Economics and Politics

Gap between promise and practice

2016-01-16T21:04:00.002+05:30

It is a matter of great disappointment that there is a big gap between what was promised initially in 2009 and what turned out ultimately in 2016 when the dignitary is about to demit his office as the President of USA.

Barack Obama pledged in a landmark speech at Hradcany Square in Prague on April 5, 2009 that he would take steps toward a nuclear-free world. But he is likely to leave office having overseen the start if an upgrade in America's nuclear arsenal.

He behaved the same way like some of his processors in office in the past.

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Schools closed in 12 districts of Tamil Nadu today November 30, 2015

2016-01-16T10:32:00.000+05:30

Copious rains! Almost all the lakes and ponds in the state are overflowing with flood waters. Water falls in the hilly regions too pouring large quantity of water with stones and branches of trees in places like Courtallam.

Farmers in the countryside have welcome the incessant rains despite damage to the standing crops in some pockets. About 50 villages in Vellore district are celebrating with community feasts and thanking the rain gods for filling the five lakes in their area which remained dry in the last three years.

Almost all the roads - major and minor, large and small in the urban areas have been damaged making the life of road users and local residents miserable for the last few days. Despite the sincere steps taken by the municipal administration and the state government the woes of the citizens continue to prolong. Such a sorry state of affairs have been compounded by the indifference and inefficiency in the working of the officials and public representatives. Even the courts' directions have not brought any changes over a period of time in the situation.

Like in the developed world we should have done the home work in advance and take measures to store the rain water and prevent excess water from flowing into the seas. Is there any mechanism or manpower concerned with this issue in a systematic way and ensure corrective arrangement in the near future? Sorry to say, none seems to be in the pipeline!

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Renaming of a road in the capital city of new Delhi

2016-01-16T10:26:00.002+05:30

The New Delhi Municipal Council has substituted the name of Aurangazeb road with that of APJ Abdul Kalam. It has been questioned by a lawyer before the Delhi High Court.

The powers of the municipal body in this regard are not questionable although the same are subject to a judicial review. But the naming of a structure or a facility after a high dignitary living or dead within the last 50 or 100 years is normally not to be encouraged, however esteemed or revered a person may be by the public. A good convention could be the naming done of an individual at least 100 years after his expiry. The nation and its history is not short of great names for this purpose.

This could be either decided by the Parliament or adjudicated by the Supreme Court of India.

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India's skill gap

2016-01-16T10:12:00.001+05:30

Addressing India's skill gap with MOOCs( Massive Open Online Courses) engaged in skill-building opportunities on demand. (Kabir Chadha - The Hindu September 2, 2015)

An online talent assessment company called Wheebox indicated in its 2014 India Skills Report that just 10 per cent of MBA graduates and 17 percent of engineering graduates in the country are employable. With online courses students can take charge of their own learning and ensure their education also prepares the for the workplace.

We produce MBA graduates and Engineering graduates in Lakhs every year in India. Just to get paper degrees with no scope for direct employment? If it is true why not be selective in terms of numbers as per the much-needed manpower planning

Judge secures future of orphaned boys after sentencing father to life

2016-01-14T02:04:00.001+05:30

Place: Mahila Court, Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu. (Friday, January 8, 2016)

Case: Murder of his wife by an alcoholic husband being sentenced to life imprisonment

Effect: Three sons (aged between 11& 7) of the couple being orphaned with no relatives prepared to take care.

Action of the judge Ms J.Flora:
She talked to the kids, learnt their helplessness, summoned the maternal uncle of the children with lot of difficulty, convinced him for a few days of custody and left the court room only after ensuring their protection in a home run by Roman Catholic Missionaries. She left the office only at 7.30 PM to reach her house where her son was waiting for the mother.

Hats off to such a judge in our midst. India is in safe hands. I wrote a letter and thanked her for such a gesture.

I also salute the Christian Missionaries for their selfless and silent service to humanity in India where I find Hindu Mutts having no inclination to engage in such humanitarian work.
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Debate over projecting IAS officer as CM candidate in Tamil Nadu

2015-12-30T22:40:00.002+05:30

One young IAS officer by name U.Sagayam who had been responsible for the exposure of a big granite scam in and around Madurai town involving thousands of crores of rupees and benefitting many officials and nonofficials in the recent past in the state of Tamil Nadu is being tipped for the post of CM by a section of socitey in the coming elections in 2016. Follow up action on his voluminous report is awaited on the directions of Madras high Court in the days to come. His boldness in the job and simple living at the home front have earned him a good reputation in the last 5-6 years. The manner in which the political parties have conducted in the last 3-4 decades have forced the majority of voters to think in terms of an alternative party well suited for correcting the malady that has set in the governmance and administration of Tamil Nadu State. Hence the cry for an IAS officer to serve as the CM of Tamil Nadu like Arvind Kejriwal (an IRS officer) in Delhi.

A mixed reaction both in favour and against an individual being projected for the post of chief minister has been discussed in detail by taking the opinions of former civil servants and a professor of Madras University in the Hindu edition dated December 27,2015. It was even quoted therein that honest and committed individuals like M.S. Udayamurthy, a social worker and R.Nallakannu, a CPI leader have failed to ensure success in the hustings at last.

Indian democracy is yet to mature and permit a group of highly qualified and experienced with no family liabiltities to carry conviction with a workable agenda promising a clean and efficient government so that the present set up can be thrown away and the rule of law can be established for the general welfare and impartial administration. Officers like Sagayam should continue in service and serve as responsible and conscious Secretaries and chief secrtaries in the state in the days to come.

A group of experienced and committed officials either sitting or superannuated can collect themselelves for a common cause, form a political party and serve the state for a term as the founders and leave the mantle to the youngsters in a democratic way to rule this state for 2-3 decades and enable the state to regain its primacy in several fields of economic and social sectors.

Cheap popularity and damning strategy among the masses

2015-12-18T21:41:00.002+05:30

It all started in 1967 in the state of Tamil Nadu ( previously called Madras state in the Republic of India ) when the DMK party headed by C.N.Annadurai ( a great scholar, writer, orator and an honest soul to the core and his early demise in office was a great loss to Tamil population) snatched the political power from the Congress party by promising distribution of rice at one rupee a measure (equivalent to about one and a half kilograms) to the ration-card holders. The first non-congress government came to power on the basis of such a promise on the eve of elections. As usual the election manifesto did hardly throw light on the financial as well as the possible adverse impact on the expenditure towards creation and maintenance of basic infrastructure ( at a great opportunity cost ) needed for economic development. The said promise was partially implemented but the original author of the scheme passed away very soon leaving the mantle of responsibility to his successor chief ministers both in DMK and AIADMK parties till date. The legacy of such freebies normally being announced on the eve of general elections has not only broadened in their sweep and numbers in the state of Tamil Nadu but also got extended to other parts and states in the country thereafter.

The budget for basic infrastructure and other economic services got reduced over a period of time with mounting deficits beyond the repaying capacity of those states as also serving the interests of their own employees growing in Lakhs and Lakhs. For instance no irrigation dam worth-noting came in existence in the state of Tamil Nadu in the last fifty years after the exit of K.Kamaraj, the C.M of repute in every sense of the term. The result, the state has not developed like Singapore but has remained a poor developing economy still.

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Democracy means decentralisation of powers

2015-12-16T08:09:00.001+05:30

It is unfortunate that even in the offices and institutions of Indian democracy, the powers and decision-making initiatives of authorities - both among elected and permanent executives have not been decentralised yet satisfactorily even after 68 years of independence from the British. It is certainly against the will of freedom fighters and the common man in the street. Any amount of justification to prove the contrary will not hold good in the days to come. People can hardly be fooled forever.

The job of a Station House Officer (sub inspector / inspector of a police station) is done by the Superintendent of Police (the police chief of a district / county). The duty of a district police chief is performed by the chief of state police. Similarly the function of a Tahsildar is expected to be ensured by the district collector ( the civil / administrative head of a county). We painfully make a note of the fact that the collector's work is executed by the head of a state government (chief minister). Initiative of the concerned officials is no more visible with the result the welfare of the citizen is no longer the responsibility of the said person and the general public suffers in the end.

A platoon of officers and the staff are on the enrolment but in times of emergency the requisite relief and remedy are not forthcoming on time and in adequate measure. The educated and the elite in public service remain silent spectators to what is going on in the system of administration. Survival and promotion of self interest alone have become the main motto of the entire government machinery. The biggest price paid by the Chennai citizens in recent floods during the first week of December, 2015 due to indecision or delayed decision or over-centralisation of powers at the apex level of state administration is the latest and costliest example.

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Beauty

2015-12-12T15:19:00.001+05:30

Beautiful thought on beauty comes only in late sixties

Can any one define beauty easily in absolute terms?

Can it be defined sans basing the same on an object

Beautiful look comes from a pleasant object in front.

Beauty is a thing which one beholds front and forth

But for beauty, poets and artists lose essence of life

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they rightly say

Beautiful object is a source of attraction for all ever

Beauty may be seen in an infant of human or animal

Beauty attains progress as the object grows in stages

Beauty of a female is definitely a better picture to see

Beauty of a woman mesmerises even a saint in sleep

Taste of an individual on the job increases with beauty

Waist of a female figure is neatly chiselled by sculptor

Haste of a human being hurts one on the false identity

Tartlet to starlet everyone knows the value of beauty!

Dr.P.Raghavan,

Raipur (India)

26-04-15

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Role of MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly in Tamil Nadu)

2015-12-12T07:34:00.001+05:30

R.K. nagar is the constituency of Ms J.Jayalalitha, the CM of Tamil Nadu. The residents have complained that their areas ( V.O.C.Nagar) are flooded with sewage mixed with rain water for more than a month, but no action has been taken by the authorities. Hence a protest on the main highway forcing the police force to intervene.

Sorry state of affairs. Despite the grievance expressed several times, no action! Residents are crying for help while their representative in the state Assembly has no time to extend help in times of emergency. What will happen in other constituencies?

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Cumbum farmers record bumper paddy yield

2015-11-17T06:35:00.002+05:30

Early onset of monsoon, timely release of water from Periyar Dam for irrigation and adoption of modern agriculture practices, including the System of Rice Intensification have helped farmers in Cumbum valley get a bumper yield in the first cropping season (Kuruvai) this year.

Highest yield in Theni district of Tamil Nadu State was 10072 Kgs per hectare as reported by Joint Director of Agriculture department. Farmers are happy, the traders have made on-the-spot procurement minimising the post-harvest loss.

It is quite heartening to note that the Farmers are quite progressive in this area in using machines for transplantation, weeding, spraying fertilisers and harvesting.

One would wish the farmers all over the country follow this example. Sooner the better!

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ASSOCHAM Study:

2015-11-16T12:38:00.001+05:30

Considering deficit in rainfall for 2015-16 pulse production in India might decline and decrease to 17 million tonnes (against 17.2 million tonnes in 1014-15), a total of 10.1 million tonnes of pulses might have to be imported.

For per capita consumption of 21.8 (against 20.8 in 2011-12) kgs and monthly per capita consumption expenditure of Rs 158.8 (against Rs. 96.00 in 2011-12) the total consumption demand would be around 27.1 million tonnes in 2015-16. Hence the expected demand for imports to that extent.

Any planning done and remedial measures undertaken by the Maratha leader Mr Sharad Pawar as Union Agriculture Minister during UPA regime under the economist PM Dr. Manmohan Singh? Not visible and notable by the way!

What is the guarantee that the present establishment at Delhi would ensure dramatic steps for the better in the days to come? No one knows really, I say!

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ASSOCHAM Study:

2015-11-15T21:39:00.001+05:30

What is the guarantee that the present establishment at Delhi would ensure dramatic steps for the better in the days to come? No one knows really, I say!

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Nobel Lessons

2015-11-08T15:28:00.000+05:30

To really improve its welfare policy, India needs improved data and accountability - look at the winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize for economics, Angus Deaton, who has had a long professional association with India. And various lessons from his work are quite relevant to Indian public policy today, for example the lesson about measurement being the key to enforcing accountability. Deaton was a pioneer in devising ways to measure consumption, which led to a better understanding of poverty and ways to fight it. India, unfortunately, falls short when it comes to measurement.

For an India audience, the Nobel is a welcome development as his work has been of particular relevance to our challenges. We spend over Rs 3 trillion annually on subsidies and welfare measurers but make slow progress in poverty reduction, with almost a third of the population still poor. India’s fight against poverty, however, has benefitted from Deaton’s body of work and will continue to gain from his relentless drive to understand the way things work.

As a matter of fact India is a land of opportunity and the source of inspiration to scholars and economists to fathom more and more and come to findings that could fetch awards and prizes.

Story & History

2015-11-08T15:09:00.001+05:30

Hardly any difference between the story and the history if you look closely at the so called history books written by the so called scholars who too were subject to whims and fancies unless corroborated by two-three sources which I am afraid is not the case with many facts and figures of any history book - world history or Indian history. I consider the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata are parts of history only in bits and pieces narrated and interpreted for ages and millenniums.

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The disturbing trend of empty galleries (The Hindu, November 6, 2015)

2015-11-06T21:42:00.002+05:30

Legendary players like Sachin Tendulkar too would feel depressed if they happen to be performing n front of empty gallery. Mohali test is the latest example where empty galleries were watching and laughing at the test players!

I would say it is a good sign. It augurs well for other active and manly games like hockey, football and athletics etc. to pick up. In fact Cricket, like golf, was a stately game played by the English lords and their servants in those days. Initially they were wasting a number of days by playing such a low paced game.

Precious mandays of active workers and their hard-earned money should not be invested in such games in a developing nation like ours for some more time.

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Devils at work

2015-10-20T17:43:00.001+05:30

Sadistic pleasure born out of cultural vandalism or vindictive vengeance gets definition from acts such as blasting of the ruins of Syria's ancient Palmyra on Monday, August 31, 2015 by the Islamic State group - thus effecting damage to the West Asia' s most treasured heritage sites.

Are they the true descendants of earlier demons destroying the work of humans without knowing their value and importance in ancient days?

God knows their true intention and concomitant action!

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Hats off to Vladimir Putin!

2015-10-20T14:58:00.000+05:30

ISIS is in for deep trouble, thanks to the determined will of Russian supremo to dismantle ISIS's foothold from the map of Syria, the stronghold of this terror outfit.

Violence and terror let loose by this terror organisation need to be countered by a strong hand like Russia only - effectively and quickly so that the world can live in peace. Syria and its citizens have suffered enough - two lakh people have lost their life and the people in a similar number have migrated as refugees to the neighbouring countries. Enough is enough. Let the Russian troops complete their task with the sufficient and efficient warheads at their disposal, - in the process exhibiting and testing their own military strength.

Great. Keep it up.

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Ramlila in Naogaon in Chhattarpur district of Madhya Pradesh State

2015-10-20T10:54:00.002+05:30

Ramlila is being observed and celebrated with usual interest and preparation in this small township for the last 111 years at a stretch. The beauty of this year's Ramlila is that the local MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh) is acting in the role of Janak Maharaj, the celebrated father of Maa Sita, the wife of Raja Ram.

Look at the devotion of villagers and their representatives in preserving the tradition and heritage of this area and community. Great. We should be proud of such happenings in this country.

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Faith of Faithfuls

2015-10-15T15:51:00.005+05:30

Faith is the source of unity in any group or the party
Faith is the connecting device among the devotees
But for faith religious congregation isn't a possibility
But for faith prayer and puja may never be a reality

Faith drives humanity to collect and fight for a cause
Faith varies from place to place and from time to time
Small gods and goddesses attract a few in the vicinity
Small & varied virtues are attributed towards the gods

Early men and women worshiped trees and mountains
Even they were in awe towards all five major elements
Earthen species did pay a tribute to rulers for protection
Earthly life compelled those to venerate nature for good.

Chennai,
01-04-14

How does one derive pleasure and happiness?

2015-10-14T16:10:00.003+05:30

By possessing sufficient wealth and income ensuring mundane and material comforts for making a decent and wholesome living.

By reducing, discarding or even sacrificing the unwanted and under utilised items and goods badly needed by the underprivileged sections of our society in the neighbourhood.

By utilising the time in such actions and avocations that result in job satisfaction, peace of mind & mental equilibrium.

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Land Bill of NDA Government at the Centre.

2015-10-13T18:04:00.001+05:30

One of the best attempts made by Modi's Government at the centre namely 'land bill' through ordinance route thrice has ended without any fruitful result. Unfortunate.

Absolute majority in Lok Sabha was not sufficient to rush through the major legislation on land acquisition matters, as a part of 'Team India's efforts to implement 'Make In India' dream. A little more serious homework from PMO could have handled this issue more successfully without losing face. I am sure the GOI would try to achieve its objective in the coming winter session of Parliament after seeing the report of Parliamentary committee on this subject and getting the support in a joint session (sitting) of both the Houses of Parliament.

What is needed is a bold and open debate in public forums and the media on the importance of the bill with practical solutions to the interests of farmers of this country. On the other hand it is better to leave this issue permanently to be handled by the states as it has resulted right now.

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What is happening in this country?

2015-10-09T22:14:00.001+05:30

No tolerance towards dissent and no defender of human beings facing the risk of murderous attempts? Public is a mute witness to the wrongdoings in our society unfortunately. See the example of Mohammed Akhlaq's killing by a mob in Dadri.

Politicians are playing dirty politics as alleged by his son Sartaj.

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Renaming of a road in the capital city of new Delhi

2015-09-12T15:46:00.003+05:30

The New Delhi Municipal Council has substituted the name of Aurangazeb road with that of APJ Abdul Kalam. It has been questioned by a lawyer before the Delhi High Court.

The powers of the municipal body in this regard are not questionable although the same are subject to a judicial review. But the naming of a structure or a facility after a high dignitary living or dead within the last 50 or 100 years is normally not to be encouraged, however esteemed or revered a person may be by the public. A good convention could be the naming of an individual at least 100 years after his / her expiry. The nation and its history is not short of great names any way for this purpose.

This could be either decided by the Parliament or adjudicated by the Supreme Court of India.

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'Good governance has become a casualty'

2015-09-11T20:53:00.002+05:30

"Transfers and postings were some ways in which the bureaucracy was made compliant. Today government servants are used to cushy postings which is a gift of the political bosses. Transferring of officials is not and should not be the prerogative of political bosses. It is a potent weapon by which one can control the honest bureaucrat or reward a dishonest one. I strongly believe that the power of transfer should b vested with the bureaucracy itself and politicians should not have any role to play in it." -- said N. Santosh Hegde, former Supreme Court judge and former Lokayukta of Karnataka State while delivering the 12th Nani Palkivala memorial lecture in Mumbai on Tuesday, September 1, 2015.

One should agree with his observation and await the day when politicians would realise this truth and voluntarily surrender their right as we desire. I would go a step further and argue that the promotions and punishments too should not be left in the hands of politicians although there is no guarantee that the senior bureaucrats too would be impartial in their conduct. Rather a panel of expert-seniors drawn from other cadres should be given this task for a fair and free disposal of such activities. Till then only psychopaths and selfish officials and politicians would spoil the atmosphere and ruin the administration permanently. We are no doubt fast moving in that direction both in the states and the centre. We certainly need a stern direction and ruling in that direction from the Supreme Court at any date in future!

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