Express View: Who’s afraid of Amul?

The Hindu editorial today in Hindi

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin does not want the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul) to procure milk from the state. He has even asked the Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah to “direct” Amul to desist from “infringing” on the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation’s (Aavin) milk-shed area. The demand is uncalled for on at least two counts. First, Amul and Aavin are supposedly farmer-owned and professionally- managed dairy cooperatives. It isn’t desirable for any minister or bureaucrat to intervene in the business operations of such organisations. The urge to control and reduce cooperatives to departmental undertakings has unfortunately only increased in recent times, both in the states and at the Centre. It goes wholly against the spirit of liberalisation: Ease of doing business shouldn’t be only for large corporates.

The Hindu editorial free today

Secondly, whom does Amul’s entry harm in Tamil Nadu? Certainly not producers or consumers. The state’s dairy farmers will benefit when there are more buyers for their milk. In this case, Amul brings both size and credibility. For consumers, too, the more the brands, the merrier it would be. The only loser might be Aavin, the state-controlled cooperative that would like a situation of both monopsony (single buyer) and monopoly (single seller). As chief minister, Stalin should actually welcome Amul setting up processing plants and chilling centres, besides farmer producer organisations and self-help groups for milk procurement, in Tamil Nadu. Far from leading to “unhealthy competition between cooperatives”, it will force Aavin to become more efficient, pay farmers better and work towards retaining consumers. The state government should enable that, rather than blocking competition and the creation of a single national market. How can India, the world’s largest milk producer, become a dairy products exporter if firms are not allowed to buy and sell freely within its own boundaries?

The pushback against Amul in Tamil Nadu comes just over a month after the political brouhaha over the Gujarat cooperative’s announced entry into the Bengaluru market. That move was seen as threatening the local Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation (Nandini). In both instances, what should be normal and desirable economic competition in the marketplace is being thwarted by misplaced subnationalism. The truth is that Nandini and Aavin are strong brands in their own right. Consumers in the two states are unlikely to switch to a new entrant’s product in a hurry. Amul itself has been around in Telangana and north Karnataka for nearly a decade, but hardly made a dent in these markets against homegrown cooperative and private dairy brands. That should, however, not be a reason to deny competitors a chance to serve consumers and producers better.

The Hindu Vocabulary PDF 2023

Vocabulary

1. Procure (verb) – Purchase, buy, obtain, get, obtain, खरीदना

2. Direct (verb) – Guide, instruct, command, steer, lead, निर्देश देना

3. Desist (verb) – Stop, cease, discontinue, abstain, refrain, रोकना

4. Infringe (on) (verb) – Violate, breach, transgress, infract, encroach, उल्लंघन करना

5. Milk-shed (noun) – Dairy region, milking area, milk producing region, दुग्ध उत्पादन क्षेत्र

6. Uncalled (for) (adjective) – Unjustified, unnecessary, unwarranted, undue, Punasked for अनावश्यक

7. Count (noun) – Consideration, factor, aspect, point, मायने में

8. Supposedly (adverb) – Presumably, allegedly, purportedly, reportedly, माना जाता

9. Desirable (adjective) – Preferred, wished-for, sought after, desirable, वांछनीय

10. Bureaucrat (noun) – Official, administrator, public servant, कर्मचारी

11. Intervene (verb) – Interfere, mediate, intercede, intervene, हस्तक्षेप करना

12. Urge (noun) – Desire, longing, craving, yearning, अनुरोध

13. Undertaking (noun) – Project, task, assignment, venture, कार्य

14. Unfortunately (adverb) – Regrettably, sadly, lamentably, दुर्भाग्यवश

15. Spirit (noun) – Essence, soul, atmosphere, आत्मा

16. Liberalisation (noun) – Deregulation, relaxation of rules, freeing up the market, उदारीकरण

17. Certainly (adverb) – Definitely, surely, unquestionably, निश्चित रूप से

18. Credibility (noun) – Trustworthiness, reliability, dependability, विश्वनीयता

19. Merry (adjective) – Joyful, cheerful, lively, खुश, आनंदित

20. Monopsony (noun) market situation in which there is only one buyer

The Hindu Vocabulary PDF with Hindi Meaning

21. Monopoly (noun) a market structure where a single seller or producer assumes a dominant position in an industry or a sector

22. Set up (phrasal verb) – Establish, start, initiate स्थापित करना

23. Chilling centre (noun) – Milk cooling centre, dairy refrigeration station

24. Procurement (noun) – Acquisition, purchasing, buying, खरीद

25. Far from (phrase) – Not at all, nowhere near से दूर

26. Lead (to) (verb) – Result in, cause, bring about, create, produce, वजह बनना

27. Efficient (adjective) – Productive, effective, proficient, competent, able, कुशल

28. Retain (verb) – Keep, preserve, hold, maintain, continue to have, बरकरार रखना

29. Pushback (noun) – Resistance, opposition, confrontation, defiance, प्रतिरोध

30. Brouhaha (noun) – Commotion, fuss, uproar, hullabaloo, हंगामा

31. Threaten (verb) – Menace, intimidate, terrorize, pose a threat to, धमकाना

32. Instance (noun) – Example, case, occurrence, illustration, उदाहरण

33. Thwart (verb) – Obstruct, hinder, hamper, impede, बाधा डालना

34. Misplaced (adjective) – Misguided, misdirected, inappropriate, wrongly positioned, गलत

35. Subnationalism (noun) – A type of nationalism that refers to the love for a particular region within a country, क्षेत्रीय राष्ट्रवाद

36. Unlikely (adjective) – Improbable, doubtful, questionable, असंभव

37. Entrant (noun) – Newcomer, initiate, beginner, नया सदस्य

38. In a hurry (phrase) – Quickly, speedily, rapidly, जल्दी में

39. Decade (noun) – Ten years, दशक

40. Hardly (adverb) – Scarcely, barely, rarely कठिनाई से

41. Make a dent (phrase) – Make an impact, influence, have an effect, प्रभाव डालना

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