gfiles magazine

March 7, 2011

BIG BOSS | secretary, steel pradeep kumar misra
‘WE WERE FIRST TO REBOUND IN THE WORLD AFTER THE RECESSION

AN IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre and 1976 batch, Pradeep Kumar Misra postgraduated in economics. He has worked in various capacities for the Government of India and the UP government for 34 years. He has wide-ranging experience of the strategic policy framework and its implementation in governing various sectors, including infrastructure, finance, industry and defence. As Secretary, Steel, to the Government of India, he is actively pursuing and monitoring capacity expansion plans of the steel sector and is also involved in policy issues pertaining to key raw materials such as iron ore and coking coal.

interviewed by TR RAMACHANDRAN & ANIL TYAGI
gfiles: What are the global benchmarks being followed in the steel sector in India?

Pradeep Kumar Misra: Some of the steel plants are near the global benchmarks. But there are no fixed global benchmarks, there is a range of global benchmarks. For blast furnace productivity, the World Steel Association gives a range of about 2.5-3.5 tonnes per cubic metre per day. We have prescribed a similar range as a benchmark that steel plants should strive for. Currently, they may be much below this.

gfiles: Benchmarks are all very well but is the input cost the same?

PKM: The input cost is not exactly the same and inputs are also not exactly the same. For instance, the phosphorus content in the iron ore and the ash content in Indian coking coal are higher. These are the gangue material, they disturb the process of the blast furnace. So the efficiency goes down and therefore output also decreases because they occupy a critical space and position in a chemical reaction process. So both these factors will inhibit achieving the highest standard. The higher the purity of the raw materials, the greater the possibility of achieving the world benchmarks.
Many of the more advanced steel-makers in the world try to purify the raw material or buy raw material of that purity. Obviously, that means higher cost because they are going for very high quality and they don’t want any impurities and also they are technologically advanced.
They are able to sell that steel at high price because of its high quality and higher formation, in the sense that it is CRGO or Cold Rolled Grain Oriented. CRGO is used for transformers. The process of making CRGO is far more complicated, technologically requires much higher controls.

‘Compared to international standards, we are not up to the mark. This requires changes in the technology.’

Therefore the price of this steel is also very high. The market price is controlled by the steelmakers because very few people can make this kind of high quality steel with high skilled technology. The Japanese steelmakers achieve the highest efficiency because they not only use the best quality raw materials but they are able to do this and still sell steel because they are making high-grade steel.
Ordinary pig iron will cost Rs 20,000 per tonne but this kind of CRGO will probably be five times more or Rs 1 lakh per tonne. The amount of money which has gone into the raw material is obviously 20% higher in the case of high quality steelmaking but the return you get is five times higher. In the process, blast furnace productivity increases because of high quality raw material. If the quality of the raw material is not so high, the chemical and physical processes involved in the blast furnaces get inhibited with more gangue material in the process so the productivity will be lower.
Compared to international standards, we are not up to the mark. We must try for that. This requires changes in the technology, blast furnace design, in the feedstock raw materials. I want the steel industry to move in that direction but this can’t happen overnight. You have to make changes and investment in technology, material, manpower training and so on.

gfiles:Do you see the journey of the steel industry in the past 50 years as satisfactory? 
PKM: There has been very rapid expansion in steel demand in the past five years. The average rate of growth has been 9.2% for the past five years. This is due to the policies of the government. There is a direct relationship between rate of growth of GDP and steel demand. A 1% increase in GDP will lead to 1-1.2% increase in steel consumption. There has been a rapid growth of steel capacities.
They can’t come up overnight, it takes three years to put up a plant. There will be a time lag. Steel is a decontrolled sector, so anybody can put up a steel plant. The market is responding, demand is increasing very rapidly. Still, by and large, we are a marginal net importer, 95% of our demand is met by domestic steel production.
‘There is a direct relationship between rate of growth and steel demand. A 1% increase in GDP will lead to 1-1.2% increase in steel consumption.’

Most quality steel is imported. You can’t put up a quality steel plant unless you have certain minimum basic capacity. The cost of putting up a plant is high and there are certain discreet numbers. You cannot put up a 2000-tonne plant making CRGO, it’s not viable. You can put up a 100,000-tonne plant only if there is enough demand in the country. So some of the special high-grade steel behind industries is coming through lots of tie-ups. For instance, Tata has a tie-up with a Japanese company, Nippon Steel;
JSW with JFE of Japan; SAIL has signed MoUs with Kube Steel of Japan and POSCO of Korea for setting up steel plants. This includes specialized steel lines so if you put up a 3,000,000-tonne plant and specialized steel facilities of 200,000 tonnes as part of that plan, you make raw material, refine it, put it through various processes. As the demand has come to a level where it is possible to set up a facility to produce specialized steel through international tie-ups to get the technology, we are going into higher grade steelmaking with the expansion of steel production overall. It’s a welcome trend and we encourage it. As it is a decontrolled sector, it is for the private sector and the public sector people to respond.

gfiles:Where do you stand today?
PKM: If we look at the past 50 years, we were producing about 40 million tonnes of steel in 1991 and last year we produced 64.88 million tonnes (2009-10). For the current year, it’s higher. Till November 2010, there is an increase of 7.3% over last year. We will be producing about 70 million tonnes of steel. Next year, we might be producing 80 million tonnes because of the rapid increase in demand. Ground field expansion is going on, many plants are coming up. Last year, the capacity that was added for steel production was about 8 million tonnes, in the current financial year we expect to add about 10 million tonnes. 

gfiles:Has the steel industry recovered fully from the global meltdown that sent commodities’ prices tumbling?
PKM: Yes, we’ve come out of the meltdown from April 2009 onwards. We were among the first to rebound in the world in terms of demand and production. 

gfiles:So the targets for steel production did not stagnate even during the meltdown? 
PKM: There was a temporary setback for one year, 2008. The capacity kept going up. The meltdown did not affect us much. It was a very minor meltdown in 2008-09 where the demand growth was almost stagnant but it bounced back in 2009-10. As the steel industry grows, it becomes more robust and it’s a natural tendency to go into higher value added products because the demand scenario also keeps changing. As the demand for higher value-added products in a more sophisticated economy picks up, it becomes viable to put up production facilities to yield the minimum demand. The Ministry for Steel encourages it. We need to have specialized steel production facilities and technology so that we don’t have to import. We should be able to produce all kinds of steel in this country and become a net exporter. 

gfiles:Do you have a target for this?
PKM: By 2015-16, we should be able to become a net exporter but we don’t export high-value products. 

gfiles:How do we compare with China? In 2009, 47% of world steel production was from China.
PKM: China produces almost 600 million tonnes of steel. But there are signs that they are going to stagnate now whereas we are on the upsurge. China’s rate of growth accelerated earlier than ours and is still higher. The steel demand in 2020 should be 200 million tonnes, in 2030 it should be about 350 million tonnes. The Chinese have a different model, they have laid stress on heavy steel structure and heavy use of steel in their infrastructure projects. Steel is one of the indicators of economic growth but it’s not the only indicator. The product mix of an economy can be different. India is primarily a service sector economy. Even our exports are service-sector exports. China’s economy is more into manufacturing. So the product mix also influences the amount of steel consumed. If you are primarily a manufacturing-based economy then consumption will be much higher. Our product mix is different. That does not mean we are not growing as rapidly, steel does not determine the entire economics of the nation though it is an important determinant. There are other determinants like the mode of products that you have, the kind of infrastructure development that you are doing. For instance, you can use a lot of steel for making bridges or have bridges constructed with cement. 

gfiles:The past few years have seen an unprecedented scramble among businessmen to secure approval for iron ore mining and for setting up steel plants of all types and all dimensions. How many of the projects, especially the integrated steel projects, will ultimately be set up? Will there be over-capacity, say, five to 10 years hence? 
PKM: A certain amount of overcapacity in any case is necessary so that you have the flexibility to produce a higher level if required. Ideally, in any system, capacity utilization should be around 80%. Therefore, you should have 30% excess capacity by design. If there is any overcapacity, then we export the steel. 
We are well-placed with regard to iron ore resources. The issues that threaten us are lack of adequate coking coal because that is the other key raw material. We have limestone which is also used in making steel but some particular limestone is imported. Coking coal is an area where we need to outsource aggressively through the private and public sectors or PPP (Public-Private Partnership).
‘Some of the special high-grade steel behind industries is coming through lots of tie-ups. Tata has a tie-up with a Japanese company, Nippon.’

gfiles:But the quality continues to be very bad....
PKM: First, we don’t have high-grade coking coal in our country. We are buying it, mostly from Australia and the US. New coking coal areas are coming up in Mozambique, Indonesia... these are untapped areas. As the demand is increasing we are looking at these areas. Some of them have very high-grade coking coal which has not been exploited. So we need to go out aggressively to meet our current and future requirements. 
Environmental clearance is the other issue which needs to be sorted out for setting up new steel plants, especially green field projects. We have been urging the Ministry of Environment and Forests for speedy clearance otherwise these green field capacities can’t come up in the represented time-frame.

gfiles: What about captive mining for steel plants?
PKM: It is a good policy to have captive mining because of two reasons. One, security of resources which is essential for long-term investment. Two, a large company which invests a huge amount of money in putting up steel plants manages these mining assets better from both the point of view of optimum utilization of the ore and environmental issues like reforestation and so on. Small, private individuals disappear and they leave the mine open, don’t rehabilitate the mine. So there is more certainty of ensuring ecological and environmental rehabilitation for large steel plants. 




gfiles: Is SAIL’s Rs 59,905-crore investment plan envisaging saleable steel production of 23.13 million tonnes per annum by 2012 on schedule? What is next on the blueprint?

PKM: SAIL plans to increase its saleable steel production capacity from the current 12 million tonnes to 23.13 million tonnes by 2012-13. They are investing Rs 70,000 crore (internally generated) in the plant machinery and captive mining. Expansion-cum-modernization of the system and better management lead to less wastage and losses in the process of production. The current expansion is based on the latest technology which will bring better efficiency. 

gfiles:Steel is facing intense competition from aluminium and plastics in its two main markets – construction and automobiles. There is also competition from the asbestos sheets and pipes industries, and other industries. Has the Indian steel industry adopted any unified approach to protect or, rather, expand its turf?
PKM: There is always competition from any product. But there are certain applications where nothing but steel can be used because real strength is required. Therefore, this competition is marginal. There will be some substitution from time to time but there is no real competition. 

gfiles:The steel industry has been trying to reduce staff through its lean manufacturing strategy. What is the productivity per person, compared to the most efficient steel producer in the world? 
PKM: Different plants have different productivity levels. The highest levels in the world are about 500-1,000 tonnes per man per year. It depends on the amount of outsourcing you do. Some of this is artificial, in the sense you can either employ the people yourself or outsource lots of jobs. Like JSW Steel has productivity of about 700-800 tcs/man/year. ESSAR Steel and Ispat have 1500-2,500 tcs/man/year. Most conventional steel plants like SAIL have 226 tcs/man/year because they do all the jobs in house, there is no outsourcing. JSW and ESSAR do a lot of outsourcing and that outsourcing is not counted as manpower.
This manpower is removed from the denominator so it’s somewhat complex and you can’t pinpoint actual manpower requirement if you include the outsourcing. It’s actually much more than what they are showing. We would certainly like to increase the productivity per manpower and we’ve asked them. In the process of expansion you should also reduce manpower but they’ll not do the kind of outsourcing the private-sector steel plants are doing because of two reasons: security and better long-term viability.

gfiles: Are you focusing on quality steel? 
PKM: There are two aspects. One, the consumer should get quality steel, especially for construction activities like making transformers, TMT bars, beams. With the help of BIS we have evolved standards. Two, quality steel is not manufactured in India. So we are encouraging Indian companies to start manufacturing quality steel. Then we won’t have to import. 

gfiles: To produce one tonne of steel, a company has to move four tonnes of raw materials. Raw material sourcing and logistics prima facie offers tremendous scope for cost saving. Do you plan to outsource logistics operations or streamline them to save on inventories, freight, etc.? Of the total iron ore, coking coal, steam coal, limestone and other raw materials, how much do you produce inhouse and how much do you procure from the market? Have you revisited your procurement strategy?
PKM: We have sufficient iron ore. Last year, we exported 117 million tonnes of iron ore. Thirty million tonnes of coking coal are required in India; 75% is imported and 25% is our own. Our coking coal is not high-grade, there is a lot of ash content. So we have to mix it with imported coal to get the right chemical composition. 

gfiles: How is it that ICVL has not yet struck a single deal since its formation in 2007, whereas private companies have acquired several mines in Australia, Indonesia and African countries?
PKM: ICVL was incorporated on May 20, 2009. It has been set up as a Joint Venture Company of five of the largest PSUs of the country with the objective of acquisition of coal assets for meeting the current and growing requirements of its promoter companies – SAIL, CIL, Coal India, NMDC and NTPC. The global coal industry has gone through a process of consolidation in the past few years. The best coal deposits are now controlled by a handful of global mining majors. These companies have acquired most of the junior mining companies. Consequently, opportunities for acquisition of good coal deposits are limited.
ICVL has been aggressively scouting for suitable coal assets in target countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Mozambique, Indonesia, the US and Canada. It has carried out detailed due diligence of several coal assets and also participated in bidding processes. It has been given autonomy to make investments in overseas acquisitions up to Rs 1,500 crore in each case. It has also been vested with the powers of a Navratna company without formal Navratna status. Due diligence is being done by international bankers. Only proposals for acquisitions in excess of Rs 1,500 crore need to be submitted to an empowered committee of Secretaries who will make their recommendations directly to the Cabinet for approval. We do not anticipate delays on account of proposals which may need CCEA approval.

gfiles: The changeover from a specific rate of royalty to an ad valorem one under the new national mineral policy will increase the cost of iron ore and other raw materials....
PKM: Ad valorem is to lend elasticity to the duty, to the royalty and it was in per tonne (fixed amount). Now the government has changed it. It is a government policy, so that the royalty is reflective of the market demand-supply scenario. Prices are not determined by such factors but the international price mechanism.

‘SAIL plans to increase its saleable steel production capacity from the current 12 million tonnes to 23.13 million tonnes by 2012-13.’

gfiles: What is the status of the Indian Steel Alliance (ISA), an association of five integrated steel producers?
PKM: It has been wound up. I have not heard of this organization for quite some time. 

gfiles: Keeping in mind the periodic tension between producers and consumers, and overpricing and marketing of domestic steel, should there be an independent regulator to oversee growth and regulation of the entire sector right from ore mining to the tariff structure for steel?
PKM: I’m not in favour of any kind of regulation. Steel was deregulated in 1991. The growth in the steel sector has been very significant thereafter. The regulated regime does not necessarily lead to best results. Second, steel was taken out of the purview of the Essential Commodities Act. Third, import duty has been reduced very substantially on steel products. So it is facing international competition, showing prices are competitive in India. So it doesn’t need a regulator. 

gfiles: SAIL has signed a slew of joint venture agreements or alliances with various entities, the notable one being the shipping JV with Shipping Corporation, the coal mining JV with Tata Steel and the strategic alliance with South Korea’s POSCO. How many of the JVs have actually taken off? Do you have more JVs on the anvil?
PKM: SAIL has signed a few MoUs with international companies like POSCO. Some JVs are doing well, those in the power, cement and e-commerce sectors. Right now, the steel we make is based on coking coal and coking coal has become very expensive. So it is time we shift to alternative technology based on thermal coal because we have enough thermal coal. There are adequate thermal coal reserves worldwide whereas coking coal reserves are depleting. The day is not far when getting coking coal will become very difficult, maybe 20 years from now. So if we can bring new technology... SAIL and other private sector companies are in the process of forging alliances with non coking coal based foreign manufacturers of steel like Kobe Steel of Japan and POSCO of South Korea. Recently, JVs were signed with RITES for manufacturing wagons for Indian Railways. Another JV has been signed by RINL with Railways to manufacture axles for them. 

gfiles: How has the steel industry grown in this fiscal and what is the projected production figure in the next five years?
PKM: The next five-year plan will be known only in one year’s time. The Planning Commission has been involved in this planning. We are making a five-year plan which is called a strategic plan for the purpose of a Results Framework Document (RFD). We have worked as per RFD and we have secured 106 points by the government. Some initiatives have been taken to strive towards the international benchmarks for production efficiencies and emission norms, such as lower power and coke consumption rate per tonne of steel, lower use of iron ore per tonne of steel and introduction of PCI & CDI. 
In the new R&D policy, we want to identify the thrust areas, research them. How to increase efficiency of our plants based on indigenous raw material because indigenous raw material has certain peculiar characteristics like high phosphorus.

gfiles: What about major projects in the offing?
PKM: The steel industry is already open for 100% FDI. Arcelor Mittal wants to invest Rs 150,000 crore for making 30 million tonnes of steel. POSCO wants to invest for making 12 million tonnes. Some domestic players have also invested in FDI like JSW, Tata Steel, Bhushan Power and ESSAR. We are targeting 200 million tonnes of steel manufacture by 2020. The present capacity is 75 million tonnes, we have to add 125 million tonnes. So, to produce 125 million tonnes, multiply by Rs 5000 crore; it is Rs 625,000 crore in the next 10 years. Money is available and it will come. 


—WITH INPUTS BY NARESH MINOCHA

www.gfilesindia.com

MANDARIN MATTERS | corruption |  decay of the services
Civil servants, unite!

Babus have nothing to lose but their servility

by MG DEVASAHAYAM


A group of us, including former civil servants, lawyers and other professionals, have set up the Forum for Electoral Integrity in Chennai. The objective is to combat corruption and money power in elections which is the root cause of the degeneration of politics and the resultant decay in democratic governance.
We address public meetings and student gatherings. With the kind of scams that are rocking the country and with governance hitting rock-bottom, we repeatedly face one embarrassing but poignant question: Can there be such massive and widespread corruption and fall of governance except with the connivance of civil servants – IAS and IPS officers? The unfortunate answer is No. 
Take the election scenario. Bribery for votes has now developed into a sophisticated cash-and-carry business model with advance bookings, IOU coupons and the like. Sale/purchase of votes is no longer a stealthy activity, but is done in the open and even boasted about. So much so, formulae have been evolved and publicly brandished for making the voters “shareholders” in the massive loot and scams during elections. Cash for this is stored in containers and carried in cars and vans with police escort. 
The entire election supervising machinery, from the Election Commission down to the District Collector/Superintendent of Police, is manned by civil servants. During election time they have a clear Constitutional mandate and exercise vast powers. If corruption and crime have overtaken the electoral process, it is the civil servants who are to be largely held responsible. However, the present EC leadership is fighting a rearguard battle to combat the menace. Hopefully, civil servants will cooperate fully in this. 
India has been consistently rated among the most corrupt countries in the world. A majority of the population pays bribes to access revenue services, municipal services, public distribution, healthcare, education, electricity, land records, registration, forest, housing and so on. The police force is the most corrupt among the services surveyed. All this to deliver low-quality services. 
Millions of BPL families had to pay bribes to avail of the benefits of the government’s flagship NREGA scheme, directly administered by the District Collectors. Half of the BPL families had to cough up bribes even to get themselves registered for work. About 15% of the poor either paid bribes or used a “contact” to get the benefits of NREGA. 
This, despite the much-trumpeted “social audits”. Corruption in the issue of community certificates, ration cards and pension is far worse. These services also come directly under the District Collectors. 
On the police side, registration and investigation of FIRs is the most primary responsibility of the Superintendents of Police. But this has become a racket and a massive source of corruption, forcing citizens to go to District and High Courts to seek relief. The general public has to pay bribes and compromise its dignity in the process. 
At higher levels, we have Secretaries to State governments and police chiefs who have totally surrendered to Ministers and prefer to share the spoils. How else could an IAS couple in Madhya Pradesh amass assets worth Rs 360 crore? Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu had Chief Secretaries doubling as real estate agents. 
The Government of India’s Home Ministry had a Director who sold state secrets for cash and women. Many civil servants own acres of land, posh houses and apartments, luxury sedans and have several bank accounts. Each of the mega scams – 2G, ISRO-Devas, CWG, POSCO, Vedanta, Adarsh, Lavasa – has the imprint of senior IAS officers. 
PJ Thomas has inadvertently opened up the “barber’s pit” in his affidavit in the Supreme Court. He reveals that all the nine IAS officers empanelled in 2008 and cleared by the CVC for the post of Secretary to the Government of India, including himself, were tainted by charges of corruption, misappropriation, embezzlement, land grab and possession of disproportionate assets. Their main qualification seems to be their success in soliciting postings from the Prime Minister’s Office or the respective Ministers. This is the kind of person who is occupying top administrative posts in the Government of India. No wonder decision-making is coloured and there is a disconnect between New Delhi and the rest of India! 
A recent editorial in The Statesman is revealing: “Much of the woes the UPA government is facing could be traced to allowing a small coterie of civil servants with roots in Kerala cornering all key posts at the Centre from the President’s secretary to the Prime Minister’s principal secretary, the Congress president’s secretary, Cabinet secretary, home secretary, foreign secretary and the National Security Adviser….
It is not because of any rare confluence of talent in the small state of Kerala that most sensitive posts are filled by its citizens. Shameless subservience to their political masters and clannishness are the root cause of their rise and shine.” 

At higher levels, we have Secretaries to State governments and police chiefs who have totally surrendered to Ministers and prefer to share the spoils.

The PMO, supposedly manned by the most competent civil servants in the country, is at the epicentre of this clannish coterie and is itself afflicted by major shams and scams, the latest being the secretive ISRO-Devas deal, which is being desperately concealed with the connivance of the media. The Thomas episode is further evidence of these in breeders stooping to any depth to make the country a “Republic of Scams” and destroying institutions in the process. 
Be that as it may, let us hark back to 1922 and recall the prophetic words of India’s first Governor-General, CR Rajagopalachari, then a freedom-fighter: “Elections and corruption, injustice and the power and tyranny of wealth and inefficiency of administration will make hell of life as soon as freedom is given to us.” 
PERHAPS this dire prediction was at the back of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s mind when he wrote to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in April 1948, advocating the formation of an independent civil service, in the functioning of which “political considerations, either in its recruitment or in its discipline and control, are reduced to the minimum, if not eliminated altogether”. This was strongly opposed by the Chief Ministers of the States and many members of the Constituent Assembly. In his speech to this Assembly in October 1949, the Sardar said: “The Indian Union will go. You will not have a united India if you do not have a good All India Services which has independence to speak out its advice – if you do not adopt this course, then do not follow the present system, substitute something else.” 
Sardar Patel had his way and the AIS was established to “give a fair and just administration to the country and manage it on an even keel”. To ensure this and safeguard the civil servants from the “vicissitudes of political convulsions”, these services were covenanted in the Constitution. 
Set up under such challenges, the civil services had the basic philosophy of delivering de-centralized, good and honest governance to all citizens and uplifting the poor and the downtrodden. Such governance would pursue an equitable, small-is-beautiful, need-based, human scale, balanced development while conserving nature and livelihoods. But most of today’s mandarins are pursuing the MNC agenda of turning the country into a 300-million-strong rich/middle-class market through FDI-funded, big-ticket projects by mortgaging the resources of the nation, leaving the 900 million “laggards” in the lurch.

A majority of the population pays bribes to access revenue services, municipal services, public distribution, healthcare, education, electricity, land records, registration, forest, housing and so on.

In the event, civil servants have been dragged into the very vicissitudes of convulsive politics, scams and scandals against which they were supposed to be a bulwark. They have become accessories to the colossal corruption that in the last five years alone has exceeded the British colonial loot of India of about a trillion dollars. Due to the collective failure of civil servants in living up to the covenant of the Constitution, India’s democracy has diminished, giving place to a “kleptocracy” – a government of the thieves, by the thieves, for the thieves! 
India conscientiously adopted the permanent civil service system. But, over time, it has descended into a spoils system, imbibing the worst of both. In the event, despite Constitutional protection, civil servants have abdicated their independence and political neutrality and have become willing pawns in the hands of ruling politicians. Many of them have compromised and some have become their joint-venture partners to enjoy prized postings while in service, grab coveted post-retirement sinecures, acquire properties and set up benami outfits to run business and corner lucrative contracts. Serving corrupt carpetbaggers has become their mantra, the aam aadmi be damned. This is a crisis situation for the civil services. 
Is there hope? Yes, if civil servants revert to the constitutional scheme of things from which they have drifted and reinvent themselves to become a fearless, independent, honest and efficient entity bound by an esprit de corps which is absent now. For this, a few colonial and neo-colonial hangovers such as “bureaucratic gagging”, “subservience to political masters”, “too much protection” as well as the jack-of-all-trades culture should be done away with. Also to be discarded are obnoxious practices like clannish inbreeding and servile sinecure-hunting. 
The message is clear: Civil servants, unite and assert; you have nothing to lose but your servility. The choice is obvious – resurgence or swansong! 
MANDARIN MATTERS | corruption | br lall
An Open Letter to the Prime Minister of India

Respected Sir,

It had been an article of faith with me that, to set the country right, all we required was “a straightforward, effective, honest, firm, bold and well-meaning Prime Minister” who would be able to solve all the problems our country faces, with corruption in the forefront. With your elevation to the top, our hopes soared. With the reputation for integrity and learning that you commanded, people expected effective, bold and firm governance. Initially, we felt you were leading the country on that path but then that impression started waning. Disillusionment set in as scams started rolling out and peaked with the 2G spectrum affair.
The worst feature is that information about the 2G spectrum, CWG and other scams has been in the public domain for quite some time and yet no action was taken while the nation helplessly watched the loot of the treasury. In the 2G spectrum case, the information indicates that, on learning of the bungling, you wrote to the Telecom Minister, restraining him from allotting the spectrum without your permission. Despite that, after a while he issued allotment orders. He reportedly had the audacity to inform you of the allotment and you merely acknowledged his letter. The public has been discussing the issue for the past two years and certain knowledgeable sections have displayed all this correspondence. When it came to allotment of 3G spectrum, people’s groups exercised such pressure that the Minister could not make arbitrary allotments and had to hold an auction. That brought very high dividends and also focused the nation’s attention on the mischief related to 2G spectrum.
As public property, the spectrum was supposed to be held and operated by the Minister in trust, but it was disposed of in violation of the directions and procedures set by law, thereby betraying the trust he was bound to uphold and discharge as a public servant. This was criminal breach of trust as defined in Section 405 of the Indian Penal Code and punishable under Section 409 of the IPC with life imprisonment.
It was an act committed by the Telecom Minister but you were in the know. It was incumbent upon you to have taken action against him as follows:

i) Dropped him from the Ministry so that he could not influence the department further, fiddle with the files and destroy evidence.

ii) Registered cases under Section 409, IPC, against him and others concerned, and ordered prompt investigation.

iii) Registered cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act against him and all others involved and conducted thorough searches of all their premises, including bank lockers and so on, and looked into their assets and attached the same so that these could be forfeited in future at the appropriate time. Attachment was necessary at the initial stage as otherwise the assets would be disposed of, and cash and other moveables, including papers pertaining to benami properties, hidden. By not taking such action you facilitated the crime, omitting the legal duty imposed on you as Prime Minister and committing an offence of abetment under Section 107 (3), IPC. Your argument relating to the compulsions of a coalition is not tenable in the face of the substantive crime. The case of the CWG scam is similar. The appointment of PJ Thomas as CVC is a very obnoxious affair. The highest watchdog of integrity and morals in the country cannot be facing criminal charges himself. Your government has not accorded sanction for prosecution, without which no trial can commence. Punishing the high and mighty for corruption or related cases is not a done thing in India. I can safely infer, though it is painful, that all the governments have been protective of the high and mighty corrupt. Corruption, exploitation, tax evasion, misappropriation of public funds and the like are treated as perquisites of VIPs. But empanelling for higher responsibilities a bureaucrat against whom a chargesheet has been framed and the sanction for prosecution has been pending for years constitutes a crime against the nation. The sanction was pending with the Centre since 2003 or so, how could the government feign ignorance? This culpable act was committed on many occasions: at the time of his empanelment as Additional Secretary and as Secretary, at the time of posting as Secretary to the GOI, and at the time of selection as CVC. On the last occasion, the Leader of the Opposition brought the issue to the notice of the committee chaired by you but was overruled. The constitution of the committee is defective in that the association of the Leader of the Opposition is meaningless as he or she can always be overruled by the PM and the Home Minister as they will always be on the same side. But since, in this case, she brought it up, the government cannot plead that the State government had not sent the information. The obvious inference is devastating as the people have started holding you personally responsible for fomenting corruption, though at the same time they may swear by your personal integrity.

With the reputation for integrity you commanded, people expected effective, bold and firm governance.

There is a political stalemate in Parliament on the 2G spectrum affair, but the common man is concerned with a fair investigation and recovery of the misappropriated wealth. My worry is that, while the polemics continue, the evidence is being destroyed and lost. The CBI has been asked to register cases and conduct investigations but at the same time probes under the CAG and VK Shunglu have also been set up. These are supposed to be fact-finding bodies, but the facts are already in the public domain. Besides the report of the CAG, the media has already investigated and marshalled the facts with documents that are public and prima facie establish committing of criminal offences. As per the Supreme Court judgement dealing with the preliminary inquiries, it was clearly laid down in the Serajudin case from Madras (as reported in AIR, 1971, page 520) that the moment a criminal case is prima facie made out, all the inquiries should stop and investigations under the Code of Criminal Procedure should commence. The ruling is as good as law and setting up these committees in this case is bad in the eyes of the law. The JPC, as the government says, may be a political weapon but all these committees, including the JPC, go against the above ruling and hence are illegal. All this will hamper the investigations and recovery of the lost wealth. The Opposition contends that the JPC will pinpoint the responsibility and also study the procedures and suggest measures to prevent such occurrences in future. Fixing responsibility and collecting the evidence for prosecution is the task of investigation. The JPC can look into procedures better after the investigations are over and all the records have been collected as otherwise all these committees hamper the process of investigation and damage the criminal cases.
Monitoring by the Supreme Court did not succeed in the Jain hawala case as that case was scuttled.

Investigation, ie collection of evidence, is the most crucial aspect as the court will adjudicate on that. Committees collect and project facts which are not necessarily evidence. But investigations must be conducted by an agency independent of the government. All the governments have misused the CBI for their ends and as such the people have lost confidence in the CBI. An organ under the government cannot go against it and even if it is fair it will still have to prove its credentials every time. For this reason, most countries have independent investigating agencies like the Independent Commission Against Corruption. We are unable to ratify the UNCAC as that presupposes the independence of the investigating agencies. Ratifying the UNCAC would help us trace and recover the huge amount of black money lying in tax havens.

Steps to stem the rot 
From my long experience of investigating corruption cases and in my fight against corruption in high places that started publicly in 1996 with my article, “How to Make CBI a Free Agency”, I outline below the first phase of measures that require to be adopted if the government really means business:
i) Establish an “Independent Commission Against Corruption” that will cover all shades of public servants as also people from the private sector. The commission would be free of any governmental control and would include the functions of the proposed Lokpal, the existing CVC, the CBI and the enforcement directorate as also of the government at present in relation to corruption cases.
ii) Repeal the provisions of Section 26 of the CVC Act as the registration and investigation of a crime should not require any permission from anyone for any criminal charged with corruption even if he be a constitutional functionary or a legislator of any description.
iii) Repeal Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. This is a requirement of a colonial power and not of a democracy that boasts rule of law.
iv) Amend the Prevention of Corruption Act to provide for more stringent punishment. As of now a person amassing even thousands of crores of rupees through corruption does not attract punishment beyond seven years. It should extend to lifelong punishment for corruption or amassing assets beyond a certain level. Do away with notional fines; a provision needs to be made to confiscate properties to recover the amount equivalent to misappropriation along with penalties.
v) Make tax evasion a cognizable crime punishable with a jail term that should be commensurate with the amount evaded.
vi) Amend the Representation of the People’s Act to debar all chargesheeted persons from fighting elections or from holding any office in the government or in any registered political party. Persons convicted for any term, of course, cannot find any place.
vii) Rules under the Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988, be framed and promulgated immediately.
Other measures can follow but, if we mean business, the whole spectrum of laws and enforcement needs to be recast and implemented without any distinction or favour.


That, however, is a basic reform. Right now, to do justice and to restore public confidence it is necessary that SITs independent of the government, reporting to the Supreme Court, be set up. The SIT can be monitored by a distinguished retired police officer in no way under the government, as only he would be effective. He should write and endorse the ACRs of all its officers. Monitoring by the Supreme Court has been proposed in certain circles, but that experiment did not succeed in the Jain hawala case as that case was scuttled despite Supreme Court monitoring.
I am sorry to have recorded, however unpleasant, the legal position as you are answerable to the law of the land, your inner self and to history as I noted in the context of the black money of our country in my book, Financial Terrorism: Black Money and the Indian Elite. I reproduce the relevant excerpt: “However, the country expects action from the Prime Minister who is revered as an economist, an academician and an honest person though surrounded by dishonest and fraudulent crowds, by and large, who themselves may be having such accounts like any other person in power in India. It may be argued that if action is taken, the government may fall as most of the elite, including the civil servants and big businessmen, also hold such slush. The moot point is whether the PM owes his loyalty to such criminals or to the nation. What if the government of the day falls, the nation will surely rise? The nation will be galvanized, will be hopeful about the future and the PM would have an occasion to select a more honest team. The PM is fortunate to be blessed with this great opportunity, but if he ignores or misses it, he will be answerable to the nation, to himself and to history. Such tailor- made opportunities seldom visit though only the brave can avail. One can extend best wishes and cooperation to the PM if he undertakes this most sacrosanct national task.” The media has highlighted the declaration by Smt Sonia Gandhi to provide for a Lokpal and to amend the law on corruption to make it more effective and fast. Certain sections of public opinion have called it cosmetic and meant to score political points against the opposition. As reported in the media, all the constitutional functionaries have been kept out and all the politicians in power have been protected by the provision of permission from the presiding officer of the House, thereby extending the provisions of the infamous single directive to all these dignitaries. Public servants beyond a certain level already enjoy this privilege under Section 26 of the CVC Act. Then why this lame Lokpal? Can’t we imagine any government action, even the laws, without extending privileges? This feudal bias has to end. The law against corruption should be more stringent against the higher-ups as the capacity for corruption is directly proportionate to the power exercised. Corruption and misappropriation are crimes and no criminal should be shown any consideration. No permission is required to proceed against a person charged with the most heinous of crimes like murder or rape. Then why so in cases of corruption? The only likely reason is that it is a crime committed by the powerful, so they have enacted a shield to protect themselves.

Yours sincerely,
BR Lall
(Retired DGP, Haryana)


(BR Lall joined the Indian Police Service in 1967. He was CBI Joint Director and steered the Jain hawala, Assam LOC and Indian Bank probes. Repatriated from the CBI due to his insistence on investigating the powerful, he has given an account of his experience in Who Owns CBI: The Naked Truth.)

www.gfilesindia.com

TALKTIME | chairman & ceo, morpho | jean paul jainsky
‘Indian bureaucrats are extremely meticulous’

JEAN Paul Jainsky joined the Sagem Group in 1975, with Société Anonyme de Télécommunication (SAT) – a subsidiary of Sagem and a pioneering company in infrared technologies. Since July 2007, he is the Chairman and CEO of the new company, Sagem Sécurité – named Morpho since May 2010.

interviewed by MEERA KRISHNAN


gfiles: What is Morpho’s role in the UIDAI project?
Jean Paul Jainsky: Mahindra Satyam will look at systems integration of the final solution, while Morpho will deploy its biometrics technology. The techniques used in the field of biometrics, which are the core activity of Morpho, are development of the acquisition and processing of 10 fingerprints, of facial recognition and iris recognition, the combined use of these technologies in multi-biometrics, and also the progress in matching algorithms.

gfiles: What are Morpho’s key strengths which will help it deliver the world’s largest biometric project in India?
JPJ:
 Morpho, Safran Group, as a group leader, has implemented more than 450 biometrics systems in more than 100 countries for applications such as digital national population register, multipurpose ID card, driving licence, e-passport. We have implemented our solutions in each continent, facing every environmental and geographical challenge in countries such as the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, South Africa, the Cote d’Ivoire, the UAE, Malaysia and Australia.

gfiles: What is the key technology differentiator of Morpho as opposed to the other consortia in the UIDAI project?
JPJ: We have the widest proven field experience. Our technology is constantly improving through experience in the field. We have been in the biometrics market for 35 years. Our R&D force is composed of 1,300 engineers dedicated to the improvement of identification and biometrics solutions. As a high-tech company within the Safran Group, Morpho is the only company today that covers the entire technological chain of identification solutions and data security systems – biometrics enrolment, biometric algorithms, smart cards, pattern recognition, data and image processing, secure embedded software, secure electronic transactions, e-authentication, cryptography, secure printing, smart cards production and personalization, and advanced system architecture. We are the only company with end-to-end solutions in identification and biometrics. Morpho has superior technology and know-how in the field of acquisition and processing of high quality images and shape recognition algorithms in order to capture, analyse and compare biometric data that guarantee identification. In fact, Morpho’s fingerprint-based personal authentication technology was recently ranked number 1 in the Proprietary Fingerprint Testing (PFT) competition organized by the US’ National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), a global benchmark for the measurement of biometric algorithms. Unlike other consortia involved in the UIDAI project, we are the only consortium led by an Indian firm – Mahindra Satyam.

gfiles: What kind of work has Morpho done with organizations like BEL, NREGA and the like in India, prior to the UIDAI project?
JPJ: Morpho is involved in a number of e-governance programmes in India. Our subsidiary in India is a market leader in this space and has been active in a number of e-governance programmes – providing smart cards, technology and also field implementation such as driving licences in various States, the RSBY programme and a large number of other e-governance initiatives. Morpho has been implementing biometrics and smart cardbased programmes worldwide and we have a lot of experience in various cultures, countries and contexts. For this reason, Morpho has been very successful during the pilot ID card programme supplying Bharat Electronics Limited, while providing the hardware and software needed to capture biometric data. We are also involved in many social schemes like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), the Rashtriya Swastya Bima Yojna, the Public Distribution System, the Employee State Insurance Corporation and the Multipurpose National Identity Card scheme.

gfiles: Post-UIDAI, does Morpho plan to invest/be part of social schemes like PDS, employee pension….

JPJ: Most of the Indian e-governance programmes have a significant impact on the social context and are bringing great value to both the government and the customer. For this reason there is a lot of interest and active take-up at the field level. Morpho will be glad to participate in future Indian social schemes.

gfiles: How is the technology in India, compared to other countries where Morpho has worked before?
JPJ: India is an advanced technological country. It offers very good training in the technological sectors. Thus, implementing such a challenging project is not very surprising. In addition, understanding the biometrics technology is a key element in the project for all the actors involved (the government, the firms, and the residents). The main challenges are infrastructure, climate and geographical conditions. However, setting up the UIDAI project in some remote areas will be like in other countries where we worked. We will use our experience and adapt the solutions to India to create a highly reliable customized solution. The major logistical issue we faced was during the submission of the EOI. In fact, the volcano cloud in Iceland cancelled so many flights that it made it difficult to send to India some of the administrative work done in the headquarters in France.



‘Morpho has implemented biometrics systems in over 100 countries for digital population register, multipurpose ID card, driving licence, e-passport.’


gfiles: How was the experience of dealing with bureaucrats in India? Was it a big challenge for an international organization to be a part of India’s largest project?
JPJ: Another key strength of Morpho is our presence in India. We have been present in India for a long time. Almost 1,200 people work for Morpho in India, and this represents about 20% of our worldwide strength. Apart from being a significant commitment towards India, this represents our faith in the UIDAI programme as well as being a key factor that will help deliver success. Therefore, Morpho has long experience with Indian bureaucrats. Indian bureaucrats are not so different from elsewhere. They are dedicated to their job. So, they tend to be extremely meticulous in the process they adopt. Dealing with bureaucrats in India has been eased by our experience in India and our partner’s experience too. Plus, being an Indian consortium is a really good asset.


gfiles: While Morpho is already one of the key partners (along with Mahindra Satyam) for the biometric contract in the UIDAI project, what are the other large State/Central or public sector contracts/projects that the company is eyeing or is going to bid for?
 JPJ: Partnering with Mahindra Satyam, Morpho has had the opportunity to be part of the prestigious UIDAI project which is a major technological challenge since very few companies in the world are capable of successfully implementing such a large database. As we are already involved in the project, we will certainly be present in the e-governance projects that may come about soon in India. 
TALKTIME | chairman & ceo, morpho | jean paul jainsky
‘Indian bureaucrats are extremely meticulous’

JEAN Paul Jainsky joined the Sagem Group in 1975, with Société Anonyme de Télécommunication (SAT) – a subsidiary of Sagem and a pioneering company in infrared technologies. Since July 2007, he is the Chairman and CEO of the new company, Sagem Sécurité – named Morpho since May 2010.

interviewed by MEERA KRISHNAN


gfiles: What is Morpho’s role in the UIDAI project?
Jean Paul Jainsky: Mahindra Satyam will look at systems integration of the final solution, while Morpho will deploy its biometrics technology. The techniques used in the field of biometrics, which are the core activity of Morpho, are development of the acquisition and processing of 10 fingerprints, of facial recognition and iris recognition, the combined use of these technologies in multi-biometrics, and also the progress in matching algorithms.

gfiles: What are Morpho’s key strengths which will help it deliver the world’s largest biometric project in India?
JPJ:
 Morpho, Safran Group, as a group leader, has implemented more than 450 biometrics systems in more than 100 countries for applications such as digital national population register, multipurpose ID card, driving licence, e-passport. We have implemented our solutions in each continent, facing every environmental and geographical challenge in countries such as the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, South Africa, the Cote d’Ivoire, the UAE, Malaysia and Australia.

gfiles: What is the key technology differentiator of Morpho as opposed to the other consortia in the UIDAI project?
JPJ: We have the widest proven field experience. Our technology is constantly improving through experience in the field. We have been in the biometrics market for 35 years. Our R&D force is composed of 1,300 engineers dedicated to the improvement of identification and biometrics solutions. As a high-tech company within the Safran Group, Morpho is the only company today that covers the entire technological chain of identification solutions and data security systems – biometrics enrolment, biometric algorithms, smart cards, pattern recognition, data and image processing, secure embedded software, secure electronic transactions, e-authentication, cryptography, secure printing, smart cards production and personalization, and advanced system architecture. We are the only company with end-to-end solutions in identification and biometrics. Morpho has superior technology and know-how in the field of acquisition and processing of high quality images and shape recognition algorithms in order to capture, analyse and compare biometric data that guarantee identification. In fact, Morpho’s fingerprint-based personal authentication technology was recently ranked number 1 in the Proprietary Fingerprint Testing (PFT) competition organized by the US’ National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), a global benchmark for the measurement of biometric algorithms. Unlike other consortia involved in the UIDAI project, we are the only consortium led by an Indian firm – Mahindra Satyam.

gfiles: What kind of work has Morpho done with organizations like BEL, NREGA and the like in India, prior to the UIDAI project?
JPJ: Morpho is involved in a number of e-governance programmes in India. Our subsidiary in India is a market leader in this space and has been active in a number of e-governance programmes – providing smart cards, technology and also field implementation such as driving licences in various States, the RSBY programme and a large number of other e-governance initiatives. Morpho has been implementing biometrics and smart cardbased programmes worldwide and we have a lot of experience in various cultures, countries and contexts. For this reason, Morpho has been very successful during the pilot ID card programme supplying Bharat Electronics Limited, while providing the hardware and software needed to capture biometric data. We are also involved in many social schemes like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), the Rashtriya Swastya Bima Yojna, the Public Distribution System, the Employee State Insurance Corporation and the Multipurpose National Identity Card scheme.

gfiles: Post-UIDAI, does Morpho plan to invest/be part of social schemes like PDS, employee pension….

JPJ: Most of the Indian e-governance programmes have a significant impact on the social context and are bringing great value to both the government and the customer. For this reason there is a lot of interest and active take-up at the field level. Morpho will be glad to participate in future Indian social schemes.

gfiles: How is the technology in India, compared to other countries where Morpho has worked before?
JPJ: India is an advanced technological country. It offers very good training in the technological sectors. Thus, implementing such a challenging project is not very surprising. In addition, understanding the biometrics technology is a key element in the project for all the actors involved (the government, the firms, and the residents). The main challenges are infrastructure, climate and geographical conditions. However, setting up the UIDAI project in some remote areas will be like in other countries where we worked. We will use our experience and adapt the solutions to India to create a highly reliable customized solution. The major logistical issue we faced was during the submission of the EOI. In fact, the volcano cloud in Iceland cancelled so many flights that it made it difficult to send to India some of the administrative work done in the headquarters in France.

‘Morpho has implemented biometrics systems in over 100 countries for digital population register, multipurpose ID card, driving licence, e-passport.’

gfiles: How was the experience of dealing with bureaucrats in India? Was it a big challenge for an international organization to be a part of India’s largest project?
JPJ: Another key strength of Morpho is our presence in India. We have been present in India for a long time. Almost 1,200 people work for Morpho in India, and this represents about 20% of our worldwide strength. Apart from being a significant commitment towards India, this represents our faith in the UIDAI programme as well as being a key factor that will help deliver success. Therefore, Morpho has long experience with Indian bureaucrats. Indian bureaucrats are not so different from elsewhere. They are dedicated to their job. So, they tend to be extremely meticulous in the process they adopt. Dealing with bureaucrats in India has been eased by our experience in India and our partner’s experience too. Plus, being an Indian consortium is a really good asset.

gfiles: While Morpho is already one of the key partners (along with Mahindra Satyam) for the biometric contract in the UIDAI project, what are the other large State/Central or public sector contracts/projects that the company is eyeing or is going to bid for? JPJ: Partnering with Mahindra Satyam, Morpho has had the opportunity to be part of the prestigious UIDAI project which is a major technological challenge since very few companies in the world are capable of successfully implementing such a large database. As we are already involved in the project, we will certainly be present in the e-governance projects that may come about soon in India. 

www.gfilesindia.com

DEFENCE
army status

SOLDIER, heal thyself
The Army must undertake a campaign to redeem itself in the public eye



by MAJOR GENERAL MRINAL SUMAN
EVERY survey, carried out by different agencies, shows the military at the top of the people’s pick for probity, loyalty and selflessness. Citizens have put soldiers on a pedestal and feel let down whenever cases of their unbecoming conduct are reported. Even minor aberrations carry considerable shock effect. That is the reason why the amassing of illegal wealth by a bureaucrat couple does not impact public conscience while an Army chief seeking allotment of a plot is viewed as a questionable act.
Although every organization strives for a respectable standing, the need for recognition in an army’s case becomes critical as soldiers draw strength from the admiration and acknowledgement that they receive from their countrymen. Soldiers are always very sensitive to negative portrayal as it threatens the very edifice of their sense of military honour from which they draw their sustenance.
Unfortunately, of late the Indian Army is losing its exalted status. It has been in the news for all the negative reasons in recent years – both factual and perceived. Its standing has taken a hit. Earlier, the olive green was always associated with uprightness, honour and ethical conduct. But various acts of commission and omission during the past decade have tarnished its sheen and the people have begun to wonder if the Army really is “different”. The indicators are there for all to see. Reputation, once lost, cannot be regained easily.
Therefore, it is time the Army acts on a war footing, lest the situation drift beyond easy redemption. The public’s respect can be earned only through unblemished behaviour and upright conduct. These are irreplaceable requirements of fundamental importance. Therefore, the Indian Army must strengthen its internal self-correcting mechanism to prevent acts of misdemeanour. While putting its house in order, the Army should simultaneously undertake a well-evolved campaign to regain its waning standing.
Such a campaign should not be based on media management through questionable means and suppression of fact. That would be a short-sighted and counterproductive policy. Paid-for publicity and planted write-ups lack legitimacy and credibility. They may be valid means for building brand image by corporate entities but the equation between the Army and the citizens is based on trust, honour and commitment. It cannot be brought down to a mundane seller buyer relationship. Therefore, the Army should aim at establishing rapport with the public through transparent interaction, honest admission of mistakes and prompt corrective action to prevent recurrence. Four key contours of a suggested campaign are herewith delineated:

Innovative, pro-active public relations drive

PUBLIC relations is often mistakenly taken to mean publicity. For an army, public relations is an all-encompassing reflective paradigm with the aim of building understanding with countrymen and retaining their goodwill.
Through a well-conceived public relations exercise, misconceptions and prejudices entertained by some segments of society can also be removed. On the other hand, publicity confines itself to spreading awareness to build a favourable impression which may be based on fact or on unsubstantiated claims.
Unfortunately, the Army brass has failed to comprehend the intricacies of effective public relations and factors that influence public opinion and attitude. Being a highly specialised and multifaceted activity, public relations must be handled by specially trained personnel.
The help of external experts and agencies should also be taken. They are of immense value in crisis situations when speedy transmission of accurate and authentic information to the right quarters can help clarify doubts, remove uncertainty and contain damage to reputation. Media professionals with a better understanding of the defence services can be used to help bridge the gap between the services and the public.

Regular organizational Communication
ORGANIZATIONAL communication is issued to spread awareness both amongst its own members as also the general public. Its potency depends on the credibility it enjoys for honest, transparent and ethical reporting of fact, both favourable and unfavourable. It can be in the form of periodic newsletters, press releases or press briefings.
However, such communication must be managed by specialists well versed with the various aspects of environmental interfacing.
With an explosion of 24x7 news media, every channel strives to be the first to “break the news”. They are even ready to compromise on fact-finding. If the Army does not disseminate information speedily, the media will simply go to ill-informed or unreliable sources. Therefore, it is imperative that the organization ensures correct and timely dissemination of news to the media. Professional help can be utilized to read and edit such communication to make it “idiot-proof” – words like suspect/allege/fear, which we use interchangeably, have different connotations when it comes to the media.

The Indian Army is losing its exalted status. It has been in the news for all the negative reasons in recent years – both factual and perceived.

The Indian Army has singularly failed in this respect. Instead of depending on the amateurish Sainik Samachar (issued by the Ministry of Defence), it should undertake dissemination of fact in a forthright manner and clear misconceptions. Rumours and loose talk gain credence only in the absence of an authentic version of fact. In the recent past, we were witness to misinformed media campaigns about the Sukhna and Adarsh Society affairs.
It was a major failure of the Army not to educate the media and the campaign to tarnish the Army’s image ran unopposed. Not a single communication was issued to clarify the facts. In addition to traditional conventional media tools, the Army must utilize interactive websites and blogs. These modern communication tools provide two-way interaction, thereby facilitating gauging of public attitude and feeling. Such feedback helps in modification of communication strategy.

Skilled articulation by senior officers and ex-servicemen
ALTHOUGH India does not have the convention of senior Army officers addressing the media regularly, whenever a chief interacts with the media he gets wide coverage. Such opportunities should be utilized to project accurate and honest fact before the nation. Unfortunately, in the recent past such interactions have proved to be highly detrimental to the Army’s reputation.
As is the practice in the US and other countries, senior Army officers should be trained to interact with the media to put across facts and opinions in a coherent and objective manner. Due to a lack of genuine content, all TV channels resort to conducting group discussions with invited experts. It is the most cost-effective option available to them. Senior retired Army officers located in the National Capital Region (NCR) are a common feature of these discussions.

To start with, the Army must never try to manage or manipulate the media. It pays to be honest and accept blame, where due.

They come ill-prepared and are generally not fully conversant with the complexities of the subjects under discussion. Consequently, they do more harm than good to the Army’s standing. The Army must tap this powerful source and utilize the services of suitable retired officers to project fact and opinion in a well-considered and balanced manner. A small cell can be established at Army Headquarters to brief officers and apprise them of the main issues before they appear before TV cameras.
The aim should not be to tutor them to parrot official lines but to equip them with information. If the US can utilize the services of ex-Presidents to further national interest, the Indian Army can certainly benefit from the freedom of speech enjoyed by the retired officers.

Conduct in public
CONDUCT in public is by far the most effective public relations exercise. Unfortunately, citizens do not see soldiers undergoing extreme privation in inhospitable border areas. They form their impressions about soldiers and the Army through their limited interaction in cities. It is essential that the dress and conduct of soldiers in public places like railway platforms and markets be exemplary.
Minimal discomfort should be caused to the general public by our actions. Every time a road is blocked temporarily or permanently in the name of security concerns, the debarred civilian users wonder whether their own Army cares for their convenience. Similarly, whenever normal traffic is stalled to make way for a senior officer to jump the red light, the affected commuters feel slighted and offended. Incorrectly parked military vehicles in crowded markets invariably invite unflattering comments from the inconvenienced public. These aspects need strict disciplinary enforcement.

Conclusion
TO start with, the Army must never try to “manage/manipulate the media”. It pays to be honest and accept blame, where due. The Army must tell the environment that, like any other social organization, the military consists of living human beings with their normal share of failings and idiosyncrasies.
Therefore, some aberrations are bound to occur. However, what needs to be emphasized is the fact that the number of acts of indiscipline in a 1.3-million force is minuscule. Moreover, prompt disciplinary action is always initiated against defaulters. Unlike other organizations, the Army has a very effective self-correcting mechanism in place. The last decade has been a testing one for the Army. Due to the high-expectancy syndrome, the public has zero tolerance for any transgressions by soldiers, howsoever insignificant. Resultantly, flak received by the Army for even minor indiscretions is out of proportion. The Army’s public relations campaign has to function under this constraint of high expectancy. Professional and scientific techniques have to be specifically evolved to correct misconceptions.