COVER STORY | awards good governance

COVER STORY

awards good governance

The second annual Governance Awards of gfiles was an occasion to inspire thousands of unsung public servants to use innovation to multiply public resources

by Narendra Kaushik

IT is not every day that the 'muchmaligned' steel frame of India gets an opportunity to celebrate. It is not every day that the minority of the ‘faceless and anonymous’ civil servants, who refuse to be partners in crime with the powers-that-be, who question the Maoists ruling the roost in the so-called red corridor of India and who become gamechangers by providing succour to the poorest of the poor, disadvantaged and the weakest sections of society in India, are recognised and acknowledged. It is also not every day that the media, which treats bad news as good business and pillories babudom for the various ills and lacunae prevailing across India’s length and breadth, honours the ones who put service before self in working for the aam aadmi, set examples by executing lifeline projects without time and cost overruns and innovate to add to the national exchequer...Read More

EXPOSE | Operation Cover-Up

EXPOSE

real estate lodha/mumbaih

Big boss of Indian Real Estate Market

Who is the ultimate big boss of Indian Real Estate market?

This question becomes all the more relevant at a time when the Indian real estate market is in the dumps, developers are reeling under a liquidity crunch and demand is spiraling downwards. At a time almost half of Mumbai's under-construction properties are going unsold, from where is the unlisted Lodha group getting all the money to buy all the prime real estate parcels. The manner in which Group has expanded from virtually zero to 35 million square feet of real estate with over 30 projects from Napean Sea Road to Dombivali in and around Mumbai- more than any other developer in sluggish Mumbai market- speaks volumes. This is by all means no small achievement for an unlisted company, not bound to make quarterly statistics public. For all you know, with Rs 14,500 crore worth of sales in the last 18 months alone, the Lodha Group may soon cross Rs 10,000 crore mark in net sales.... Read More

GOVERNANCE | Wish list for the wannabe Prime Minister!

GOVERNANCE

agenda mg devasahayam

Wish list for the wannabe Prime Minister!

While Narendra Modi is creating an impact as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, he has not yet spoken about his ‘Idea of India’

WHEN Narendra Modi was made the BJP’s campaign committee chief, a leading newspaper columnist wrote: “For the faithful, there is no truth bigger than Narendra Modi’s ‘destined’ future as Prime Minister. His critics protest that the elevation will not happen, worry that it might happen, and agonise over what will happen when that happens….The Gujarat Chief Minister is admittedly a challenge the like of which India has never seen before.” Soon thereafter the saffron party threw down the gauntlet by declaring him as the prime ministerial candidate. And he is running a full juggernaut around the country adopting a ‘messiah’ mode of campaigning!... Read More

GOVERNANCE | BLACK MONEY No will, no way

GOVERNANCE

corruption tn pandey

BLACK MONEY No will, no way

While Narendra Modi is creating an impact as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, he has not yet spoken about his ‘Idea of India’

AFTER considerable heat in the past regarding undisclosed incomes, black money and foreign bank accounts, the government seems to have become lukewarm these issues as the elections are coming close. There is no talk about success achieved in these areas and the government’s strategies and plans to make successful dents in this sphere of great concern to the economy of the country, either in Parliament or outside it.
In 2011 and the earlier part 2012, considerable anxiety exhibited concerning black money in the country and about those who have amassed it in India and abroad. It had become a hot topic for discussion in Parliament and in civil society. Somewhat in panic.... Read More

FIRST STIRRINGS | IAS officer who became a monk!

FIRST STIRRINGS

sunil patnaik

IAS officer who became a monk!

By Shailaja Chandra

I had heard of civil servants doing extraordinary things, but becoming a full-time servant of God was exceptional. This, then, is the story of an IAS officer who became a monk! He is today the vice-president of the Divine Life Society with its headquarters at the Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh. I wondered how monkhood could offer the same satisfaction as making and implementing policy at the national or State-level. How difficult was it to abandon the unquestioned authority he must have once enjoyed in exchange for continuous communication with God?

I had hazy recollections of a batchmate, Sunil Patnaik, when we were doubts? Did he feel up to facing celibacy forever?
Unlike all the people I have interviewed, Swamiji read each question and answered it exactly to the point. But the flip side was that he did not offer a single extra word from his side. I, therefore, had to ask a variety of persons to fill in the blanks.... Read More..

BOOK REVIEW | Purity of resolve is the key

BOOK REVIEW

management non-fiction

Purity of resolve is the key

Arup Roy Choudhury’s book is not only an enjoyable read, it also makes reading about management idiot-proof

By Shantiveer Kaul

IT was quite interesting, actually. One waded into the book under review without thinking of it as a book that was to be reviewed; without subconsciously feeling for its physicality, its weight and dimensions and without looking at the back cover: reading it straightaway.
It was only towards the end of the introduction that the realisation dawned that the author was a top manager, having long been at the helm of a giant of a company—a very successful one at that—with its complex set of problems and challenges and had helmed it very successfully..... Read More

INITIATIVE | All for a samosa!

INITIATIVE

ethics mk kaw

All for a samosa!

Initiatives for Change Centre for Governance sends the message that if we want a regime of ethical governance, we have to be ethical in our thinking

THE Initiatives for Change is the modern name of the erstwhile MRA (Moral Re-Armament) and the Centre for Governance is its child. On December 13, 2013, this child celebrates its 10th birthday. The full name of this prodigy is Initiatives for Change Centre for Governance or ICCfG. The Centre was created in December 2003 following the realisation that governance, or the lack of it, was at the heart of the malady afflicting the country. The Centre has started a journal, launched a website, held lectures, panel discussions and training programmes. The Initiatives for Change (IoC) is based on the premise that we have to be the change that we wish to bring about in the world. The Centre for Governance sends out the message that if we want to have a regime of ethical governance in this country, we have to be ethical in our thinking and behaviour. It is not surprising that its flagship programme is named ‘Training in Ethical Governance’.The unique selling point of the ICCfG is the training infrastructure created by the IoC at Panchgani, Maharashtra. Trainees speak of the unique ambience of the tableland with its lush greenery, clean air and ashram- like atmosphere. When I visited Asia Plateau for the first time...Read More

MY CORNER | No more slips of tongue

MY CORNER

behaviour amitabh thakur

No more slips of tongue

The furore over the CBI Director’s remark on rape has again put the spotlight on how a public servant should behave in today’s media-dominant world

THE remark by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Ranjit Sinha related to rape immediately made the news. The fact remains that the CBI Director is a powerful entity in the present set of affairs in India. The recent pronouncements and efforts of the Supreme Court to make the CBI truly independent functionally have been discussed in the media. Add to this, the extremely sensitive high-profile cases generally handled by the CBI, and the importance and relevance of the CBI Director becomes all the more apparent..... Read More

INITIATIVE | Match your EQ and profession

INITIATIVE

workplace dalip singh

Match your EQ and profession

IN today’s business world, management pundits have always wondered whether different professions exhibit different emotional intelligence levels or not. The answer is that, different jobs require different levels of EQ. It is now recognised that emotional intelligence plays an important role in many areas of life, including work. Some jobs require and some do not, the emotional skills to succeed. 

Jobs that can be accomplished individually or by working with others in fixed, set or structured ways do not require a great deal of emotional intelligence. For instance, success in painting or professional tennis may require more self-discipline and motivation, and less EQ.... Read More

STOCK DOCTOR | The worst may be over for now

STOCK DOCTOR

dr gs sood

The worst may be over for now

THE green shoots are at last visible in the Indian economy, with the current account deficit (CAD) narrowing sharply in the September quarter to 1.2 per cent of GDP as against 4.9 per cent in the quarter ending June, thanks to higher exports led by recovery in the US and Europe and lower imports due to curbs on non-essential items such as gold. This has raised expectations that the CAD for the full year may remain well within the target or even be lower at around 2.5 to 3 per cent of GDP and may give the government some elbow room to face any future global shocks.
This is coupled with growth accelerating to 4.8 per cent from 4.4 per cent in the preceding quarter mainly due to higher growth in agriculture, industry and exports. The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for November rose to 51.3 points from 49.6 in the previous month, indicating a sharp pick-up in manufacturing. All this has led to the rupee strengthening on the back of FIIs showing faith in the Indian market and has compelled analysts to review their opinion that can best be described as a shift from.... Read More. 

PERSPECTIVE | Beyond the physical

PERSPECTIVE

time sadhguru

Beyond the physical

THE end of the year often provokes questions about time. How do we make sense of the past? What lies ahead? Where are we going? 

A question I often ask people is: have you ever experienced a yesterday or a tomorrow? You can remember yesterdays, you can imagine tomorrows, but they are only ideas. In your experience, no such thing has ever happened. Your experience of life has always been right here and now. Your experience of life is happening in this very moment. So time is a human idea. There is no such thing in this existence.... Read More

Bric-a-brac | PC for Puducherry eyes seat shift from shivganga

Bric-a-brac

polls & roles

PC for Puducherry

eyes seat shift from shivganga

IT seems the south of the country is going to be a headache for the Congress, and especially for Union Finance Minister Chidambaram Palaniappan, during next year’s general election. The grapevine says Chidambaram might shift from his parliamentary constituency of Shivganga to Puducherry. Apparently, he wants to avoid being once again in the tricky situation he was in during the 2009 elections, when Shivganga had posed a tough battle for him. This time, PC is in no mood to hazard a risk in a post-Manmohan Singh scenario as he could likely be the prime ministerial candidate if Rahul Gandhi declines the post in the event of a narrow majority or a hung parliament.... Read More..

Bric-a-brac | Haryana in Hooda’s fist cm may prepone polls

Bric-a-brac

polls & roles

Haryana in Hooda’s fist

cm may prepone polls

HARYANA Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is on a roll. It is unprecedented that, in the run-up to elections (assembly elections are due in October 2014), there is little or no opposition to the ruling party. Also, even within his party, there is no one to challenge his leadership. And it seems he is eager to strike while the iron is hot. Rumour is rife that Hooda may prepone the polls and hold them alongside the general election. He is particularly upbeat after the Gohana rally in November. Aides have told him..... Read More..

Bric-a-brac | Bahuguna’s days numbered winds of change in uttarakhand

polls & roles

Bahuguna’s days numbered

winds of change in uttarakhand

VIJAY Bahuguna is fortunate to have survived so long as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. He has neither a mass base nor MLAs backing him. In the summer, he was perceived to have failed in handling the floods. Another shock was son Saket Bahuguna losing the Tehri parliamentary byelection to Mala Rajyalakshmi Shah of the BJP in October. Sources say the Congress leadership is inclined towards replacing him.... Read More..

Bric-a-brac | Telangana imbroglio congress in catch-22 position

polls & roles

Telangana imbroglio

congress in catch-22 position

THE Telangana issue is driving Andhra Pradesh politicians crazy. Seema Andhra politicians are reading the writing on the wall while the Congress finds itself in a Catch-22 situation. If Andhra Pradesh remains united, the Congress is likely to be wiped out in the State. But if it is divided, there may be some consolation for the party. Sonia Gandhi has assigned P Chidambaram and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde... Read More..

...by the way | Poll woes, behind the scenes

...by the way

 

Poll woes, behind the scenes

Vijay Kumar Dev, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Union Territory cadre, should be complimented for conducting the Delhi Assembly elections so well. He brought huge numbers of young voters out of their homes and registered the maximum number of voters just before the polls. However, less credit is due to him when it comes to taking care of the human resources i.e. the polling officers and booth-level staff —those who worked behind the scenes. The situation was pitiable in the Regional Election Centres. The senior teachers conducting the polls were ignorant of the technology driving the elections. Some of them had old mobile handsets and had not even been trained to send and receive smses for online electionrelated information....Read More

...by the way | New helmsman in UP?

...by the way

 

New helmsman in UP?

If reports emanating from Lucknow are to be believed, most UP bureaucrats are keen to serve in the Central government if they get an opportunity. And the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh, Jawed Usmani, a 1978- batch IAS officer of the UP cadre, is no exception. Sources say he too longs to come to the Centre. The reason: the way the UP government is being run by the current political dispensation. Meanwhile, senior officers who are eligible to become Chief Secretary are very actively trying to get the coveted post. Amusingly, one senior officer is not working... Read More..

...by the way | Modi believes in delegating, eh?

...by the way

 

Modi believes in delegating, eh?

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is an enigma for many, considering that he manages to control the state bureaucracy, especially the 31 district collectors, even as he travels the length and breadth of India, delivering lectures and speeches. Every chief minister in India conventionally speaks to DCs and SPs once a day, whether early in the day or late... Read More

...by the way | Poll woes, behind the scenes

...by the way

 

Shah friends in high places

Everybody in North Block has been taken aback by this move of the Ministry of Finance. It has appointed two top-ranking retired bureaucrats to head the scamtainted companies of the infamous Jignesh Shah, the alleged mastermind of the NSEL scam worth Rs 5,600 crore. Satyanand Mishra, a 1973-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre and a former Chief Information Commissioner, has been appointed Chairman of MCX by its board. A former Home and Commerce Secretary, GK Pillai, has been appointed Chairman of MCX-SX. Why this sudden move to appoint two senior officers to head a private entrepreneurship, which is already under investigation? Read More

Advertorial | Charting the way ahead

e-governance summit

Charting the way ahead

IT was a stimulating, thoughtprovoking salad of ideas that was debated, discussed and exchanged between the stakeholders involved in pepping up e-Governance in the country, at the day-long e-Governance Summit organised by ET Edge— an Economic Times initiative—at The Grand in Delhi on October 24, 2013... Read More..

Talktime | Parliamentary committees Sentinels of accountability

parliament devender singh

Parliamentary committees

Sentinels of accountability

By very nature of its composition, Parliament cannot mount unremitting and effective vigil over the entire spectrum of governance. Parliaments across the globe, therefore, transact a great deal of business through committees. The Indian Parliament has developed a well-knit committee system, encompassing within its arch of scrutiny not only all ministries, departments and organisations of the government, but also vulnerable social groups like SCs, STs, OBCs, women... Read More..

EXPOSE | LODHA: Big boss of Real Estate Market !

real estate lodha/mumbai

Big boss of Indian Real Estate Market

Who is the ultimate big boss of Indian Real Estate market?

This question becomes all the more relevant at a time when the Indian real estate market is in the dumps, developers are reeling under a liquidity crunch and demand is spiraling downwards. At a time almost half of Mumbai's under-construction properties are going unsold, from where is the unlisted Lodha group getting all the money to buy all the prime real estate parcels. The manner in which Group has expanded from virtually zero to 35 million square feet of real estate with over 30 projects from Napean Sea Road to Dombivali in... Read More

EXPOSE | LODHA: Big boss of Real Estate Market !

real estate lodha/mumbaih

Big boss of Indian Real Estate Market

Who is the ultimate big boss of Indian Real Estate market?

This question becomes all the more relevant at a time when the Indian real estate market is in the dumps, developers are reeling under a liquidity crunch and demand is spiraling downwards. At a time almost half of Mumbai's under-construction properties are going unsold, from where is the unlisted Lodha group getting all the money to buy all the prime real estate parcels. The manner in which Group has expanded from virtually zero to 35 million square feet of real estate with over 30 projects from Napean Sea Road to Dombivali in... Read More