Everybody
was surprised when the Prime Minister of India landed at Safai in Uttar Pradesh
last month. Narendra Modi takes every step very cautiously; so which strategy
is the Safai visit part of? He went there to attend the tilak ceremony of Tej
Pratap Singh, MP, and a grandnephew of Mulayam Singh Yadav. The live TV
coverage of the ceremony was watched around the country. Why he attended the
festivity has not been answered by the media-savvy PM. The Bharatiya Janata
Party, under the leadership of Modi, had grabbed 73 of the 80 parliamentary
constituencies of Uttar Pradesh in the last Lok Sabha elections. While he was
touring the state, Modi had said in the election rallies that the “Baap-bete ki
sarkar nahin chalegi”. UP voters saw Modi as a colossus who can emancipate them
from Yadav clan rule in Uttar Pradesh.
March 10, 2015
Vyapam woes for Shivraj
Cover Story
recruitment scam
Arguably, February 2015 has
been the blackest month in the political history of Madhya Pradesh for several
reasons. For one, on February 25, the embattled Shivraj Singh Chouhan
government facilitated safe passage for tainted Governor Ram Naresh Yadav by a
state plane from Bhopal to New Delhi a day after an FIR was lodged against him
for forgery in the forest guard recruitment test conducted by the Professional
Examination Board (PEB). For another, the very next day, the ruling party’s
brute majority ensured scuttling of the budget session barely four days after
its commencement and a day after the Budget was presented.
Back to R
GOVERNANCE
field
report bureaucracy
Secretaries with the Centre visit the place of their first posting
to record changes over the decades and submit their recommendations to the state
governments
On
January 22 this year, when Ashok Lavasa, Secretary, Ministry of Environment and
Forests, visited Mahendragarh, an arid town in South Haryana where he served as
Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) from 1982 to 1985, he could barely recognise
the place. It hardly matched the ‘frozen-in-time image’ he had had in his mind
all these years.
For one, government employees who
worked in the SDM office then, had retired. The building which served as his
office in Maratha Fort had been abandoned. A water-harvesting structure in
Madhogarh Fort, built by a Rajput ruler in the 18th century, about 12 km from
the town, had dried up and undergrowth had left no trace of the 30-feet
rainwater pool it once held. To top it all, the town, which only had 14,000
people in the 1980s, had bulged to over double.
Importing a nuclear albatross?
governance
nuclear deal mg devasahayam
There has been no sign of any nuclear renaissance or revival in the
US, but nuclear multi-nationals along with the US government persist in pushing
it down the throat of energy-starved India and our government is playing ball
The Indo-US nuclear jugalbandi
(duet)commenced in July 2005 with then US President George Bush and Indian
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signing an agreement in Washington, DC, under
Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act, 1954, to facilitate India importing
nuclear reactors from the US despite not being a signatory to the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Will Kindle curb spying?
GOVERNANCE
security
shubhabrata
bhattacharya
History seems to be
repeating itself in the corridors of power in New Delhi. Three decades back, as
Rajiv Gandhi was trying to usher in a new paradigm of governance based on his
massive parliamentary majority, several spy cases rocked the Central
Secretariat. Now, the Naya Daur regime of Narendra Modi, the first
leader after Rajiv Gandhi to enjoy a clear mandate in Parliament, has come
under the cloud of spying. In 1985, the spying was triggered by foreign
interests and mainly centred around the Defence Ministry. Now, in the aftermath
of the 1991 reforms, the spying is no longer of global ramifications alone, it
has a ‘Make in India’ tag—corporate entities are trying to gain a competitive
edge by ferreting out sensitive information.
Terrorism dilemmas
SECURITY
security ak jain
A genuinely responsive administration is the first line of defence
against terrorism and it is in this regard that the State has to strive to move
forward decisively
As it threatens to strike at the very roots
of India’s unity and internal security, ‘terrorism’ has indeed emerged as the
biggest challenge faced by the Indian State, comparable to that posed by
corruption, poverty, unemployment and income disparities. Social and economic
pressures, frustrated political aspirations and the machinations of inimical
forces across the border have all contributed to the terrorist reservoir.
Unresolved ethnic and religious conflicts have also been leading sources of
terrorism. The virulence of terrorist activity has only increased and spread to
more and more regions with every passing year. And today its impact is
literally at the doorstep of about every citizen in every region and in every
major city or township of this country.
Baby and the bath water
GOVERNANCE
project arun kumar
The new government would be ill-advised to abandon all the
projects, programmes and work done earlier. They should not be scrapped unless
they have proved to be unsustainable
The needs of the country and people are
centred mainly on security issues (internal and external, food, water and
power), social welfare programmes like health and education, housing,
employment, improving income levels, infrastructure and so on. Governance is
about maximising the welfare of people and meeting these needs. Every party
prepares and peppers its election manifesto with promises of meeting these
concerns for garnering the largest numbers of votes in its favour. Many of the
promises in reality amount to only improving the delivery status of ongoing
schemes and projects,
City Architect
FIRST STIRRINGS
brijesh kumar
Greater Noida has Brijesh Kumar to thank for its roads, green
spaces and garbage management
When
Brijesh Kumar of the 1968 IAS batch, Uttar Pradesh cadre, passed out of the Lal
Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, India was going through a period
marked by shortages. Cement would be given on permits. Vanaspati ghee and
fertiliser were in short supply. Even sugar would only be distributed through
ration cards. The steel frame of India had powers to issue permits for cement, ghee
and other essentials.
Was Mother Teresa a proselytiser?
CONTROVERSY
religion debate
These were the pearls of wisdom mingled
with hatred that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat dropped while inaugurating an
orphanage and a women’s home in Bharatpur the other day: “Here we will not
provide service like that rendered by Mother Teresa. It is possible that her
kind of work was good, but there was a motive behind that service. It was to
convert those she served to Christianity.
Defaulters make merry
SCAM
nsel investigation
Despite the arrest of IIFL Commodities director Chintan Modi,
Anand Rathi Commodities director Amit Rathi, Geofin Comtrade director CP
Krishnan, there are still many defaulters like Jagmohan who are roaming scot
free. Jagmohan used the money to build an empire and is still enjoying the
luxuries of life
Jab ishwar hai saath to dar
kahe ka (When God is with us, why be
afraid). This is the ringtone of the mobile phone of Mohan India promoter
Jagmohan, who is embroiled in the Rs. 6,000-crore National Spot Exchange
Limited (NSEL) scam. It is now almost 21 months since the NSEL scam was
exposed. Unfortunately, there has been no action by the government against
defaulting borrowers, who had taken money from the Exchange and are not
returning it.
Mother Teresa and all that
SILLY POINT
humour mk kaw
The latest remark by the
RSS chief that Mother Teresa‘s sole motive in the so-called service of the poor
was a desire to convert them to Christianity has sparked off yet another
needless controversy. This is singularly unfortunate, because such comments tend
to project a strangely unfamiliar face of Hinduism which has hitherto had a
highly tolerant attitude towards religious debate and discourse.
One of the earliest encounters of the
Sanatana Dharma was with the Parsis. These adherents to Zoroastrianism had to
run away from their native Persia because of trouble there. When they arrived
by ship in what is modern Gujarat,
Emergency years
BOOK
EXTRACT
prime ministers indira gandhi
Between midnight and the
early hours of June 26, 1975, Indira Gandhi closed down the world’s largest
democracy. Most people awoke to a hot, sultry and oppressive day, like most
summer mornings in Delhi, not knowing that the course of history had changed
while they slept. On the radio, Indira Gandhi was telling a dazed nation, in a
voice gone shrill, about the “deep and widespread conspiracy” which had forced
her government to act. The “plot”, she intoned, “sought to negate the very
functioning of democracy...How can any government worth the name stand by and
allow the country’s stability to be imperilled?”
I the Minister, I the Trustee
MY CORNER
accountability amitabh thakur
The
government has every right to distribute largesse but it must be through fair,
transparent and equitable measures
There is a Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Shodh Sansthan in
Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, situated in the midst of the city. This Shodh Sansthan
was established in the year 2005-06 with the assigned purpose of primary
research to remove obstacles hindering the successful completion of social,
economic and educational programmes, for incorporating a practical approach in
development works for minorities, formulating projects for socio-economic
development of Muslim communities, and so on.
Look for quality
STOCK DOCTOR
dr gs sood
Markets and Modi both
witnessed correction in view of AAP’s landslide victory in Delhi. The markets,
though, soon recovered, expecting the Delhi result to put further pressure on
the Central government to speed up the reform process. Expectations of a
market-friendly Budget was yet another reason. However, the short-term outlook
may remain tense due to the lacklustre Q3 performance of the corporate sector
and global factors, but the medium and long-term views remains decisively
bullish.
The Economic Survey clearly points to
this fact when it observes that “India has reached a seat spot—rare in the
history of nations—in which it could finally be launched on double digit medium
term growth trajectory”. It forecasts a growth rate of up to 8.5 per cent for
FY 15-16, making India one of the fastest growing major economies, surpassing
even China.
The ultimate union
PERSPECTIVE
yogic culture sadhguru
In yogic culture, there
are two aspects to Shiva. The word ‘Shiva’ literally means ‘that which is not’.
Everything that is has come from ‘that which is not’. If you
look up at the sky, you will see many stars and celestial objects, but still
the biggest presence out there is a vast emptiness. It is in the lap of this
No-thingness that the dance of creation is happening right now. This
emptiness, which is the very basis of creation, is referred to as ‘Shiva’.
Another dimension of Shiva is Adiyogi,
the first yogi, who opened up the incredible science of yoga for
humanity. Yogic culture moves seamlessly from invoking Shiva as the basis of
creation to invoking Shiva as the first yogi.
Sidhu’s sixer
Bric-a-brac
sense & sensibilities
a way with words
After doing 52 rallies in the Delhi Assembly elections, the
firebrand BJP leader, Navjot Singh Sidhu, was travelling from New Delhi to
Mumbai in the executive class of a private airline.
Filmstars
Saurabh Shukla, Raza Murad and AAP leader Gul Panag were also on the flight.
Sidhu is usually well-dressed but it is easy to see that he is superstitious.
The fingers of his right hand and wrist are covered with ruby, sapphire and
coral rings and bracelets. Apart from this, there are many threads in different
colours also tied on his right wrist. Perhaps unprecedented fame fills a man
with trepidation.
While
de-boarding, a passenger suggested that he should focus on Punjab now since the
Akalis are in an appalling situation. Sidhu immediately retorted that the Akalis’
rule was draconian and they should be removed at once. Panag, the famous
actress and now AAP leader, came and wished Sidhu. She said that her father had
asked her to convey that he felt Sidhu deserved to be the next chief minister
of Punjab. Sidhu lost no time in congratulating her for doing so well in Delhi
and said that the day the BJP gives him charge of Punjab, he will invite
her to join his party. Panag did not know where to look after Sidhu’s sixer.
Khattar sense
Bric-a-brac
sense & sensibilities
cm
silent on vadra land deal
What
does Haryana have in store for Robert Vadra, the husband of Priyanka Vadra
Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi’s daughter? Nobody knows. Vadra, as per sources, is in
possession of land beyond the prescribed limits of the law. Sources say that he
has possession of 157.5 acres, which is in contravention of the law, and in the
given circumstances, the state government has the power to confiscate the
entire property. Our sources on the fourth floor of the Chandigarh Secretariat
have disclosed that the complete file of Vadra’s land deals was submitted to
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for further action. The file has not
been returned to the officers yet with Khattar’s recommendations. In the
meantime, the Haryana government is planning to institute a committee headed by
a retired High Court judge to investigate all disputed land deals in Gurgaon
and Faridabad. With respect to Vadra, the government remains mute. Finally, the
Khattar government seems to have learnt the art of ruling the state.
New spokesperson for Congress
Bric-a-brac
sense & sensibilities
grapevine abuzz with
anand sharma’s name
The question
facing the Indian National Congress is: Who will be the new spokesperson? Ajay
Maken has been appointed president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee,
which has led to a vacuum in the All India Congress Committee office. Many
prominent names have surfaced. At the top of the list are Manish Tiwari, Anand
Sharma, Jairam Ramesh and S Jaipal Reddy along with Kapil Sibal. It is to be
seen whether Tiwari will accept the post or not. Ramesh is close to Rahul
Gandhi but he does not have a grassroots-level liaison with journalists. Sibal
has gone back to the courts for his legal practice and does not have time.
Sharma is a good speaker but his tantrums are intolerable. Even the AICC staff
is unhappy with him. Jaipal Reddy is a seasoned politician and has vast
experience in understanding the newspaper industry and journalists. He is
considered among the old guard of the Congress. The grapevine has it that, in
all probability, Sharma will be the new spokesperson. If that does happen, the
already beleaguered Congress party will have tough days ahead.
Mayawati’s many addresses
Bric-a-brac
sense & sensibilities
the bsp
is the ticket to home
Bahujan Samaj
Party leader Mayawati has a penchant for properties and solitaires. She started
her career from a small house in Inderpuri, Delhi, but today is the owner of a
number of properties worth millions of rupees across India. She has three
bungalows on the posh Gurudwara Rakabgunj Road in Lutyen’s Delhi—Nos. 12, 14
and 16. She has managed to get the approval of the Urban Development Ministry
for merging the three bungalows into one, defying all norms. She was allotted
bungalow No. 4 on Gurudwara Rakabgunj Road for her party office and bungalow
No. 3 on Tyagraj Marg as the party president of the BSP. The Tyagraj Marg house
has recently been given a facelift and one can only admire the new decor. She
bought a property which houses the Bahujan Samaj Trust office at 11, Sardar
Patel Marg from the famous Sadia Dehlvi. She already has two prominent
properties in Connaught Place. Recently, she has bought a beautiful property at
7, Jorbagh. It is located opposite the Safdarjung Madrassa. A 1,100-square-yard
bungalow, it has a unique location, given its proximity to the Metro station as
well as Safdarjung Airport. It has been learnt that the property was sold for
Rs. 150 crore by the owner. Mayawati has put up a board, declaring it a ‘camp
office’ of the Bahujan Samaj Party. Now we must wait for a palatial building
with big elephant statues outside the gate.
Doval’s hand
...by
the way
There was a time during Manmohan Singh’s
regime, when a majority of the bureaucrats in the ministries were either
Kerala-born or of the Kerala cadre. Former Cabinet Secretary KM Chandra Shekhar
and Principal Secretary TKA Nair were instrumental in playing a pivotal role in
this. But the dominance of the Kerala cadre did not last long. With AK Seth
coming in as the new Cabinet Secretary and Pulok Chatterjee appointed as the
PM’s Principal Secretary in UPA1, UP cadre officers got a chance at their place
in the sun. Again, the game has changed with the new government. But the most
powerful secretaries still come from Kerala. National Security Adviser Ajit
Doval is from Kerala and so is the new Intelligence Bureau chief, Dineshwar
Sharma. The unceremonious exit of Home Secretary Anil Goswami, sources
disclosed, led to discussions in the PMO on who should succeed him.
Everybody had their own candidates. Petroleum Secretary Saurabh Shukla was said
to be the front-runner. But Doval was for the Rural Development Secretary, LC
Goyal, a Kerala-cadre officer. And, of course, Goyal was appointed the new Home
Secretary. Everybody in the PMO knows that Doval means business.
No crime to seek a bribe
...by
the way
Here
is fresh evidence of how the culture of bribery has got entrenched in the three
Authorities of Noida (Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway) over the
years. We heard it from the horse’s mouth. A few years ago, one of the home
secretaries of the Uttar Pradesh government, who then reported to the Principal
Secretary (Home) in Lucknow, was registering his property in Greater Noida at
the Authority. As happens so often in such cases, he was told to pay a bribe
for smooth and expeditious registration. The suggestion infuriated the officer.
“How could an employee ask me for a bribe?” He complained to the top brass in
the Authority and insisted on suspension of the employee who had asked for the
bribe. The employee was identified and given a dressing down. But the
officers higher up were in no mood to place the employee under suspension. They
assured the home secretary that his work would be done without a penny of a bribe
and at express speed, provided he forgave the employee and withdrew his
complaint. “He was prevailed upon to withdraw his complaint,” a retired top
Authority officer recounted to gfiles.
Prasar Bharti will not change
...by
the way
That
Prasar Bharti is in a mess is known to everyone but the fact is that the
situation is so precarious that one hand does not know what the other is doing.
It is a bizarre situation in Prasar Bharti. Neither is the public exchequer
being used for upgrading and upscaling of what appears on the TV screen nor are
they aware of their tax liabilities. In the latest instance, it has been found
that Prasar Bharti has paid `100 crore as service tax when the tax had already
been paid to the CBEC. When this was discovered, rather than taking immediate
action, a routine approach was adopted by sending a letter to the CBEC for a
refund. It will take months to get the money back. When gfiles asked the CEO
for a response, he, in turn, told finance department personnel VAM Husain,
Prerna Sood and VK Choubey to reply. We are yet to receive any reply. Had this
been a private organisation, the CEO and the CFO would have been sacked on
charges of financial laxity. However, in Prasar Bharti, both the CEO and the
CFO are continuing with their roles from the Parliament Street office, unfazed.
Paper leak
...by
the way
The
leaking of sensitive papers from government offices has created a furore among
senior bureaucrats in the ministries. Five officials have been tasked with
cleansing the system within the government. Ajit Doval, National Security
Adviser, Ajit Kumar Seth, Cabinet Secretary, Dineshwar Sharma, Director,
Intelligence Bureau, Rajinder Khanna, Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing,
and BS Bassi, Commissioner of Delhi Police, are working in tandem to nab the
culprits. The latest reports suggest that Doval is driving the surveillance
operation and major infrastructure in ministries to sensitise officials about
files that hold importance for Modi’s economic reforms. Sharma is working
actively to expose the rot in various other ministries. This exposé was started
due to the adjudication of the Panna-Mukta and Tapti oil and gas fields of
Reliance Industries in 2011. If insiders are to be believed, Reliance
Industries was informed of the developments but one of their higher officials
did not pay heed. Finally, Cabinet Secretary Seth decided not to circulate
sensitive documents to ministries in advance. He has put in place a mechanism
to circulate the papers just an hour before meetings to prevent leaks. It is
learnt that Seth plans to do away with hard copies of Cabinet notes by handing
over a tablet to each Union Minister containing soft copies before the meeting.
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