INDIA TODAY: ECONOMICS, POLITICS AND SOIETY BY MILAN VISHVAN

India Today admirably captures this tension between progress and inertia, and provides a readable synthesis of contemporary India’s politics, economics, and society. As the authors write, “India today is a scene of great change. But it is hard not to be struck as well by how much has not changed” .The book is cleverly structured around 14 interesting and timely questions.

It is easy to be awestruck by the sweeping changes that have transformed India’s political economy in recent decades. India’s economy, once rooted in autarky and socialism, has embraced market capitalism. Politics are no longer monopolized by the Congress party; instead, there is robust political competition at the national, state, and local levels. India’s society has also made great strides, as traditionally disadvantaged groups have successfully clamored for greater political voice. These changes, paradoxically, are taking place amidst a great deal of continuity. Economic reforms are a work in progress, with the state reluctant to fully relinquish its reins.

In essence, each chapter is a self‐contained literature review, guiding readers through the most‐seminal pieces on a given topic. The authors do well to avoid monocausal explanations of complex phenomena.

Finally, the chapter titled “Does India Have a Civil Society?” suffers from excessive jargon and is not in keeping with the book’s overall accessibility.

This book is highly recommended for comparative political scientists as well as members of the broader public interested in the great debates taking place in India today

Media Economics and Media Policy: The Good and the Bad

The increase in attention is likely due in large part to the wide range of economic questions raised by both the changing media technology environment, the adoption of new regulatory philosophies in many nations around the world, and the consequent efforts to effectively impose these new philosophies. Overall, however, media economics remains a very small – and even somewhat obscure – specialization within the economics field, with relatively few media-oriented research articles being published annually in traditional economics journals and the only journal devoted specifically to media economics.

What can explain this general pattern of neglect of this increasingly significant component of the global economy?

The neglect may be due in part to, as one economist has studied media industries has noted, the belief within the economics community that “frivolous activities can hardly exert the intellectual pull of serious industries such as steel, pharmaceuticals, and computer chips” This assessment is somewhat troubling, as it seems particularly narrow-minded – and even dangerous – to consider those industries and institutions engaged in the process of influencing cultural and political attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors as engaged in “frivolous activities,” even through the somewhat narrow lens of economics.

It is this question of the appropriate scope and influence of economic analysis in media policy making that forms the crux of this paper. In addressing this question, this paper begins with an overview of some of the defining economic characteristics of the media marketplace. In particular, this first section explicates the dual-product nature of most media markets, as well as the distinctive characteristics of these two products. This section also will highlight some of the distinctive externalities associated with the output of media industries. The goal of this overview is to illustrate the importance of media economics as a distinct subfield within the broader economics field, but also to illustrate the non-economic concerns that must inevitably be brought to bear on media policy decisions. This paper will then provide an historical overview of the place of economics in U.S. media policy making, in an effort to illustrate how the role and function of economics in media policy making has evolved over time, particularly in terms of how economics has become increasingly central to media policy making.

Political Economy of Media in India

The media at present is growing at a massive phase and is considered as one of the important role in having better governance and also helps in bringing the issues related to government into the public domain. The democracy which lays emphasis on aspects like equality and freedom is being supported and followed by majority of the countries across the world. At present there are various issues and debates related to democratic governance and human development. Reforms are required in order to improve the responsiveness, transparency, effectiveness and accountability of governance institutions and this would help in the development of not only the rich but also the poor. There is currently the increasing emphasis on coming up with structures or models of good governance and how they could be applied in different setting in order to attain the desired goals. Media is considered one of the important tools that would help in creating an impact on the quality of governance especially if the media is free, plural and not bound by the government control. Several Asian countries like China, India, Hong Kong and Singapore play an important role in creating impact not only within Asia but also have implications on global journalism and democracy. Media helps in sustaining democracy and also helps in bringing into light the failures of government in the public domain and helps in better governance.

There is currently the increasing emphasis on coming up with structures or models of good governance and how they could be applied in different setting in order to attain the desired goals.

India being the largest democracy in the world has got the freedom of expression as its fundamental right in the constitution and the mass media having great influence has evolved through time. India had been having a rich history and diversity and is being ruled by various empires and colonial rulers. The current foundations of media in the country had been laid during the British rule. The tools and practices of the colonial period transformed the pre-existing forms that were most oral and that included theatre, music, dance, art, literature and poetry. The media played an indispensable role in the struggle especially the print media played an important role in the fighting the British and attaining freedom. The legacy of the colonial period in forms of laws and regulations, systems of governance, types of media ownership and control continued in India after the independence of India. The congress hegemony that existed for next few decades in the country that was dominated by elites preserved the system and continued the system acquired from the British.

The media after the independence was considered to play an important role in national building and also in creating public awareness during that period. National integration was the primary focus as the country was diverse under varied lines of caste, religion and culture. While the press and the cinema were in the hands of the private sector, the print media through state controlled corporation, high levels of taxes on imported printing machinery and the wage tribunal that mandated salaries for media personnel faced constraints from the state. The All India Radio and the Doordarshan were the two monopolistic public run broadcasting systems that were existent but were also used as instruments of the state.

During the period of emergency, the media was brought under the government control by the regime of Indira Gandhi. Initially the scope of media was limited in the country as not many existed and also neither monopoly was very encouraged nor received much public support since it lacked insufficient quality and quantity of information. The economic liberation of the 1990s gave rise to reduced control of private sector activity and encouraged openness for foreign direct investments which led to the rapid expansion of the media sector in India.

Media has a strong influence in the country and there is also the debated related to corruption and biases within the media sector that are presently starting to emerge and has led to the realization of having a strong control mechanism for the media sector in the country.

With the increasing number of media networks in India, there are also issues and concerns that need to be tackled along with just vast expansion of the sector. One of the recent much debated topic has been regarding the restrictions of the media and censorship by the government, especially towards the increasing spread of internet and mobiles which have been playing major role in activism across the country. These media have has also led to spread of rumors and government at times is required to have a check on it. Recently messaging was restricted across the country on issue of exodus of North East peoples from Indian cities that were louder especially in Bangalore; it was believed that messaging led to greater spread of the tension, sensitivity and fear among the people. The other issue has been the increasing hatred that is shown by the state towards the journalists and media personnel. The recent sedition charge against cartoonist Aseem Trivedi for his anti-corruption cartoons and there was ban on his website too. There are similar such cases across the country that have questioned the fundamental right to freedom of expression and also whether the government must be involved in the censorship and the control of media in India.

The role of media in economic development

The increasing growth of the media and television networks in recent decades has made the mutual interaction between the media and economic development more prominent than ever. Due to the significant role of media in a country’s economic development, this specific domain has received much attention recently.

The way how the television programs affect economic development, the shortcomings of current Iranian TV programs in this respect, and finally the characteristics of a suitable and effective business programme are to be discussed in the following lines. 

First of all, what is meant by “business programs” are those television productions that try to convey a particular economic message in the form of news items, reports, or even entertaining productions such as movies and TV series.

Business programs generally aim to convey an economic idea or message; therefore, they need to have a full understanding of what they mean to deliver. If not, they will not be able to get across the idea in question as accurately as possible. Moreover, they should bear in mind that introducing empirical researches is just as important as complicated theoretical aspects for the audience.

The role that a researcher could play in this regard has been paid less attention in Iran than in developed countries. If the researchers of television programs, who are responsible for developing the original theoretical ideas into a practical model, do their job properly, the intended idea will be conveyed far more effectively.

The best and most effective business media is one that possesses a good knowledge of the national and local economic system of a country, has theoretical and procedural stability in its pursuit of national goals, and utilises a logical scientific method in its analyses. There’s no doubt that there are quite a lot of solutions to economic problems but introducing these solutions is a burden shouldered by the mass media. As such, the Iranian national media is required to follow a certain economic path, one that is comprised of the overall framework of the domestic economy as well as that of the Islamic methodology and ethical values.

a) Overemphasis on the demand side rather than the supply side of the market

It is a fact that in many cases the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) has adversely affected the supply side of the Iranian economy as it stimulated demands in the market. A good example is the extensive media coverage which focused on a shortage of some agricultural products in the market in the last winter which made the headlines in the newspapers. This is while such products usually face a supply-demand gap in some periods during the course of the year. If the media can inform people of this phenomenon, it will be possible for consumers to keep up with these seasonal fluctuations and there will be no pressure on consumer markets.

By improving the supply side of the economy as well as organizing demands, the macroeconomic balance will be achieved much more easily. For example, improving the business environment and increasing exports are among the most important issues to focus on in this respect

b) Ignoring the taste of audience

The issue of audience studies is one of the major principles in production of TV programmes that will help absorb larger audience and exert stronger influence on them. The mass media with their multifarious functions in the society are always in constant interaction with their surrounding environment. Today there’s fierce competition between the media giants to absorb a greater audience. The methods employed by the media outlets to keep their audience satisfied with regard to their needs and demands are quite substantial and among key success factors in the business that, when ignored, might work to the advantage of the rival media outlets. We have to take note that the audience is an entity with miscellaneous preferences and dispositions that only gives value to that which is compatible with its needs and demands.

c) Ignoring the educational aspects

Educating the human resources is a key factor in the process of development. Educated labour force will certainly have a better performance and this will obviously benefit the domestic economy. One of the most crucial tasks of the media (television in particular) that exerts a dramatic influence over the society’s development process is educating people and promoting their knowledge; a task that is carried out either directly or indirectly. The direct (explicit) education is a voluntary practice with obvious manifestations in the behavior and performance of the individuals. 

‘Saaj’ by Shruti Sancheti.

Shruti is an effervescent designer who has dressed the likes of Juhi Chawla, Vidya Balan and many more. Her current collection ‘Saaj’ is inspired by the magnificent state of Maharashtra which boasts a vibrant and cosmopolitan identity with an illustrious history, diverse culture and fiercely proud society that is an integral part of India. Her inspirations are also drawn from the glorious Paithani for embroidery rather than the conventional weave along with utilization of Aari Embroidery, Resham, etc as means of surface ornamentation.

Kicking off the festive season with a vibrant and colourful preview of her Saaj collection was designer Shruti Sancheti. Held at Atosa, a multi-designer store in Mumbai, Shruti had a number of beautiful celebrity friends and clients drop by. They checked out these creations fashioned from traditional Maharashtrian weaves. Rudraksh presents Saaj by Shruti Sancheti : A sparkling collection describing Maharashtra’s culture and ethnicity Keeping the Marathi penchant for vibrancy, the colour palette is warm and festive with accent of Resplendent Liquid Gold, Scintillating Crimson, Fuchsia, Emerald Greens, Radiant Indigo Blue, Vivacious Purples, etc combined with unconventional patterns derived from motifs like Peacock, Maharastrian Nose Rings and Karvats. 

DHOOM:3 Tickets To Cost More?

Even beforethe teaser of Dhoom 3 was out, there was tremendous buzz around the movie andthe look of the stars. Looking at the great response to the teaser and motion poster,the makers are planning to cash on the popularity.

Like severalhighly anticipated movies with big stars, the tickets to this December release may be sold at a higher price at multiplexes around the country.

Industry sources claim that the tickets can be priced at an amount as high as R 500 at regular multiplexes. Since this is the first Bollywood film to release in the Imax format, the tickets for those screenings will come for an even higher cost.

In the past, Salman Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Shah Rukh Khan’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) and the recent Chennai Express, Ajay Devgn’s Son Of Sardaar (2012) and Aamir’s Talaash (2012) have released with higher ticket prices. Like most of these films, Dhoom:3 will also release on a festive weekend, during Christmas.
Like most of these films, Dhoom:3 will also release on a festive weekend, during Christmas.Industrysources claim that the tickets can be priced at an amount as high as Rs. 500 atregular multiplexes. Since this is the first Bollywood film to release in theImax format, the tickets for those screenings will come for an even highercost.

Ashish Saxena of Big Cinemas explains, “During the holiday season, people don’t mind alittle extra on movies during the festive season.”

Rafiq Gangjee, the official spokesperson of the production house that is making Dhoom:3, says, “Nothing has been fixed by the multiplexes or the Imax theatres as of now.”

"Welcome Back" will not be an ordinary one.

Firoz Nadiadwala‘s Welcome Back, the sequel to the 2007 comedy Welcome, went on floors a month ago with a huge cast of actors - John Abraham, Shruti Haasan, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor and Paresh Rawal. One of the first things they did was shoot John’s introductory song , for which they had decided to go all-out. So, they constructed an elaborate set and brought on board 700 junior artistes and dancers. After seven days of shooting, they finally wrapped it up.

The song, which was shot in a popular suburban studio, racked up a bill of approximately 3 crores.  John Abraham's entry in Anees Bazmee's "Welcome Back" will not be an ordinary one. The director has spent Rs.3 crore on a song that will introduce the actor in the comedy.It has been shot in a popular suburban studio here

 Producer Firoz Nadiadwala confirmed this, and added:“Anees bhai wanted to do something special with the song. He and Anu Malikhave worked extremely hard on it and wanted it to be shot in an elaborate manner. Right from the beginning we had planned to shoot John’s introductory song on a grand scale. We had 700 junior artists and dancers and the song was shot for over 7 days.”

 Sambhavna Seth, who is just back from shooting an item number with John Abraham for "Welcome Back", praises him for his humbleness.

"John is one star who is so normal and so down to earth. He is so humble and co-operative," Sambhavna said in a statement.

We are definitely looking forward for this song!