Mega / macro corruption Vs Micro corruption?

Indian citizens should be obviously more concerned about the micro corruption prevalent on a large scale at the cutting edge level (delivery stage) of each and every government service affecting the common man which in turn brings bad name not only to the society we live in but also among the comity of nations through Transparency International. Macro level corruption prevalent at the apex level both at the national as well as state levels involving major players - political and bureaucratic- as a fall out or the causality of big projects, give outs and statutory sanctions to big guns which normally do not come to the knowledge of the public. Abolition or reduction of bribe culture should certainly start from the top political level. But unfortunately it survives and sustains itself on the plea that they have to seize power in the elections with the help of both white and black money. Who is to then start and where from? First and only election to the primaries should be at government cost and the rest by nominations and selections to various public forums and offices on the basis of merit and experience with a riding principle that only one post/position be allowed to a family at a time and restricted to two terms in office to each individual in life. ++++++++++++++++++++++

China on the March

Many of the holy spots associated with Lord Shiva are located on the Tibetan territory under the occupation of China. The famous ‘Manasarovar Lake’ is located in the centre of Tibet including the spots like ‘Yamdwar’ & ‘Astapath’. One entry into these places is through Kathmandu – Kodari – Khasa Port (Lee Ping) China border. Those places visited by me on the way are: Zhang Mu, Nyalam, Prayong, Tanga, Dor Ching etc. The highway linking these places is newly-constructed in two lanes to international standards. One could enjoy a beautiful drive all along with patches of greenery – cultivation including green-house structures. Water flowing from the hills has been properly tapped and used for crops. Mining activities are also seen on the way here and there – Power tillers being used both for tilling and transporting. Large tracts of barren hills and valleys are waiting for settlement of Tibetans and Chinese citizens in the next one decade or so. Tourism is likely to flourish - mostly religious tourism. Pilgrims spend a few thousands of rupees from all over India to visit these sites - Mount Kailash is supposed to be the abode of Bholenath attracting thousands of pilgrims year after year. As of now except a few groups arranged by Uttaranchal Government, others are all arranged and managed by Travel agents and individuals on the basis of their past experience. Indian private agents arrange such trips with the help of their counterparts in Kathmandu, Lhasa and China (Beijing). A little more or less than one hundred thousand rupees are spent by each individual pilgrim for a tour of 10 – 12 days in all. Standard of accommodation arranged in Kathmandu and other towns is tolerable and worth the money parted with. But the stay in mud houses with open toilet system – 3 to 10 persons in each room / hall is pathetic, unhygienic and far from satisfactory. Exploitation and black mailing of agents in Kathmandu and Lhasa continue to harass the tour leaders from India. There is no proper and systematic guidance, briefing and coverage of promised places and for prayers with puja materials collected and carried with lot of care by the pilgrims. _+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Supreme Court’s decision on section 3(d) historic

Anand Grover in “The Times of India”, Chennai, on Tuesday. April 2 2013 reported that after 2005, India started granting product patents on medicines. However, section 3(d), one of the safe guards introduced by Parliament, seeks to prevent patenting of new forms of known substances unless they exhibit enhanced efficacy. Were it not for section 3 (d) , the standards for grant of product patents on medicines in India would be lower, almost identical to the standards in countries such as the United States and European Union, where a large number of patents are granted on minor modifications of a single medicine. Section 3 (d) also became the basis for the refusal of a patent to Novartis for the beta – crystalline form of imatinib mesylate, a drug used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a type of blood cancer. In 1998, Novartis filed a patent application in India for this medicine. In 2005, the Chennai Patent Office heard patent oppositions to this application including one filed by the Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA). The CPAA challenge was spurred by great concern over the price Novartis set for its version of the drug (sold as Glivec) at Rs.1,20,000 ($2,400) per month as against generic versions that were available at a cost of around Rs. 8,000 to Rs 12,000 per month. The Indian Parliament has balanced India’s obligations under TRIPS with the right to health through Section 3 (d). The Supreme Court has unequivocally interpreted the true intention and spirit of this provision. It behooves the Indian Government to respect the Parliament and the Supreme Court and ensure that it does not sign away these hard fought victories by health and public interest groups in trade negotiations. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Chennai Nokia Plant & its woes

Even as a meeting between Nokia India management and Union leaders of the company’s Chennai factory on March 19, 2014 failed to yield any clarity about the future of the plant, union heads alleged that work was being diverted to Vietnam and China and production here was falling. They further apprehended that the work force would get reduced in the coming days. The Supreme Court had last week dismissed Nokia’s appeal implying that the factory can hardly be transferred to Microsoft till the tax dispute is resolved. Microsoft had acquired the phone business of Nokia in September last year. It is a pity that a major investment made in Chennai some years back with a lot of expectation and promises to the local area and population is backing out and the management is readying to wind up its operations after the transfer to another company. The workers numbering about 8000 including 300 couples would find it hard to get placements soon. The state government should have taken steps to avoid such a situation before it raises its ugly head. This sort of a development would bring bad name to the country, state and discourage other investments from multinationals. Who would bother about this in any department of the state government? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A memorable cruise Journey

Norwegian Star, Saturday, September 25, 2010 Stardust Welcome Aboard Show: Cruise Director Ray Carr introducing non-stop entertainment featuring the high-energy cast of the Jean Ann Ryan Co and the Star Showband in a quick song and dance number called “it’s Fame”. [Time 9:15 P.M, Stardust Theater, Deck 6 & 7] Every hour worth-spending Shore Excursion, Star Club Casinos, Karaoke Special, Bar services, Guest Services including Video zone, Art Gallery, Spa and Salon, Fitness center, Golf Club, internet Café, Jogging Track, Kids Center, Library, Medical Center, Onboard credit Desk, Photo gallery, Pool/Jacuzzi, Pool slides, Sports Court, Teens Center, Quenching your thirst and Hunger: Satisfying afternoon appetite, eating lunch and dinner in Versailles Main Dining Room, Aqua Main Dining Room, Market Café up to 12:00 mid night, & whenever one is hungry go to Blue Lagoon Café, Room service, Ice cream bar, late night snacks at Market café. Finale show (Sea Day) on Friday, October 1, 2010: Norwegian Cruise Line presented the Jean Ann Ryan Co in Cirque Pacific, featuring the China Star Acrobats Lei Zang and Huai Lin Fan in a spectacular show that kept the audience on the edge of their seats. Immediately after the Show, a special farewell by the officers, staff and crew of the Norwegian Star followed mesmerizing the passengers. A memorable evening indeed! On Board: Dr.P.Raghavan & Mrs R. Dhanalakshmi ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

AT 4.7%, GDP fails to meet expectations.

The economy grew at a slower – than expected rate of 4.7% in the Oct – Dec quarter due to a poor show by the mining and manufacturing sectors, compounding the government problems and giving the opposition ammunition to target it with. Economists say given the trend so far in the three quarters, meeting the 4.79% growth predicted for the full yr may be difficult. The figures, released by the Central Statistics Office on Friday, February 28, 2014 saw India inc reiterating calls for a cut in the rates and need quick steps for boost growth. +++++++++++++++

'Oceans' underneath the Earth's crust

Scientists have found the first terrestrial sample of a water-rich gem suggesting large volumes of water deep underneath the Earth. An international team of scientists led by Graham Pearson at Canada Excellence Research Chair in Arctic Resources at the University of Alberta has discovered the first-ever sample of a mineral called ringwoodite. Analysis of the mineral shows it contains a significant amount of water — 1.5%, of its weight — a finding that confirms scientific theories about vast volumes of water trapped 410 to 660 kilometers beneath the Earth, between the upper and lower mantle. The diamond had been brought to the Earth's surface by a volcanic / rock known as kimberlite — the most deeply derived of all volcanic rocks. Pearson said the discovery was almost accidental in that his team had been looking for another mineral when they found a three-millimetre-wide, dirty-looking, commercially worthless brown diamond. The ringwoodite itself is invisible to the naked eye, buried beneath the surface, so it was fortunate that it was found by Pearson's graduate student, John McNeill in 2009. The sample underwent years of analysis using Raman and infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction before it was officially confirmed as ringwoodite. [TOI, 14, March, 2014] +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Clean Nuclear Power generation!

One more feather on the cap of great scientists!! A milestone has been reached in the 60-year struggle to harness the nuclear reactions that power the Sun in an experiment that could lead to a way of producing an unlimited source of clean and sustainable energy in the form of nuclear fusion. Scientists in California have recently revealed that they have for the first time managed to release more energy from their nuclear fusion experiment than they put into it, which marks a critical threshold in eventually achieving the goal of a self sustaining nuclear-fusion reaction. Nuclear fusion uses a fuel source derived from water and produces none of the more dangerous and long-lasting isotopes, such as enriched uranium and plutonium, that result from conventional nuclear power plants, which rely on the fission or splitting of atoms rather than their fusion. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Indian polity and economy at the crossroads?

India has been ruled by the Congress party for more than 60 years and hence the need for a change to enable transparency in government working and ensure all-round development, says Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Rahul Gandhi, the National Vice President of Indian National Congress points out the sacrifices made by his elders in the family esp. Indira Gandhi & Rajiv Gandhi and seeks the mandate of the people for the 16th Lok Sabha. Regional satraps like Mulayam Singh Yadav of Samajwadi Party, Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, Jayalalitha, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Mayavati of Bahujan Samaj Party and Arvind Kejriwal of Aam Aadmi Party also want to become the Prime Minister of this country after 2014 General Elections to the Lok Sabha on the strength of their policies and manifestos. There are so many other regional parties and splinter groups trying to position themselves with certain demands and riders so that the national parties would seek their support in garnering 272 seats for forming a government at the Centre. Voters of Indian Republic would have to scratch their heads, weigh the pros and cons of their choice in selecting their representatives to the House of People for the next five years. Election Commission of India has raised the expenditure ceiling for the candidates to Rs.70 lakh. Well, ordinary men and women will have to think twice before contesting the election without the support of the political parties. Freedom of Indian citizens is thus limited financially to this extent and subject to this reality while fighting an election in Free India! Despite the mounting and mind-boggling cost of the polls, the Indian parliamentary democracy has to go through this drill this summer for electing its rulers. The opinion polls, for whatever worth they are, indicate the possibility of a hung Lok Sabha with no single party enjoying the majority to form a government on its own. Here starts the problem in a multi-layered society, polity and populace where a stable government is not easily ensured. Certain type of grouping has started already and they are trying to align themselves with others on the basis of their calculations and expectations in sharing the seats for contesting the poll. Albeit there is an attempt by the communist parties to form a third front with eleven and odd parties to put up a fight against BJP & Congress, things would not be easy to resolve their inter-party interests among themselves till the final results are out after the elections. Looking to the claims and counter-claims of the political leaders for placing their respective candidates on the chair of prime minister, it would be worth dwelling a little bit on their promises and performances made and proved before the electorate so far. As far as Modi is concerned there is no doubt that he is the chief minister of an economically developed state for more than three terms with rich experience and no family commitment. He is a clear headed individual who has risen from an average family background fully qualified to think for those underprivileged and draft plans for their betterment. All the minor points against him quoted and raised by his opponents don't stand in the larger interest of this country. Minorities know very well that he can't afford to be a Hitler in Indian democracy. Even the so-called Emergency failed through in India despite the iron will of an Iron Lady in 1970s. A strong and committed leader is the need of the hour at this juncture to take the country forward and establish our strength in the comity of nations in 21st Century. Rahul Gandhi is no doubt a young leader with good intention like his father. He should have taken a chance during 2009-14 and proved his worth in terms of governance and performance but he failed to do so due to some reason or other. It would be a big risk if he is asked to lead the country with no experience whatsoever. It is also very clear that he would certainly become the P.M of this country in case his party wins the election. Sonia Gandhi would have been a better choice for the post with her experience in heading the party very successfully till now and running the government indirectly. In any case the congress would find it very difficult to sustain the number of seats it has achieved in the last elections. No spectacular governance has been ensured by Mulayam Singh Yadav himself or his son Akhilesh Yadav as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh till now despite the clear mandate of the people and majority provided in the state assembly. Handling of communal issues and the administrative apparatus is less said the better. The status of infants in both government and private hospitals scattered all over the state of West Bengal and the manner of suppressing the voices of dissent certainly speak volumes on the style of functioning of the head of the government namely Mamata Banerjee in the recent past. In spite of spending millions of rupees by the chief minister Jayalalithe for the upkeep and boosting the morale of the police force in the state of Tamil Nadu, the increasing incidence of crime in the form of killings of men and women and burglary of shops for gold jewellery almost on a daily basis since her return to power in 2011 is an open secret. Everyone knows her capacity for hard work but her promise to manage better the generation and distribution of uninterrupted power supply to homes, factories and other establishments both in urban and rural areas is still to be realised. Instead of her becoming the P.M at this juncture she should ensure a government at the Centre with the support of her party M.Ps enabling a favourable response and results from Delhi for her golden rule in the state for the next ten years before she can think of leading India from Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal, a new meteorite on the political horizon of India and the ruler of Delhi for 49 days with his commissions and omissions is no substitute to Dr.Manmohan at this time of the year after the general elections. His failure to conduct the first Janata Durbar soon after becoming the CM of Delhi is a fact known to the thousands of visitors who thronged the state Secretariat on that day. That event had very badly exposed the hollow nature of his rhetoric outbursts on other political leaders and the present establishment whereas he is not mature enough, neither supported by good advisors nor experienced himself in the art of governance justifying his elevation to the P.M's chair straightaway. It is indeed a tough job for the voters of this subcontinent to choose a single individual and his political party to form the government at Delhi esp. in the days to come. Unless a wave runs through the country or a stunning development unites the whole country on an emotive issue and supports a party or an individual to place him at the apex level, there is the least possibility of a single party achieving a simple majority to form the government. The country is passing through this phenomenon for quite sometime now. We are going to get such a scenario in May 2014. What is the way of getting a stable government to rule this nation for a full term of five years under these circumstances? Whichever party gets the maximum number of seats in Lok Sabha should be called by the President of India to form a government without bothering about the so called simple majority in the house. Let the party elect its leader as the P.M and the latter allowed to constitute a Council of Ministers to advise the President and run the government on his behalf as provided in the Constitution of India. Each and every legislation brought in by the ruling party with the consent of the President can be discussed and decided by the majority of the members present and voting in the Lok Sabha on that particular day. If the people are unable to send a party with the simple majority as has been the practice so far, we need not scratch our head and keep worrying for the rest of the period. On the economic front Indian governments have of late totally lost control over inflation - threatening to demolish the improvements in the standard of life achieved somehow by the citizens in the last two decades. The steps taken by different governments both at the Central and state level are only piecemeal efforts with no understanding of the repercussions both in the medium term and long term. Every section of society clamours for compensating the hike in prices of commodities and services. The prices of not only the raw materials for manufacturing but inputs like power, water and building materials are also vying with each other to upset the economics and planning of the concerned citizens in the country. Nearly one half of the populace is less than 25 years of age. Where and how to find jobs for millions of youths getting ready for employment? How to control corruption in a society fully involved and totally adept to live with this menace for several decades? Total transparency and sacrifice starting from the top level only can think of reducing corruption in public life. There is no fear anywhere to remain honest and ensure a fair deal to the citizens at the cutting edge level of public services. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of Indian economy is fast declining in the recent past despite many promises and satisfactory forecasts emanating from the Government functionaries from time to time. India’s GDP growth slowed marginally to 4.7% in the third quarter of 2013‐14 from 4.8% in Quarter Two ; however, it has been higher than the growth of 4.4% seen for the third quarter last year. Industrial sector saw a contraction of 0.7% in Q3 of 2013‐14 as against 1.7% growth seen in the corresponding quarter a year ago. A good monsoon in 2013 has contributed to a higher agriculture growth. On the other hand, industrial output / growth pulled down the overall GDP growth led by the contraction estimated in manufacturing and mining & quarrying sector. It would be indeed a Herculean task for the new government in FY 2014-15 to ensure a GDP at a rate more than 7-8 per cent and maintain the same or increase it further in the subsequent years. Many political parties at the regional level are trying to buy votes on the promise of freebies without bothering about the financial implications in the wake of limited revenue resources available in the annual budgets as also the opportunity costs in sacrificing several infrastructure projects essential for increasing productivity in agriculture, manufacturing and services sector in the long run. Let us vote for known and reliable candidates irrespective of their party affiliations (Constitution doesn't dictate voting on party basis) to represent us in the Lok Sabha and conduct their business as disciplined servants in public interest without wasting their time and public money. .+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tribute to Vallabh Bhai Patel

The following is an extract from the Preface of the biography of Vallabh Bhai Patel by Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi in L.K.Advani's blog on March 11, 2014: "The establishment of independent India derived legitimacy and power, broadly speaking, from the exertions of three men, Gandhi, Nehru and Patel. But while its acknowledgements are fulsome in the case of Nehru, and dutiful in the case of Gandhi, they are niggardly in the case of Patel. “That there is today an India to think and talk about,” President Rajendra Prasad wrote in his diary on May 13, 1959, “is very largely due to Sardar Patel’s statesmanship and firm administration.” “Yet,” added Prasad, “we are apt to ignore him.” Falling in 1989, the centenary of Jawaharlal’s birth found expression on a thousand billboards, in commemorative TV serials, in festivals and on numerous other platforms. Occurring on October 31, 1975 – four months after Emergency had been declared, the Patel centenary was, by contrast, wholly neglected by official India and by the rest of the Establishment, and since then the curtain drawn on the life of one of modern India’s most remarkable sons has been only occasionally and partially lifted. To fling it wide and let today’s generation see Vallabhbhai Patel’s life is my privilege. It is not a perfect man’s life and I have neither wanted nor tried to hide Patel’s imperfections. But some at least may feel after knowing his life that Patel is a man to remember gratefully in good times and as a benchmark of India’s potential when the times seem depressing or daunting" This is an Indian way of recognising and adoring one of the genuine and committed heroes of Modern India. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Inefficiency of the highest order in delivery system!

Government spends Rs 3.65 to deliver food worth Re 1. Why should citizens pay for such ineffiencey of the government? Aggregate central subsidies in 2012-13 on items as varied as food and bank loans to farmers totaled to Rs 2.57 trillion. After adding to this subsidies bill the spending on many of the Manmohan Singh government's pet projects such as those concerning education and sanitation, final tally runs into more than another trillion rupees. Despite this scale of spending there has been little effort to measure its impact. It's only recently that an attempt has been made to measure the effectiveness of all this immoderate outlay by establishing an Independent Evaluation Office (IEO). [TOI, Chennai, Feb.28, 2014] +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Callousness of Academacians

Two premier universities in Tamil Nadu — Anna University and the University of Madras — don't have the mandatory accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). That probably explains why many of the two lakh-odd students passing out of engineering, arts and science colleges in Tamil Nadu face problems getting jobs or admission to higher studies. How careful and punctual our academacians are in their work is understood from the above analysis. Any type of explanation for the delay in getting or renewing the accreditation on the due date will cut ice with the well-wishers of the students pursuing higher and technical education in India. [TOI, February 9, 2014, Chennai] +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Southern transmission lines linked to national power grid

It is a good news that in a major relief to states in south, the southern power grid was connected to the national grid on Tuesday, December 31, 2013. The Raichur-Sholapur 765 KV single circuit transmission line has been interconnected with the national grid, thereby achieving the one nation - one grid - one frequency system. It cost the Power Grid Corporation Rs.8l5 crore to set up the system. Reportedly Tamil Nadu has become a deficit state due to the delay in commissioning of various power plants. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=

Intercontinental Romance

Tourism indirectly encourages relationships and marriages between the foreign woman tourist and the man at first sight in the tourism chain during her visit to India. "Things are great" says Wali Ahmad,28, a former guide who moved to Switzerland in 2011 with his wife whom he met while she was touring Agra. "I give cooking classes on Indian food there. And sure our families approve of the match" . His wife , Analiese,26, who works in a clothing store back home, admits there are cultural differences but on the whole , things are good. She is in Agra at the moment to look up her in-laws. "I am hoping they will visit Switzerland soon." I too feel very satisfied at such developments taking place quietly in the country with a view to achieving financial security and married life by the couple, thanks to international tourism. Intercontinental, interracial and inter-religious marriages are taking place to promote world citizenship! One should hail and welcome such a step. +++++++++++++++++