Jubilee Celebration of Madras University Library

We are glad to know that the central library of Madras University is celebrating its jubilee after serving the academic community and others for more than 100 years of its existence. With a good collection of books and journals it is a fertile ground for increase in productivity of mind and intellectual property to those who seek after knowledge and skill.

The undersigned who took his Masters in Economics in the year 1970 from the University of Madras pursued his advanced study in a couple of subjects needed for the competitive exams in UPSC. Besides others, Madras University Library provided the solid base for preparations that enabled him to compete successfully both in the written as well as personal interview. For about three months in the beginning of the calendar year 1970, I was the first one to enter the library at 8.00 AM and the last one to leave it in the evening at 8.00 PM. Old records can prove this point if necessary.

Kudos for its service to the literary and scientific world and wish all success on its march to another centenary year.

Shortage of man-power in Sub-stations of T.N.E.B

M.Mark Nelson reports in Dinamani (Thursday, August 23, 2012) that about 800 sub-stations from T.N.Electricity Production and Distribution Company are being transfered to the T.N.Power Holding Company with 80 % shortage of man-power in them already. The E.B engineers are apprehensive of major disruption and deterioration in power supply to the consumers in the state of Tamil Nadu in the days to come.

Who is to look into this aspect and do the needful without any loss of time? Power sector beng so important Herculian efforts are literally needed to maintain the supply. Inadequate production coupled with faulty distribution, transmission losses and thefts, one is sure to confront a very bad situation in the state soon. 

Social Justice by Supreme Court

Slur on Indian Governance:

The Supreme Court of India on Friday (August 3, 2012) ended the age-old indifference and neglect of these hapless widows by asking the Uttar Pradesh government and Mathura authorities to provide proper food, medical facility and clean toilets at four government-run shelter homes at Vrindavan, which house more than 1700 women.

The author had witnessed the scene personally some seven years ago. It is really inhuman to watch and keep quiet. After all the state government and its agencies could have taken the steps ordered by the Court now. Is it the fate of Indian citizens to keep waiting for the directions to agencies from the court for every activity of theirs? As a former civil servant I feel ashamed of having been forced to live in such a situation.

Another judgment passed on the same date was in regard to a hapless citizen named Azam in Chhattisgarh State who has been awarded a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs for the inhuman treatment meted out to him by police men. The government has been asked to recover the sum from those very police men who forced the victim to pose for a photograph with a placard on his chest declaring himself to be a thief, fraud, cheat and rascal and getting the same published. The protectors were at work as usual. Who is to check these uniformed devils!

Water Bodies in Doldrums

The lake in Ooty, a major tourist attraction, now emits a foul odour , thanks to untreated sewage getting into it, now partly covered with water hyacinths. Garbage is also dumped on its bund. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has made a study according to which the Ooty lake is one of the most polluted water bodies in the state. The study indicates that the presence of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in the Ooty lake has exceeded prescribed standards, at 11 milligram per litre (mg/l) as against the tolerance limit of 3 mg/l. Similarly data analysis of the water bodies in Poondi, Porur and Red Hills which serve as sources of drinking water supply to Chennai city reveal that they too are contaminated. The tests show the presence of coliform bacteria in samples of untreated water.

I am forced to put one question to the Board and get the names of at least some lakes and rivers in the state which are not polluted at all. One is indeed pained to see the status of rivers and lakes in the state. It seems to be nobody’s concern and everybody adjusts to such a situation. When are we going to use our resources and ensure planning for proper maintenance and beautification of lakes and rivers as we find in developed countries?

Fire accident in Tamil Nadu Express

32 deaths in fire accident two days ago on bogie No.S-11 of Tamil Nadu Express near Nellore station on the way to Chennai in the early morning at 4-15 A.M created a sense of fear and anger against the railway establishment. Cause of fire is reported to be short-circuit in electrical installation inside the bogie.

As a frequent traveler in trains I was only wondering as to how we were lucky so far we haven’t had such accidents frequently in the past. The callousness and indifference exhibited by the railway staff needs several volumes to write about. What the hell they are doing for the pay and perks they derive from the railways department? Dereliction of duty to the core? No supervision, no inspection whatsoever……….?

FDI in Retail Trade

The Chief Economic Advisor to Govt. of India Mr Kaushik Basu who was in Kolkata during the first week-end of July, 2012 sought to advise the Chief minister of West Bengal Ms Mamta Bannerji that she should start supporting the move of the Union Government in allowing the FDI in retail trade in India so that the farmers and the consumers of this country could benefit without further delay. He was hopeful of convincing her on this count provided she was briefed properly by an expert.

Probably there is truth in what he says like any other economist. Both the farmers and the consumers have been at the receiving end till now. No amount of good-will and policy prescriptions could bring cheers for them. The biggest worry at the FDI is that lakhs of retailers engaged in retail business would lose their livelihood. The left parties are more vocal on this. Well, as an economist and an administrator I too have been watching the situation for quite some time now and I am pretty sure that the government could never succeed in ensuring huge investments in the procuring, processing and marketing of perishable goods and domestic appliances and other grocery items. It is is only the multinationals that could afford to undertake such an activity on a massive scale throughout the length and breadth of this nation.

It is again a matter of introspection as to how long one could resist the modernization of economic forces and the benefit of large scale operations. So it is better to be late than never and permit the FDI with some necessary riders and conditions to be beneficial to all the players in the trade. One should rightly remember how the computerization was opposed by the trade unions and others in the beginning. But now the situation is such that one can hardly afford the absence of computers and IT applications in modern India. The Monopoly of any sort by multinationals should however be taken care of and dealt with very cautiously and forcefully.

Chequered Life of Indian Cricket

After the grand victory in the World Cup last year, the Indian cricket team rode like the giant elephant for a while but soon came its downward march.

It had a humiliating defeat - a total wash-out on the soil of Australia. A little later the team went to U.K and met with a similar fate.

It seems the Indian team fights shy of establishing its supremacy in cricket consistently against these white-skinned players on their soil.