Demonetization Report Card

Today marks one year of the decision of the NDA government to withdraw high-value currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 and extinguish 85% of the value of the currency in circulation. This was the third instance post Indian Independence when high value denomination notes ceased to be legal tenders. The major difference between the latest and the previous two rounds was the degree of Impact on the common man. Although it is still too early pass any judgment, one can still try to analyze the impact of the exercise.

Aims

1. Curb black money

2. Promote Digital Transactions

3. Bring down Cash in circulation

4. End Anonymity of cash owners

5. Increase the tax base

6. Eliminate counterfeit notes

Reality

 Nearly 99% of banned notes back with the RBI.

 There is no evidence of expansion of digitization in any major economy through demonetization.

 The RBI spent Rs 7,965 crore to print new currency notes from July 2016 to June 2017, more than twice the Rs 3,421 crore in the same period the previous year. But, if the currency in circulation does decline consistently, it could offset this huge one-time expenditure and other related expenses.

 The Income tax department, through its “Operation Clean Money” project launched in January, has tracked 13.33 lakh accounts with cash deposits of around Rs 2.89 lakh crore, and has received over 9 lakh responses so far.

 According to the government estimates, the savings in the form of investment in equity mutual funds, life insurance premiums and other products have risen after demonetization.

 According to the government, assets under management of mutual funds up 54% by June-end 2017 from March 2016.

 The RBI transferred a surplus of only Rs 30,659 crore this year to the government, compared to Rs 65,876 crore last year.

The Positive Side

 The tangible benefits may be in the form of less cash in the economy, higher tax compliance, and an initial spurt in digital payments which after the early momentum has seen a dip, indicating a reversal in trend with remonetization.

 The switch in the financial holdings of households from cash to bank deposits.

 There is significant increase in the tax base. The number of tax payers increased from 55.9 million in 2015-16 to 65 million in 2016-17. The 16% increase in 2016-17 is unprecedented. There was also an almost 27% surge in new income tax filers in 2016-17-compared to 20% in the previous year and 5% the year before that. Direct tax collection between April and July 2017 increased by more than 19% over the same period in the previous year.

 The broadening of the tax base has several macroeconomic implications –

• The extra resources it generates can be spent on important public goods and welfare programmes, including those pertaining to health and education.

• By broadening the direct tax base, a successful fight against black money reduces the reliance on indirect taxes.

• It can result in authorities lowering tax rates, especially for those at the lower end of the income spectrum.

• Black money stays out of the formal financial system.

• Black money seeks alternative destinations through capital flight in the form of export under invoicing or import over invoicing.

The Negative Side

 The move has proved to be a volatile, fruitless and almost fatal for most MSMEs in the country.

 Demonetization brought many small industries closer to digitalization, the micro industries had to go through an unstable phase.

 Big losses to the unorganized sector, farmers and traders.

 The hardest-hit were those in rural areas, where access to banking and the internet are quite low (The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) 2016 report on branch authorization policy classified 93% of rural centers in the country as unbanked; Only 3% of households in underdeveloped rural access to internet in a 2016 consumer economy survey)

 The liquidity squeeze led to a pile-up at wholesale markets, leading to a sharp decline in the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) of perishables.

 Rural consumer sentiment too took a hit, with domestic sales of two-wheelers plunging sharply.

 New project announcements declined sharply in the wake of demonetization, a Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) analysis showed, hurting the capex cycle.

 Data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) estimate that about 1.5 million jobs were lost during January-April 2017. Labour Bureau employment survey also reflects a sharp decline in jobs after demonetization. This lack of job opportunities is mirrored in the data sets for the government’s flagship skilling scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).

 Data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed the economy grew 5.7% in April-June, the first quarter of the current fiscal year, slower than the previous quarter’s 6.1%. The first half of the last fiscal year, that is the period prior to demonetization, recorded a real growth of 7.7%.

Verdict

Government should focus on ensuring growth, job creation and investment. The urgent need is to get the private sector to start investing. It has launched a multi-pronged attack on corruption and black money. There is a concerted attempt to improve ease of doing business, and technology is being used to deliver public services without leakages.

From the analysis above, one can infer that there is no absolute “Yes” or “No” answer to the Demonetization puzzle. It was a big move and will continue to impact our lives in years to come. There is a future beyond the present.

India Pakistan Impasse

Ever since the despicable and cowardly mutilation of two of our Jawans by our untrustworthy neighbours, the calls for talks have only grown louder and shriller. True, there is no alternative to talks. A war is simply out of question and a piecemeal approach of carrying out surgical strikes and retaliatory actions are only short term measures good enough only for another pat on the back.

The real question is not Why but What? What should be the content of the talks? Unfortunately this is where the problem lies. Common sense advocates issues like Trade and Commerce, Investment, People to people contact, cultural exchanges and last but not the least Terrorism which is not just our problem but also our neighbour's. But the reality is that the moment we try to initiate any talk, our neighbour's one word reply of "Kashmir" stall it. And why not? Kashmir is an integral part of India. If anything then it should be about the illegal occupation by Pakistan that should make the cut. But no. Our neighbour is suffering from a brain tumour that started in 1947 and has only grown since. They do not realise what happens when one ignores a tumour.

They need to wake up and focus on issues that really matter. Their mentality is like a "Timex watch in the Digital age", won't last long. Their ego cum greed will be their downfall. Just look at what they have done to their own country. Balochistan which is their largest province (around 40% area) also happens to be their least developed. POK is in shambles. And all they can think of is occupying more territory. So mature.
Bottomline is that there can be no talks until and unless there is maturity on both the sides. Maturity of agreement on the content which should be according to the demands of the 21st Century and not for someone's whims and fancies.

Lastly, I strongly condemn (another) dastardly act by the cowards. May our Bravehearts rest in peace. They command our Gratification and Respect. Jai Hind.

International Women's Day - Why?

Had this thought today - "Why do we have a Women's day, an Environment day, wildlife day, earth day etc etc etc?" Then after some thought, I came out with two major reasons - 1. To Celebrate the idea or 2. Acknowledge our concern for something wrong.

Now there is no black or white answer for each of these days. For all of them (including the day being celebrated today), both the reasons hold some weight.

In our country, the society has been historically patriarchal. Women don't enjoy even the basic rights in many regions. Many pockets in states like Haryana have a high number of Human trafficking and rape cases. In many organisations, women face a high degree of Sexual harassment. Acid attack cases have shot up despite Supreme Court decrees. Dowry is rampant. Domestic violence is there in almost every household. Girls are not allowed to study in many regions.Number of female foetus cases is on the rise. Last but not the least, the way our leaders comment on women issues, is another area of grave concern.

But wait, everything is not glum. On the other side of the coin, we have rising awareness of women's rights. We've thousands of advocacy groups taking up women causes like never before. Political representation of women is going up. Many CEOs, MDs etc of reputed MNCs are Women. Women are ahead of men in many areas like academics, sports etc. So, one can safely say that the situation for the other half has improved.

Still, there is a long way to go. Mindset is still of the eighteenth century (with many). A boy is still preferred over a girl child (Child Sex ratio is abysmal!). So, whenever there is a Women's day, it's fine to celebrate the other half's success but one (esp. menfolk) should also ask oneself -

"What's my first reaction when I see a woman (or a beautiful woman for that matter)?" (The posts after India Bangladesh Asia Cup final, a couple of days back, raised some issues!) OR

"According to me, where does a Woman stand in my family?" (Inheritance of assets etc) OR

"Will I be fine if my wife earns more than I do?" OR

"Is my daughter equal to my son in my eyes?"

The answers to these will clear the air to an extent, and then one can make the course correction if required. ‪#‎InternationalWomensDay‬

AAP's domination - a Panoramic view

"What a victory!", "What domination!", "A Watershed moment of Indian politics.", "AAP's the BAAP!", "5 saal Kejriwal!", "The mufflerman strikes back!" etc, the whole of nation was abuzz with catchphrases like these the moment the picture became clear that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was going to clean sweep Delhi assembly elections 2015. That's right! The party which was written off by almost all the political pundits around our Bharat did the unthinkable. A 67/70 (96%) result is no less than a miracle. It's like the result of a 12th passout for whom a St. Stephen's principal will himself stand at the gates to embrace the kid with a Munnabhai Jaadu ki jhappi and escort to the block. This is truly remarkable, unthinkable, unprecedented, unparalleled and what not! But how did this happened. The Rags to riches story of the AAP was full of twists and turns. It was like a Dan Brown Sci-fi thriller which keeps its readers on the hinges. 

This post is a bird eye view of most (if not all) the factors that culminated into this miracle. The post also takes into consideration the promises made by AAP and tries to answer the most important FAQ - "Are they feasible?". Moreover, the post is also an attempt to answer some other questions (that matter) like - "What's the significance of these results?", "What's the future of the politics in the country post these results?". So, overall this post attempts to take a panoramic view of the situation at hand.

The first important set to study is the one of the factors/events that led to AAP's phenomenal victory,

OPPOSITION

It's a maxim that sometimes your enemy helps you more that your friend, in achieving your victory. This election saw something similar. The party which was touted as the frontrunner, ever since Shri. Arvind Kejriwal resigned, helped AAP the most. Let's consider first the BJP's (Bharatiya Janata Party) case,

1. Negative Campaign - This election BJP indulged in a mud slinging rally like never before. From calling Shri. Arving Kejriwal a Bhagoda to carrying out false campaigns, the BJP simply saw no limit. This had a seriously negative effect on the psyche of the voters. It appeared as if the BJP had lost its mind and had no issue whatsoever to counter AAP. Moreover, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's caveat to the people (in a rally speech) that if BJP loses than Delhi may not get the right amount of development (centre's help!), was another nail in the coffin.

2. Communalism -  Post the 16th Lok Sabha elections the BJP's brother in arm, RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and its affiliates have indulged in a whole new level of communalism. From forced religious conversions (in the garb of Ghar Wapsi Movement) to church vandalism, from Love Jihad to some of their MPs' provocative speeches, the events have cast a long and dark shadow on BJP's image.

3. Leader choice - BJP's choice of CM candidate Smt. Kiran Bedi also didn't pay off. From bad timing to her lack of oratory skills (perception and presentation wise), it all backfired. It was once advised that if AAP needs to garner some extra votes then its people should encourage the voters to watch Smt. Kiran Bedi's interviews.

4.  The Real Face - Even after anointing Smt. Kiran Bedi as their Chief Minister (CM) candidate, BJP ran the campaign in the name of the prime minister. Yes, this strategy worked out really well in all other state assembly elections post Lok Sabha polls but these Delhi elections were a totally different cup of tea. Here, there was no anti-incumbency against AAP. Unlike other states, BJP's main opposition, for a change, was not Indian National Congress. Hence the tried and tested formula didn't work this time around. Also, the fact that it will be Smt. Kiran Bedi and not Shri. Narendra Modi who will run Delhi (if BJP voted to power) also turned the tables in AAP's favour.

5. BJP's work - BJP's promises during the Lok Sabha campaigns haven't yielded much results so far. How many new factories have been opened in the last 9 months? How many jobs created? Have the food prices come down substantially? Has there been any new investments? The answers to these questions don't nod in BJP's favour. 

6. Funding controversy - The timing of the funding controversy (as alleged by their breakout faction AAP Volunteer Action Manch (AVAM)) regarding the so called two crore donations by sham companies also raised eyebrows about the timing of the entire episode. The question asked was - "Why now?". Also the way AAP took the allegations head-on is something worth a mention.

If we talk about the grand old party of India, INC then there isn't much to say. The party has been losing one election after another. The situation is so worse that this time around, it drew a blank. Some of the reasons for their debacle are - 

a. Lack of leadership

b. Lack of organisation

c. Defections

d. Tainted Image (post multiple scams - 2G, Commonwealth et al)

e. Lack of credibility

f. Media's role in exposing

Other parties simply didn't figure in the scheme of things this time, so let's move on.

ALTERNATIVE

With so many flaws in the main parties (BJP and INC) people were looking for a suitable alternative. The reason why BJP won in other states was due to a lack of alternative to the incumbents. People there had no other (better) choice than the BJP. The anti-incumbency factor (against INC) was present in Delhi too but here, with BJP, there was another good (and new) alternative in AAP. Also, people like change. It's human nature to try something new. With a shoddy track record, almost all other parties ended up being second to AAP.

THE DELHITES

A closer look at Delhi's demography (a 60-70% change since 1970s) can make one realize the one big factor that contributed to AAP's stunning victory. It's the aspirations of the masses of Delhi. From lower to upper rungs, everyone voted for AAP. The reason is simple. They are fed up with the treatment that previous ruling dispensations have meted out to them. Rampant corruption (and with it harassment) has always been the biggest issue for the masses (in realization of their dreams). And AAP's politics revolved around this one issue. BJP was banking upon the purvanchalis (the immigrants from UP and Bihar) but even they too voted for AAP. There was a clean sweep and the message was clear.

AAP's BRAND OF POLITICS

AAP's brand can be aptly described in just one word - Intoxicating. Their anti-corruption stand attracted one and all. Accountability is in every AAP message. Be it disclosing their funding details (on their website) or be it their long standing demand of a strong lokpal, they have created their own "Anti-corruption" brand. Moreover, the clean image of their CM candidate, Shri. Arvind Kejriwal only adds to the mix. AAP has been able to transform itself into a strong anti-corruption force. And the results are in front of us. This time around, they were able to register an increase of 25 lac voters (as compared to previous polls). This speaks volumes.

AAP's EFFORTS

A special mention should be made of AAP's relentless campaigning post the Lok Sabha drubbing. Those polls came on the heels of a Kejriwal resignation (after just 49 days of government). The people were not happy and it showed in the Lok Sabha polls. A lot of lost ground had to be recovered and AAP didn't disappoint. They got straight to work. While others started campaigning only just before the polls, the AAP had already done the damage. The door-to-door campaigns (explaining the resignation decision and apologising) worked wonders and the trust (lost) was regained. They also found a number of fake voters (during these campaigns) which they reported to Election Commission. This too proved decisive.

ROLE OF MEDIA

Social Media, Radio, Newspapers, News Channels, Autorickshaws etc, AAP was everywhere. Only BJP could match AAP's media presence. This proved to be a deciding factor.

Let's now move on to the promises galore made by AAP and others. If one takes up the manifesto/vision document of any party that contested the elections then one may hear the inner voice saying - "Arrey fenkne ki bhi had hoti hai yaar". There were no limit when it came to making promises. Anyone who knows even a percent of Delhi's woes will straight away reject all the parties, after going through the documents. So the question is - Why (then) did Delhites chose AAP? Well there is one simple answer to this that they chose the lesser of the evils in the fray. The promises made by all the parties are, simply put, impractical. 

Take the example of reduction of electricity tariff by 50%. On one hand, AAP promised a reduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) (which is the most important source of revenue, around 67% of revenue collections.) and on another they promised something that will require extra subsidies and in turn extra revenues. Where are they going to get the money? (Also, out of the collected revenues, 50% goes to non-plan expenditure. Hence serious revenue crunch) Also their arch rivals (BJP) control both the centre as well as Municipalities. Another important promise was on the front of women's safety. The police is controlled by the centre (BJP).

The common sense is why will BJP take decisions that help AAP. After all they too will be trying to regain the lost ground. So, how are they going to implement their measures. Simply put they lack both the tools and staff. 

Similarly they talked about setting up 20 new universities (Education front) in Delhi. But where's the land? It may actually take them more than 5 years to just acquire land for the buildings. Then there are issues involved with construction (so many permissions). With the slow and disinterested machinery on hand, the universities might never come up.

Then there is the promise of providing 700 litre of free water. Actually that's feasible if the leakages are plugged. Normally the leakages are around 15-18% (in other states) but in Delhi it's around 40%. But again the machinery required to check and implement is with the BJP.

In a nutshell, AAP may be having an unprecedented majority in the assembly but when it comes to the implementation machinery and the resources required, they may fall short big time. 

SIGNIFICANCE

These results in more than one way significant. Firstly, there is a message for all the political parties that people are desperate for results and may go with any new alternative. Secondly, after a long time a election has been won with an anti-corruption agenda. Thirdly, the political parties need to understand that people are becoming aware of their voting power, which can make or break a government. This is happening due to rise in income, education, media reach etc.

Now the politics in India has taken an interesting turn. AAP may truly decide the nature of politics that takes place for decades to come. Assessing AAP right now will be too naive. They have only been voted to power. The real game begins now. One one hand, if AAP delivers (seems difficult given the factors mentioned above) then it may have a rub off effect on other parties. This way we may have clean politics in future. On another, if AAP fails to delver (let's say they are not able to fulfil even 20% of their promises) then people may actually lose confidence in politics altogether. In a nutshell, these results have far reaching effects in the sense that the tide could turn either way - a watershed moment (for good) in Indian politics or a trigger for a slow death of democracy. Obstacles are many but let's hope there will be more discussions than dharnas this time around. 

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Journey so far

One month has elapsed since the (very!) hyped “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” was launched. There were pledges, publicity and of course our celebrity PM, to kick starts what was considered a game changer! But has it turned out to that way? Has anything changed?

There are some reports that some societies have taken it up wholeheartedly. There are also reports that most of the govt's “not so tidy” offices have turned into clean heavens. But unfortunately, most of the nation is still sleeping in her deep slumber. The “Business as usual” approach still holds the maximum share and the evergreen "Who cares?" attitude still holds its ground firmly.

(Src: inbministry)

In a nutshell, the movement has been a mixed affair (like MNREGA et al). So, where did it go right and where it didn't? Some important lessons –

1. Attitude - The success stories are mostly coming from places where people have been vigilant even before the movement. Call it Media's conspiracy or a govt's trick, most of the places which have been getting coverage these days have been that way before as well. So, how much change has happened is anybody's guess.

2. Govt's clean offices - There have been some monitory mechanisms put in those places and some serious caveats handed over that if during any check they are found guilty, there will be some serious consequences. So it's basically the "fear psychosis" game played. Proving effective though!

3. Also, with the checks, certain uncertainty has been maintained by colouring it with "anytime" colours i.e. no fixed checking schedules set. Simply put, some surprise visits in store!

"Leading the way!" (Src: DNA)

4. Since, it was launched by one popular leader and has been endorsed by many celebs across the spectrum (with many actors uploading their "with the broom" selfies on twitter, FB etc) it has gained a certain brand. Good lesson for future schemes.

Most importantly, these are not just any adverts (like polio campaign), these are some celebs at work which gives a message to the common man who's in awe of these - "If they can, why can't we?" So again, more effective!

"Cleaning, not dancing!" (Src: ABPLive)

5. Last but not the least, the importance of leaders in this movement has been felt like never before. In some RWAs (Resident Welfare Associations) in Delhi, the heads have been leading the way. Unfortunately, our nation has remained sick with its "Herd" mentality for ages now, but here it's proving to be quite handy. This is similar to the celeb effect mentioned above but at the grassroots level which has some serious implication.

All in all, it's important that the people of this nation change their attitude and keep their surroundings clean, healthy and alive otherwise not much will be changed just like the women's safety situation which has already given us a bad name the world over. Jai Hind. #SwachhBharatAbhiyan #1MonthPast   

Kashmir - A long way to reconciliation!

Off-spinner Parvez Rasool on Sunday became the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to represent India in a One-Day International when he took the field against Bangladesh in the series-opener! This calls for a reality check on how much the rest of the nation been receptive to the call of "Inclusiveness" when it comes to the region the talented cricketer represents.

(Copyright: AP)

Before the celebrations/hype begin, let's look at some socio-political-historical-sports’ facts first,

- When was the Instrument of Accession signed? About 65 years ago! 

- Since when Indian Cricket team playing tests? About 83 years!

- In terms of share, representation of J&K in all sports? Probably, 0.0001% 

- How many regions have so far been represented by the Indian Cricket team? All but one (till yesterday)! Which One? Our beloved J&K! 

Also,

-Everyday, scores of youth are implicated falsely on terror-related charges.

-They are picked up, locked in a jail, beaten, tortured and (mostly!) killed in custody. Their bodies are never to be found. (All because of a draconian law in the region - Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), giving the army a free hand to do whatever they want, with impunity)

- In the lieu of investigation, their kin and kith (including the other sex) too get dragged into hell!

Despite all this crap, we say Kashmir's an Integral part of the nation! The valley has got used to bloodshed only because the centre hasn't been proactive in understanding the real needs of the region. Until, we make them a party to our success by giving them the right amount (say, on a pro rata basis) of opportunities (like the lucky Rasool), the kashmir issue will never be solved. 

Last but not the least, actions speak louder than words. So rather than shedding crocodile tears and making some empty promises, our leaders should work for the welfare of the neglected region and its people. Besides repealing AFSPA, imparting skills to the youth and giving them a Rasool-like "representing India" opportunity, can work wonders. It's great that Rasool got a chance but it has taken a lot of time (enough to alienate some brothers and sisters). So, to make amends the numbers need to be substantive. Just one won't count! At least, not for long.

Idols? Wait a second!

To all my friends, family, kin, kith etc it's no secret whatsoever regarding where my heart lie and for that matter where my mind lie too (Serving my nation! #UPSC). But I am not alone in this quest. About 3 lakh plus try their luck every year and only a select few make the cut (this year the number reached a new high of 1122!).

So what's the catch? What's the problem? Why this post? Well it's regarding a very deleterious trend that has some catastrophic potential. It's regarding the most fundamental qualities that a civil servant "must" possess. And it's regarding a trend that has probably outlived many patterns, procedures, methods etc that UPSC has tried its hand at, to select the very best playing the game.

So, here it is! Every year, right after UPSC declares the final list for the services, there's a gamut of advertisements in various forms of media by various coaching institutes regarding their results. So what exactly the problem is? The problem is with the claims made by them and the part played by the successful candidates in the process. Just look at the following set of adverts (and the encircled spaces) taken from a reputed daily and you will understand the game.

The man under scanner here is none other than the AIR 1, UPSC 2013, Mr. Gaurav Agarwal. He and his likes are easily the most suitable candidates for becoming idols for millions. At the same time they are also the most apparent targets for the sharks cohabiting the ocean called "IAS Coaching market" (as everybody wants the topper coached by them!). This is where their true test of character lie. It's no rocket science that one candidate cannot study at so many institutes simultaneously. It's also no rocket science that given the resources (time, money etc.) available, one cannot be associated with so many institutes (even if he/she happens to be an alien or possess a time machine!) at once.

So how does this happens? Yes, you guessed it right. It's all about the damn money. These candidates get paid to sell their name! One can only wonder how much but that's not the real issue.

The main problem is that if they are cheating the same species (IAS aspirants) to which they themselves belong then what will they do with others. After all they have been selected for some of the most important posts which make them responsible for many! At the same time, this raises some serious questions about the selection procedure (as the UPSC itself couldn't catch such mentality in the candidates!) and their activeness (as they do not question the candidates on such acts).

This so-called business and in turn trend is only becoming stronger by the day. Wonder when will someone take any action. It's important someone raises his/her voice. And I am not going to remain mute.

In between, let me say that the successful 1122 are my heroes. They've achieved what I desire. But the above mentioned act by some is simply unacceptable to me. Nation expect honesty and integrity of the highest order from them. Hope they and with them, the trend will change. Last but not the least, if I get selected one day then my picture won't be occupying much space in media for sure! That's something I know and can guarantee. That's one quality desired from our representatives. In the meantime, the black clouds persist. Unfortunately! Jai hind. 

Our President talks sense but right focus needed...

Our honorable president has been talking a lot about our education system these days. His focal point has been the poor performance of our institutes in the recently published QS and times higher education rankings. Not even a single institute featured in top 200! Highest ranked is IIT-D at 222! He says that we should improve our rankings. His suggestions include - understanding the parameters considered by the ranking agencies and working on them, focusing on research papers, changing the curriculum etc. They all are fine but they form just the tip of the iceberg. 

The real problem(s) lie in the attitude of students and faculties. I mean how can we expect good performance when, 
a. Most of the teachers talk only about placements and nothing about knowledge.
b. Students study just a night before the tests.
c. Most students just want to pass and very less want to excel.
d. Everyone looking for shortcuts and no one really wants go in depth. Just the face value!
e. Institutes talk about feedback, make the students fill some forms and later throw them in the bin.
f. In the name of research work, plagiarism takes centre stage and originality goes out of the window. And the ones evaluating give them the green signals. Worst case scenario - when such papers are rewarded! Same with many important assignments and projects which form some critical aspects of the present curriculum.
g. A student finds his interest in a subject but is made to read tons of extras...that's why no Einstein in the country!

h. In the name of "Just we are doing this!", some institutes bring in absolutely crap stuff without even consulting the most important stakeholders - the students! This leads to a lot of wastage of resources - particularly time! And of course no interest whatsoever.
i. In the name of having a broad-based basket of subjects, the number of subjects go up - eating up time unnecessarily - burdening the students by making them have more than they can chew!

j. These days the institutes in the name of having a student-centric approach burden them with loads of responsibility without prior guidance...like asking a small boy to catch a snake... fatal stuff indeed..
k. It took NCERT (primary and secondary levels which form the base) about 6 decades to change the course material! Not staying up to date..
l. Focus is just on marks and degrees...knowledge again missing! Fact is that in our country degrees are being sold....really unfortunate!

We can go on and on! Add some more if you want to....

It's important to take up this matter but it's equally important to take it right. Our President should understand the real problems after all he too was and still is a bright student!

Bureaucrats - Easy to blame, difficult to ignore!

The recent episode of Ms. Durga Shakti Nagpal had a great lesson for our bureaucracy! The CM of a state has all the powers of transfer, promotion, demotion and removal (of a bureaucrat). Which means that she took a rash decision! (given the so much publicized nexus between SP and the sand mafia)

This clearly states that if a bureaucrat doesn't toe a politician's line then he/she puts him/herself on the firing line. Our constitution makers limited everyone's powers except our parliamentarians. They suspected everyone else except themselves. Thanks to our judiciary, our system still remains clean because there is this system of "Judicial Review" which restricts the parliament's powers (Under Article 368 of our constitution).

We can easily blame the bureaucrats for the mess but the real issues lie with the structure of our polity. Does this means that a bureaucrat should stop doing what's right? No. Only thing that they should remember is that in order to win a battle, one shouldn't risk loosing the War! There are honest bureaucrats who are running the system really well not because they take rash decisions but because they know the system well and are responsible towards it (follow the code). They aren't complaining or whining. They are just doing the job well, without getting influenced by any money power etc. They take decisions, consult one and all, implement them and ignore any bad influence (money, politicians etc).

Remember that it is very easy to blame them for just anything but we shouldn't ignore the hard work and dedication they put in for us. They are the reasons our nation's still standing tall amid all the chaos!

One day will come when just like the NOTA move, we will see the powers of the politicians (like the above mentioned) will be curbed for the nation's benefit. Then we won't have any complaints at all. A work in progress but a badly needed one. Till then , Salute to all the fine people! Jai Hind!

Trendsetters: The modern-day heroes of India!

2012 saw some amazing feats by some amazing Indians. They are just like us but with a difference! And the difference is the attitude that defines who they are. The attitude of never giving up! The attitude of positivism! The attitude that lifts spirits! The attitude that makes the difference!

Be it sports or movies, Indians kept the momentum going. And at the end part of the year, people showed that when the time comes, they are always ready to contribute their bit. A salute to one and all!

Thought of sharing some of the most amazing stories with you all! These are some signals to certain sections of our society who believe themselves to be some sort of Demigods to women. These stories have been picked up directly from the daily, The Hindu dated Jan. 1, 2013. Hope this will enlighten the target audience and will bring a sense of respect for women in them. 

These stories speak volumes about the modern-day women. These show that today the women are no longer afraid of the old testimonies. They are ready to challenge the wrongs of the societies. They are ready to contribute to the society just the men do. According to one NSSO statistic, about 18% of the total rural farming-dependent households are headed by women. This shows the times are changing and the so-called gender biased sections are dying dinosaur deaths! This is the Bharat we want! A Bharat where everyone is treated equally and the fruits of growth find their way to the target audience. After all, that's what development means. Jai Hind!