Research Questions Police Interrogations

Kansas City, Mo, (U.S.A)

Eddie lowery spent 10 years in prison after confessing to a rape of 75-year-old victim in the head with the handle of a silver table knife he found in the house, he did not commit. DNA evidence would later show that another man had committed the crime. He got a $7.5 million settlement. It is one such revelation out of a record compiled for more than 40 cases of confessions by Brandon L.Garrett, a Professor at the University of Virginia school of Law.

(The N.Y Times, [A13] Tuesday, September14, 2010)

What a Wait for Justice even in USA?

In Feb 2007 Alberto R. Gonzales, the Attorney General under President George W. Bush declared that the window of opportunity to solve racially motivated crimes more than 40 years old was closing. But families of the victims are still waiting for the last three years for solid action after waiting for decades for resolution, while suspects and witnesses have died.


President Obama’s Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. has promoted his department’s handling of these cases pointing out that 56 of 109 cases have been closed many of which had seen the closure because the suspect is dead. A partly natural disposal!


We are not short of such success stories in India too. Take for instance the riot cases in Delhi as the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination.

Mismatch between the study and the job?

What we notice in the work place these days is the fact that what one has studied in the college and university has no relevance to the job he does esp. in countries like USA and India. It is true more of highly skilled people seeking jobs after graduation. Vikas Bajaj in his article “A High-Tech Titan Plagued by Potholes” talks of the plight of civil engineers who are writing software code for auto companies in A.C rooms – getting three times the normal pay available as a civil engineer on construction by lamenting the situation as  “India’s Engineering Paradox” .

 

Indian government aims to spend $500 billion on infrastructure by 2012 and twice that amount in the following 5 years. What is the preparation and motivation needed for such a collosal program to be executed in time? One is not aware of any systematic and conscious planning in the creation and management of technical man-power at various levels as per the requirements in this regard. Hope for the best.

Probe by Ethics Committee

A half-dozen law makers in Capitol Hill at Washington are facing an investigation by House Ethics Committee into their unreturned surplus per diem allowances meant for overseas travel. It has been gathered now that when lawmakers travel, many of their meals and expenses are picked up by other people, such as foreign officials or U.S ambassadors.

The funniest part is that the rules regarding this allowance are vague from their point of view. If law-makers are ignorant or indifferent towards a common rule for their own conduct, how are they justified in enacting laws and regulations for others to follow in USA?

A similar trend is noticed in Indian Parliament too which passes bills from time to time enabling enhanced pay, allowances and other perks without bothering to go through any formal commission to look into those revisions as in the case of permanent executives and other employees of Central Government, namely, Government of India.

It is also a matter of fact and concern to the common man that if a similar test or investigation is ordered into the claims made in the past several years by many civil servants during their foreign sojourns would reveal startling facts and figures warranting action and punishment. Who is to bell the cat?

Why is justice denied or blinded at times?

“We shouldn’t have to fear our judiciary” (Editorial of June 5, 2010 of ‘News China’ magazine published by China Newsweek Corporation).

Zhao Zhenshang (in Henan Province in China) served more than 10 years of his sentence before his ‘victim’ reappeared alive and well. Zhao told media that he confessed only because the torture he was subjected to by police investigators, which include beatings and sleep deprivations, was unbearable.

So the editorial had to end with the statement: “ As things stand , as is proved by Zhao’s case, the innocent still have much to fear from the Chinese court system".

As an administrator for more than three decades in Central India, I find a similar predicament in our country too. Nearly 90% of the criminals are roaming on the streets of India who can be hauled up under some law or the other while similarly 90% of the under trials and convicted persons languishing inside Indian prisons are innocent and wrongfully harassed, prosecuted and convicted. It therefore prompted me to write a poem on Indian police as follows:

Crooks  &  Cops

Spineless bureaucrats and corrupted cops

Bane of Indian society and order of the day

They dance to the tunes of political bosses

Laws and facts twisted to tastes of masters

Voiceless are victims of these cruel lobsters

True to their skin & skull they are like stones.

Damn they  care no hoots to anyone in the world

Umpteen are methods they adopt to plant a story

Third degree method verily known to one and all

Depressed & decimated are some at their hands

Elephants & man-eaters escape their owlish eyes

Mongooses & mice only could be their easy preys.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Swim Against the Current

Necessity is the mother of invention. Qualities and the character of a person are already determined and destined for delivery in one’s life time, the day he or she is born into this world. Challenge against the odds or adversities is the keystone of the success of an average or the first-time achiever in a given society, group, community or the region. A  real hero is the one who would consistently like to swim against the current and achieve the unachievable or unthinkable feat of making a different approach, process and / or finding solution in the form of a successful alternative to the existing knowledge, thinking and action in human endeavors. There lies the crux and a kick that paves the way for one's extraordinary intention, interest and goal.

Every field of activity has its own set of rules and regulations, a system of functioning, a set of characters or personnel who operate it and become participants with a view to ensuring their own survival and promotion first as also their avowed and the overt goal in the guise of services to the targets in hand.

Change is undisputedly has its own charm, warmth, context and significance in every human action. For instance, Gautam Buddha’s decision to renounce his crown and kingdom for the emancipation of human beings from the shackles of their sufferings and death, Jesus Christ’s birth as a human being for the salvation of individual souls, Mohammad Nabi’s efforts to teach the essence of brotherhood to his followers, French Revolution which ignited and introduced the concepts of liberty, equality and fraternity among mankind for the first time by breaking the new ground in Europe, New Revolution that established the United States of America, Freedom struggle under the leadership of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Indira Gandhi’s resurrection after the emergency era in India and Barack Obama’s success in becoming the first Afro-American President of USA are the illustrations and events that come to our mind immediately on the first reading of their history and biography.

A normal and ordinary soul in me too tried in a humble way to question the existing order and the system in governments and departments wherever I worked and tasted the results with distinct advantages as well as disastrous consequences at times which I would refer to and discuss at the appropriate places and at the relevant time as I proceed further with my narrations in the days to follow.

India Needs Inquisitive Minds

What one generally finds in India is that the educated and the most intelligent middle class used to join the top bureaucracy while a few others entered the professional courses in the recent past (1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s). Now there is a plethora of professional colleges both in engineering and medical education offering seats not only to the top brains but also to others with medium intelligence including the lower cadres on the strength of performances in higher secondary schools or on the quantum of donations / capitation fees offered by rich and influential parents.

While the very top and enterprising graduates go in search of higher education and jobs abroad and a small group either enters management schools within the country and thereafter joins MNCs or runs parental ventures, the majority of the remaining lot tends to adjust in competitive and low paid jobs. Only a minuscule minority does find an opportunity to apply its mind and brain to invention and improvement either due to self motivation or incentives offered by employers.

Once a person joins a job or occupies a seat of power with perks and moderate security of tenure, his or her mind stops working or exploring the new ideas and processes, nor even starts trying to reform the techniques already deployed or engaged to serve and execute. Majority of Indian minds are no doubt inquisitive but hardly employed in their work or style of execution but invariably involved in the status of their neighbors, their strengths and weaknesses and the possibilities of taking over them by pleasing the masters to an unwanted degree & extent. They do it basically to destabilize the existing, traditional and conventionally utilised best practices and procedures to suit their selfish requirements. Western brains are generally inclined to fully apply their minds to what they do and waste little on others in the neighborhood but try to excel in their occupation by taking adventurous steps or making the job easier, better and pleasant to the extent possible on a continuing basis wherever they are. Technologically one could notice the advancement they have made in every piece of work they have undertaken with the help of simple but effective and sophisticated tools deployed by them in construction of buildings, roads with beautiful and useful markings for the pedestrians and automobiles, bridges, factories, theaters, tunnels under rivers and in transportation vehicles with excellent handling devises and equipments reducing the necessity of straining hands and the human body. Look at their shops, shopping malls, super markets, company outlets / clubs. Human life especially that of woman folk is made so much simpler, livable and lovable, compared to the past, with umpteen types of goods and appliances they have produced and pushed into the markets for sales! Simply Mind-boggling!!

Let us ape the West in this regard for the present and show remarkable progress and improvements in our day-to-day life wherever we happen to work.

Random Reflections

I am a puritan in mind & heart and harmless in thought and action, simpleton in mundane ways and human standards. I never smoked, nor drank any hard liquor so far in my life despite occasional humiliation. Even in wildest of my dreams I don’t think of doing harm to others, even to species like insects what to talk of humans and especially those who work with me on a day-to-day basis. But if someone had ever thought and spoken ill of me behind my back and tried to do injustice towards anyone in a given set-up or workplace, I don’t care how big or small he may be in status and position but try to fight tooth and nail for justice and fair play irrespective of consequences – in the short run or long term.

My principled way of living was misunderstood by many in the surroundings. I knew what they were doing and talking but I deliberately ignored them on account of their ignorance and the purpose for which they were living, different from that of mine. Some including powerful politicians, seniors and juniors in bureaucracy thought I was arrogant, egoistic, greedy, head-weighted, impractical and secluded. Well, if that is their assessment, leave it to them to introspect and correct their own views at the appropriate time.

Perhaps, it is no exaggeration, India has lost another Vivekananda in me due to the following reasons:

• 
  
   My dearest soul and mother (biological & life-giving) passed away in 1969 when I was studying in the first year of my Masters Degree in Economics at Loyola College, Chennai.
• 
  
   I am the eldest child of my parents having six children.  
• 
  
   My father was a spendthrift wasting his resources for relatives and others. 
• 
  
   I hated to depend on others for my living in this birth.

 I believe in karma and its result. One meets the result of his action in this birth itself. He doesn’t have to wait for hell or heaven after death for his own deeds or misdeeds. I believe in hard work and enjoy its fruits. I never waste my precious time in any gossip or fruitless discussion or entertainment at the cost of other living beings – humans or beasts.

I realize the importance of the Creator of this universe, the Nature and its benevolent & destructive powers. We are at the mercy of that Nature / God. Every action of mine is being guided by some supreme power  I feel - sometimes much against my will and desire. Lives of thousands and thousands of flora and fauna including humans have a purpose behind and a pattern to follow &  disappear after finishing their role on this planet. Nothing is permanent and ever-lasting – name, fame and fortune of the human beings.

Forests under fire

Here-in-below is produced a piece on naxalite activity in Central India including Chhattisgarh:

Naxalites Vs States

Vast tropical forests in India were effectively protected by the wild life and the Princely States in the past before the advent of fire-arms. But the invented firearms helped the human poaching in eliminating the flourishing fauna and increasing the list of endangered and extinct species in wild life.

Simultaneously man's greediness found no bounds while decimating the deep forests over a period of time but thanks to the presence of naxalites in place of wild life that there is some check on this trend unwittingly of course.

Two decades ago when naxalite activities were at the peak in Andhra Pradesh State we literally feared their advance and intrusion into the jungles of Orissa State, Chhattisgarh area of erstwhile Madhya Pradesh State and Jharkhand area of erstwhile Bihar State which had actually taken place to the dismay of all concerned. The solution seems to be elusive of all the preparations and attempts made by the Central Government and the respective State governments so far on the ground. Naxalites are almost running a parallel government in those places and the general public are in their grip willingly or unwillingly. Developmental activities of civilian governments in those areas have taken a beating in the hands of naxalites. God knows when normalcy will return to such territories so that those simple and peace-loving citizens can start leading a normal life like their brethren in other parts of the country.

The central government refuses to send the military forces to contain this menace on the basis of a settled convention practised so far of not sending the troops for an internal law and order problem. But the issue has assumed such a big dimension and proportion that it is only a quesion of a few days or months before the embattled areas are handed over enabling a show-down between the naxalites and the armed forces for a final solution.

Let us await the D-day.

Business in Office

I am reminded of the office atmosphere in which I had to work for several years

Business in Office

Too many of cooks spoil the broth
True of modern office it is in depth
Two+two not make four as in Maths
Whenever a subject is brought forth
Whatever be its simplicity on earth
Whoever tries to twist sans breadth

Tension and stress mark the office style
Attention they ensure at the last minute
Everything is done in a hurry and burry
Something goes wrong in the essentials
Scrutiny in right earnest is missing badly
Seldom the right advice is taken seriously.

Babus & others work only on order
Bother they don’t on their own ever
System and punctuality is very rare
Sanitation & cleanliness one isn’t sure
Workers often sit crowded to each other
With the dusty files & the tables all over

Meetings convened day in and day out
Minutes and agenda keep moving out
Most of the office time spent in meetings
Cost of several projects keeps mounting
Best to devote time for work on the spot
Lest the burden isn’t cut to size in a slot

Raipur
01-01-06

General Profile of the Blogger

Managed the Government institutions by designing, implementing as also evaluating the economic and social policies of both the federal and provincial governments for more than three and a half decades as professional planner and administrator in industrial and agricultural development.
Name: Dr.Raja P. Raghavan

E-mail: p_raghavan47@yahoo.co.in

Date of Birth: 18-7-1947, 63 years old

Education:
Ph.D. (Economics) 1992.University of Jabalpur
MA (Economics) 1970. University of Madras
Bachelor of Arts (Economics) 1968, University of Madras

Subject of study:
For Master’s Degree:
Principles of Economics/Macro economic theory, Indian Economics, Economic Statistics,
Money, Banking and International Trade, Public Finance, Economic thought, Mathematical Economics & Economics of Planning

For Ph.D:
“Economics of Small and Marginal Farmers."

Visiting Fellow (University of Oxford)

"Management of Agrarian and financial Resources in Indian Republic"

[Always stood first in the class and colleges attended. Obtained centum (100 out of 100 marks in two papers) in mathematics in under-graduation from University of Madras. Availed Merit Scholarship for six years up to Post-Graduation. Gold Medals for general proficiency in studies for two years in Loyola College, Madras while doing Master’s Degree in Economics]
Work History:
August, 2006 to October, 2006 Director General, Academy of Administration, Raipur in charge of Management Training to all the Government and semi-government officials including All India Service officers posted and working in the state.

Sept, 2005 to July, 2006 President Board of Revenue, the Chief Revenue Authority and the Head of the Apex court of Revenue Law (equivalent to the High Court) in the State.

2005 Principal Secretary, Department of Food and civil Supplies in charge of Massive Procurement of paddy from farmers under Minimum Support Price Scheme (3.6 million tonnes in 2004-05) on behalf of Government of India, Management of Public Distribution System for people living below poverty line with about 1.2 million ration cards in the state.

2003-05 Agriculture Production Commissioner & Principal Secretary in charge of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Cooperation and Fisheries Departments. Director on the Management Board of National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Mumbai and a member of the Executive Committee for sanction of Infrastructure loans running into several millions of rupees to different States and Refinance to State Cooperative banks in the country.

2001-03 Principal Secretary, Department of Industry, Commerce, Public Enterprises, Principal Secretary, Department of Mineral Resources Development, Commissioner of Industries, Commissioner of Geology and Mining, Managing Director of Chhattigarh State Industrial Development Corporation, Managing Director of Chhattigarh Mineral Development Corporation, Director on the Board of Chhattigarh Infrastructure Development Corporation headed by the Chief Minister, Convener and Manager of State Investment Promotion Board headed by the Chief Minister.

2000-01 Principal Secretary, General Administration Department, Government of Chhattisgarh, Setting up of a new Secretariat after the formation of Chhattisgarh State in November, 2000.

2000-01 Commissioner, Ujjain Revenue Division, Madhya Pradesh, Organised "Kalidas Samaroh" (a Festival in honour of great ancient Indian Poet) attended by the President of India. Devised and conducted a programme of hearing on public grievances in the court of Commissioner.

1998-00 Managing Director, M.P. State Cooperative S.C. Finance & Development Corporation, Bhopal in charge of arranging and financing large scale loans for the purchase of all types of motor vehicles like three wheelers, four wheelers viz. passenger cars, mini buses, trucks, tractors, harvester-combines, jeeps to the beneficiaries in the state for improving their economic status.

1996-98 Member Secretary, State Finance Commission, Bhopal to examine and recommend for a period of five years to the state government for statutory allocation of state revenues to the local bodies like Municipal Corporations, other town areas and Panchayats at the District, Janpad and Village levels.

1994-96 Managing Director, M.P. State Co-operative Marketing Federation Ltd. Bhopal. Organized a State Level Seminar on "Marketing of Agri. Produce" and an exhibition on "Agri. Inputs " in May 1995 at Bhopal in which about 1000 Farmers from various parts of the State participated and benefited.

1993-94 Visiting Fellow, University of Oxford, U.K.

1993-Managing Director, Madhya Pradesh State Mining Corporation Bhopal in charge of development and exploitation of mineral resources like bauxite, phosphate, dolomite, alexandrite, corundum, diamond, river sand, lime stone etc. for the economic development of the state.

1992-93 Commissioner, Women & Child Development, Bhopal, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh.

1990-92 Divisional Commissioner, Sagar Division Sagar, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Supervision and Co-ordination of Collectors of Five Districts in the Division. Chairman of Sagar Cooperative Dairy union, Regional Transport Authority in charge of regulation and granting of permits for motor vehicles run by transport companies.

1986-90: Regional Officer, Central Board of Film Certification, Madras, Department of Human Resource Development & Ministry of Information & Broad-Casting, Government of India.

1985-86: Director, Ministry of Labour, Government of India, New Delhi in charge of National Wage Policy, Minimum Wages Act, Bonus Act etc.

1982-85: Director, Employment and Training, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur in charge of Management of 80 Employment Exchanges and 51 Industrial Training Institutes for Training of around 12000 Craftsmen and Apprentices per annum, Management of District Man-Power Planning and Employment Generation Councils in 45 districts.

1977-82: Collector / District Magistrate / Development Administrator, In charge of General Administration, law and Order, Industrial Development, Rehabilitation of International Refugees, Setting up of an Industrial Estate, Land Acquisition for industrial projects in Betul & Sagar districts and Power Sub-stations all over Sagar District. Organization of Credit Camps at Block levels for sanction & delivery of rural credit and also Mobile Courts at different corners of the district for on-the-spot re-dressal of Public grievances, Disposal of revenue cases etc. Chairman of District Central Cooperative Bank, Betul & Sagar and Chairman of Betul & Sagar Dairy Projects. Project Director of Integrated Tribal Development Programme and Drought-prone Area Programme, Massive programme of organizing elected public representatives for Community Development Works.

1973-77 Development Administration at the Sub-Division and District Level. Encouraging Industrialization along with Management of Land Records.

1970: Assistant Economist, Directorate of Town Planning, Government of Tamil Nadu, Madras.


Projects Handled

Macro-level Planning and Policy-making:
The new State of Chhattisgarh in 2001-02 required a quick review of policies prevalent in the erstwhile State of Madhya Pradesh and to frame a new set of policies in various sectors relevant to the industrial growth in the light of its need and potential. This onerous job was entrusted to me in the capacity of Principal Secretary, Industry, Commerce and Public Enterprises. As many as Seventeen Policies including Industrial Policy, Mining Policy, Energy Policy, Housing and Environment Policy and Labour Policy were prepared with the help of concerned departmental heads and experts in the field and got approved by the State Cabinet in a record time i.e. on or before 1-11-01.
As the head of the industrial development in the state, I had maintained an excellent liaison and coordination among the top executives of several public and private sector giants like National Thermal Power Corporation, South Eastern Coalfields Limited, South Eastern Central Railway, National Mineral Development Corporation, Bhilai Steel Plant (a holding company of Steel Authority of India Ltd), Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, Jaiswal-Neco Pvt. Ltd and Major Cement Companies like L&T, Raymond, Century, La Farge, Ambujas, A.C.C etc

State Investment Promotion Board:
With a view to expediting the process of sanction and clearances of various kinds in the establishment of mega and medium industries, a felt-need was recognized to give statutory backing to the commitments announced by the state government by enacting a new legislation called the Chhattisgarh Industrial Investment Promotion Act, 2002. The Act contained the fixed time frame for each and every activity for which the entrepreneur would move applications for approval / clearance or require recommendation to be sent to various agencies of Government of India. I was basically instrumental in bringing this legislation and also made in charge of its implementation in the initial period. This arrangement had indeed created a tremendous amount of faith and confidence among major investors of the country and as much as Rs. 600 Billion worth of proposals were received in such a short tenure of mine in the department and many of them got converted into M.O.Us executed and signed. Many new ventures like Cycle Park, Food Park, Gem & Jewellery Park and Garment Park were initiated by me and kept in different stages of implementation.

Balco (Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd) Expansion:
Government of India divested its major controlling share of the company and Sterlite Pvt. Ltd, took over its management after the intervention of the Supreme Court of India. Despite strong resentment and resistance on the part of state machinery, I had played a major role in changing the hostile atmosphere and successfully negotiated an expansion plan for Rs. 60 Billion and signed an M.O.U with this group in Chennai on 29th May 2002. This is one of the most successful plans executed and the best example of public-private partnership in the state so far.

Minerals and Metals:
As the Principal Secretary in charge of Mineral Resources and the Managing Director of Mineral Development Corporation for almost three years I was responsible for systematic development of various mines bearing minerals like bauxite, lime stone, marble stone, granite stone, gem stones like corundum, garnet etc., dolomite, iron ore, tin and uranium. After a thoughtful planning, I allowed for the first time major Multinational Companies like De Beers, Rio Tinto, Geo Mysore, to undertake Reconnaissance Survey on large tracts of land in the state to explore the possibility of metals like gold, platinum, copper and silver and minerals like diamond, alexandrite etc. for period of three years to be followed by prospective mining.

Similarly I was responsible for getting the first coalmine in the country under the revised guidelines (Tara - Hasdeo Arand coalfield) with a deposit of 315 million tons for State Mineral Corporation from the Government of India after a lot of persuasion and planning. I had also successfully negotiated and obtained many such coal blocks bearing several hundred million tons of deposits for captive mining by the steel companies established in the state both in the public and private sectors.

Other Projects
Land Reforms
Agriculture and allied activities: Farmers especially small and marginal land holders identified and helped through different programmes like horticulture, bio-gas plant, lift irrigation, cultivation of seeds and pulses etc. Animal husbandry measures. Farm Forestry and social forestry taken up with State funds.

Drought Relief Programme
As Chairman of Drought-Prone Area Development Programme in Betul District, Designed and developed medium term strategic corporate plans and strategies for creation of permanent assets to restrain the severity of drought conditions. Food for work programme launched with the surplus food stocks of the Government for creating employment to the farmers and land-less labourers in the countryside.

Integrated Rural Development Programme
Credit plans and annual action plans for rural development prepared and implemented with the help of various government departments and commercial and cooperative banking institutions. Intensive and extensive tours made in rural areas for about ten years at a stretch.

Wage Policy at the National level
Played a major role in revising the minimum wages under the unorganized sector for several occupations. Responsible for devising a method of calculating “Regional Minimum Wages” for different regions in the country during 1985-86.Took legal and administrative steps for establishment of National Wage Boards for Journalists and Sugar industry workers.

Woman and Child Development
As the Head of the Department, supervised the implementation of supplementary nutrition to children, pregnant women and lactating mothers with the help of agencies like CARE, WFP etc. health check-up and surveys and non-formal pre-school education to children between 3 and 6 years of age through 210 Integrated Child Development Scheme projects, with a network of 26650 Anganwadi (Service) Centres, covering about 25,00,000 beneficiaries. Devised measures and initiated schemes for the economic development of women in rural areas.

Training Undertaken

Ø "Man-power Planning & Management Development" in Institute of Applied Man power Research, New Delhi:

Ø "Management Development Programme" in Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi.

Ø "Computer Applications in Governemnt" by Computer Maintenance Corporation, New Delhi.

Ø "Management Concept, Decision-making technique" in Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad:

Ø "Advanced Course on Financial Management" in Institute of Financial Management and Research, Madras:

Ø "Industrial Policy, Planning and Development" in Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore:
Ø "Ethics in Administration" in Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy Of Administration, Mussoorie.
Ø "Refresher Course for Senior Managers" in Indian Instt.of Public Admn.New Delhi.

Ø "Negotiation Skills" in Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore:
Ø "Foundation and professional Course for Indian Administrative Service Officers" in National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie.
Ø "Changing patterns of District Administration" in National Community Development Institute, Hyderabad

Ø "Opportunities for development of Fruits & Vegetables Processing and Marketing" in Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Co-operative Management, Pune

Ø "International Business Management" in Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad



Social Service:
Encouraged voluntary and Non-governmental organizations (N G Os) for more than two decades in every organization served so far starting with the Christian Missionaries (sisters) engaged in education and health care in the tribal belts of Jashpur Nagar (1973-75), Raigarh District and Padhar (1977-79), Betul District. Mobilized free labour for the community works involving youth, graduates and government servants and executed several projects in different places (1973-75, 1976, 1977-79, 1980-82, 1990-92). Organized camps for universal immunization for school-going children in rural areas.(1977-78). Organized tent touring as the collector of Sagar District and worked for the removal of untouchability in remote areas (1979-82). Encouraged and participated in eye-camps and rehabilitation of physically handicapped (1990-92). Had organized community participation in free manual labour for protection of a big lake (Sagar lake in M.P state), construction of roads and stop dams etc. (1990-92)

Honorary Societies:
An active honorary member of International Rotary Club. Awarded for the “Best Service to Society” by the Rotary Club at Sagar in 1991.
Governor of the province awarded a certificate of merit for doing excellent service through the medium of Hindi, as an Administrator (1984)

International Exposure:
Visited the following countries:-

United States of America
United Kingdom
France & Italy
Netherlands & Belgium
Luxembourg & Switzerland
Taiwan & Thailand
Singapore & Malaysia
Sri Lanka & Maldives
United Arab Emirates

Publications

Impact of P.L. 480 on Indian Economy,
Loyola College, Madras Annual Number 1969-70.

Economic Development with Social Justice: a paper read and published during the Annual conference of Madhya Pradesh ( the central and the biggest province in India) Economic Association, Bhopal, 1976.

Camp Approach in District Administration in July-December 1983 issue of “Management in Government”, the Journal of Administrative Reforms, Department of Personnel and A.R, Government of India, New Delhi Vol.No. XV No.2 and 3.

Self-employment in Rural Areas :Kurukshetra Vol.XXXII No.11 New Delhi, August 1984

Employment Opportunities at Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh “Sandesh” , a Journal of M.P. Government. Bhopal, 1984

Shortage Categories of Employment in Madhya Pradesh in ‘Rozgar and Nirman’ (Employment and Construction) a journal of M.P. Government, Bhopal, 1985

Heritage and Development of Sagar District, Sharda Publishing House, Delhi 1992.(Hindi)

Small farming in Central India Sharda Publishing House, Delhi 1995.

Unity of India, National Mail, Bhopal Oct,1997

Utility of Higher Education in Madhya Pradesh, National Mail, Bhopal, Dated 22nd July, 1998

India’s Agriculture by 2020 A.D, M.P.Chronicle, Bhopal Dated 6th September, 1998

Budget Receipts of Madhya Pradesh Government, National Mail, Bhopal, Dated 21st September,1998

Strategy For Rural Development, M.P.Chronicle, Bhopal Dated 29th November and 6th December,1998

Management of Water Resources in Madhya Pradesh, M.P.Chronicle, Bhopal Dated 16th, 17th and 18th December,1998

Film Censorship in India under Fire? National Mail, Bhopal, Dated 31st December,1998

State Governments’ Role in Economic Reforms, National Mail, Bhopal, Dated 10th February,1999

Insurance against Inflation in Indian context, National Mail, Bhopal, Dated 16th February,1999

Electoral Reforms in India, M.P.Chronicle, Bhopal Dated 22nd March,1999

The Lesson that Indore has to learn from the city of Surat (in Hindi) Nai Dunia, a vernacular daily from Bhopal, Dated 27th March,1999

Ancient Pataliputra and Modern Patna, National Mail, Bhopal, Dated 31st March,1999

Progress and pitfalls of Indian Nascent Nationhood, National Mail, Bhopal, Dated 7th April, 1999

Lazy and Lousy, National Mail, Bhopal 11th April,1999

Financial Resources of Bhopal ( the city-famous of world’s biggest industrial disaster in 1983) Municipal Corporation, M.P.Chronicle, 19th & 20th April, 1999

Campaign through Camps, National Mail, Bhopal, Dated 11th May, 1999

Shortages and Surpluses, M.P.Chronicle, 24th may,1999

Exit and Entry -- August 15, 2010

Addressed to the members of IAS Chhattisgarh Cadre:

Parting Epistle

Dr P.Raghavan I.A.S (Retd.)

Raipur Dt. 31-12-07

Dear friends,
I superannuated from I.A.S in July, 2007 after 36 years in government service. I am thank ful to the God Almighty for enabling me to come up to this point in life with all the successes and mixed results to varying degrees in several assignments kept by different governments from time to time during this period both in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh states.

In the last three-four decades I have seen different degrees of integrity and fellow feeling practiced and exhibited by seniors and juniors in the cadre. The camaraderie found in practice in early years of my career is totally missing now. Modern day living and deterioration in moral standards have taken precedence over moderation in every field of activity. Self-interest seems to enjoy an over-riding priority in all the actions of some individuals in governments of late. Heavens are not going to fall if well established norms, best practices and exemplary conventions are allowed to continue and prevail in government while handling of service matters. Discriminatory practices at the highest levels have become a rule and a disturbing phenomenon, which are certainly not a good sign for future and faster development of the state. A successful team leader is supposed to keep his flock together in day-to-day administration to achieve the common goals in a given time-frame. But unfortunately such an expectation and tradition has been given a go-by with a view to sub-serving the vested interest of a group aligned on the basis of caste and region.

Fair play and impartial conduct has been the hallmark of my administrative style throughout the career. I have tried to practice this principle from the day I joined the Service till the date of my superannuation although it led to a great disadvantage and embarrassment -- directly or indirectly annoying the top man in government affecting my career prospects in the process. But I can state with honesty and courage that I never and never approached an influential bureaucrat or a political master for a posting or promotion with the result I had a long and chequered career, sometimes holding very good posts and at times holding unimportant and demeaning posts but I never relented from my principles. I had led a career on my own terms and conditions without any fear or favour towards any individual throughout. I still enjoy the same reputation and respect among all those colleagues and the staff with whom I had an opportunity to work in various capacities. I had treated every subordinate of mine with the same regard and sympathy I had expected from my superiors although some of them had behaved strangely suffering from some complex or other.

Integrity of an individual is born with that person. It derives different definitions and differs only in degrees from person to person. But some individuals in service seem to have a feeling that they are the direct descendants of infallible Harischandra. Time will expose their double standards sooner or later. Albeit some individuals in C.G.Cadre have played a successful inning and occupied the top post in a clandestine and cunning style, I have the following averment to share with you at this hour:

“I have lost the battle but not the war”
I have written a poem on an interesting topic:



“ System's Fault or Default? ”

There is a system in every walk of life
Wonder of the system is its longevity.
System defines a standard on its own
Fault in a system is created by default

Men of a system are the real devils
They shake off its morals like a hat
An individual in a system is a part
It quietly sidelines the one different.

System takes care of its likeminded
So beautifully & successfully, surely
So shameful and awful are its means
So stunning and slamming, oh! God.

As part of a system one gains a lot
Assured of a smooth passage & joy
Individuals flock together like ants
Individuals help each other quickly.

Try to enrage a system by quizzing
Trifle or tricky a query as you can
You are easily noted & pushed out
You keep wondering all the while.

Raghu always suffers in a system due
Raghu's own stubborn steadfastness
Come what may, Sacrifice own gain
Come on, lone life, he never minds.

System gets a jolt only sometimes
Systemic faults are dealt strongly,
Systematically & constantly, then
System changes & accommodates.

[Raipur
28-03-06]

I shall be grateful for an acknowledgement thro’ e-mail if possible.


With best wishes

Yours sincerely,

Dr P.Raghavan
E-mail: p_raghavan47@yahoo.co.in