Arin Basu edited summary.tex  almost 9 years ago

Commit id: 316ef02786ebba1149a61abd64492c4eec37fbf8

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\textit{Abstract}   We argue in this paper that as a "soft power" in the world, India is also responsible to ensure the health of the citizens. Two significant phenomena since mid-1990s in India helped to establish India's emergent role as a soft power in the world. First, Indian entrepreneurs established "business process outsourcing centres" (BPO) that served as back offices to the developed countries; second, due to the Y2K crisis, migration of Indians to overseas increased. Both contributed to India's economic growth and establishment of India as a "soft power". In both the call centres and settlement in offices abroad, technologically articulate young Indians came in contact with clients and experienced life stresses in the developed countries. In call centres, Indians were exposed to additional burdens of working in night hours and stresses of interaction with clients from a foreign country and meeting their demands.  These in turn led to personal, social and public health related challenges for Indians everywhere. We present the findings from a survey conducted in Bengaluru, India and highlight health issues related to stress and work associated with BPO. We also draw a parallel with a survey of health effects observed among Indians and compared with other immigrants in Auckland DHB region in New Zealand. In the light of these findings, we discuss the broader question how should India address health issues to create a better environment for its own citizens even as it realises its aspiration as a global soft power.