The post-independence history of student movements in India and the ongoing protests

Does the current upsurge in student protests indicate the advent of a new phase in the history of the student movement in independent India? While a definitive answer to this question can only be given in time, the context from which this current wave springs has certain distinctive elements that are essential for understanding what is unfolding and its potential impact. On the one hand, the last two decades in India have seen a veritable explosion in the numbers of students studying in institutions of higher education and a great widening of the social base from which the student population in higher education is drawn. On the other, there has been near stagnation of the ratio of public expenditure on higher education to GDP. This and the trajectory of the economy have meant the combination of an increasing financial burden on students and their families and a growing lack in actual opportunities to satisfy the varied aspirations driving the willingness to bear this burden. This article will try to draw out the implications of these contradictory phenomena and the changing official discourse on education for understanding the possible transition being experienced by the student movement in the era of neo-liberalism, situating this period in the longer history of the student movement since independence.     

The Pricing of Delivery Services*

Abstract. Due to spatial separation between points of distribution and consumption, a vital feature of retailing is the provision of delivery services by customers, retailers, or transport intermediaries. Some store retailers, many Internet retailers, and most transport intermediaries use a multizone pricing plan or a generalized N‐zone menu plan. We extend spatial pricing theory to encompass multizone plans. We prove that the optimal number of zones varies with the level of demand relative to the spatial dispersion of customers, and with the cost of implementing a zonal plan. We show that a small number of zones capture almost all the profit attainable with a spatially discriminatory plan.     

Involvement of street children in the political violence of Bangladesh

Analyzing the situation in Dhaka, Bangladesh before the national election of 2014, this paper explores the consequences of political hostility on street-connected children using qualitative methods such as focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. Findings show that the children were affected by political violence, both as victims and perpetrators, which harmed them, both physically and mentally. Active participation of children was found in hostile political events. The paper ascertains that maintaining a good relationship with the adult world is crucial for the street-connected children’s day-to-day survival. However, this survival mechanism with the adult world in turn makes them vulnerable and forced them to act as miscreants to instigate violence during the hartals (strikes) and blockades of 2014. This study examines how street-connected children are exploited via their social networks during the times of political unrest.