When
former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao opened up the economy, he could not have
dreamed that his successors, Congress Party leaders, coalition partners, and
gluttonous foreign collaborators will not only plunder the wealth of the nation
but make a travesty of the governance system. gfiles’ cover story reveals
alleged dubious business transactions between Aircel, Maxis, Airtel and R-Com
on spectrum sale and purchase. These deals amount to daylight robbery of
taxpayers’ money. The Society for Consumers’ and Investors’ Protection (SCIP)
raised this issue by filing a writ petition in the Delhi High Court,
highlighting the role of Malaysia-based absconders Ananda Krishnan and Ralph
Marshall, who are defying the summons/warrants issued by the courts of India.
September 8, 2016
Delhi HC heard PIL arguments; judgement reserved
Ananda
Krishnan selling scam- taintedspectrum?
Two years ago, the people
of India voted out the scam-tainted Manmohan Singh-led government, confident
that a new government would ensure due investigation and punishment for the big
guns caught in corruption scandals. The biggest UPA scam, the 2G Spectrum case,
was already in the hands of the CBI and the judiciary. Many anti-corruption
activists relaxed their vigil in the belief that the law would now take its
course without political meddling.
A cruel pattern comes to the fore
There seems to be a difference in the level of statutory protection
between civil servants in service and retired civil servants in presumption of
criminality by investigating agencies
It
is a tale of two cases in quick succession, where two senior civil servants
were put on trial for alleged acts of corruption on the ground of causing
benefit to somebody by their actions which, according to the CBI, were not in
public interest. That they did not benefit themselves or their family and
friends was irrelevant. Curiously, both the officers enjoyed impeccable
reputation for personal integrity in the eyes of everyone who knew them.
One order, many yardsticks
Subordinate courts across the country must follow the law
scrupulously, whether it is laid by one High Court or the other
It
is common with CBI investigations that the agency arrests only the main accused
during the investigation stage and the chargesheets are filed without arresting
the other accused. In some cases, none of the accused is arrested during the
investigation. When such chargesheets are filed in court, the courts have
discretion under Section 87 r/w 204 of CrPC whether to issue summons or
warrants of arrest. It is also thus common that the courts normally only issue
summons, and not warrants, to seek presence of such accused while taking
cognizance of the chargesheets. It is, thus, safe to conclude in such cases
that whenever CBI feels that the accused is cooperating with the
investigation—is not interfering with the investigation; is not in any way
destroying or scuttling evidence; is not trying to influence witnesses and is
not likely to run away— it does not arrest such an accused and files a
chargesheet.
Dreaming of Olympic laurels!
As for strategy, a PPP model can be combined with ‘cluster
approach’, taking advantage of the existing infrastructure and facilities
When
the BJP-led government came to power in May 2014 with the clarion of
‘demographic dividend’, boasting of India’s youth power, one expected paradigm
changes in an area that brings pride and glory to the nation in general and
youth in particular. The best area for this was winning an Olympic gold. As the
government completes almost half its tenure, what we have is a lucky bronze and
silver out of a total of 974 medals, with gold nowhere in sight. Even these
were won by two committed and hard-working girls who have been sweating it out
for long. Men lost out even before the races really started.
MP’s Dalia scam
Feasting
on malnourished diets
major income-tax department operation
in July set off stunning revelations as to why Madhya Pradesh continues to be
among top two States in India in child malnutrition despite spending billions
of rupees on public nutrition distribution system. Madhya Pradesh is
second only to Bihar in malnutrition with 42.8 per cent children being severely
undernourished. Worse, Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) at 51/1000 is highest in the
State in India, according to the 2015-2016 National Sample Survey (NSS) report.
A step taken, journey ahead
Jubilation on the
constitution amendment concerning GST is okay, but much more is needed to make
the law implementable
August 8, 2016, the day when GST
Constitution Amendment (122nd Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha (with
amendments made during the discussion in Rajya Sabha) with a majority of
423:00, is heralded as the most important day in the history of tax reforms in
the country after 1991 when the economy was liberalised. The Prime Minister,
who intervened in the Lok Sabha debate, described the event as a major step towards
‘freeing India from tax terrorism”. He further said: “Ek Bharat,
Shreshta Bharat is the dream of all us. When we look at railways,
post offices, All India Services, we get the feel of one India, now digital
India, sagarmala…all these make us aware of one India, they strengthen
that spirit. GST is the new pearl that we are adding to this necklace; this
strengthens the spirit of India.” He further observed: “Rashtra niti has
triumphed over rajniti”—well said as far as the strength and
significance of the proposed law is concerned.
Five years on the razor’s edge
For a
politician in his seventies who had become the Prime Minister by sheer accident
to have lasted a crises-ridden five-year term was a remarkable achievement.
Consider the circumstances in which Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao came to
the post. Congress President Rajiv Gandhi had not even given him a ticket for
the Lok Sabha elections of 1991, and when the Sriperumbudur tragedy occurred in
the midst of the elections, Rao was at Nagpur, on way to his village in Andhra
Pradesh. Most of his belongings had already gone to Warangal, crates full of
books.
Compelling study
by Dileep Gandhi
The Indian Parliament - Beyond the Seal
and Signature of Democracy is a very fascinating book on the working and the progress
of Indian democracy. I believe that parliamentary democracy is
a dynamic, ever evolving concept. There are books written from time
to time, but a book on democracy and more so on parliament must elucidate
constitutional jurisprudence, political philosophy and capture
contemporary as well as historical developments. The chief merit of this book
is that it’s not only a fine blend of constitutional precepts, parliamentary
practices as obtaining but also documents the flaws and failings of our
parliamentary democratic system and throws open questions for wider and deeper
reflections so as to further strengthen our democratic edifice.
Watch the earnings
Post GST, the appointment of new RBI Governor and a good
monsoon, there is no trigger that is likely to impact the market significantly.
The market may, therefore, witness some profit booking in the short to medium
term though the long-term bull market scenario remains intact. The market has
not reacted sharply to the announcement of new RBI governor who is by and large
expected to follow in the footprints of Raghuram Rajan, keeping inflation in
check as the main objective for future policy pronouncements.
Turf wars in UP
akhilesh holds the reins
firmly
There
was a time when Amar Singh as a newly elected MP used to give out appointments
when he was reportedly ‘milking’ the Uttar Pradesh government with the tacit
support of Mulayam Singh. Times have changed. Amar Singh today is furious at
the shabby way the Akhilesh Yadav government is treating him. His name has been
included in the list of the visitors who desire to meet Akhilesh. Amar Singh’s
biggest asset and liability is Jaya Prada. She has stood by him during his
rough period. It is reported that Amar Singh desires to get Jaya Prada
appointed as the Chairman of the UP Film Board, but Akhilesh Yadav has his own
plans. A Lucknow source informs that even Mulayam Singh’s brother, Shivpal
Yadav, is not amused with Akhilesh. There is an intense group war going on.
Though Shivpal is holding the coveted PWD ministry, Akhilesh controls the State
treasury and most of the contractors are clamouring for payments by the
department. Tipu is the nickname by which Akhilesh is known in the family, but
clearly Tipu has become a Sultan now and is working in his own style. g
Sharing the legacy?
priyanka vs. rahul camps
Is
there a tussle going on amongst Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi? The Congress
leadership does’nt accept this and will not do so in future also. The leaders,
who cultivated Rahul Gandhi, assured themselves that after winning proximity to
the new boss, half their battle is won. But politics is a dynamic game; it
changes very fast. Priyanka Gandhi is going to be the new icon in the party; an
idea being spread by Congress leaders who are not looked after by Rahul. The
brother and sister do not wish to give an impression in the public that they
have differences on important matters. As a consequence, Shiela Dikshit got a
new lease of life in the political arena despite her humiliating defeat in the
Delhi Assembly polls of 2013. There was reluctance in Rahul Gandhi camp as, in
all probability, Jitin Prasad was likely to be the new face of the party. While
it is a given that Rahul and Priyanka, or for that matter their mother, would
never allow their differences to surface in the public domain, the Sandeep
Dikshit-Ajay Maken confrontation is a test case to determine where the family
stands. Party sources say that Priyanka has a soft corner for the Dikshits,
which has been nurtured over a span of time. Of late, Priyanka has provided
indications of her growing interest in politics and insiders believe that she
would be contesting the next Parliamentary polls—not from Rae Bareli, as was
the original plan, but from Amethi. Rahul would move to Rae Bareli, which has
been the constituency of his mother and grandparents—Feroze and Indira Gandhi.
g
Raje turns her face...
...but badnor scores as
governor
How
would Vasundhara Raje of Rajasthan have known that the same VP Singh Badnor-of
Bhilwara’s Badnor constituency-whom she was openly opposing for a second Rajya
Sabha term, will get so lucky? Badnor has been an MLA four times, Lok Sabha and
Rajya Sabha member once each; when he lost the Lok Sabha elections in 2009, he
was sent to the Rajya Sabha. His tenure there ended only last month, and party
heavyweights such as Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Rajeev Pratap Rudy wanted
him to get a second tenure of the Rajya Sabha, but Raje was not in favour. As a
parliamentarian, Badnor was also the chairman of a housing committee, and had
made several friends in the Opposition too, thanks to his friendly and gentle
nature. It is said he has good personal relations with Narendra Modi as well.
This Monday, when he is sworn in as the Governor of Punjab, he will also become
in-charge of the Union Territory of Chandigarh. For Badnor, the Central
government has done away with a 32-year-old rule so that he can become both the
Governor of Punjab and the boss of Chandigarh. Though Badnor got the
governorship of Punjab, but Raje has been successful in sidelining him from
active politics of the State. g
Jaitley ignores his MoS
are they not suited for
finance?
Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley seems to be upset with his junior ministers. He has no
idea why Santosh Gangwar and Arjun Meghwal have been sent to the Finance
Ministry, since they are more appropriate for the Law Ministry. Gangwar is a
law graduate from Rohilkhand University while Meghwal is a promoted IAS officer
who has a law degree, a masters in political science as also has an MBA from
Philippines University. Maybe that is the reason why for international meetings
on economic matters that Jaitley can’t attend himself, he prefers to send his
officers rather than his ministers for state. A few days ago, there was an
Economic Forum meeting in China, where Jaitley preferred to send Finance
Secretary Shaktikanta Das instead of his junior ministers. It is worth noting
that this is the same Shaktikanta Das who is being targeted by Swamy for some
time now. g
DANICS maange more...
In
the last one month, two sets of officers—one from DANICS (Delhi Andaman and
Nicobar Islands Civil Service) and another from the Central Secretariat
Services—met MoS in PMO and personnel ministry Jitendra Singh to narrate their
woes, demanding quick and sound solutions. For example, the 2008 batch DANICS
officers who have competed eight years of service are now eligible to be
inducted into the IAS, but the irony is that even 1989 batch DANICS are yet to
be IAS officers. The officers expressed concern about the acute stagnation in
DANICS services which, they alleged, not only leads to financial loss but also
denies career growth. Many of the officers even retire without getting a chance
to be IAS at all. SC and ST officers are the worst affected because many of
them join the service late due to the age relaxation available to them. DANICS
officers are posted on crucial administrative assignments in the Union
Territory areas of Delhi, Daman, Diu, Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar
and Lakshadweep. The members of the delegation further explained to the
minister that they were performing their duties in “arduous and difficult
situations, but feeling disillusioned because of delay in their career
progression”. g
Meet Gaurav Dwivedi
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi had his first Obama-style Townhall when he answered
questions ranging from tourism, smart cities and foreign policy to self-styled
cow protectionism. The event, organised by MyGov—a platform created to build
partnership between citizens and the government—was televised live, and was
highly appreciated across the board. But who was the man behind the? The MyGov
Townhall event was brilliantly executed by none other than IAS officer, Gaurav
Dwivedi who is CEO of My Gov. The Townhall meeting as a concept is quite common
in western countries where heads of states or CEOs take questions directly from
an audience and interact with common people with no interface in-between. But
it was the first Townhall ever addressed by an Indian Prime Minister. Hailing
from Uttar Pradesh, 43-year-old Dwivedi did his schooling from Apeejay School
Noida and college from Hindu College, Delhi. He is an M.Sc in anthropology from
Delhi University. Later, he did a course on project appraisal and risk
management from Duke Center for International Development (DCID), Duke University,
USA. Dwivedi started his career in IAS as an assistant collector in Kerala
before moving to Chhattisgarh. Among other postings, he worked as Managing
Director of Chhattisgarh State Marketing Mandi Board and later as Joint Chief
Electoral Officer in the state. Between 2009 and 2012, Dwivedi worked as Deputy
Director in the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA)
located in Mussoorie. After that, he moved to New Delhi and joined as a Deputy
Director in the Department of Information and Technology under the Ministry of
Communications. Since September 2014, Dwivedi has been serving as the CEO of
MyGov. g
September 6, 2016
Watching eyes
What
should a PS to Chief Minister accomplish, when he is being hounded by the CM’s
acolytes and party appointed government officials. It’s a tricky situation for
an officer who is working on the most coveted post of the state. There
is, indeed, a PS to CM who is smart, intelligent, vibrant but most of the
time upset and worried, though he has the confidence of the CM but the party
cadre and parent organisation of the party workers keep hounding him. The PS to
CM needs privacy as his work is very delicate and he has to clear hundreds of
files in a day. The PS is the Man Friday of any state chief minister and is
mostly an IAS officer barring some exceptions. His words and orders are
considered to be the orders of the chief minister. In fact, after the Chief
Ministers’ room or home, the maximum number of visitors can be seen outside the
office of the PS to CM. The said PS to CM of a north Indian state is grappling
with many problems as the Chief Minister is new to the administrative setup.
The political appointees in the Chief Ministers’ Secretariat are novices but
they are politically shrewd. The CM desires to control the state with the help
of the political appointees. To facilitate this, the CM has got allocated
a house adjacent to his official residence and made arrangements for all
politically appointed officials to operate from the said house. So the poor PS
to CM has to tolerate political appointees in his office room most of the time.
The Chief Minister seems to be forgetting that the system works on the trust
and if the PS does not have the trust of the CM, the message goes down the line
diluting the authority of the government. g
Smriti’s Rs 8 lakh Ganesha
When
the Textile Minister has issues with a secretary in her ministry, the latter
thinks it wise to leave the place for better opportunities. Sources close to
the ministry say that one day the minister went to Cottage Industries, which
comes under the aegis of the ministry, and bought saris worth several thousand.
She also liked an idol of Ganesha, which according to sources cost Rs 8 lakh.
It is said that the minister’s personal staff sent the bills for payment to her
secretary. They also say that Ms Secretary didn’t like this and retorted that
there was no way the bill could be passed. To this, Ms Minister replied saying
the textile minister has full right to wear good clothes. Things got so heated
between the two that it is said that the Secretary complained about this to the
Cabinet Secretary. We are waiting for action. g
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