International aid has always been a tool for the benefit of the donor country or the ruling party of the donor country.

But I bet they don't drive them round in the back seat of the car for a week beforehand? That was the way Turks displayed the sheep they were going to kill at the end of Ramadan, then slit their throats by roadside so everyone could see. I haven't eaten lamb since then.


More of what you are talking about............
http://www.theage.com.au/national/wa...407-1wif2.html

I lived in Indonesia and am familiar with Eid, where they ritually slaughter a goat..... Again its a big family occasion.

But then again I have seen the local hunt 'blood" children at a kill, and have been handed a paw..... At least they eat the goat.

What he said.

Wasnt there a recent thread of those 'horrible' indians questionning British aid when an indian politician said that india does not need british aid?
Only became news as BAE lost out on a big fighter jet contract dished out by the indians to another country.

Most aid given by the west has been for its own benefit - economic or political EO.

Not sure what benefit the UK was getting out of giving India UKP1 Billion over the last five years. Its not like the Uk was buying a seat on the UN or anything.

Depends on the defence, civil engineering, oil and other projects up for grabs but under the radar of most of us. I know that BG Group has oil and gas interests in India.

Then you have government departments that will fight tooth and nail not to lose budget. The efficiency of the spending is hard to tell in the misty nature of Whitehall and Canberra. Diplomatic discussions are normally more opaque unless Bradley Manning got hold of it.

As Raj pointed out, it didn't work for the fighter jet project.... Most of the engineering and oil/gas projects would be private ventures. From memory, a large slice of the money was for improvements in rural areas - mainly sanitation and education - you know, the stuff Indian should pay for themselves if they were not busy with a space program and arms race....

I bothered to look it up:

http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/Default....elect=IN-India


PROJECT TITLE DESCRIPTION STATUS BUDGET
Universal Elementary Education (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan II) [114487] Improve the quality of elementary education for all children. Operational £295,951,200
Reproductive and Child Health Programme Phase II [107908] Disparities in access and use of essential reproductive and child health services reduced. Operational £166,296,100
Sector Wide Approach to Strengthening Health (SWASTH) in Bihar [114506] Increased access to better quality health, nutrition and water and sanitation services for underserved groups Operational £146,500,000
MP Health sector support [113707] Increased use of quality health, nutrition and sanitation services by the poor Operational £103,000,000
National AIDS Control Programme III [107859] To achieve the National AIDS Control Programme's strategic objective of, achieving behaviour change through scaling up the prevention of new infections in high risk groups (HRG) and general population; and increased care, support and treatment of people living with HIV. Operational £102,000,000
West Bengal - Health Sector Support [107906] Enhanced and equitable utilisation of quality health services by the poorest and those in great need. Complete £95,000,000
West Bengal : Kolkata Urban Services for the Poor [107891] Improved quality of life and opportunity for 2.4 million poor people in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) Operational £94,150,000
Orissa Health Sector Support [113963] Increased use of quality health, nutrition and sanitation services by the poor Operational £88,000,000
DFID UNICEF Strategic Partnership in India [108000] ENHANCED GOVERNMENT CAPACITY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING, IMPLEMENTATION AND COMMUNITY MOBILISATION, TO BETTER REALIZE THE RIGHT OF CHILDREN. Operational £75,000,000
Support Programme for Urban Reforms in Bihar [114040] Identified ULBs ability to provide urban services and attract private investment significantly enhanced Operational £61,000,000

and so on for another 74 pages.

Surely public money would not be used to promote private ventures that need government approval

On the positive side India is slowly putting in corruption fighting measures.

Hawk training jet fighters???

Theres a number of projects - alternative to dirty coking for one - in Gujarat that have been up for grabs.

Space & Arms programs are a must ...will generate revenue in the future. Since they got into the 'arms' game, the US attitude to india changed dramatically. Makes me laugh when people on this forum rant on about it given the benefits they've enjoyed directly linked to the arms industry in the uk.

If UK dont want to give, then as Hillary clinton said to pakistan, dont accept it...or in the uks case ...give the ******* money to someone else...bet that want happen....future orders innit!

Private ventures??? geez you dont really believe that do you?? Without Govt patronage, it wouldnt happen.

Where is that one Rajj? I can't find it.

I can see UKP254.9 million being spent upon Elementary Education - which is a shedload of British taxpayers money.

Not sure what they get for that....

Arms and space races are good for banging the patriotic drum. Otherwise they have given the west Teflon and a way to spectacularly destroy our own wealth. India would do well to learn the lessons but it is too busy comparing manhood sizes with the neighbours.