareholder first before selling to the third party. How the fair value of the shares to be transferred shall be determined. There can be Lock in period for holding the shares. 2. Meetings:-The Quorum for the General meeting shall be at least one Shareholder? s representative appointed by both parties respectively. 3. Directors: – The Minimum number of directors representing interest of each party can be placed in Article of Association. The quorum of the Board Meeting can be framed to consist at least one Director appointed by each of the parties. The clauses can be put to safeguard interest of each party as to items where consent shall be given by way of affirmative voting by each party director. 2 Foreign technology agreements and collaborations For promoting technological capability and competitiveness of Indian Industry, acquisition of foreign technology is promoted through foreign technology collaborations. Foreign technology agreements and collaborations are permitted either through the automatic route under delegated powers exercised by the Reserve Bank of India, or by the Government. The items of foreign technology collaboration, which are eligible for approval through the automatic route and by the Government, are A. Technical know-how fees, B. Payments for designs and drawings, C. Payments for engineering services and D. Royalty TAXPERT Professionals | www. taxpertpro. com info@taxpertpro. com 09769134554 Article on Foreign Collaboration For entering into technology collaboration an agreement is entered into between the foreign entity and an Indian entity. You read "Foreign Collaboration" in category "Essay examples" The following should be taken into account while drafting the technology agreement that the licensed product/technical information is defined elaborately, period for which such a technology/knowhow is transferred, what is transferred and what is not transferred and what are exclusive and non exclusive rights transferred, manner of calculation of payment and schedule of payment, cost of foreign Technicians, which party will bear the taxes if etc. Please note that no permission is necessary for hiring of foreign technicians and no application need be made to Government for this purpose irrespective of whether the hiring of foreign technician is under an approved collaboration agreement or not]. As said earlier the collaboration can be through automatic route or government route. Below is the brief discussion regarding the same:- 2. 1 Automatic Route for Foreign Technology Agreements: The Reserve Bank of India, through its regional offices, accords automatic approval to all industries for foreign technology collaboration agreements subject to: The lump sum payments not exceeding US $2 million; Where there s technology Transfer :- Royalty payment being limited to 5 per cent for domestic sales and 8 per cent for exports, subject to a total payment of 8 per cent in sales without any restriction on the duration of the payments; and Where there is no technology Transfer: – The Government of India also permits payment of royalties of up to 2 per cent on exports and 1 per cent for domestic sales under automatic route on use of trademarks and brand names of the foreign collaborator without technology transfer. ? ? ? Also, Clarification was brought in by department via press note dated 23-12-2005 that as FDI upto 100% is permitted under the automatic route in most sectors/activities automatic route is also allowed for foreign technology collaboration where the payments are within 5% for domestic sales and 8% for exports. 2. 2 Government Approval for Foreign Technology Agreements As per press note 1(2005 series) Prior approval of the Government would be required only in cases where the foreign investor has an existing joint venture or technology transfer/trademark agreement in the „same? ield. The onus to provide requisite justification and also proof to the satisfaction of the Government that the new proposal would or would not in any way jeopardize the interests of the existing joint venture or technology/trademark partner or other stakeholders would lie equally on the foreign investor/technology supplier and the Indian partner. TAXPERT Professionals | www. taxpertpro. com info@taxpertpro. com 09769134554 Article on Foreign Collaboration In cases where the foreign investor has a joint venture or technology transfer/trademark agreement in the „same? field prior approval of the Government will not be required in the following cases: i. Investments to be made by Venture Capital Funds registered with the Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI); ii. where in the existing joint-venture investment by either of the parties is less than 3 per cent; iii. Where the existing venture/collaboration is defunct or sick. Remittance of Royalty/Technical Fee General permission has been given permission to authorised dealers by Reserve bank of India vide (DIR Series) Circular No. 76 dated 24th Feb 2004 to allow remittances for royalty and payment of Lump sum fee provided the payment; provided the royalty does not exceeds 5% of the domestic sales and 8% on exports and Lump sum fees does not exceeds USD 2 Million. Prior approval from Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Government of India in case exceeds the above said payments. In terms of Rule 4 of the Foreign Exchange Management (Current Account Transactions) Rules 2000, prior approval of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, is required for drawing foreign exchange for remittances under technical collaboration agreements where payment of royalty exceeds 5% on local sales and 8% on exports and lump-sum payment exceeds USD 2 million [item 8 of Schedule II to the Foreign Exchange Management (Current Account Transactions) Rules, 2000]. However as per RBI/2009-10/465 A. P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 2 dated 13 May 2010 the Government of India has reviewed the extant policy with regard to liberalization of foreign technology agreement and it was decided to omit item number 8 of Schedule II to the Foreign Exchange Management (Current Account Transaction) Rules, 2000, and the entry relating thereto. Accordingly, AD Category-I banks may permit drawal of foreign exchange by persons for payment of royalty and lump-sum payment under technical co llaboration agreements without the approval of Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India [w. . f 16 Dec 2009]. Source :http://rbidocs. rbi. org. in/rdocs/content/PDFs/AFE130510RC. pdf To sum up, success of any collaboration is dependent on the synergies that are driven from it by both parties. Therefore to achieve the desired objective of collaboration it is necessary that the matters like proper due diligence, tax structuring, drafting of joint venture agreement etc are very well taken care of. For further details get in touch at sudhag999@gmail. com TAXPERT Professionals | www. taxpertpro. om info@taxpertpro. com 09769134554 Article on Foreign Collaboration Annexure I Source: http://dipp. nic. in/ DISCUSSION PAPER SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF FOREIGN/ TECHNICAL COLLABORATIONS IN CASE OF EXISTING VENTURES/ TIE-UPS IN INDIA 1. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has decided to release Discussion Papers on various aspects related to FDI. In the series of these Disc ussion Papers, this is the third paper on „Approval of foreign/ technical collaborations in case of existing ventures/tie-ups in India?. Views and suggestions are invited on the observations made in the enclosed discussion paper, as also on the entire gamut of issues related to the subject, by October 15, 2010. 2. The views expressed in this discussion paper should not be construed as the views of the Government. The Department hopes to generate informed discussion on the subject, so as to enable the Government to take an appropriate policy decision at an appropriate time. TAXPERT Professionals | www. taxpertpro. com info@taxpertpro. com 09769134554 Article on Foreign Collaboration DISCUSSION PAPER APPROVAL OF FOREIGN/ TECHNICAL COLLABORATIONS IN CASE OF EXISTING VENTURES/ TIE-UPS IN INDIA 1. 0 PRESENT SCENARIO: 1. 1 Paragraph 4. 2. 2 of Circular 1 of 2010 (Consolidated FDI Policy), specifies that investment would be subject to the „Existing Venture/ tie-up condition?. As per this condition, where a foreign investor had, prior to January 12, 2005, entered into an existing joint venture/ technology transfer/ trademark agreement in the same field, any new proposal for investment/ technology transfer/trademark agreement, requires Government approval. The proposal has to be routed through either the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in the Department of Economic Affairs, if fresh foreign investment is involved or the Project Approval Board (PAB) in the DIPP, if no foreign investment is involved. The 4 digit National Industrial Classification (NIC), 1987 Code, would be the basis for determining if the field was the same . 1. 2 The onus to demonstrate that the proposed new tie-up would not jeopardize the xisting joint venture or technology transfer/ trademark partner, lies equally on the foreign investor/ technology supplier and the Indian partner. 1. 3 The policy aims at protecting the interests of joint venture partners of agreements entered into, prior to January 12, 2005. Foreign collaboration agreements, both financial and technical, entered into after January 12, 2005, have been exempted from this stipulation. This is because such joint venture agreements are expected to include a „conflict of interest? lause, so as to safeguard the interests of joint venture partners, in the event of one of the partners desiring to set up another joint venture or a wholly owned subsidiary in the same field of economic activity. 1. 4 Five categories of investments have, however, been exempted from the requirement of Government approval, even though the foreign investor may be having a joint venture/ technology transfer/ trademark agreement in the same field. These are a) Investments to be made by Venture Capital Funds registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI ), b)Investments by Multinational Financial Institutions like the Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Finance Corporation(IFC), Commonwealth Finance Corporation (CDC), Deutsche Entwicklungs Gescelschaft (DEG), c) Where, in the existing joint venture, investment by either of the parties is less than 3 per cent d)Where the existing joint venture / collaboration is defunct or sick and e) Investments in the Information Technology or mining sectors. 2. 0 2. 1 EVOLUTION OF THE PRESENT REGIME: PRESS NOTE 18 (1998 SERIES) In Press Note 18 (1998 series), Government set out the following guidelines for approval of foreign / technical collaborations, under the automatic route, in cases where previous ventures/ tie-ups existed within India. a) Automatic route for bringing in FDI and/or technology collaboration agreements (including trade-mark agreements), would not be available to those who have or had any previous joint-venture or technology transfer/trade-mark agreement, in the „same? or „allied? field, in India. TAXPERT Professionals | www. taxpertpro. com info@taxpertpro. om 09769134554 Article on Foreign Collaboration b) Government approval route was, necessary in such cases. Detailed circumstances under which it was found necessary to set-up a new joint venture/enter into new technology transfer (including trade-mark) were required to be furnished at the time of seeking approval. c) The onus was clearly on such investors/techno logy suppliers, to provide the requisite justification /proof, to the satisfaction of the Government, that the new proposal would not, in any manner, jeopardize the interests of the existing joint-venture or technology/trade-mark partner or other stakeholders. It was at the sole discretion of the FIPB/ PAB, to either approve the application with or without conditions or to reject it in toto, duly recording the reasons for doing so. 2. 2 PRESS NOTE 10 (1999 SERIES) Press Note 10 (1999 series) defined the meaning of the terms â€Å"same field† and â€Å"allied field† as under: o o â€Å"same field† – four-digit NIC 1987code â€Å"allied field† – three-digit NIC 1987code The Press Note further clarified that, only proposals for foreign collaboration, falling under same four-digit or three-digit classifications, in terms of their past or existing joint ventures in India, would attract the provisions of Press Note 18 (1998 series). 2. 3 PRESS NOTE 2 (2000 SERIES) With a view to further liberalize the FDI regime, the Government issued Press Note 2 (2000 series), wherein all activities were placed under the automatic route for FDI, except for a specified negative list. Sector-specific guidelines were attached to this Press Note. In respect of the mining sector, it was mentioned that the provisions of Press Note 18 (1998 series) would not be applicable for setting up 100% owned subsidiaries, subject to a declaration from the applicant that he had no existing joint-venture for the same area and/ or the particular mineral. 2. 4 PRESS NOTE 8 (2000 SERIES) Press Note 8 (2000 series), recognized the special nature and needs of the IT sector. With a view to further simplify approval procedures and facilitate greater investment inflows into the IT sector in the country, FDI proposals elating to the IT sector were exempted from the provisions of Press Note 18 (1998 series). 2. 5 PRESS NOTE 1 (2001 SERIES) This Press Note provided for exemptions from the provisions of Press Note 18 for investments made in domestic companies by International Financial Institutions, such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC), Deutsche Entwicklungs Gescels chaft (DEG) etc. Accordingly, such International Financial Institutions were permitted to invest in domestic companies, through the automatic route, subject to SEBI/ RBI regulations and sector-specific caps on FDI. TAXPERT Professionals | www. taxpertpro. com info@taxpertpro. com 09769134554 Article on Foreign Collaboration 2. 6 PRESS NOTE 1 (2005 SERIES) 1. Following the introduction of Press Note 18 (1998 series), certain representations were made by foreign investors. They pointed out that: a) The Press Note had the effect of overriding the contractual terms agreed to with the Indian partners. ) Domestic investors were using the provisions of the Press Note as a means of extracting unreasonable prices / commercial advantage. The Press Note was, thus, becoming a stumbling block for further FDI coming into the country. c) The term â€Å"allied field† was very widely defined, as it included even those products which would not have caused jeopardy to the manufacture of existing products. d) For eign investors were being singled out to present their defence, without the Indian partner being asked to justify the existence of jeopardy. . Press Note 1 (2005 series), issued on 12 January, 2005, addressed these issues by amending the earlier guidelines. New proposals for foreign investment/technical collaboration were allowed under the automatic route, subject to sectoral policies and the following revised guidelines: a) Prior approval of the Government would be required only in cases where the foreign investor had a joint venture or technology transfer/trademark agreement in the ‘same’ field, existing as on the date of the Press Note i. . 12 January, 2005. b) The onus to provide requisite justification and proof, to the satisfaction of the Government, that the new proposal would or would not, in any way, jeopardize the interests of the existing joint-venture or technology/ trademark partner or other stakeholders, would lie equally on the foreign investor/ technolog y supplier and the Indian partner. ) Even in cases where the foreign investor had a joint-venture or technology transfer/ trademark agreement in the ‘same’ field, prior approval of the Government would not be required in the following cases: Investments to be made by Venture Capital Funds registered with the Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) or ii) where in the existing joint-venture investment by either of the parties was less than 3% or iii) where the existing venture/ collaboration was defunct or sick i) d) In so far as joint ventures to be entered into after the date of the Press Note were concerned, the joint venture agreements could embody a ‘conflict of interest’ clause, to safeguard the interests of joint-venture partners, in the event of one of the partners desiring to set up another joint-venture or a wholly-owned-subsidiary, in the ‘same’ field of economic activity. 2. 7 PRESS NOTE 3 (2005 SERIES) TAXPERT Professionals | ww w. taxpertpro. com info@taxpertpro. com 09769134554 Article on Foreign Collaboration Subsequently, Press Note 3 (2005 series), issued on 15 March, 2005, clarified that: a) For the purposes of Press Note 1 (2005 Series), the definition of „same? field would continue to be 4-digit NIC 1987 Code. ) Proposals in the Information Technology sector, and the mining sector, continued to remain exempt from the application of Press Note 1 (2005 Series). c) For the purpose of avoiding any ambiguity, it was further reiterated that, jointventures/technology transfer/trademark agreements, existing on the date of issue of the said Press Note (i. e. 12. 1. 2005), would be treated as existing jointventures/technology transfer/trademark agreements, for the purposes of that Press Note. 3. 0 APPLICATION OF THE PROVISIONS IN PRACTICE: 3. 1 FIPB considered 566 proposals during the calendar year 2009, out of which 16% related to matters linked with Press Notes 1 and 3 of 2005, wherein the applicants had a joint-venture / technology transfer agreement, with an Indian partner, as on 12 January, 2005. 3. Some of the principles emerging from the cases discussed in the FIPB 1 are set out below: a) In case the existing joint-venture has become defunct, there may not be any jeopardy to the Indian partner, in case the foreign collaborator wishes to set up a new venture. b) „Jeopardy? should not be invoked as a measure to stifle legitimate business activity and prevent competition. The issue of „jeopardy? has to be examined in light of the extant business agreements/arrangements between the parties. c) „Jeopardy? may not be established in cases where technology licence agreements have expired, as per terms mutually agreed by the joint-venture partners. d) In location specific projects/ activities, the concept of „jeopardy? cannot be extended beyond the area originally envisaged in the agreement. In such cases, „jeopardy? eeds to be viewed in a location-spec ific context. 3. 3 The FIPB Review, 2009 has observed that: â€Å"While critics may feel that Press Note 1 has outlived its utility, the high pitched debate on the issue of jeopardy and Indian JV partners alleging foul play by the foreign collaborator cannot make us oblivious to its continuing relevance. † 4. 0 PRACTICES IN OTHER EMERGING MARKETS (CHINA AND BRAZIL): 1 FIPB Review, 2009 TAXPERT Professionals | www. taxpertpro. com info@taxpertpro. com 09769134554 Article on Foreign Collaboration Emerging economies, such as Brazil and China, do not have any such corresponding requirements, under their foreign investment regimes. 5. CONCERNS RELATED TO LIBERALISING THE ‘EXISTING VENTURE/ TIE-UP CONDITION’: 5. 1 In 1998, the main policy concern was to protect the interests of domestic jointventure partners/ technology collaborators, who may have been less advantageously placed, in comparison to their foreign counterparts, insofar as their ability to influence the ter ms of future business engagement were concerned. It was felt that an element of Government oversight was necessary, so that future collaborations were subjected to the test of „jeopardy? and existing domestic joint-venture partners/ technology collaborators were not placed in a position wherein their survival was threatened. 5. This policy framework was relaxed in 2005, while maintaining a balance between the need to ensure healthy foreign investment inflows and the need to ensure that survival of the domestic industry was not threatened. The main elements of the „existing venture/ tie-up condition? were retained, underlining Government? s concerns about ensuring the continued sustenance and growth of the domestic joint-venture partners/ technology collaborators, in collaboration with their foreign partners. 6. 0 THE CASE FOR REVIEW OF THE EXTANT REGIME: 6. 1 The „existing venture/ tie-up condition? has now been in existence, as a formal measure under the FDI polic y, for nearly twelve years. It was last reviewed in 2005. There is a need to examine whether such a conditionality continues to be relevant in the present day context. 6. 2 The „existing venture/ tie-up condition? currently applies only to those joint-ventures which have been in existence as on or prior to 12 January, 2005. With more than five years having elapsed, it can be argued that the issue of „jeopardy? is, no longer relevant, as the Indian partners could have recovered their investments substantially during this period of time. 6. 3 The Indian industry today is in a much stronger position than it was in the 1990s, when the condition was first introduced. It, therefore, needs to be seen whether there is a need to continue with the elements of such a regime even today. 6. Further, industry has to increasingly become more competitive. This is particularly relevant in an era of globalization, where a number of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Comprehensive Economic Cooperation/ Partnership Agreements (CEPAs/CEPAs) are in pla ce . In such a scenario, if an industry is discouraged from being set up in India, it could be set up in a neighbouring country, with whom a trade agreement exists or is being negotiated. Competition today, is not only between domestic players inter se but also between international and domestic players. Dumping of goods from some of countries has posed serious threats to the survival of domestic industries. Between 1992 and 2010 (May), the Directorate General for anti Dumping (DGAD) has initiated anti-dumping investigations into 253 cases involving 38 countries/territories (considering 27 EC countries as a single territory). The major product categories on which anti-dumping duty has been levied are chemicals petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, fibres /yarns, steel and other metal products and consumer goods. TAXPERT Professionals | www. taxpertpro. com info@taxpertpro. com 09769134554 Article on Foreign Collaboration Limiting international technology agreements through measures described above may constrain the growth of strong and competitive domestic industries. 6. It is also a moot point whether Government policy should intervene in the commercial sphere and override contractual terms agreed to between the parties, given the need to promote healthy competition, and ensure sustained long-term economic growth. It can be argued that Government should not be concerned about commercial iss ues between two business partners. 6. 6 The measure discriminates between the foreign investors who had shown confidence in India, by investing in the country prior to 2005 and those who invested later. 6. 7 The condition may be restricting a number of investors, who may not be able to reach agreement with their Indian partners on their future investment plans, thereby restricting the inflow of foreign capital and technology into the country. 6. 8 A related issue is the concept of „same field?. Press Note 1 of 2005 significantly limited the scope of the provisions of Press Note 18 (1998 series), as the latter applied only to the â€Å"same field† and not the much wider â€Å"allied field†. However, in the present day context, even the concept of â€Å"same field† may not be an accurate indicator for determining whether the new venture would jeopardize the interest of the existing joint-venture partner. This is because , the NIC four digit Codes, even after revision , may still not fully reflect the complexities related to the concept of the „same? industry and may often tend to cover a wide range of industrial activities under the same head. As an example, the activity of „manufacturing of seat belts? may not jeopardize the activity of „manufacturing of car steering?. However, both fall under the „same field? under the NIC Code of 1987. Further, the NIC Codes of 1987 may not accurately represent many of the business situations in the current complex and diversified industrial environment, leading to difficulties in interpretation. 7. 0 POLICY OPTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION : 7. 1 For the reasons mentioned in Paras 6. 1 to 6. 8, should the „existing venture/ tie-up conditions? last amended in Press Notes 1 and 3 of 2005 and now included as paragraph 4. 2. 2 of Circular 1 of 2010 be totally abolished? 7. 2 Alternatively, if it is felt that such a condition should continue for some more time, should calibrated relaxations be introduced ? These could include exemptions from the application of the condition in cases where: a) The existing venture/tie up is more than say 10 years old b) If the activity of the new venture is demonstrably different from the activity of the existing venture/tie up, even though it has the same NIC field. Are there any other contingencies where such exemptions should be considered? The article is contributed by CA. Sudha G. Bhushan, She is a Chartered Accountant and a company secretary. She is advisor to many international companies on international tax matters and FEMA Advisory services. She can be reached at sudha@taxpertpro. com. TAXPERT Professionals | www. taxpertpro. com info@taxpertpro. com 09769134554 How to cite Foreign Collaboration, Essay examples

Islamophobi A Thing Of The Past Or Still Present Essay Example For Students

Islamophobi A Thing Of The Past Or Still Present Essay Ever since 9/11, the Islamic community has been ostracized from western civilisation. Exasperate by the Islamic state and such figure heads as Osama Bin Laden, western society has very much aimed their anger towards many of the Islamic population. Buying into the stereotype that is exceedingly incited by the media, hatred is slowly becoming innate in our way of life. However, my question isn’t a factor of racial slurs and discrimination, because unless you are meticulous in your political correctness; I find that whether it be said once in a lifetime or every day, everyone and anyone can fall victim to political impropriety. My issue lies within the labels, which are continually indoctrinated into the minds of the otherwise uninformed. According to official statistics, hate crimes against religious minorities has increased by 45% since 2001, which brings me to the question, where does the blame actually lie? The apparent epicentre to what is now dubbed as â€Å"Islamophobia†, is the day the World Trade Centre fell, which on that single day two thousand, nine hundred and ninety, six horrific deaths occurred. Controversially the media blames al-Qaeda, the people blame â€Å"Islam† and the conspiracy theorist blame, ex-president, George W. Bush and some Muslims even blame the Jews, but I wonder? Does this actually go deeper, than 9/11? Was this hatred always there? Is the media to blame? Or is Islam just the figure head to divert attention from the wrong doings in the west? This battle between western and eastern society is like an old couple where Mr. West has been cheating on Ms. East, so Ms . East decides to castrate him on television for the world to witness all his wrong doings. So let’s start, where we all believe it began. 9/11 was a sequences of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic radical group al-Qaeda in the U.S. Four aircrafts, were hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists to be flown into four governmental buildings in an attempt to break down western civilisation in the United States, which resulted in thousands of deaths including the terrorist themselves. Two of the planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were crashed into the North and South towers, of the World Trade Centre complex. A third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington County. The fourth plane, was targeted at Washington D.C. but crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, after its passengers tried to overcome the extremists. Now, opposed to condoning the event that went on, the media took this as a declaration of war, which is interesting as only two years later, America amongst other countries including the United Kingdom invaded Iraq. Now, according to U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, this coalition of countries was all in an apparent effort to â€Å"disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein s support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people.†, coining the mission as â€Å"Operation Iraqi Freedom by the United States†, completely glorifying America in the process. Controversially, many have previously thought that America had an ulterior motives for going into Iraq; that war cannot be used as a simple tool for peace. Yet, various ideas of conspiracy have since died out, many believed it was for oil, many just it thought it was pointless. I personally believe that 17,690 men and women were kill, in a war born out of vengeance and over forty thousand still live with the consequences of such war. I find that the 2 year gap between 9/11 and the Iraq war is convenient. The timing is too perfect, too faultless. A two year gap is long enough to give the impression of a just cause, to mourn the events of September 11th, but not long enough to lose focus, the tension between the east and west was still very much prominent in 2003, there was still so much hatred against the Islamic community, from the general public. According to the FBI, anti-Islamic incidents were the second least reported hate crimes prior to 9/11, but following September 11, they be came the second highest reported among religion-bias incidents. .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae , .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae .postImageUrl , .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae , .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae:hover , .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae:visited , .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae:active { border:0!important; } .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae:active , .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u64c9debb0e17a382045268c6642ef3ae:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Report into the Impact of Small Business Enterprises on the Indian economy EssayControversially, a timeline starts to develop after the initiation beginning of the war in Iraq. In the next two years, two Islamic terrorist plots were either uncovered or put into place against Australia and the United Kingdom, who coincidently were the two of the biggest contributors other than the USA to the war effort in Iraq. In 2005, a successions of coordinated suicide bomb attacks in central London, was put into place, targeting civilians using the public transport system during the morning rush hour. The men, who carried out this heinous crime, were later found to be affiliated with b oth radical groups Al Jazeera and al-Qaeda. Similarly, in 2005, an Australian terrorism plot was put into place, targeting Sydney, Australia s most populous city and the capital of New South Wales, however, was later thwarted; a group of five known terrorist affiliates were arrested on charges of planning an act of terrorism. Further speculation into September 11th, lead too to popular belief that President George bush secretly orchestrate the 9/11 attacks; that the collapse of the Twin Towers was the result of a controlled demolition rather than structural failure due to impact and fire. Another prominent belief is that the Pentagon was hit by a missile launched by elements from inside the U.S. government or that a commercial airliner was allowed to do so via an effective stand-down of the American military. However, like I said, this is just all speculation and conspiracy, which has little factual standing. What is interesting though, is that despite the sudden rise of hate crimes against perceived Muslims, in our post 9/11 society. The views of Muslim and Middle Eastern people pre 9/11 in the United States especially, has always been skewed. It can be traced to deliberate typecasting by film and the media. Take the film, â€Å"Delta Force†, where a bunch of Arabic terrorists hijack an airplane and good old Chuck Norris with his martial arts and fancy motorcycle swoops in to save the innocent Israeli passengers. Now this film, is one of many examples, but it was filmed in the early 50’s and highlights the general perception of Arabs, which still exists in today’s society, despite 9/11. Where Arab-Muslims are Stereotyped as the robed and turbaned, sinister and dangerous, engaged mainly in hijacking airplanes and blowing up public buildings, Muslims are not the first person to be targeted for racial profiling, but It seems that the human race cannot discriminate betwe en a tiny minority of persons who may be objectionable and the ethnic strain from which they spring. If the Italians have the Mafia, all Italians are suspect; if the Jews have financiers, all Jews are part of an international conspiracy; if the Arabs have fanatics, all Arabs are violent. When does it stop?

Indian Telecom Sector free essay sample

A Decadal Profile Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Mahanagar Doorsanchar Bhawan, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, (Old Minto Road), New Delhi 110 002 Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile Mahanagar Doorsanchar Bhawan, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, (Old Minto Road), New Delhi 110 002 Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, 2012 All rights reserved, no part of this publication may be in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, prior written permission of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, New Delhi. Prepared at the behest of by reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, photocopying, recording and/or otherwise, without the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India National Council of Applied Economic Research, Parisila Bhawan, 11, Indraprastha Estate, New Delhi–110 002 i | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | iii iv | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile CONTeNTS List of Tables List of Boxes Foreword List of Figures Executive Summary vii iii ix xi 1 x 3. 5 Spectrum Management 3. 7 Regulatory Timeline 3. 6 Recommendations made by TRAI 53 55 55 59 4 Investment 4. 2 Total Investment 4. 4 Conclusion 4. 1 Introduction 1 Introduction 59 59 62 69 1. 2 Brief Overview of the Telecommunications Sector 1 1. 3 Importance of the Telecommunications Sector 3 . 1 Backdrop 1 4. 3 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) 5 Socioeconomic Impact 5. 1 Introduction 5. 2 Macro Impact 2 Trends in the Telecommunications Sector 2. 1 Introduction 2. 2 International Comparisons 2. 4 Regional Variations 2. 6 Conclusion 71 71 71 74 75 80 86 96 97 5 5 5 5. 3 ICT and Economic Development 5. 5 Individual Sections of Society 5. 6 Applications of Technology 5. 7 Conclusion 2. 3 Growth of Telecommunication Services in India 9 2. 5 Trends in Telecommunication Manufacturing 39 46 48 49 5. 4. Micro Studies on the Impact of ICT 6 Conclusions 6. 2 Challenges and Suggested Policies 6. 3 Other Challenges Appendix 6. 1 Introduction 3 evolution of Telecom Regulation 3. 2 New Telecom Policy (NTP), 1999 3. 3 Institutional Framework for Telecom Policy 3. 4 Licensing Framework Regulation in India 3. 1 National Telecom Policy (NTP), 1994 49 50 50 52 97 97 99 101 105 Abbreviations vi | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile LIST Of TABLeS 1. 1 2. 1 2. 2 2. 3 2. 4 2. 5 2. 6 2. 7 2. 8 2. 9 2. 10 2. 11 2. 12 Snapshot of the Telecommunications Sector Estimates of Share of Expenditure on Mobile Phones PCO and VPT, March 2000–December 2011 (million) Number of Subscribers for Other Value Added Services, March 2000– December 2011 (million) Market Share of Leading ISPs in Terms of Subscribers, December 2011 Sector-wise EBITDA, PBIT, PBT (Rs crore) Sector-wise Profitability Ratios (%) Quality of Service Performance of Wireless Service Providers, December 2011 Quality of Service Performance of Wireline Service Providers, December 2011 Parameter-wise Status of QoS Benchmarks for Broadband Service, December 2011 Service Area-wise Teledensity, December 2011 Mobile Ownership by Households 1 14 21 21 24 29 29 2. 13 2. 14 2. 15 2. 16 2. 17 3. 1 4. 1 4. 2 4. 3 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 5. 4 5. 5 5. 6 5. 7 State-wise Broadband Subscribers as on March 31, 2011 e-Readiness Index Universal Service Obligation Fund Position (Rs crore) Telecom Equipment Manufacturing in India (Rs crore) Revenue of Top 10 T elecom Equipment Players (Rs crore) Regulatory Reforms 43 43 46 47 48 56 Total Plan Outlay and Outlay for Communications in Five Year Plans (Rs crore) 59 Foreign Direct Investment Policy FDI in Telecommunications Sector: April 2000–August 2010 Summary of ICT4D Phases Mobile Information Services for Farmers Status of Women Increased Use of Mobile Devices (%) Bandwidth Required for Various Applications Super Specialty Consultations Some Applications with Mobile Governance 63 66 74 77 83 86 87 90 91 Composition of Revenue, December 2011 (%) 30 33 35 37 40 41 Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | vii viii | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile LIST Of fIguReS 1. 1 2. 1 2. 2 2. 3 2. 4 2. 5 2. 6 2. 7 2. 8 2. 9 2. 10 2. 11 2. 12 2. 13 2. 14 Share of Telecommunications as per cent of GDP, 2000–01 to 2009–10 India’s Position in Telephone Subscriptions India’s Position in Mobile Cellular Prepaid Tariffs (US$ per month), 2008 Internet Users in India and in the World, 2010 India’s Position in Fixed Internet Subscriptions in the World, 2010 Total Number of Telephone Subscribers in India, 1981–2011 (million) Total Number of Wireline Subscribers and Growth Rate in India, 1981–2011 Total Number of Wireless Subscribers and Growth Rate in India, 1996–2011 Teledensity, March 2000–February 2012 Mobile Phone Prices in India Internet Subscriptions and Growth Rate, March 2000–December 2011 Wireless Subscribers Capable of Accessing Data Services/Internet March 2007– December 2011 2 6 7 8 9 10 11 11 14 16 16 17 2. 15A Share of Service Provider in Wireline Subscriptions, 2001 (%) 2. 15B Share of Service Provider in Wireline Subscriptions, December 2011 (%) 2. 16 2. 17 2. 18 2. 9 Share of Service Provider in Wireless Subscriptions, February 2012 (%) Share of Service Provider in Wireless Subscriptions based on GSM, December 2011 (%) Share of Service Provider in Wireless Subscriptions based on CDMA, December 2011 (%) Service Provider-wise Details of Data Services, December 2011 (%) 22 22 23 23 23 24 24 24 25 25 26 28 28 30 2. 20A Service Provider-wise Shares in PCO, December 2011 2. 20B Service Provider-wise Shares in VPT, December 2011 2. 21 2. 22 2. 23 Market Share of PMRTS Providers (%) Market Share of VSAT Service Providers (%) Average Outgo* per Outgoing per Minute (Rs per minute) for Postpaid, Prepaid and Blended (GSM and CDMA), 2007–11 Market Share of Internet Access Technologies including Broadband, December 2011 17 Broadband Access, Technologies and Market Share, December 2011 Public–Private Wireline Subscriptions, March 2000–December 2011 (million) 18 22 2. 24A Telecom Sector Revenue, 2005–06 to 2010–11 (Rs crore) 2. 24B Telecom Sector Revenue, 2005–06 and 2010–11 (Rs crore) 2. 25 ARPU and MoU for Wireless Subscribers, 2000–01 to 2010–11 Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | ix 2. 26 2. 27 2. 28 2. 29 2. 30 2. 31 4. 1 4. 2 4. 3 4. 4 Revenue of Internet Service Providers, June 2008–December 2011 Minutes of Usage per Subscriber per Month of Dial-Up Access, 2005–06 to 2010–11 31 31 4. 5 4. 6 4. 7 4. 8 FDI in Telecommunications (Rs crore) and Wireless Subscribers (million), 2000–01 to 2011–12 FDI in Telecommunications (Rs crore) and ARPU Rs per minute (GSM), 2000–01 to 2011–12 67 68 Total Duration of Usage for Internet Telephony, 2004–05 to 2010–11 (million minutes) 32 Quality of Services for Wireless, 2003–10 Average of Percentage of Calls Answered by the Wireline Operators (Voice-to-Voice) within 60 Seconds across States, 2006–10 Percentage of Village Panchayats having Broadband, March 2011 Public and Private Sector Live Projects, 2001–11 (Rs crore) 33 35 42 62 FDI and Gross Revenue in Telecommunications Sector (Rs crore), 2000–01 to 2010–11 68 FDI Inflow, Exports and Imports in Telecommunications Sector (Rs crore), 2000–01 to 2010–11 Relationship between Economic Growth and Telecom Services: 2008 Total Teledensity ( June 30, 2010) and Share of GSDP as a percentage of Indian GDP (2008–09) Factors Influencing Tele-health Utilisation in Developing Countries Diagrammatic Representation of the Process of Transfer of Funds 69 71 73 89 94 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 5. FDI in Telecom Sector (Rs crore) and Grow th Rate of FDI in Telecom, 2000–01 to 2011–12 64 Share of FDI in Telecom Sector as Percentage 65 of Total FDI, 2000–01 to 2011–12 Sector-wise FDI Inflows: April 2000– August 2010 65 LIST Of BOxeS 2. 1 2. 2 2. 3 2. 4 2. 5 2. 6 4. 1 The Budget Telecom Network Model Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) Broadband Technologies Competition in the Telecommunications Sector USOF Schemes Currently Undertaken Capital Employed, Return on Capital Employed and Capital Investment (Gross Block) in the Telecom Services Sector 7 12 13 18 27 45 60 4. 2 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 5. 4 5. The Impact of the Crisis on Foreign Direct Investment in Telecommunications Rural Initiatives in ICT Impact of Information Technology Helps Deliver a Big Catch: Taking a Chance on New Information 64 76 78 79 BPO Opportunities for Rural Women in India: The Case of Source for Change 81 Improvement in Productivity due to Mobile Phone: Case Study of a Wom an 82 x | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile exeCuTIve SuMMARy he report presents the evolution of the telecommunications sector in India in the last decade. The telecommunications sector plays an increasingly important role in the Indian economy. It contributes to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), generates revenue for the government and creates employment. From 2001 to 2011, the total number of telephone subscribers has grown at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 35 per cent. The comparable rates in the 1980s and 1990s were 9 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively. However, the composition of the subscribers shows that mobile subscribers have led the way. The increase in teledensity has mainly been driven by the increase in mobile phones. Demand side factors—ultra low cost of handsets, low tariffs and ultimately the ease of using a phone—as well as supply side factors have made mobiles popular in India. The number of Internet subscribers has increased but the number of data subscribers far exceeds the former. The Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is the most favoured technology to access the Internet through the personal computer (PC). Other services like Village Public Telephones (VPTs), Public Call Offices (PCOs), Public Mobile Radio Trunk Service (PMRTS) and Very Small Aperture Terminal Services (VSAT) show slower growth. The data show that private providers dominate the four services including wireless subscriptions, data services, T PMRTS and VSAT, while public service providers dominate the other sectors. International comparisons show that India has one of the lowest mobile tariffs in the world. Between 2007 and 2010, prepaid and blended rates show a decline of 25. and 21. 5 per cent, respectively. In contrast, postpaid tariffs show a decline of only 8. 23 per cent. The majority of the subscriptions in India are of the prepaid type. This has been termed as the budget telecom network model, an innovation that took birth in South Asia. Usage statistics also show that Indians talk more on the phone than their international counterparts. The revenue statistics show that service providers are earning 50 per cent of their revenue from calls and 8. 3 per cent from Short Message Service (SMS). Ringtones form the dominant category of value-added services (VAS). The size of the VAS market is also growing over time. Teledensity shows wide regional variations across states. There is widespread variation in broadband availability across regions too. However, the states are making efforts to improve their ICT abilities over time. The roles of three main agencies in the telecommunications sector—DoT (Department of Telecommunications), TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) and TDSAT (Telecommunications Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal)—are an important aspect of the policy making and regulatory processes. Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | xi The Indian telecom sector has undergone major transformations through significant policy reforms. The regulatory reforms in the telecom sector from 2000 to 2011 can be broadly classified into the following three distinct phases. Phase 1 – 2000–2003: Telecom sectors were opened up to competition. Phase 2 – 2004–2007: Regulator encouraged competition and also set the stage for future growth. Phase 3 – 2008–2011: More choices were brought in for consumers in terms of technology and services. Planned investment outlay in the telecommunications sector has increased over time. Majority of the investment over the decade has come from the private sector. The private sector performs better in terms of return on average capital employed. The telecom sector has received on average 8. per cent of total inward FDI between 2000–01 and 2010–11. Most of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has gone to the cellular mobile segment. Mobile telephony and economic growth positively reinforce each other. The micro studies on the impact of mobile p hones are more telling. Fisheries, as an industry, has hugely benefited from introduction of mobile phones. The impact of mobile phones on agricultural productivity and revenue varies on the type of service, literacy status of farmers and the type of complementary infrastructure available. However, middle men and traders in both fisheries and farming are dependent on the mobile to monitor their business needs. Small and medium enterprises are also realizing the benefits of mobile telephony either through increases in productivity or finding new business ventures through the use of mobile phones. Several studies have also examined the impact of mobiles on individual sections of society. Mobiles are now being seen as an empowerment tool since research has shown that mobiles have a positive impact on the social status of women in India. Studies indicate that mobile phones make women feel more secure. The urban poor also show evidence of economical benefits from using mobiles. Mobiles also affect people interaction by increasing their tele-interaction with each other. Mobiles are now being used to deliver services like health, education, banking, commercial services, and so on. The three major challenges of the next decade are (i) to overcome the digital divide, (ii) growth of broadband sector, and (iii) development of the telecommunications manufacturing sector. xii | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile 1 INTRODuCTION 1. 1 BACkDROP The ubiquitous sight of a shop offering to re-charge your mobile phone is symbolic of the telecom revolution that has changed the face of India in the first decade of the twenty-first century with significant social and economic impact. The total number of telephone subscribers in India stood at 943. 49 million in February 2012 as against 28. 53 million in April 2000. The purpose of this report is to review the extraordinary journey of the Indian telecom sector in the 2000s. The report presents the growth story in telecom sector in India in terms of significant policy changes and regulatory initiatives and conse quent socioeconomic impacts. Table 1. 1 : Snapshot of the Telecommunications Sector variable Teledensity†  Urban teledensity†  Rural teledensity†  Total number of subscribers Total number of wireless subscribers Total number of wireline phones Number of Internet subscribers Number of broadband subscribers Number of wireless data subscribers Production of telecom equipment# Total exports of telecom items# Total imports of telecom items # India’s export of telecom consultancy# Date February 2012 February 2012 February 2012 February 2012 February 2012 February 2012 December 2011 February 2012 February 2012 2010–11 Status 78. 10 169. 37 38. 53 943. 49 million 911. 17 million 32. 33 million 22. 39 million 13. 54 million 431. 37 million Rs 535 billion* (Rs 510 billion in 2009–10) Rs140 billion* (Rs 135 billion in 2009–10) Rs 450. 3 billion Rs 12. 7 million up to September 2010 (Rs 72. 70 million in 2009–10) Rs 75. 46 billion Rs 1,717 billion 1. 2 BRIef OveRvIew Of The TeLeCOMMuNICATIONS SeCTOR The subscriber base for telecom services in India is large but skewed in favour of urban areas. Urban teledensity is 4. 4 times that of rural density (Table 1. 1). Further, wireless phones dominate the market in India and wireline phone segment constitutes merely 3. 4 per cent of the total subscriber base. The numbers of Internet and broadband subscribers are a very small fraction of the population. However, the number of people capable of accessing the net through mobile phones is substantially higher, if wireless data subscription through mobile is an indication. 2010–11 2009–10 2010–11 FDI in telecom†¡ Gross revenue of telecom services sector 2010–11 2010–11 1 Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Source: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. †  Number of telephone subscribers per 100 people. * Projected. Annual Report 2010–11, Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India (2011), www. dot. gov. in †¡ Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India (http://dipp. nic. i n/). Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | 1 The share of revenue from telecom services is higher than manufacturing/production of telecom equipment. About a quarter of the domestic telecom production is exported and the needs of telecom equipment in India are largely met by imports. Most of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has gone to the cellular mobile segment. The pace of growth of the telecom sector, particularly the telecom services has increased its significance to the overall economy in the past two decades. The share of telecommunication services (excluding postal and miscellaneous services), as per cent of the total GDP, has increased from 0. 96 in 2000–01 to 3. 78 in 2009–10 (Figure 1. 1). The importance of telecommunications sector for the Indian economy can be judged by its contribution to GDP, tax revenue, and jobs. Studies have suggested that mobile phones have a positive impact on GDP. 2 The potential impact of wireless broadband is also estimated to be highly positive. 3 Further, the industry generates tax revenues for the government. The 3G spectrum auction combined with the bid values for broadband wireless access licenses yielded more than Rs 100,000 crore in 2010 to the Government of India, amounting to approximately 1 per cent of the GDP. 5 Employment data shows that the share of employment in the transport, storage and communication sectors went up from 3. 7 per cent in 1999–2000 to 3. 8 per cent in 2004–05. Figure 1. 1 : Share of Telecommunications as per cent of GDP, 2000–01 to 2009–10 Share of telecommunications (excluding postal and telecommunication services) as a per cent of GDP (%) 4. 00 3. 50 3. 00 2. 50 2. 00 1. 50 1. 00 0. 50 0. 00 01 0– 00 2 02 1– 00 2 03 2– 00 2 04 3– 00 2 05 4– 00 2 Year 06 5– 00 2 07 6– 00 2 08 7– 00 2 09 8– 00 2 10 9– 00 2 Sources: National Accounts Statistics of India (2009) and various issues (NAS); EPW Research Foundation, Mumbai. Note: The telecommunications sector of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is sum of the GDP of the phones of the public sector and private sector. Intermediate consumption in the overall public telecommunications sector has not been subtracted out but they form a relatively small proportion of the sector. 2 3 4 5 McKinsey and Company (2006), Wireless Unbound: The Surprising Economic Value and Untapped Potential of the Mobile Phone, http://ww1. mckinsey. com; and Vodafone (2009), India: The Impact of Mobile Phones, Vodafone Policy Paper Series No. 9, http://www. vodafone. com Analysys Mason (2010), Assessment of Economic Impact of Wireless Broadband in India, Report for GSMA. COAI and OVUM (2005), OVUM Report on Economic Benefits of Mobile Services in India: A Case Study for the GSM Association, http://www. coai. com/; and Bhide, S. (2010), The 3G Auction: What will we do with the extra money? Macrotrack, National Council of Applied Economic Research, 12(5). Bhide, S. (2010), The 3G Auction: What will we do with the extra money? Macrotrack, National Council of Applied Economic Research, 12(5). 2 | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile The employment in BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) shows high rates of growth throughout the 2000s. 6 The mobile telephone industry generated 3. 6 million jobs both directly and indirectly. 7 In 2008–09 2. million people were directly employed in the IT–BPO industry with 1. 9 million in Tier 1 cities and 0. 17 million in Tier 2/3 cities. 8 During the same period the IT–BPO industry employed 7. 3 million people indirectly in Tier 1 cities. Mobile phones are popular due to their personal, portable, and digital nature, enabling people to be always connected. There are increasing innovations, especially development of mobile applications. The low cost of handsets in India and the innovative budget telecom network have lowered the barrier to entry of consumers to the market. 9 On the supply side, mobile connections are relatively cheaper than fixed line telephony. 0 The telecommunications sector plays an increasingly important role in the Indian economy. It contributes to economic growth and the GDP and generates revenue for the government and generates jobs. In short, telecom sector has a multiplier impact on the economy. We have come a long way. However, certain challenges such as encouraging telecom manufacturing in India, spreading teledensity, and Internet services across India to bridge the digital divide are still to be fully met. 1. 3 IMPORTANCe Of The TeLeCOMMuNICATIONS SeCTOR The interplay of three factors—regulation, liberalisation, and technology—makes t his sector an interesting study. There are continuous technological changes and evolving regulatory climate. While Indian elecommunication companies, increasingly buoyant and confident, have started venturing outside the country and investing abroad, the telecom manufacturing in India is still to attract investment on a sustained basis. 6 7 8 9 10 Planning Commission, Government of India (2008), Report of the High Level Group on the Services Sector, www. planningcommission. nic. in, accessed August 11, 2010. COAI and OVUM (2005), OVUM Report on Economic Benefits of Mobile Services in India: A Case Study for the GSM Association, http://www. coai. com NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) (2010), Impact of IT-BPO Industry in India: A Decade in Review, www. nasscom. in Figure 2. shows that most of the mobile phone models available in the market fall within the range of Rs 1,000–4,000, with the models in other price ranges being substantially smaller. W ith increasing prices, the number of models available in each range is falling. Bhavnani, A. , Chiu, R. W. , Janakiram, S. and Silarzsky, P. (2008), The Role of Mobile Phones in Sustainable Rural Poverty Reduction, ICT Policy Division, World Bank, www. worldbank. org Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | 3 4 | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile 2 TReNDS IN The TeLeCOMMuNICATIONS SeCTOR 2. 1 INTRODuCTION The last decade, especially since 2003, has seen tremendous growth and dynamism in the Indian telecommunications sector. A phone has been transformed from a â€Å"luxury† good to a â€Å"necessity† connecting millions of people. Earlier India was primarily concerned with increasing teledensity, i. e. telephones. Now, the idea of phones has itself changed from fixed line/wireline phones to mobile/wirless phones connecting people everywhere and anywhere (except perhaps the rural areas where unfortunately majority of Indians reside). The concept of connectivity itself has changed. The term telecommunications now includes many other services namely Internet services, radio paging services, Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs), Public Mobile Radio Trunk Service (PMRTS) and global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS). Of all the above mentioned segments, wireless and Internet have registered the highest growth in the last few years. The number of total telephone subscribers in India increased from 28. 53 million in March 2000 to 943. 49 million in February 2012. 11 Wireless subscriptions increased from 1. 88 million in March 2000 to 911. 57 million in February 2012 and wireline subscriptions increased from 26. 65 million in March 2000 to 32. 33 million in February 2012. As a result, India has the 11 12 13 14 second largest mobile market in the world after China. India reached its Eleventh Five Year Plan (EFYP) target of 600 million subscribers in 2010 itself. 12 The number of total Broadband subscribers in India is 13. 4 million in February 2012. 2. 2 INTeRNATIONAL COMPARISONS The total number of telephone subscriptions in the world including fixed line and cellular sector grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17. 43 per cent between 2000 and 2010. 13 A total of more than US$ 3,670 billi on (6 per cent of the world’s GDP) was spent on telecommunication services by governments across the world in 2008. 14 India’s expenditure on telecommunication services in 2008 was to the tune of US$ 52 billion. This was 4. 3 per cent of the country’s total GDP. Government’s expenditure on telecommunications in India increased at the rate of 14 per cent during 2005–08. This section compares India’s position to that of the world in telephones and Internet availability and usage. India has risen through the ranks to be amongst the top telephone and Internet users in the world in absolute numbers but on a relative scale (to population) it still ranks low. All Indian subscription numbers in this paragraph are from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Planning Commission, Government of India (2010), Mid-Term Appraisal of Eleventh Five Year Plan. Available online at www. planningcommission. nic. in International Telecommunications Union. Available online at www. itu. int The rest of the data in this paragraph are from World Development Indicators. Available online at www. worldbank. org Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | 5 2. 2. 1 Telephones 2. 2. 1. 1 Telephone Subscriptions Available international comparisons till 2010 show that India has the second largest number of telephone subscribers in the world (222 countries), accounting for 12 per cent of the world’s total telephone subscribers as shown in Figure 2. 1. It is also one of the fastest growing in terms of telecom subscribers. Total telephone subscribers in India have increased at a CAGR of 32 per cent in 2000–10 against the world average growth rate of 17. 34 per cent. However, India’s teledensity, 64, is still lower compared to the world average of 108 (Teledensity as on February 2012 is 78. 1). This indicates low penetration of telephones in the rural areas. Figure 2. 1 : India’s Position in Telephone Subscriptions 1,400 Total Telephone Subcribers (Fixed-Line and Mobile) in 1,200 1,000 million, 2010 64 800 20 600 400 200 0 139 198 108 126 127 182 184 171 15 10 5 0 86 Total Telephone Subscribers in Average Growth Rate of Telephone Subscribers in the World: 17. 43% 25 30 CAGR of Telephone Subscribers (2000–10) the World: 6,559 Million 35 40 a R Fe uss de ian ra tio n In do ne si a a pa n US Ch in Br az m an UK di In Ja Total Telephone Subscribers (Fixed Line and Mobile) in million, 2010 Ge r CAGR: 2000–2010 Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Available online at www. itu. nt Note: Teledensity numbers are shown in the circles above the bars of the respective countries. Teledensity has increased in India and around the world especially in the developing countries due to the rise of mobile phones. As of 2010, the ratio of mobile phones to fi xed lines in the world ranged from 0. 4:1 to 386. 5:1. 15 The average ratio of mobile phones to fixed lines in the world stood at 21. 5:1 in 2010. In India the same ratio is 21. 4:1 in 2010 whereas the comparable numbers for China and U. S. are 2. 9:1 and 1. 8:1, respectively. 15 16 2. 2. 1. 2 Tariffs Mobile cellular prepaid tariffs ranged between US$ 1. 3 and 37 per month across countries in 2008 (Figure 2. 2). 6 Average mobile cellular prepaid tariff in the world is US$ 10. 1 per month. Mobile tariffs are the lowest in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and so on. Mobile tariffs in India are the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Available online at www. itu. int Mobile cellular prepaid tariff is based on OECD’s (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) low-user definition, which includes the cost of monthly mobile use for 25 outgoing calls per month spread over the same mobile network, other mobile networks, an d mobile to fixed line calls and during peak, off-peak, and weekend times as well as 30 text messages per month. | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile I ta ly il y second lowest (US$1. 6 per month) in the world after Bangladesh. Countries with the highest mobile tariffs in the world include Austria, Venezuela, Greece, Portugal, Australia, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, France, and Brazil. This particularly low tariff in South Asia was an innovation (driven by intense competition, low purchasing power and strict regulatory environments) from this region called the â€Å"budget telecom network model† (Box 2. 1). 17 Figure 2. 2 : India’s Position in Mobile Cellular Prepaid Tariffs (US$ per month), 2008 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2. 6 2. 8 2. 9 3. 0 3. 0 3. 1 1. 3 1. 6 1. 9 2. Pakistan Nepal Bhutan Austria Portugal Australia Japan Bangladesh Sri Lanka Macao SAR, China Ethiopia Venezuela, R. B. de Switzerland Lao P. D. R. Greece France India Spain Hong Kong SAR, China Braz il World average: 10. 1 24. 3 24. 7 25. 1 26. 4 26. 5 Countries with the lowest mobile cellular prepaid tariff Countries with the highest mobile cellular prepaid tariff 32. 2 35. 5 35. 7 33. 3 37. 0 Source: World Development Indicators. Available online at www. worldbank. org Box 2. 1 : The Budget Telecom Network Model This model first emerged in South Asian markets of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to cater to â€Å"customers who only use a few calling minutes per month. This innovation rests on the reduction of transaction costs of generating and transmitting a monthly bill for prepaid customers. Low-value recharge cards, especially electronic reload, give the greatest payment flexibility making this model work† (OECD, 2009). This model is advantageous for people with low, irregular incomes, no permanent address and no credit history (Castell et al. , 2005 and Sinha, 2005). Also, these contracts allow exact monitoring of use (Waverman et al. , 2005 and Sinha, 2005). Low purchasing power of customers forced companies competing against each other to innovate. Vodafone (2009) estimates that the own-price elasticity of mobile is minus 2. 12, i. e. 10 per cent price fall would increase demand by approximately 21 per cent, keeping everything else constant. This implies that the fall in prices of mobile phones brought in more customers, increasing total revenue of operators. Operators in South Asia are as profitable as their Western counterparts (OEC D, 2009). Lately Indian operators have experienced a decline in their profits Margins. Sources: Castells, M. , Qiu, J. L. , Fernandez-Ardevol, M. , and A. Sey (2005), Mobile Community and Society: A Global Perspective, Annenberg Research Network on International Communication. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2009), ICTs for Development: Improving Policy Coherence. Paris, France. Sinha, C. 2005), Effect of Mobile Telephony on Empowering Rural Communities in Developing Countries, International Research Foundation for Development (IFRD) Conference on Digital Divide, Global Development and the Information Society. Available online at www. irfd. org Vodafone (2009), India: The Impact of Mobile Phones, Vodafone Policy Paper Series No. 9. Available online at http://www. vodafone. com Waverman, L. , Meschi, M. and M. Fuss (2005), The Impact of Telecoms on Economic Growth in Developing Countries, Vodafone Policy Paper Series: Africa: The impact of mobile phones, No. 2 , Vodafone Group. Available online at www. umich. edu 17 OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) (2009), ICTs for Development: Improving Policy Coherence. Paris, France. Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | 7 2. 2. 2 Internet 2. 2. 2. Internet Users India is ranked fourth amongst Internet users in the world, accounting for 4. 56 per cent of the world’s total Internet users in 2010 as shown in Figure 2. 3. Internet users in India expanded at a significantly high CAGR of 32. 27 per cent during the period 2000–10 while those in the world 18 expanded at an average rate of 17. 46 per cent. However, India ranks low in terms of Internet users per 100 people in the world (143 out of 186) with only 7. 5 per 100 people using Internet, compared to the world average of 30. 48. The growth numbers in terms of users are dazzling but as the next section will show, India is still far behind in Internet subscriptions. Figure 2. 3 : Internet Users in India and in the World, 2010 Nigeria France United Kingdom Russian Federation Germany Brazil India Japan United States China 0. 0 50. 0 100. 0 150. 0 200. 0 250. 0 300. 0 350. 0 400. 0 450. 0 500. 0 Total Internet users in the world: 2 billion World average (Internet users per 100 people): 30. 48 India (Internet users per 100 people): 7. 5 India’s rank in Internet users per 100 people: 143 Total countries reported: 186 Internet users (million) Internet users (per 100 people) Source: World Development Indicators, World Bank. Available online at www. worldbank. org 2. 2. 2. 2 Internet Subscriptions19 Out of the 91. million people using Internet in India, there were only 18. 7 million fixed Internet subscribers in 2010 as shown in Figure 2. 4. India was ranked the seventh highest (out of 214 countries) in this category in 2010. The country accounted for 3. 54 per cent of the world’s total fixed Internet subscribers in 2010. The number of fix ed internet subscribers per 100 inhabitants in 2010 was 1. 53 as compared to the world figure of 7. 73. 18 19 Internet users include subscribers who pay for Internet access (dial-up, leased line, and fixed broadband) and people with access to the worldwide computer network without paying directly, either as the member of a household, or from work or school. Therefore, the number of Internet users will always be much larger than the number of subscribers, typically by a factor of 2–3 in developed countries and more in developing countries (International Telecommunication Union). Internet subscribers include people who pay for access to the Internet (dial-up, leased line, or fixed broadband). The number of subscribers measures all those who pay for Internet use, including the so-called â€Å"free Internet† used by those who pay via the cost of their telephone call, those who pay in advance for a given amount of time (prepaid), and those who pay for a subscription (either flat rate or volume-per-usage based) (International Telecommunication Union). 8 | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile Figure 2. 4 : India’s Position in Fixed Internet Subscriptions in the World, 2010 Mexico Italy Korea (Rep. India United Kingdom Brazil France Russia United States China 0. 0 20. 0 40. 0 60. 0 80. 0 100. 0 120. 0 Total Internet s ubscribers in the world : 0. 53 billion World fixed Internet subscribers per 100 inhabitants : 7. 73 Fixed Internet subscriptions (million) Fixed Internet subscriptions per 100 inhabitants Brazil: Dial up portion estimated based on CETIC. br (CGI. br). Source: International Telecommunication Union. Available online at www. itu. int Notes: The 2009 numbers have been used for the China and Russia figures. Mexico: Preliminary estimates. Italy: In terms of broadband lines (excluding internet dial-up subs. ). Source: Agcom-Cocom. 2. 3 gROwTh Of TeLeCOMMuNICATION SeRvICeS IN INDIA Telecom services in India can be basically divided into two major segments: (a) telephones, wireline and wireless, and (b) Internet services. In addition, it also comprises of other smaller segments including radio paging services, VSATs, PMRTS and global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS). As mentioned earlier, wireless phones and Internet services have registered the highest growth in the last few years. 2. 3. 1 Total Subscriptions of Telephones and Stage III: post-2001. This refers to mainly the era of wireless. As can be seen in Figure 2. 5, the total subscriptions of telephones witnessed a sluggish growth (CAGR of 10 per cent) in the state owned era corresponding to the period 1981–90. The foundation of growth of this sector was laid with the introduction of reforms in 1992 mainly in the form of increased competition due to opening up of the sector to private players. This facilitated easy market access for telecom equipment and a fair regulatory framework for offering telecom services to the Indian consumers at affordable prices. As a result, telephone subscriptions grew at a CAGR of 20 per cent during 1991–2000. The introduction of wireless phone in mid-1990s coupled with increased competition has completely changed the picture. The number of mobile phone connections crossed Growth of telephones sector can be summarised in three stages (Figure 2. 5). Stage I: Before 1990. This refers to the period when the telecom sector was mainly state owned; Stage II: 1991–2000. This refers to the period between the onset of reforms but the absence of wireless phones; Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | 9 fixed line connections in September 2004. 20 As a result the number of telephone subscriptions grew at a CAGR of 35. 3 per cent during the period 2001–11. Total telephone subscribers in India increased from 28. 53 million in March 2000 to 943. 49 million in February 2012. 21 Wireless subscriptions increased from 1. 88 million in March 2000 to 911. 17 million in February 2012 and wireline subscriptions increased from 26. 65 million in March 2000 to 32. 33 million in February 2012. Figure 2. : Total Number of Telephone Subscribers in India, 1981–2011 (million) 1000 900 800 Total Subscriber (million) 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 CAGR 10% CAGR 20% State-Owned Introduction of Private Competition Growth in Cellular Mobile CAGR 35% Sources: World Development Indicators. Available online at www. worldbank. org Note: These are subscriptions at the end of each calendar year. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. 2. 3. 1. 1 Wireline Subscriptions Wireline subscriptions increased from 2. 3 million in 1981 to 32. 44 million in 2000 to reach its peak at 50. 18 million in 2006. Thereafter, it started registering negative growth (Figure 2. 6). By the end of February 2012, wireline subscriptions came down to 32. 33 million. India has followed the worldwide trend where the mobile phone is 20 21 Bhavnani, A. , Chiu, R. W. , Janakiram, S. and P. Silarzsky (2008), The Role of Mobile Phones in Sustainable Rural Poverty Reduction. ICT Policy Division, World Bank. Available online at www. worldbank. org All Indian subscriber numbers in this paragraph are taken from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. 10 | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile 19 8 19 1 82 19 83 19 84 19 85 19 86 19 8 19 7 88 19 8 19 9 90 19 91 19 92 19 93 19 94 19 95 19 96 19 97 19 98 19 99 20 00 20 0 20 1 02 20 0 20 3 0 20 4 05 20 0 20 6 0 20 7 08 20 0 20 9 1 20 0 11 Fixed Line Subscriber (million) Mobile Cellular Subscriber (million) substitute to fixed line phone, through competition has forced the landline services to become more efficient in terms of quality of services. The landline network quality has improved and landline connections are now usually available on demand. Figure 2. 6 : Total Number of Wireline Subscribers and Gro wth Rate in India, 1981–2011 60 Number of Subscriber (million) 50 40 30 20 10 0 19 8 19 1 82 19 8 19 3 8 19 4 85 19 8 19 6 8 19 7 8 19 8 8 19 9 9 19 0 9 19 1 92 19 9 19 3 9 19 4 95 19 9 19 6 9 19 7 98 19 9 20 9 0 20 0 0 20 1 02 20 0 20 3 0 20 4 05 20 0 20 6 0 20 7 08 20 0 20 9 1 20 0 11 25. 0 20. 0 15. 0 10. 0 5. 0 0. 0 -5. 0 -10. 0 -15. 0 -20. 0 -25. 0 Annual Growth Rate (%) Number of Subscribers Annual Growth Rate Sources: World Development Indicators. Available online at www. worldbank. org Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Note: These are subscriptions at the end of each calendar year. 2. 3. 1. 2 Wireless/Cellular/Mobile Phone Subscriptions Cellular or mobile segment has been the key contributor to record growth in telephone subscriptions with its wide range of offers of services. It has led the growth wave of telecom sector in the country. After triple digit growth rate in the first two years, growth rate reduced to 35. 6 per cent in 1998. The annual growth rate of wireless phones increased again till 2003 and peaked at 159. 2 per cent. Since then the growth rate has tapered down and has averaged around 51. 8 per cent during 2004–11. In 2011, growth rate significantly came down to 18. 8 per cent (Figure 2. 7). Mobile phones accounts for nearly 96. 6 per cent of the total telecom subscriptions as of February 2012. 22 Figure 2. 7 : Total Number of Wireless Subscribers and Growth Rate in India, 1996–2011 1000 Mobile Cellular Subscribers (million) 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 150. 0 100. 0 50. 0 0. 0 350. 0 300. 0 250. 0 200. 0 Annual Growth Rate (%) 20 00 20 02 20 05 20 03 20 04 20 08 20 06 20 01 20 09 20 07 19 98 19 96 19 97 20 10 19 99 Mobile Cellular Subscribers Annual Growth Rate Sources: World Development Indicators.

Textual Integrity in Hamlet Essay Example

Textual Integrity in Hamlet Essay In order to decide if the textual integrity is essential to the play, one would examine whether the character motivations remain constant with the rest of the other characters present within the play. Their imagery, motives, word choice, and whether the speech seems to fit with Hamlets overall character. Due to the different contexts of the play (one being the Elizabethan era whilst the other being the present) it is easily arguable from a Elizabethan era viewpoint that the character of Hamlet has done the morally correct thing to society as he has waited to the right moment (when he is aware of Claudius true actions) to act upon his vengeance for his father. Hamlet has maintained his duty to family and God by not killing himself due to loathing but evening the scores in order to regain his fathers worth. On the other hand from a modern day approach the audience feels as though Hamlet should react straight away and kill Claudius. The idea of duty to God/religion has become mildly ethereal and is not as apparent as it was during the Elizabethan era. One interpretation of Hamlet is the play is about suicide. The play heart is an concentrated psychodrama that is about a prince gone mad from external pressures. He longs for the ultimate release of killing himself for several different motives depending on the situation. We will write a custom essay sample on Textual Integrity in Hamlet specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Textual Integrity in Hamlet specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Textual Integrity in Hamlet specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When Hamlet has the opportunity to kill himself he is seen as a coward, lacking the internal drive to go through with his deed: O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,/Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,/Or that the Everlasting had not fixed/His canon gainst self-slaughter! Hamlets reason for suicide is due to the death of his father which is clear in his first soliloquy. Later on in the play he gives evidence that there are other reasons for his decided suicide. In his third soliloquy he states: For who would bear the pangs of despised love when he himself might his quietus make/with a bare bodkin? The word despised is put as unrequited and thus we are led to believe that Ophelia is the reason behind his suicidal thoughts, not the late King. The mourning of his father is a pseudo veil because he feels as though he cannot sink so low as to kill himself due to a woman. Textual integrity is the notion that the text can stand alone as a piece of work, regardless of the texts paradigms, its social and theoretical practice and its ability to be understood without reference. It exists and is understood and although other texts may add meaning to it, they themselves do not make the text. As to whether it means its ability to be received in a variety of contexts if you can say its great because its a whole thing that would work but it seems pretty vacuous. I think you can look at how another reading of Hamlet fails to maintain the textual integrity of the original i. e. if a feminist reading transforms it into something quite different say but otherwise I dont think its that helpful as a concept. There is no such thing as literature, or even Shakespeare. All these have been constructed by particular groups at particular times to serve particular interests. There is no such thing as a straightforward, objective or disinterested reading. Shakespeare is NOT timeless. Shakespeare does not transcend time, or place, or human understanding. He is to be understood in the context of the social, political and ideological and material practices and social relationships of the ideological production, and the reception of his work. For most of the new perspectives, therefore, the study of Shakespeare is a political enterprise. It was stressed by my teacher that when Shakespeare was studied, say in 1895, the assumption of traditional studies could be summarized in a short list and it was done the same by everyone. Not allowing for different perspectives or interpretations. E. g. , a feminist viewpoint, a Marxian viewpoint a Freudian psychoanalytical reading etc. ) A text is not produced by an author, but by readers, who themselves are produced by social and political forces. New perspectives frequently attempt to establish their authority by specialized vocabulary (remember this term! ) and extensive appeal to theory. As with all literature we are unable to separate ourselves from our personal interpretation and that of the writers. Works of literature usually lead to various interpretations differing from era to context to experience. Each interpretation of Hamlet brings different elements to the forefront. Without these interpretations of Hamlet one may not be able to feel as though they receive a full understanding of the play and a lack of connection may become a dislike of the play rather than a love for the tragic tale. Shakespeare possibly has his own interpretation of the play. The writer merely sets words to the page; it is our job to make them our own.

Social Environment Accounting Essays

Social Environment Accounting Essays Social Environment Accounting Paper Social Environment Accounting Paper In particular, contributions have attempted to explore the notion that counting discourse is a medium through which relationships between business and society can be created, nurtured and developed. In our 2000 issue, we expressed our guiding aim through the lens provided by the late Professor Ray Chambers. We repeat it for this issue: What accounting needs is its own Copernican revolution. Too long have accountants been enamored of the products of undisciplined imagination and umbilical contemplation. Too long have they failed to lift their sights to the observables of real world affairs the substance of which it is their business to capture. Accounting is ideal depicted as essentially historical. Hence the use of past prices, in presenting presently dated financial statements. More recently attention has shifted to future, hypothetical, prices. But what about present prices in presently dated statements? Accountants seem to have settled for the rule of the White Queen in Through the Looking Glass: The rule is jam tomorrow and jam yesterday-but never jam today. (Chambers, 1 Bibb: 250-251 Recent research in the area of environmental, financial and management accounting shows that accounting and accountants can participate in these areas of search. This issue attempts to explore these research questions some of which are. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; What do key organizational decision-makers understand by environmental sustainability? To what extent, if any, do senior managers in a corporatio n address environmental issues? Why are these issues addressed and how do they relate to democratic accountability? How are environmental issues integrated into organizational strategy? What environmental strategies are developed and implemented? What are the driving forces behind corporate policies toward environmental issues? What do key members of stakeholder groups understand by environmental sustainability? How do companies and their stakeholders assess environmental performance? 0155-9982/$ see front matter 0 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 0. 1 016/j. Cofactor. 004. 04. 004 2 Introduction / Accounting Forum 28 (2004) 1-5 A starting point was that provided by Gray, Jar, Power and Sinclair (2001) who observed that they were unable to find, during an 8 year sample, any unique and/or stable relationship between any measure of disclosure and any corporate characteristic (Gray et al. , 2001 , p. 349). In this issue, extending the Dundee Perspective, Lorraine, Collision and Power add to the growing body of statistical work on the relationship between environmental performance and disclosure characteristics. Their research begins to appraise the bottom line and explores the extent to which corporations are acting in the public interest. Specifically, they analyses publicity surrounding fines for environmental pollution and the commendations related to good environmental achievements to determine whether these information events influence share prices (Lorraine et al. , 2004). In this article, they explore whether good or bad publicity about environmental performance affects companies share prices. To date, they explain that a lot Of the research in this area has been conducted in a US setting and has arrived at inconclusive results. This investigation examines the topic in a UK context to consider publicity about fines for environmental pollution as well as commendations about good environmental achievements to see whether such information influences share prices. The results indicate that there is a stock market response to such news especially for details on fines-?typically up to 1 week after news is published. A cross-sectional analysis indicates that the share price response is mainly a function of the relative fine imposed on the firm; other explanatory variables such as environmental performance news or sector membership were unsuccessful in explaining variations in the market responses they observed. Equally, Accounting Forum has been interested in the interdependencies between social and environmental accounting which extend to the nexus between accounting and information to employees and other relevant parties. In this issue of Accounting Forum, R. G. Day presents evidence concerning the evolution of reporting about employees in the last entry and its relationship with mandatory disclosure rules (Day, 2004). This is an interesting phenomenon, given that the current conceptual framework for corporate environmental reporting has only recently begun to analyses the relationship between voluntary and regulated disclosure. For example, accounting research is only just beginning to examine the relationships between the role that International Standards such as ISO 14001 have had on the reporting function. In Days article, however, he focuses on evidence from the ELK and finds that there is an apparent disregard for Statutory disclosures. Implicit in much of the Corporate Environmental and Social Reporting (CE) literature is the supposition that the existing CUFF framework offers a pragmatic justification for the wider implementation of CE making the task easier and cost-effective. These studies point toward a need for a better understanding of the relationships between reporting practice, democratic theory and the common goods that bring societies together. From another United Kingdom perspective, Hammond and Miles (2004) examine different evaluation systems of UK corporate environmental and social reporting systems. They add to the literature by adopting a qualitative perspective on CSS through an examination of the Kiss Environmental Reporting Assessment (ERA), Business in the Environment (Bib), Oxford Economic Research Associates (EXERT), and Environmental Limited. One research theme that emerges from this strand of the literature is a hypothesis that the voluntary nature of social reporting is a strategic force designed to legitimate corporate activities in the eyes of the community. Consequently, it might be argued that 3 management considers annual reports to be a publicity device to reduce the adverse perceptions that some sections of the community have toward modern corporation (Nee et al. , 1998). From a US perspective, Marty Freedman and Dennis Patten examine the Toxins Release Inventory (TRIG) which was passed into law in 1986 (Freedman Patten, 2004). The Act, they explain, focused on using information as a tool for reducing pollution. They develop the argument of Sonar and Cohen (1997, p. 09) that if investors cared enough about the pollution performance information required under the enactment to punish bad performers, firms would have a market-based incentive to reduce toxic emissions. They then argue that legitimacy theorists suggest that corporations may use largely voluntary financial report environmental disclosures to offset or mitigate the negative aspects of other information or actions. Accordingly, these disclosures could reduce the market eff ect of the TRIG program. In the light of President George Bushs unexpected June 1989 proposal to revise the Clean Air Act, Freedman and Patten identify whether TRIG information and 10-K report environmental disclosures had an impact. Using a sample of 112 firms they offer the conclusion that companies with worse pollution performance (higher levels of size-adjusted toxic releases into the air) suffered more negative market reactions than companies with better performance. However, companies with less extensive environmental disclosures in their 10-K reports suffered more negative market reactions than companies with more extensive disclosure. These results suggest that, while the TRIG information may be inducing market effects that could in turn work as a quasi-regulatory device, financial report environmental disclosure actually reduces its impact. The conclusion is that if concern about the environment is important then environmental disclosure ender the auspices of voluntary regime is clearly inadequate. This issue, then, examines and provides evidence concerning the efficacy of voluntary environmental regimes, further evidence that limitations exist within liberal paradigms is examined in terms of current business and corporate environmental regimes. Juxtaposing the liberal justifications for environmental protection with different conceptions of democratic discourse begins a re-alignment of humanitys attitude toward the natural environment; namely, to begin a discourse through which natures intrinsic value might be revealed. A broader social and environmental audit, arguably, can be developed in conjunction with a theory of language that reconnects humanity with the natural environment. Thus, an aim of this issue has been to consider the democratic role of environmental and social accounting in a transnational age. Another am of the journal has been to explore how humanity might re- connect with nature and how this might be reported to relevant publics. In the communitarian tradition Of Rousseau, who is not fully credited with this insight, a face-to-face community is characterized by greater transparency Han is the typical liberal state, allowing members of communities to be informed about wasteful and damaging resource consumption and the ecological burdens to be borne by all. Recent environmental and social accounting literature suggests that accounting can contribute to environmental discourse through a critical framework committed to investigating the truthfulness and authenticity of the data reported. One area of particular interest that emerges from critical accounting discourse involves the processes through which peoples attitudes are changed and how reform is created. Toward this end, the authors in this volume contribute to an exploration that more governmental 4 regulation might be needed to counter the hegemonic forces of global capitalism. Moreover, recent work on social and environmental accounting exposes future trends which are now becoming evident through globalization. It poses new dilemmas for management and increases pressure on accountants to report to communities on corporate social and environmental issues. The globalization of the commons is never seen is zero-sum terms, but always as unambiguous improvements in the efficiency Of the economic system. Future research must explore the structural and social causes of environmental problems which the current selection of articles have begun to address. In addition, we are concerned with social and environmental impacts on the relationship between management accounting and management information systems. Future directions for social and environmental accounting must explore the links between accounting and information systems as a means to report to relevant publics. Some future directions might take: ; The future role for managers in a changing accounting world where communication to relevant publics becomes more important. Explorations into the communicative relationships between accounting and the moral and physical structures which govern modern advanced communities. ; Critical explorations into the processes of globalization and transnational capitalism as they impact local and regional communities and environments. ; The relationships between critical accounting and reform accounting proposals in a deregulated and internationally harmonious world business environment. Differentiating and exploring the motivations for corporate performance in terms of environmental saints and others environmental sinner (Chain Milne, 1999). Moreover, we canvas the ecological consequences of the dominant accounting framework, which is based on procedural liberal principles and has a tendency to displace investigation into more substantive relationships between humanity and nature. Yet, these developments in accounting, however welcome, have been slow in coming and may reflect a diminished role of accounting with other disciplines areas like law taking over these areas. Further, the failure to keep pace with overseas developments may mean that the information used by policy makers will not express the same intelligence as that used by our mediators further eroding competition. Through a consideration of humanitys anthropocentric stance it is possible to rethink the maxim that nature has intrinsic value, which should be respected. Our guiding theme has been to argue that the natural environment is a necessary condition for humanitys being in the world.