India through students' lenses

* Thanks again for everything! The trip was amazing!
* Thanks for all that you did for us on the trip!
* Thanks for a fan-tabulous January!
* Thanks again for everything.  It was a great trip and an
experience I will never forget!

**From LM**
Flipping over to how globalization has impacted India's economy you can
visually see how it has helped,and hurt them. Globalization has created
job opportunities for many educated Indians. However, it is not
possible for everyone to get an education. We found out that parents
send their kids to school and pay for it. Public education is free,
but you have to pay to go to college. So, those with money get educated.
Even with free public education parents don't send children to school
because the schools are either too far away, or the child helps bring
money in to the family and they lose that source of income with the child
at school. So, on one hand India benefits from the jobs made available
to them by companies who decide to outsource there, but on the other hand
many Indians do not have the education that will allow them to apply
for or succeed in these jobs. Globalization leaves the poor class poorer
and the rich class richer.
   I believe that globalization might more effectively help the Indian economy
if the whole “trickle down economics” phenomena was actually applied. I am a
very big skeptic of trickle down economics because you rely on the morals of
company owners. Indian companies have to make a conscience effort to put money
back into the economy around them, but it's hard especially because the money
goes back to the parent country. I did not see much of an effort from the
local companies to put that money back into the area around them and
I am not sure they have much control over that. 3i said that they were helping
the economy because the government was bringing electricity to them, and
therefore the area surrounding them. It did not sound a lot like they were
doing anything consciously to help those around them though. Not to say
that all those who own companies are morally corrupt. Infosys definitely
helps those around them, but the company began in India so they're investing
in their parent country.
India is on the turnaround with all of the foreign investment they are
receiving, but we have yet to see an effort from these foreign companies to
help all of India really improve itself. I believe that when companies
begin to feel more responsible for the impact that they are making, that
India will have a better chance at becoming a developed nation. There is
a rich culture and a long history of tradition that needs to be accounted for when
looking at that impact. When these big companies outsource to India or any
other country, they need to look at the background and traditions of that
country to understand how they are helping and hurting not only the
economy but the foundation of that country's beliefs.**

**From PM**
India is a place of great imagination, entrepreneurship, and contrast. It was exciting to be able to visit India at this exciting time during its development. There were so things that I was exposed to during the three weeks we traveled. One thing that particularly struck me was India's position on the evironment. The country seemed to be dirty with trash collection a difficult matter, and recycling almost impossible. 

On one side India seemed dirty and polluted by the people who would then use the same water for drinking, yet there was much more than could be seem by the common eye. The trash that was piled up along the streets to be collected by the government was not just sitting to be collected for the landfill. At a closer look, people would come to rummage throught the piles and find things that could be reused. The cans and jars would be washed out and then sold to a shopkeeper for a few ruppees. While exploring India, we encountered such stores that would seem crazy to America's consumerism, however they were actually quite resourceful and creative.

Cans were not the only thing recycled, newspaper was also used in a very special way. It was collected and then sold to store owners for a variety of uses. Many times street venders would turn the paper into an icecream cone shape so that it could be used for corn, popcorn, or other vegitable mixtures. It was one of the most disorganized yet efficent ways of recycling. There was no centralized system of recycling, only people who would themselves recycle and reuse. It was truely one of the most facinating things that i have seen.

In a country so poor, it was such a contrast to see how environmentally friendly and conscience the people were. In hotel rooms, signs were posted to remind international guests, who were treated like kings, to turn their lights off before they left their rooms. However, very geniously guests required to keep the key in the slot to keep the lights turned on. The inconvience for guests charging electrical equipment while out of their rooms was much small than the amount of electricity saved. It was not just hotels that were trying to save electricity, but the entire country. During our visit to Visteon, I noticed that the company had cleaverly created slots in the ceiling so that light would come into the factory naturally. There were not lights on at all. The use of skylights is someting that even developed countries could learn from India. It was even better than solar or wind energy.

The country does have a plan for its energy problems and shortages. It is planning a mix of nuclear, solar, and wind power. In the future, clean energy should replace dirtier methods. The only thing stopping India from developing clean is capital. It still doesn't yet have the money to use much green energy, but its goals are working towards that. In India, it is hard to forget about the impact one person makes on the globe because of the sheer number of people there are, and because of the amont of trash visible everywhere. I am excited to see India's growth. Because India is developing in the 21st century, it might well surpass America in ecofriendlyness one day.