RI can learn from India<\/p>\n
It is a matter of pride and joy that President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono (SBY) has chosen to visit India just after the
\nconclusion of the APEC meeting in South Korea. It is also a
\nmatter of pride that every president of Indonesia from Sukarno to
\nSBY will have paid a state visit to India.<\/p>\n
As per reports in The Jakarta Post, SBY has sought cooperation
\nfrom India in the IT and defense sectors. India today is a super
\npower in the software industry, but in the defense industry we
\nare still a small player.<\/p>\n
But maybe we are the right size for the defense needs of
\nIndonesia in terms of spare parts, etc. While these two sectors
\nare important to Indonesia, and India can surely become a strong
\nand useful long-term partner, I also hope that SBY finds time to
\nstudy the great success of India in mass education.<\/p>\n
Today, through low-cost (sometimes no-cost) schools run by
\nmunicipalities and governments, no willing Indian is denied
\neducation irrespective of his income. How India has achieved this
\ncould serve as a very important guide for a country like
\nIndonesia, where education is expensive and a lot of parents are
\nburdened by the inevitable loans needed to enable them to put
\ntheir children through school. Cheap books could be another area
\nof cooperation.<\/p>\n
A further area of interest is the cost of medical treatment in
\nIndonesia, which is so high that the man in the street finds it
\nvery difficult to get proper treatment at reasonable cost and
\ninstead has to turn to traditional medicine.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government could study the drug price control
\nsystem in India that makes it possible to get most essential
\ndrugs at reasonable prices. The prices of all medicines are
\nprinted on the package and one does not need to pay more than
\nthat price.<\/p>\n
There are also a large number of dispensaries and there is
\nhealthy competition among them. Many dispensaries even provide
\nfree home delivery. By comparison, we have to spend a lot of time
\nand money to get medicines in Indonesia. A small Indonesian group
\ncould visit India to study this issue.<\/p>\n
Though the quality of service may not be 5-star, the ordinary
\nIndian citizen can nevertheless get reasonably good treatment
\nfree of cost in many hospitals run by municipal corporations and
\ngovernments.<\/p>\n
While these may be low-profile areas compared to IT and
\ndefense, they may be closer to the heart of the man on the street
\nin Indonesia.<\/p>\n
K.B. KALE, Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-can-learn-from-india-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }