In case only laws were all that we needed to fortify the presence of every human, we would have achieved a socially and economically balanced position way back. The irony is, however, that despite of so many laws aimed at the betterment of underprivileged, handicaps, women, and such other overlooked members, India is still scuffling with all those ages-old disparities and setbacks. I have always emphasized a very elementary fact that economy is the second name for any society; without apt means to live and prosper, you cannot deliver social contentment. Post the Delhi gang rape incident, the government hastily rolled out new set of rules, but the desired outcomes have rarely been attained until today. For that matter, cases of rapes and molestation have rather increased. This is because we find easy solutions but never pay heed to the roots of the issue. The IT and BPM industry, one of the most women-friendly domains, employs merely 30 percent women in their total workforce. Then it is not that hard to conclude what is the statistics in other paid workplaces, rural parts of India being the worst.

Isn’t that very simple? Men relish all that freedom, security and growth because they have always been at the epicenter of the economy. Indian women have been restricted to homes and those who work are suppressed. Bring women to work, make them a part of the economy, a contributor and sharer. The underlying fact with respect to ever-high number of crimes against women is that though our media and films have freely used the stamina of women, the society and economy still craves for their part in evolution. Then again, bringing more and more women to workplaces is dependent on the quality of services viz. education, laws, and special perks that we can provide to our women. Having talked about these key essentials many a time, let me today focus on what all paybacks can we fetch by endorsing women involvement in the economy. The trend nowadays is though predictive that with the youth workforce of India, we will be able to see more and more value addition and creativity in our economic structure, unless we recognize the forte of women contribution, the race will be half won.

Let me begin with a simple to understand notion. More economic participation brings more economic demand, which in turn calls for more economic participation. Isn’t that an easy addition to the GDP? With inclusive partaking of women in the country’s fiscal domain, I can assure a minimum 2 percent upsurge in our growth rate. Then is another equation, with more and more women working, addition to retirement savings would boom, hiking the much-needed social security savings, thus bringing down the funding gap of the government with respect to such welfare schemes. Gender pay unfairness is a concern, believe it or not. Males are usually considered more reliable; hence with an increase in women engagement in management, this disparity is likely to curtail. Risk taking and risk management an issue? Why not play safer then; studies reveal that the females in any society are more risk-aware, can take more risk-prone decision, wisely. For those who disagree with studies, at least give it a try, let us then analyze results.

IT start-ups have amused many venture capitalists. This means that the doors for wise innovations is open; then why not call people from diverse areas, who can bring in all-new concepts within the group. Since same groups are leading those high-profile cabins and board rooms, Indian corporates are rarely coming up with those out-of-box ideas. The society and the workforce of today’s India have a reformed perspective towards work and workplace. More and more people want to work with organizations that are socially accountable and are delivering a real value-addition. Sooner than later, as have the IT and BPM sectors realized, corporations will need to be focused towards gender equality. Should I also advocate the well-known equation of any economy, that with more people increasing their monetary holdings, investments will thrive, thus bringing in women in this scenario is indispensable. Then are the social pluses, which will range from more and more education drive among females and carried forward to children of these working and more informed women. Crimes will drop down since demands will be met with ease, women-centric wrongdoings would trim down too.

Yes, this good-looking picture is not that easy to achieve, nor is the same that tricky. It just calls for broadening our mindsets and realizing the fact that women are no less. The legislatures and women advocators have to think beyond making for-women laws and have to extend labors in calling for their enhanced participation in the economy. With all these dowry and rape laws that rather than safeguarding women have become a weapon, in many cases, to humiliate blameless men and families, we even today are what we always have been, aimless. I was pleased to hear that post the Uber rape case, cab companies are focusing on hiring female drivers, but are we not late and narrow to have realized the power of women? The Companies Act, 2013 also mandates a woman on the board of companies, but where are the means to make so many desired women directors talented and responsive towards the corporate needs of today? Schemes for direct recruitment of women in few reserved occupations, special incentives for companies that allow flexible working hours to female employees and educating conservative clusters on autonomy of women can ease the way to real women empowerment. Lesser bank interest rates and tax holidays for women entrepreneurs will boost up their share. Rest, education, access to toilets, easy reporting of grievances, and such other basic rudiments will play their part.

Neither can some men be overlooked, nor can they be allowed to force their demands in a democracy. Problem solving is a modus operandi and to pursue this one has to look back as to why the concern commenced and then discover probable solutions. When someone is retaliating hard, you cannot abruptly order wiping off that individual. And if you do so you produce ten others with same ideology. A group picks up guns, moves to an isolated place, rarely relishes the perks to which the society has easy access, treats an elected government as enemy, and loses men in counter attacks. There has to be a reason for all this and we need to discover the same. The recent killings in Assam are forbidden and to put it right, this is not a way to retaliate. The murderers deserve severe punishments, but of course the governments will have to also find out stable solutions that can prevent such massacres in future. The problem is that we do not pay heed to issues until they become extremely problematic to handle, and many a time detrimental to internal security of the nation. Naxalites and Bodo militants are pressing concerns and how can we even think of inclusive growth without resolving this? These men, hailing from tribal areas, have been misused by political groups, even for delaying state’s development by making them a front face for opposing infrastructure projects.

Foremost, the grounds of the Maoist movement are structural; economic, political and cultural dimensions are closely linked. Then, these ‘ultras’ have few legal, but many unrealistic demands, which cannot be accepted when the government has to think of whole of India. For say, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), which claims to be a representative of the Bodo society, asks for establishment of a sovereign Bodoland, free from Indian expansionism and alleged exploitation. The naxal movement can be traced back in the 60s when with the aim to redistribute land to landless, a group of people picked up arms in West Bengal. Reason, as quoted by many studying these conflicts, is underdevelopment of tribal areas while the governments of all times supported crony capitalism resulting in vast inequality of income distribution. Let us, however, be somewhat positive with shift of people and our central government towards the development agenda and assurance of equality in revenue dissemination. This can gradually change the sentiments of militants; however quick actions are much-needed since the death of innocents can never be acceptable in a nation that elects administrators of the people to work for the people. Then too, you cannot think of uprooting these militants all of a sudden; planning is the key.

How to deal with Left-Wing Extremism is a critical question and has to be on the top of the agenda of the home ministry. And for the states too, you cannot blame the central government as the Naxals and Bodo militants have been able to galvanize support in the backward areas since these governments have failed to the core in providing basic facilities ranging from health and education to security and governance. A paradigm shift is necessary both in the states’ assessment and that of the center to address the concern of naxal insurgency. A meaningful democracy calls for working firmly within the conventional framework of law and ethics and at the same time seeks for political and social stability. This message has to be disseminated to the retaliating groups, either by the way of talks, or through weapons, if necessary. While considering Naxalism as the greatest threat to internal security, the UPA governmentdisremembered that the issue has been able to survive and even fortify for more than four decades now since the administratorshave failed terribly in understanding that this is something beyond the law and order problem, this is the retaliation of the underdeveloped and deprived.

The underlying causes have to be considered wisely. After independence, the oppressed classes were not only exploited by the land owners as sharecroppers and landless laborers, but were also victimized by mighty money lenders. Then was the alienation of the tribal land that widely crippled economic wellbeing, which was the outcome of traps of money lenders and government’s limitations with respect to access to forest land. In the phase of agriculture commercialization, the left-out bunch also suffered the brunt of social oppression, naxal cadres coming from classes of agriculture workers, tenants and sharecroppers. The Naxalism movement gathered support even from the educated class who made universities and schools as places of radical ideology. Then was the Indira’s approach to uproot Naxalites during the emergency period when many of their leaders were killed and thousands of cadres including even the blameless suspects were sent behind the bars. Right from the beginning, the Schedules 5th and 9th of the constitution of India were barely implemented, thus suppressing the provision for limited form of tribal autonomy with regard to exploiting natural resources on their lands, e.g. pharmaceutical and mining, and ‘land ceiling laws’, limiting the land to be possessed by landlords and distribution of excess land to landless farmers and laborers.

Though the governments have those legal and powerful teeth to bite the necks of these Bodo and Naxal militants, yet the need is to put at rest the fundamental cause- Socio-economic development in areas affected in the states of Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Andhra Pradesh. Though many past schemes have aimed at lessening the troubles, politics in implementation could not produce real outcomes, else the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, 2007, the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and the Chhattisgarh Special Public Securities Act, 2005 would have played their role. One thing that is to be realized at the earliest is that innocents are not only losing lives but are also getting motivated to join the radicalism. ‘Social Integration’ of the backward by way of giving them the right over produce from forests where they have been residing since decades and by instilling faith in the people that they will be administered in a more effective manner by respective state governments as compared to by the Naxals is the key. Another aspect is that running operations by undertaking unlawful mining of country’s mineral resources located in remote forests, these Maoists are breaking the backbone of our economy, by claiming their rebelas a battle between India’s most neglected people and most powerful corporate houses.

Looking for economic and infrastructure growth of India, the new government cannot overlook the Naxal factor that is relishing those lands and resources which are needed by the government and the businesses to facilitate inclusive development. Nor can they ignore the misconception of Adivasi people who view guerrillas as their saviors. Tell me how can we withstand terror threats from across the border when internally we aren’t secured and united? It is to be noted that the former director-general of AP concluded that as a result of dialogue with Maoists in 2004, violence in the state decreased by 80-90 percent. The central government should look for drawing out a national plan with discussion and participation of state governments and setting up a ministry so as to administer end-to-end matters related to functioning and impact of Naxalites and such other groups, and human rights violation by security forces and the rehabilitation of Naxalites who are ready to cooperate. One thing is obvious, that with concentration of these guerrilla groups in the backwards tribal regions, any poverty alleviation policy of the government will prove out to be a letdown. Along with, the corporate sector will remain craving for better prospects in terms of mining and enabling infrastructure. Thus measures are to be quick and needless to say, workable. Military alone cannot be the answer, socio-economic expansion and multi-lateral dialogues are needed. Lastly, every Indian has the right to dignified life; both politicians and rebellions need to know this.

More than just recognition or celebration, the declaration of the Bharat Ratna recipients calls for the society to realize what should be the way of living. India’s highest civilian honor is not only a way to award the person for his dedicated tasks, but is also to design the future actions of present day generation. Today, when many among us are unfamiliar with the contributions of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and Sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, this is the moment to know why some people become extraordinary and the gems of the society. This is an appeal to all the teachers and parents to let their kids know how they can set the goals of their lives at par with the targets of men who built a robust structure where we live with dignity and prosperity in the present day.

Also addressed as ‘Mahanama’, Pandit Malaviya was one of the most notable figures in the Indian Independence Movement; though he went much far by promoting Hinduism and founding the largest residential university of Asia, the Banaras Hindu University. We can also count his association with print media as being the chairman of Hindustan Times for two decades and being the founder of the newspaper, The Leader. Even the most celebrated hero of Indian freedom, Mahatma Gandhi called himself a devotee of Dr. Malaviya saying his patriotism flowed like the uninterrupted Ganga. ‘Satyamev Jayate’, meaning truth alone triumphs, was popularized by Pandit Malaviya, who though was a Hindu nationalist but always strived for Hindu-Muslim unity.

His works of philanthropy can be remembered with the formation of Akhil Bhartiya Seva Samiti, which operated from multiple centers across the nation and worked with a sole objective of service to the needy during floods, earthquakes, Kumbh Mela, and such other national calamities. Women empowerment was a part of his vision and we can also add to his list of great works the acceptance of use of devanagari script in court works. Sanatan Dharma Sabha also gained from his association, and encouraged and awarded religious scholars,along with working for betterment of cows. As the President of the Indian National Congress for almost a decade, he played a key role in all the strategy-building labors and in fortifying the acceptance of the INC by the society.

Sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister of India can be credited with scripting the DNA for the Right to Education, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan being his creation. In just a week’s time during his ruling, India conducted five nuclear tests and demonstrated the capacity of the nation to rivals. While the world is craving for stable GDP growth rate, this able leader was able to keep the same at all-time highs even when the country was in the grip of oil crisis in 2003, earthquake in 2001, and sanctions from around the world. Chandrayaan-1, India’s mission to moon and the Delhi Metro project were both passed by the Prime Minister who foresaw development and had the capability to take prudent decisions. A patriot from heart, Sh. Vajpayee participated in India’s freedom struggle and edited national journals during his student days.

Sh. Vajpayee paved the way for introducing VAT across the country, along with taking measures to rationalize VAT rates around CENVAT. FDI in insurance was also the seed of this great administrator. India’s most instinctive reformer, Sh. Vajpayee was picked by a former PM to represent India in a UN meeting at Geneva even at a time when he was the leader of opposition, the same reflects how much was the notion ‘India-first’ the ultimate objective of these veteran leaders. His public and parliamentary speeches are even today a learning lesson for us all. The Kargil war was won under the astute leadership of Sh. Vajpayee, while the National Highway Development Project and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana reveals his vision for infrastructure development.

Countless are the contributions of these two legendary men, of whom one has left behind him a path that every Indian should endeavor to follow, while the other is still the most renowned figure in the Indian political structure, evidence of the same is the welcoming of his name as Bharat Ratna awardee by even opposition political groups. The best way, however, to celebrate the conferring of this honor on these two is to take a pledge to abide by the track that they have laid down. Let us all study the life history of Sh. Vajpayee and Late Pandit Malaviya and imbibe the best of their works in our quest for a sustainable future. Lastly, Sh. Vajpayee’s health has been a concern since past many years; hence let us also pray for his good health and long life, and hope that his golden touch in delivering speeches is yet again viewed by the world.

On one hand, the governor of the central bank is being looked for slashed interest rates while on the other, the Prime Minister and his cabinet is expected to boost the GDP and lessen the CAD and food inflation. More than just these key economic indicators are the fundamental wings ranging from women empowerment to assured healthcare facilities and from water conservation to human skill development. The pillars to success may be a sharp rise in the GDP or a steep fall in the fiscal deficit, but for ‘sustainable success’ a robust and stable substructure is the key. Books of economics or management will have nil relevance in case the state is unable to eradicate the curses of poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy and joblessness. India with some billionaires, however large proportion of poor and deprived households, will never attain the label of a ‘developed nation’. We may be one among the most promising economies of the world, but with ever-high numbers of rapes and deaths owing to starvation, or for that matter with polluted rivers and aimless water conservation programmes, any rise in the GDP is meaningless. Hereunder, I have listed a few pillars that are the key to sustainable success and to build the dream India, India that can assure dignity of life and opulence to every citizen.

Not just adept education system, but also skill development– Infusing skilled and vibrant blood in the veins of our young ones is no different than providing them with a capable education system, which shall not just open doors to wisdom but also to creativity and out-of-the-box ideas. From modifying the present curriculum for bringing it in line with global practices and needs of Indian society and economy to replacing the outdated and incapable delivery models by computers, tablets, and free-of-cost and round the clock accessible virtual lessons, there is a need to digitize educational records and maintain a database that can be easily accessed. ‘One size does not fit all’ has to be paid heed to and differential and innovative teaching approach to be encouraged. Skill development is the talk of the town and for the same the infrastructure of ITI centers can be used. In this context, toilets in all schools, and free of cost basic needs viz. books, bags, mid-day meals and uniforms are to be made a part of the education budget. Biometric way of recording attendance of teachers and students, and adequate teacher-students ratio are needed.

Not just population planning, but also strict population control measures– Aiming at apt distribution system and all-inclusive growth are pointless in case the pace of population growth is not checked. As per the Planning Commission, 21 percent of the residents fall below the poverty line and the approx. figure stands at 269.3 million. World Bank says that almost 49 percent of world’s underweight children, 34 percent of world’s stunted children and 46 percent of world’s wasted children live in India. Limited resources of the country will never be able to meet the challenge of prospering every Indian; hence the government of India will need to consider an order similar to ‘One Child Policy’ of China. Overseas funds flowing in India may be promising a brighter tomorrow, but with alike increase in the number of participants the milieu will hardly develop. Though we stand today as the youngest nation of the world, with more than 65 percent of our population less than 35 years of age; scarce skills, healthcare facilities, and higher education and work prospects would hardly be able to cater to the needs. Furthermore, unless the law of the land is uniform to all the inhabitants, social harmony is unachievable; hence the notion of Uniform Civil Code has to be implemented by the consent of all communities.

Not just quality healthcare, but guaranteed basic healthcare to all– Healthcare is a basic necessity and with mere 1.5 percent of our GDP allocated to public health, we cannot dream of a day when healthy and energetic workforce would devote heart and soul to the nation’s development. Bearing the burden of more than 20 percent of world’s total liability of diseases, it is sad that we are among the bottom five countries with respect to spending on public healthcare. The number of doctors and beds is way less than the prescribed norms of the WHO. Ensured and quality medical services in state-run centers is to be accompanied with enhancing the working conditions of nurses and curbing the curse of commercialization of medicines and their unwanted marketing. The statutory body responsible for upholding high ethics in medical practicing and education services, the Medical Council of India, embraces medical professionals at top positions, which in no way is a just notion when it comes to penalizing corrupt/ negligent conduct of peers. Tier B and C towns have always been deprived when it comes to tertiary healthcare and the same has led to high spending by middle class and lower class households on third level of healthcare, the intensive care units and advanced diagnostic support services.

Not just women empowerment, but real and balanced enablement– Thinking of a better tomorrow, without according requisite strength and liberation to the half population is equivalent to worsening the civilization even more. Past two years of the horrible Delhi rape incident, the women of India are still unsafe and deprived of their basic rights, the infringement of which comes to notice only when a case is blessed with media coverage and the authorities are forced to give justice. There is something in the new Companies Act for women directors but execution of the same depends on how well we train these women so that they can accomplish tough tasks with competence. Women helplines are also in place but post a few advertisements on radio and in newspapers they hardly are able to cope up with the heavy call flow. Right from killing of the girl child to depriving the young ones from education and work, the ill system needs overall restructuring. It is also important that we do not overlook any abuse of women centric laws that many a time results in harassment of blameless men and their families. Counselling centers in rural areas, state benefit schemes for all girls, and measures to enhance participation of females in economic activities, which is currently only 30 percent are much-needed.

Water and environment conservation– The most basic of all and also the most ignored one. We need to address a worry that while India’s population is as high as 18 percent of the total world population, renewable water resources are just 4 percent. Not new or unheard are the news of scarce water facilities even in the national capital, Delhi. What we need is community participation and alternative water sources (cisterns, rain barrels, and rainwater harvesting) backed by the commitment of government agencies. National Water Policy as formulated by the Ministry of Water Resources needs to accord decision making powers to Water Users Association, along with including polluter pay principle and fairness in PPP model in its ambit. Pesticides, effluent from industries, solid waste and such other elements are degrading the environment. Usage of organic fertilizers as a replacement to chemical fertilizers needs encouragement and monetary support. India stands at the third position in terms of generating greenhouse gases, which is the main cause behind vulnerable lungs in Indians. Environmental clearances should not ignore a fact that mass deforestation, land degradation, rivers contamination and dropping water levels are at their very peak and the same costs billion of money every year.

Not just secured borders, but also safe villages and cities– A rape survivor girl has said that she undergoes rape each time she narrates it. It is evident that offences cannot be prevented absolutely, but justice has to be ensured in each and every case. Policemen in India are governed by Police Act, 1861. In 2006, the Supreme Court of India directed the central and state governments to comply with a set of seven directives to kick-start police reforms. Many committees on police reforms have suggested major revamping of the police system coupled with systematic accountability. Political parties of India would need to realize that development is lacking without intact and promised security of the countrymen. The new government has relied on the power of digitization and the same is to be extended to the domain of internal security and reporting of grievances. In this context, the concerns of the police department, their illicit exploitation by political men, and absurd transfers are to be paid heed to. While social networking websites and such other web based applications have become so much handy to access, the elementary need of reporting any mishaps and accusations without trouble is still far than reached.

Real, not artificial jobs– Sustainability of economic and social development relies upon how the government makes use of the immense manpower we have. India’s labor force stands at 500 million, however not more than 20 percent of this has regular jobs in the organized sector. MGNREGA delivers 100 days of employment to rural inhabitants and 150 days for Scheduled Tribe households living in forest areas, but the task of upskilling these workers is paid heed to nowhere. It is very simple, landless workers are paid with guarantee at the MGNREGA worksites without doing anything, thereby making them used to such kind of easy income. The poverty alleviation programme is thus resulting in summing up of a workforce that has nil motivation to step ahead, nurture and innovate. Ghost workers and ghost accounts for crediting state money also cannot be denied. On the contrary, a few sectors are facing acute labor shortage issue, such as the apparel industry which is facing tough competition from Bangladesh. By integrating labor-short industries and state-backed schemes like MGNREGA government can save direct cash outflow from treasury and real jobs in turn will also upgrade the skills of the labor force. Elementary pillars are then to be accompanied with subsidiary ones. This calls for a red carpet to even domestic producers and service providers, and easing the complexity of tax regime. The MSME sector is the unseen backbone of the Indian economy; hence the same is to be fortified by relaxed and quick credit norms, infusion of technology which can boost the competitiveness, proper infrastructure development, and right marketing support. Proper balance between the judicial and legislative wing is also looked for to put at rest hitches like cancellation of licenses of corporates in the 2G scam and Coalgate owing to unethical process followed by the government. From systematic road transportation to an effective agricultural production advancing scheme, the new ministers have a lot to do. The enumerated concerns aren’t exhaustive, but if taken into consideration they can aptly correct the social and economic imbalance of India. Plus, all issues are inter-connected, for say, you cannot bring women empowerment without active internal security. The worries of healthcare and education will remain unresolved unless the government pays attention to population and pollution control measures. Likewise, education will play a key role in lessening crime rate and hiking contribution of women in economic activities. Much is expected from the new Modi-led government, and the acumen of his cabinet.

खून किसी का भी गिरे, कही भी….नस्ल-ए-आदम का खून है आखिर…

बच्चे सरहद पार के सही….किसी की छाती का सुकून हैं आखिर…

Yet again, humanity is crying on streets. It is the same red blood, flowing in all of us, that has covered the desks and chairs of a school in Peshawar, Pakistan. Just imagine the pain of those parents who were reading that list of dead, the shivering of parents’ bodies, eyes which could not read properly owing to fear and tears; this was the end of mankind. With ears all open, they were also listening to the fires and blasts inside the school when the military forces were trying to punch down the attackers. Can we even imagine the shock that would have hit the minds of students who were lucky enough to survive the attack when they witnessed heavily armed militants lining up students and hitting them at point zero, when they shot at a teacher until she was absolutely silent? Reports say ‘132 dead’, but what about the death of innocence that rested within the students who have seen the manslaughter of humanity with eyes and ears all open? It was just 9 of them in Peshawar; I am scared as thousands alike are hunting for blood.

They call this ‘revenge’. Is this the way? You have shattered the lives of parents who extended all the love and means they could manage to for bringing up their sons and daughters. Now should they rise for revenge? Come on if you are brave men and bring out your children, let the sufferers also make good their losses by slaying them. But, we are humans at heart; we are the ones who cannot kill someone. Then what to do? It is very clear and evident now that the extremists are crushing humanity, not any nation or community. I could also hear voices claiming that Pakistan has been chomped by the dogs they fed. Why then permit the relatives of these dogs open fire at innocents residing in India? Wake up gentlemen or we would suffer the pain equally, no more no less. These Pakistani Talibanis were allegedly provided shelters by the Pakistan when the U.S. attempted to wipe them off. See what they have done. My hands and body trembles to see the pictures of dead children and I fear about the safety of my kids.

If you call supporting these terror groups as diplomacy and politics, let it be confined to your own homes please. What wrong did the students of Peshawar and their parents do? Are they at fault just because they were born in a country which promotes terror? And not just Pakistan, this is more or less same around the world. Even my country is suffering from the disease of ‘true secularism’. This is all the era of ‘divide and rule’. You are at one of the sides, either a Christian, or a Muslim, or a Hindu. Then again you are either a Shia or a Sunni, or a Jaat or a Pandit. When are we humans then? We are so easily lured and moved by the words and pity perks of religious and political leaders that we forget that fire sees no difference; it will burn even our hands one day, just like it has done in Peshawar. They would have had dreams of pursuing engineering, but this fake human engineering in the name of religion scorched the innocent dreams.

You know this, there is no other option than to unite and curb this with a sole aim, the aim to put at rest the radicalism, which otherwise will supersede human values one day to such an extent that we will have no other option than to witness the massacre of the society with helpless hands. Let this be the moment. Let the screams of the young ones of Pakistan be the silence-breaker. Else, the next casualty can be at your home even. At the verge of collapse, humanity is calling for support from every human. We all can feel the pain of the slayed guiltless children, but the vigor has to last for long, forever. The day we will overcome the divides of religions, castes, colors, and borders, we will be in a position to challenge the ill forces. The elected governments of every country bear on their shoulders the responsibility of assuring safe life to the voters and their families. The incident of Peshawar is a slap on the face of these elected rulers, and every of such mishap is a blow to the codes of so-called secular political men who promise wellbeing.

You can term this either as the basis of our existence or as the root cause of our varied opinions, but ‘religion’ will never lose its authority and influence. It many a time is so sensitive that thousands lose their lives owing to clashes and is sometime so immaterial that persons from same community do not think twice while slaying one another. Isn’t it true that you can defame the father in the presence of his child, but the same child will become a rebellion in case you defame the religion he belongs to? Let us not fall into the argument of which religion is the firstborn or which one is the supreme. The makers of our constitution explicitly gave freedom to pursue any religion to the citizens, and we must all respect the ideology. This is something that makes us stand a step ahead and be proud to call India our motherland. Also true is the fact that genuine faith conversion is neither prohibited under the constitution nor in any of the laws. But what is authentic and what constitutes to being unauthentic is a tough question to answer in the absence of any national law on faith conversion. Lured and forceful conversions have happened in the past, the irony however is that they were not conversed in the Parliament as was the Agra one since they saw Hindus convert their faith. Does this not mean that we have let one of the most penetrating issues disturb communal harmony and hold real development?

In the present scenario, a person accused of forceful or lured faith conversion is booked under the Sections 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage reli­gious feelings), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), and 505(2) and 505(3) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) of the IPC.

The Agra dispute is being handled in the same manner and now when the converts are alleging that they were misled and lured with perks, the ‘reconversion’ or ‘home coming’ drive of Hindu groups has come under observance. Was it so wicked on the part of the organizers to bring back Muslims under the shadow of Hinduism, who at some point in time in the history had converted to Islam? And if this is, why isn’t there an explicit law of the land that should aptly differentiate between what is allowed and what isn’t? It is so uncomplicated to bring any of the organizers under the heat of law post any religious conversions by claiming that the converts were coerced or were enticed to change their faith. Let us get real please, and a bit more prudent. How will someone determine as to whether the converts of Agra knew what the ceremony meant, and who can deny the possibility that they changed their statement owing to political and religious pressure? Secularism in India is more of anti-Hindu now rather than anti-communal.

The worst part was the warning by one of the opposition leaders that the Agra instance can result in communal riots. One thing is sure, political groups, and especially regional ones, backed by either of the communities/ castes will use this as a way to gain mileage and rarely will anyone think of honest endeavors to check such setbacks in future. The talk of the town now is the upcoming event announced by the VHP which is likely to see as many as 6,000 non-Hindus reconvert their faith to Hinduism. The duty of the state is to validate whether the scheduled episode has bona fide consent of probable converts and if this is the case, then deploying policemen to stop this happening in the name of likely disturbance of communal accord is unlawful. Haven’t we heard of instances when the Christian missionaries lure underprivileged rural residents with money and other perks for persuading them to embrace Christianity? Who funds these associations, or for that matter, aren’t some Madrasas being funded by illicit elements to encourage Hindus part with their faith? But since the present incident relates to alleged defeat of the minority, the Parliament has been made a combat zone by opposition legislators.

Uniformity is what we need when it comes to such a sensitive substance. Conversions backed by coercion and/or luring have to be curtailed sooner than later. Plus, to make it tough to blame the organizer post honest conversions, reporting of any such incident to the local authority, say one month in advance, should be a compulsory norm. It cannot be denied that reporting of such faith conversions in advance may invite harsh attempts aimed at the probable convert from people of his/ her present faith. The need to frame a well-defined conversion law, able to prevent any forcible/ lured faith conversion and misuse of allegations for violence over conversion organizers, is indispensable. Religion is a complex subject-matter and cannot be handled by dirty and aimless protests in the Parliament. A pure secular nation, India, cannot allow any funds from overseas flowing with a view to disturbing the sacred balance of communal accord. In the same context, let us also not disremember that the essence of our constitution lies in freedom to any religion, hence faith conversions should not be prohibited, rather be streamlined. Be it any political party in the center or in the state/s, and be the same ‘secular’ to the core, any infringement with the fundamental right to freedom of religion should be curbed.

Constitution is supreme and the basis of our democracy. The makers had the wisdom of considering what was to be made a part of this binding literature, but can we deny that they too were political men, had some ambitions, and also the immense pressure to make all castes and communities contented. Isn’t Article 25 (1) of the constitution, which says ‘Subject to public order, morality and health and to the other provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion’, an evidence of same. The word ‘propagate’ means ‘spread and promote widely’, which boils down to inducing people convert faith. While a few true secular leaders opposed the inclusion of this word, the Congress was least bothered. This was something that accorded extended life to what had happened during the Mughal reign and the British rule, where Hindus were converted to Islam and Christianity. Many backward and poor Hindus of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh have been lured using foreign funds by Christian missionaries and mass faith conversion ensued. Hindu groups, with lacking means, were helpless to avert.

Vote-bank politics and the command procured by regional political parties will never make it possible to get rid of the word ‘propagate’ from the constitution. But, when Hindu groups are legitimately bringing converted Hindus back to their faith, allegations of luring and coercion are baseless. And to avert any real luring and coercion, we would first need to collate the data as to how many Hindus were decoyed to convert by the Christian or Muslim groups, and then deploy such labors that can forbid these episodes in the future. A law on faith conversion has to be wide-ranging, superseding any and every of such law presently adopted by states, which however are being disputed in the Apex Court for allegedly being unconstitutional, and above all, the same has to be equitable and justifiable to all religions. Never forget that religion and belief in God is an attribute which makes a person lead a path towards righteousness and development of all. When the same is disrupted or is taken away by illicit endeavors, the person loses any vision towards growth or empowerment. For a poor family, which is vulnerable to such acts, the only motivation and strength is their religion and God. Protection of same, hence, is the foremost duty of the rulers. Political men should learn that religion is to relish and worship, not a weapon to get hold of power.

In the end, let me also cite a petition which is presently under consideration in the honorable Supreme Court and requests for extension of Scheduled Caste status to Dalit converts who have embraced Christianity or Islam. Isn’t that understood that if the converts were honest enough during conversion, they would have known that nothing as ‘untouchables’ exists in Islam or Christianity? And if the only reason for conversion, as they allege, was the appeal of the other faith, why then look for pity statuses and perks post conversion? It is evident that a fraction of converts to Islam either hunt for the freedom of multiple marriages or the state-backed benefits extended to Muslim or Christian minorities. Tell me, what shall be the underlying aim for faith conversion? -Of course, to be more near to the so-called Almighty of the new faith. Why then look for added perks in the society. A central law on faith conversion, as discussed above, must consider this and should bar any perks to converted ones which are available by the grace of constitution or laws of the land to the inherent ones. It is evident that unless a vigorous law checks such dishonest transformations, India would witness more and more conversions and ensuing damage of national uprightness, especially Hinduism.

Disheartened with the way the media covered the recent episode of two Rohtak sisters thrashing men, I tried considering some other news source that I wanted to be reliable and worthy enough to pay heed to. The list of most trusted news sources had the BBC, a UK-based international public service broadcaster, on the very top, followed by the National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Station, both hailing from the US and running their operations as not-for-profit media organizations. Prasar Bharti, India’s largest public broadcaster, mind you, India- the third largest economy of the world by Purchasing Power Parity, does not stand anywhere in the list. In the world’s largest democracy, real empowerment lies in informed decision making by the administration, judiciary, and even the common man. The irony, however, is that privately-run media houses, or shall we say news traders, seeking commercial aims are carrying over their weak shoulders the responsibility of collating and broadcasting news to Indian viewers. The outcomes are ‘Breaking News’ every now and then, and the reliability of these are at risk most of the times. Equipped with anchors holding all the ability in the world to yell and play with words, and with sometimes-attractive and sometimes-horrifying visual effects, private news houses were here to extract paybacks that they understood Prasar Bharti would not be able to owing to lack of resources and skilled administration.

We all know that news channels make and break the news to serve their sole aim of engaging more and more viewers. They are dramatic, senseless, humorous and most of time mistaken. It is not long that a head of one of the leading news channels of India, along with another office-bearer of reputed rank, was accused of extorting money from an eminent businessman for not airing negative reports linking him and his group to the Coalgate scam. It is true that I have borrowed the expression ‘news traders’ from the present Prime Minister of India, but as a common man seeking for unbiased and quality news reports, and not news bites, I had no other option. The quoted instances are not the only ones, and most of you would approve that our news houses are more than just reporters, they are the representative of the common man, they are the police and they are also the judiciary. Where did they derive so much of power from? Not that complex question to answer. With high TRPs they make the common man believe what they tell, they also declare the alleged accused as criminal with a visual dramatic representation of an incidence which makes the most sensational news. In the general polls of 2014, a cluster of news houses was backing either of the political parties and same is the case in all state polls. Will democracy, secularism and sovereignty of India be able to sustain in such a milieu where the opinion of common man is dominated by the corrupt media?

Being aware of the surroundings, understating the policies of our government, knowing the social happenings, and true criticism of what is wrong are the crucial pillars of any democracy. And the source from where this is awaited is media. While news channel debates should be a place for unbiased opinions, what we are observing these days is nothing more than clashes. More than social or political evils, inapt reporting by media houses is killing the development. Left with no apt choice, the audience is helpless and is thus made to believe whatsoever is reported. Hasty and unskilled media men, in the conquest to deliver superfast news, condemn blameless men. Having realized the level to which these reporters accuse any and every person, I was thinking that the number of defamation suits would be at the peak. But we have become used to. Sometime back many news channels criticized a self-styled God-man, and to a surprise, same man can now be seen delivering messages of God on the same news channels. Many pointless, or shall I say stupid news become highlights of a particular day; however turn worthless to even talk about the other day. Where is prudent reporting? Where are constructive discussions and meaningful criticism? Where is unprejudiced report card of our probable MPs and MLAs? The ‘fast than the faster’ philosophy is ruling the entire media domain and is in turn curbing any possibility of us being delivered with news that can enhance our outlook towards a particular subject. Solution is easy- revamping of Prasar Bharti.

How about a BBC-like Prasar Bharti? Valued for the way and adeptness the BBC collates and broadcasts news is an example to follow for the Indian public broadcaster. And the same isn’t that tricky. Aiming at digitization of India, foremost need is to digitize and afford capable manpower to Doordarshan and All India Radio. The panel on revamping of Prasar Bharti has proposed manpower assessment and audit, along with drawing up of an optimal organizational structure. The Sam Pitroda-led panel has advised adding to this audit a re-deployment plan that shall aptly address concerns related to training, re-skilling and promotion of the present workforce. It is to be noted that the Prasar Bharti has a headcount of more than 32,000 employees, while the same in BBC is just 10,000. But the right person is at the right place and technology is being exploited with ultimate adeptness. Prasar Bharti owns the largest broadcasting substructure in the country and this at some point in time in the past was accompanied with unlimited talent. A task for present government, the head of which has been worried about news trading, is to undertake inclusive measures that can revive the gem of Indian media, Prasar Bharti. The sad demise of cricketer, Phillip Hughes has been running continuously in the media, however, the martyrs of LOC are neglected to the core. Doesn’t this call for intelligent reporting rather than reporting just for TRP? It is crucial that rewarding staffing system and aggressive technology revolution is implemented in Prasar Bharti, else claiming to be the representatives of the common man, paybacks-seeking private media houses will leave no stone unturned in weakening the forte of democracy and social fairness.  

I have collated some facts, which though are uncomplicatedly accessible to all of us but we hardly care for the other side of the story, after all we are pro-women. In 2013, the High Court of Delhi observed that women were using fabricated rape cases for personal crusade, harassment, extortion and forcing men to marry them. This year, a leading news house reported that two-third of total rape cases filed in Delhi in 2013 involved consenting couples, with the parents accusing male of rape. In the month of October this year, the Delhi Commission of Women released a report, which revealed that out of 2753 complaints of rape filed between April 2013 and July 2014, only 1287 were found to be genuine. Here is the most dramatic one. In 2010, the Delhi High Court overruled a man’s appeal to drop a false rape case filed against him, saying that this was to ensure that the complainant, a female police employee, is indicted for the deceitful case; the woman in the case had reached an out-of-court settlement with defendant. Same is the case with cases of dowry, and the Apex Court in 2010 directed the government to revise Section 498A of the IPC in view of rising numbers of false/ exaggerated grievances against male partners and their relatives by women. Why then the alleged accused, who never have committed such crimes, live in the state of despair since the common public regard them as deemed-guilty.

In past couple of days, I went through a number of news, but these two were where I had to stop and meditate. The first is the Human Rights Watch report which talks about overcrowded mental rehabilitation centers where women are mentally and physically abused, and a hope to escape is nil. The report is titled ‘Treated Worse than Animals’ and I would want all those craving for women empowerment to read the same once. In the second one, which is almost the most sensational news of recent times, two sisters have emerged as ‘Mardanis’, having taken a hard call on suspected eve-teasers. The act of heroism is also caught on camera and the video has gone viral. They used hands, legs and belts to make sure that what they say happened to them shall not happen to any other girl. In the present milieu, I too was moved with such bravery and for a while considered the girls as a role model, wanting other girls to learn from them a lesson on retaliation against evil. Today, when we are unhappy for crimes against women anyone who turns out to be a protestor, whether truthful or not, becomes an iconic figure. The other side of the Rohtak case is that the row was over seats and the girls can clearly be seen using foul language. Those who valued the bravery must be watchful now when another video of them thrashing a man, and fresh witnesses in the bus instance have come forward saying that the girls weren’t molested. The media also has now shifted its stand realizing the sensational twist and the ‘staged’ acts of bravery are being tested. I also could not apprehend the logic of our media which published the news of the brave-heart girls at the very first page on the first day; however now, when the contradictory to girls’ statement facts have come up, the news makes less relevance to media houses.

Now, with a few female workers at my workplace, I am a scared man. On top of this, they report to me at day’s end with tasks done, the same makes me vulnerable to cases of molestation and harassment. And I am not the only one. Men at reputable positions, be it in the corporate, politics, media, or sports, face the threat of being dragged into cases of woman assault. The mockery is, even the common ‘man’ is at the risk of being detained, beaten up, and defamed in the public, just because the groundless search for women empowerment is on. What’s wrong, hmm? Women have repeatedly been victim to domestic violence, dowry, eve-teasing and rapes. This indeed calls for empowering the woman of India, but in the pursuit of the same, haven’t we disremembered that the words empower and power are very dissimilar to one another. While empowering would mean enabling, powering someone would mean assigning someone surplus powers that may even supersede the laws of the land. Why then we treat extremists differently? They too at some point in time in history were assaulted by the society, why otherwise someone would tie a bomb around his waist and blow himself up? But this is forbidden, forbidden in every book of religion, society, politics and even our sensational media. On the contrary, ‘no questions asked’ policy is followed in case a woman allegedly beats a male who is later blamed for harassing, eve-teasing and even raping.

To the seekers of women empowerment- I am not in favor of any anti-women law or for that matter against furtherance of women. The simple notion that men and women shall be treated alike, however, is crushed when we allow a woman employ unlawful measures even in cases where justice can be realized under law. Certainly, investigation by police was the solution in the Rohtak case, not abrupt rewards to girls or debarment of the accused men from army. Isn’t it an evident suppression of justice, when only the reporting media is held as evidence and the ones truly breaching law are imprudently declared lawful? When the honorable courts of India have comprehended the abuse of women protection laws, the government should take prompt rectifying measures. The solution rests in fortifying police administration and easing the way for filing sincere grievances, and herein a man and a woman are to be considered alike. Just like law and righteousness are alike both for rich and poor, it shall be for men and women. Yes, bettering the conditions of women, deprived of basic rights is the liability of us all and has to be pursued with extravagant labors. But, in want of hasty development of our women, let us not overlook what we claim, ‘Nature has made man and woman alike.’

One thing is sure, unless we put an end to the ‘no questions asked’ rule when it comes to a female accusing a male of molesting or harassing, real enablement of women will never be attained, as a day would come when retraction would reach such heights that these complaints will not be paid heed to. Were the media reports ample to adjudge the men in the Rohtak incident guilty? When did we turn so proactive, or shall I say hasty? The real irony is that Indian laws are so contradictory that when the legalized age for sexual activity has been regarded as 18 years, obviously with mutual consent, a girl can still accuse the male of sexual annoyance even when mutual consensus and age factor are in place. What will you say about cases when a female wakes up post 5 or 10 years of alleged harassment, where at most of the occasions the real motive is to extract fiscal perks or to defame a person on instigation of his opponents? Isn’t it easy for a female to say ‘He used me under a promise to marry’ and drag the person to the misery of lifetime? Promise! Why do we need the Indian Contract Act then? Was the girl not at fault when she made it, or shall I not say ‘relishing’ with the man before marriage and in some cases even with a married man?

The loopholes of our laws are placing Indian men at risk, high risk I say, even for the male lawmakers and law protectors. Just recently, the honorable Chief Justice of India has set up a two-judge Social Justice Bench to speed up cases involving missing children and such other social evils. This move is appreciable and the man of acumen should also consider as to where we all are heading in our visionless pursuit of women enablement. How can the guiltless parents of a male be defamed and detained just because the daughter-in-law alleges that she was asked for dowry? Why are we consenting to out-of-court settlements in cases of sexual harassment and are allowing false complainants to extract their ill motives? Rape is a crime and how can such settlements render the same guiltless? What’s wrong with the Khap Panchayats then? Improving the laws by making them so stringent and by adding severe punitive clauses for filing false complaints/ retractions in cases of sexual assault is the pressing need. Media, politicians, and indeed the common man have to be wise enough while giving verdicts during such cases. Never forget that you can be at the painful end one day.

To all women- My intents for women empowerment are as pure as they should be for the sake of security of my daughter, wife, and all other women, reflection of the same are my blogs, ‘Need to Empowering Indian Women’ and ‘Women-What they deserve and what they get’ published on March 4, 2014 and June 10, 2014 respectively, but I am equally thoughtful when it comes to shielding my son, father, and other men from any illicit attacks, as evident from my blog, ‘Deemed-Guilty Before Judicial Judgment’ published on 27 September, 2014. An overlooked fact that the society needs to realize is that along with the alleged accused, women associated with that man, his wife, daughter/s, and female employees are equally punished and forced to live a miserable life. Helpless in correcting the laws of India, I still have a piece of advice for my friends- Use CCTVs at places of meet with females. Better proactive than a rapist, agree?

In 2014, experts not only from India, but from around the world, looked upon at one of the oldest colonized cities in the world, Varanasi as a political battleground. One wasn’t just certain, rather were twofold-sure that the city would elect the person who carries decades of administrative know-how as its representative in the Parliament. Narendra Modi providentially is also the head of the party that secured clear mandate in the 2014 general polls; hence the city is the talk of the town today. But, was it only the general election of this year that Varanasi’s stature became known to the world? Was there any reason why the most dominant leader of India till date chose this city, located on the bank of sacred river Ganga, as his constituency? Political connoisseurs say that this was a move to target other constituencies of U.P. and Bihar, but the elected MP of this city made it clear on the very first day he visited the place as a weighty contender that nil political equations landed him there, the only reason being that he was spiritually and ideologically linked to Varanasi, the holiest of the seven sacred cities in Hinduism. Even if the city is that diplomatically prominent besides being the heart and soul of the most followed religion of India, shall it not be considered more than just a place in the Indian Territory? Can the status of being ‘one of the constituencies’ in the over-populated state of U.P. a justifiable notion for the beloved city of Hindu deity, Lord Shiva?

I would not be the only one or the most qualified one to connote the significance of the city of Varanasi in the history of India, history of mankind. Being the cultural center of entire India, Varanasi embraces a history that is older than even most of the religions in the world. Home to one of the most prominent universities of Asia, the Varanasi Hindu University, and widely appreciated as the spiritual capital of India, Varanasi is the nerve center where the holy book, Ramcharitmanas was written by Tulsidas. Hinduism is not the only religion endorsed; Buddhism has alike relevance as Gautama Buddha gave his foremost sermon at Sarnath, and then even the Muslim aggressors endeavored to alter the essence of the city by quashing temples and saints in view to promoting Islam. God Shiva is said to be the founder of Varanasi, the place where the Pandavas wandered in search of atone for their sins. For those relying on only scientifically proven facts, let me tell you that archaeological evidences have validated that human movement in Varanasi originated as early as in 11^th century BC; hence this is the place where mankind marked its preliminary presence. I will also quote what Mark Twain said about the city in 1897, ‘Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together’. Benares was renamed to Varanasi, originating from rivers Varuna and Asi, in 2006. The list of fame and standing is endless when we talk of Varanasi; millions of domestic and foreign tourists relishing this every year.

What led to the devaluation of Varanasi was also the city’s fame. It was in 1194 and the mourning Turkish Muslim rule when Qutb-ud-din Aibak commenced blood-spattered ire in the city ordering demolition of Hindu temples, slaying of Hindu saints, eventually the decline of the holy city all during three centuries of Muslim occupation. Right from Feroz Shah to the Afghan ruler, Sikander Lodi, Hinduism and devoutness observed destruction in the name of spreading Islam throughout India. The essence and life-force of Varanasi repudiated to die and the city remained to be the nerve center of theology, education, and intellectuality. The Bhakti Movement saw the birth and workings of one of the most prominent saint-poets of all times, Saint Kabir. Also link the birth of Ravidas and move of eminent preachers including Guru Nanak Dev to the same context. Then was the day when the stone of democracy was laid in the mid of the 20^th century and the Varanasi Nagar Nigam, Varanasi Development Authority, MLAs, MP and such other offices took over the development of the city. In almost every of the pictures that I could see on the internet when I searched for Ghats in Varanasi, to my sadness the walls were not even cemented in the buildings visible and the vague symmetry was killing the scene. Can the Vatican City, Rome, or Mecca city, Saudi Arabia meet the expense of being the most holy places of respective faiths in case the conditions were like Varanasi?

Yet again, but this time due to political reasons, Varanasi is at the very center when we talk of eminence and standing. But will the literacy rate, which is sub-80 per cent, surge with this rise in stature? Will the spinning and weaving industry be able to cope up with the era where domestic and foreign products are not that distinctive? Tourism is second most key industry, but with unfitting substructure, inapt running, and fading sparkle of the old city, the same is confined to just a few lakh overseas voyagers. The condition of the most sacred river of Hindus, Ganga is known to all. Taking the substance in his cognizance, the MP of Varanasi, and luckily the Prime Minister of India has initiated apt measures, including setting up of Clean Ganga Fund and bringing the same under the CSR spending. A partner city MOU, signed by the Indian Ambassador and Kyoto Mayor in Japan, provides for cooperation in areas of heritage conservation, city modernization along with teamwork in art, culture and academics. The MOU came into being during the five-day visit of Narendra Modi to Japan, an apt reflection of his assurance towards making Varanasi a smart city. But can the works of new government and measures for enticement of weavers deliver expected outcomes when the city under dual supervision, state government and intact labors from the MP who represents city in the Lok Sabha.

Indeed, not only for the furtherance of the Hinduism-backed culture, but also for the betterment of all other communities living in the ‘city of Lord Shiva’, Varanasi must be designated as a Union Territory, embracing other prominent places of cultural heritage viz. Allahabad erstwhile Prayag, the second oldest city of India; Ayodhya, the Ram Janambhoomi; Gaya, holy place for Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism; Chitrakoot, town of archaeological and artistic standing; Arrah, home to ancient temples and hermitages; and Rewa, a city deriving its name from the river Narmada and rich in natural resources and educational facilities. This will bring the same under direct administration of the central government and the overseeing by respective state governments will come to an end. Varanasi deserved the status even prior to Puducherry where the French sway was what the thinkers endeavored to preserve, but what about the oldest culture? It is to be noticed that the status of ‘Union Territory’ may be assigned to an Indian sub-jurisdiction for reasons like preservation of rights of indigenous cultures, for deterring political mayhem, and so on. The cluster of mentioned cities craves for quick perusal and astute thinking from the new ruler, a verdict that should had been given much earlier to elevate the spiritual, religious and divine richness of India.

He was, I can’t say whether he will resume this again, an aspiring engineering student, his father is a doctor, though a shattered man now, and his sister is a doctor too in one of the renowned hospitals of Mumbai. Along with Areeb, three other men from more or less same backgrounds fled to Iraq to fight for the terror outfit Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), after they were persuaded by the radicalism and so-called Jihad. Isn’t this something similar to extending money to Ponzi schemes in want of unsure returns? This is however somewhat unalike because the persuaders promise these ‘heavenly returns’ not in this world, but in the lap of so-called terror-loving Almighty. Easy it is to control the mind and emotions of the youth by telling them that members of their community are being beleaguered around the world, that their sisters and daughters are being molested, that westernization would mark an end to their following, and that bringing every human under one shadow is the direction of Allah. Otherwise why would a young doctor, with a loving wife and dependent parents tie a bomb around his waist and along with him would kill hundreds of other guiltless humans? Now is this not similar to those self-styled God-men who relish the best of material perks and in the sidelines ask pupils to stay away from amusement? We have so many cases and exposures to learn from.

Prior to Areeb’s move to Iraq, they say that he shunned his cellphone, condemned her sister for watching TV, which according to him promoted nudity and filthiness, and even left a letter censuring his family. A few days later he and his friend called home to ratify that they have picked up arms for the support of ISIS and also claimed that even their families would go to ‘heaven’ for their deeds. The heaven that Areeb observed then was a disguised place where youth from distinct parts of the world were educated on dark side of Jihad and were motivated to fight against all others who are ‘dissimilar’, even if they are blameless. The stimulus, however, disgraced in a few days and this young man from Mumbai realized that this may be a pathway of death, but surely not of heaven. It then became pressing for the man to escape such unfounded acts and be a part of the same old world that promotes education, patriotism and harmony. Lucky enough, Areeb is back in the town, his father thanking the Indian government and the NIA, but those three men from the same Kalyan in Mumbai and countless others from different parts of the world are bound to pursue the path of destruction, which I can bet all of them would have realized was the most ludicrous blunder of their lives. But once you are up for radicalism, there isn’t any road for return; you die either as an outcome of counter action or due to internal rivalry/ betrayal.

How does a country prosper or an economy nurture? No government alone can reap the fruits of betterment, hence individual labors are indispensable. Now those, not a part of nation-building, are keeping the settings unmoved, while many others are deteriorating the pace of development alleging that either their share is being curbed by others or this is a revenge for harassment that men from their community faced. Should I also then pick up an AK-47 and kill that person who disrespected my father when his bicycle hit the person’s superfluous car? Justice is always hunted for by common men in the democracy from those rulers and adjudicators who are expected to check social and economic prejudice. Many a time uprightness is curbed but this does not allow anyone to harm those who had no role in the unjust. And in case you are so willing and sturdy to make the society an unbiased place, why not study law, administration, or for that matter be a part of the political structure, and then fetch justice which would not serve only your purpose, but will also prosper the lives of million others. The youth and others who abandon their social and economic accountabilities and purse the path of brutality and devastation aren’t extracting any benefits for the members of their community, but are dragging them towards a dark future, a future where helpless widows and orphan children, with no economic agility, will be forced to pick weapons, hold bombs around their waists and destroy the present and future of many others.

The separatists in the J&K and many other fragments of the world have been talking of taking the men of their religion to the doors of prosperity and nimbleness. Why then all these terror-backed states are just homes of deaths, famine, rapes and social and fiscal volatility? Is the youth of India so dumb that we cannot assess the difference between two nations, India and Pakistan, the former where radicalism is curtailed and the latter where the same is endorsed; or for that matter, countries like U.S. and U.K. where religion is far superseded by human values and respect? Shouldn’t the people of J&K question the philosophy and working mechanism of separatists and former CMs who have lots and lots of hate words to speak but had no valor to save the state from the ruins of flood? Are the dwellers of the state living in peace or is the noise of mortars and fires making them spend horrendous and sleepless nights? The young engineering student, Areeb is in the custody of the NIA and an FIR may be filed under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Other three men of Mumbai are living a disastrous life and may one day attain the ‘death’ as promised by their educators, but ‘heaven and other heavenly pleasures’ will never fall in their baskets. To Indian youth – India seeks your labors, your will and your love for the nation and its inhabitants. If you want to pursue any duty, pursue the one enlisted in our constitution, the duty of serving the homeland.

It was and would never be the aim of any lawfully formed government to suppress the wellbeing of the minority community of India. Though the past governments shouted at the peak of their voices that secularism will be chased as directed by the constitution but special perks and subsidies in the name of betterment hasn’t helped, and even the minority realizes this. For sustainable growth, one cannot be ‘dependent’, but needs to be ‘participative’. And does this word ‘dependent’ even sound honorable? Why not then be one of the pillars in the success of India, and for the same being an army man is not the only option, rather any economic activity, small or big, with bona fide commitment is what the nation demands. Lured by extremists and separatists, the youth can only be subjected to fatalities and setbacks. On the other side, however, is the road that though seeks labors but is full of contentment, peace and honor. This may be my personal view but is also the view of administrators of other countries and fiscal experts that presently India is one of the most favorable investment destinations around the world owing to the commitment of present rulers. Funds are coming and so are the opportunities, not just for a particular section, but for us all. A Muslim youth in Delhi, working as software engineer and a Muslim girl in the Indian army are examples to follow. Also the learning from Areeb’s return is worth paying heed to. His indoctrination was through internet, followed by teachings of Quran for 20-25 days. 20-25 days! 20 days to make a vibrant and aspiring youth disremember lessons on harmony! Final call is yours, my friends.

I believe that everyone must be in agreement with the views expressed by Pope Francis on his return from Turkey that he understands why Muslims were offended by many in the West who automatically equated their religion with terrorism. He also suggested of a global denunciation of terrorism by Islamic leaders, which will help majority of Muslim population. As far as I see this, unanimous voice in favor of peace by these leaders will also change perception of all towards Islam. Claiming that they aspire for community’s good, Islamic leaders, be them the religious, political or academic ones must condemn any deeds aimed at inciting Muslim youth in favor of radicalism. It is sure that with an end to violence, the world will be a more secure, hence a prosperous place.

In case simplicity was the key to political and administrative dexterity, the 49-days CM of Delhi with a muffler and slippers would not have failed, and the Presidents of the U.S. with business suits would not have succeeded. She may be wearing a cotton sari, with plastic slippers on, urging to be one from the common public, but the ‘Didi’ of West Bengal seems to have disremembered all the lessons she studied during her graduation and post-graduation days, or these have been superseded by ‘secular’ political milieu of India. But there is one lesson she remembers aptly, the lesson on team spirit. Ministers, and leaders of her party, though under the scanner of CBI with substantial evidences, are backed by Didi, thoughtlessly. The so-called CM of the poor has overlooked that the victims of the Saradha scandal are those lower income men and women who believed that Ms. Banerjee is the most workable alternative to 34-year old CPI (Marxist)-led Left Front government. It took more than three decades for the general public of WB realize that the so-called communist party was eating up the resources of the state, but I cannot consider the same equation in present development-seeking and learned India. Having elected the TMC-led government in 2011, the people of WB would not, or shall I say, should not wait for anytime longer than 2016 to rule down such anarchism.

Ok, the Didi-government has some corrective measures. They have compensated some of the victims of the Saradha scam, and apprehending the feat of appeasement politics in India have apparently allowed fanatics use the Madrasas of Bengal as a home ground for pursuing radicalism. Didi, in the race to political coup, is your government realizing that the state has turned into India’s terror haven with free and boosting channels for militants and fake Indian currency? The Varanasi blast of 2006, with 21 fatalities, had links with Bengal; ammonium nitrate for the IED been procured from the Burrabazar of Kolkata. Yasin Bhatkal was concisely detained by the Kolkata STF in 2009. It is a known fact among extremist groups that West Bengal arranges for limitless perks ranging from secure hide-outs to easy connectivity all through India via the metropolitan city’s rail network. In case the state government is worried more about the party’s future rather than the security of the nation, Didi’s assurances to the people of WB are fake, not real. The intelligence has revealed that the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh is operating in the WB with more than 50 units. For the Mamta-led government, hawala, transnational terrorism and money laundering should be the areas of concern, and not CBI’s probe in the Saradha scandal that prima-facie depicts massive association of TMC leaders.

Are votes the only essential for any political group? And the present state of affairs is more or less calling the Prime Minister communal, defaming him in the name of riots of 2002, and claiming that the minority community is more secured under your ruling. This is what even the former ally of the NDA, the TMC has opted for considering the same as an easy and fruitful route for attaining political and social feat. Ms. Banerjee did not consider her words twice when she termed the Indian PM ‘Danga Guru’ and also when she dared the CBI to arrest her. The head of TMC readily endorsed Maoists in the state legislative polls, though later she launched Operation Green Hunt against them. Having won the mandate for five years, TMC leaders have turned the state into a place where law and order can uncomplicatedly be suppressed by political clout. Should we then not construe that a group of leaders who parted from the Congress in 1997 and founded an ostensibly sincere TMC carry the same line of faith which knows the policy ‘divide and rule’, and for whom national harmony and political consensus means nothing more than waste of labors and time. Hindrances in the way of the CBI which is working to resolve the Burdwan blast case and the Saradha scandal, just for backing corrupt leaders of the party, can reap no good outcomes for Didi and the quiet arrival of the BJP in the state is an evidence that voters are craving for development, not radicalism and scams.

The state of West Bengal and the political party leading this state would have been in a much prosperous milieu in case Ms. Banerjee opened doors to unbiased administration. MP Kunal Ghosh, who has been charged under the Saradha scam, has revealed that the CM of the state procured concentrated paybacks, but the appeal of a face-to-face talk with other leaders of TMC is not being heard even by the CBI. The only difference I feel when we talk about AAP in Delhi and TMC in West Bengal is that TMC will rule for some longer duration; rest are mala fide intents and politics backed by appeasement behind the untrue face of simplicity and decency. And for the TMC, realize that you may end up in even worse state than the present running of the U.P. or Bihar. It is very simple- The global leaders have no paybacks with respect to appeasing the minority; hence they are endorsing the endeavors of Indian PM, which however lacks in the domestic politics of the nation. Having said this repeatedly, the PM seeks for cooperation from all states so as to take the country to substantial and sustainable echelons of success. No umbrellas, as you did in the Lok Sabha, can conceal your ill deeds, please realize this. Politics is not just gaining the support of the public by condemning another political group.

I thought mentioning the most critical grey area, unlawful movement of Bangladeshis in India via the 2216 km border stretch that Bangladesh shares with West Bengal, in the very last. Let me tell you that as many as 1635 Bangladeshi immigrants have so far been detained by the BSF along the leaky border in WB in the year 2014. The state government rather buoys up this movement for want of illicit support during polls. Now that everyone knows how and why is the Didi-government allowing such sedition, either the central government or the judiciary shall intervene. Burdwan blast was just the tip of the iceberg, beneath is the volcano of terror. Ms. Banerjee, your acts of defaming the PM in public, blocking the working of the Parliament, challenging the authenticity of the probe of CBI and stalling the pace of PM’s labors that urge for backing from states are nothing more than outbreak of your sheer hopelessness backed by probable conviction of TMC leaders in Saradha and Burdwan cases, your desperation for public support, and unethical governance of the state of West Bengal.

India’s latest census and its 15th since 1872, states our country’s urban population has been surging at a higher pace as compared to the rural population. This development is being attributed to the rising migration from rural hinterland to urban centers, which in turn leads to further growth and expansion of cities and towns as well as addition of newer urban areas.

In India, people from villages migrate to cities for various reasons. These reasons can be economic, social or environmental. If people move to urban areas in a bid to earn their livelihood or boost their income or enhance their career opportunities, those reasons can be classified as economic. Similarly, if people migrate to escape the aftermath of natural calamities like famine, flood, earthquake, etc, such migration can be attributed to environmental reasons. Migration can also happen because of some other reasons or due to a range of push and pull factors. So, let us here discuss the causes for rural-urban migration in much more detail.

Specific causes for migration

To reiterate, migration from rural to urban areas occurs for several reasons. Growth of industries and their concentration in urban areas is one of the major causes of rural-urban migration. As a result of skewed up industrialization, people from the rural areas move towards industrialized centers in search of income and employment. This in turn results in unplanned and haphazard growth of cities and towns.

Another reason that contributes to migration is poverty. One yardstick for measuring of poverty can be income levels. Due to dearth of employment opportunities, a large number of villagers in India tend to be unemployed or underemployed. As such, they don’t have a source of steady income, which tends to make them relatively poor. Thus, poverty has become a chronic problem in rural areas because of which many villagers are unable to afford even the basic amenities of life. Such people migrate from villages to cities to escape poverty.

Even those who are financially better off may prefer to move to cities for other reasons such as in search of greater educational opportunities for their children, better healthcare facilities for their aged parents and higher standards of living and improved quality of life for themselves.

Then there is the ambitious and dynamic segment of the rural population, especially those who belong to the younger generation. They may relocate to cities solely because they aspire to boost their professional exposure and work experience. Their craving for a greater variety of opportunities, people, culture, art, food and entertainment can find fulfillment only in big cities. Hence, they also migrate seeking greener pastures for professional growth and exposure.

War, famine, earthquake as well as other natural calamities can also be reasons for rural-urban migration. Large sections of rural populations may migrate to urban centers to escape the sufferings inflicted by such natural calamities and in search of protection, food and medical aid during such periods of disasters and hardships.

Living in cities permits individuals and families to take advantage of the many opportunities of proximity, diversity and marketplace competition. This in turn, improves their quality of life as well as exposure to career advancement opportunities. Cities also offer them better access to a range of business and employment opportunities as compared to what were available to them in their villages. So, once they migrate from the rural hinterland to urban areas, majority of them prefer to permanently settle down at the new locations.

Problems created by migration

First and foremost, rural-urban migration has detrimental effects on the village economy. Some segments of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) may cease to exist over a period of time as there is no one left to run such businesses or work in local firms or demand products from such enterprises because a good number of people have migrated to cities. Secondly, the scope for setting up new business enterprises and making them successful also becomes bleak because of the same reasons.

Secondly, massive rural-urban migration can increase chances of spread of diseases from urban to rural areas. Because, when people who have migrated to big cities and are working there return to their home village to visit their families, relatives and friends, they may also carry infectious illnesses and diseases contracted by them in the cities. This can lead to spread of such diseases in rural areas.

Another major problem caused by migration is unwanted and unhealthy urbanization. In simple terms, urbanization can be defined as a process of concentration of population in a particular territory. Since most of the migrations that happen are the result of unplanned movement of people from rural areas to urban centers, they cause economic, social and environmental problems for the cities, and also for those residing in them.

Some other problems emanating from large-scale migration are unemployment and underemployment as well as shortage of basic amenities like water supply, sanitation, sewerage and electricity. Another challenge is a dearth of housing facilities, which in turn tends to create large slum populations in cities. For instance, Mumbai has almost 50% of its population living in slums, despite their per capita income being quite high. Similarly, Kolkata has 32% of its population living in slums. Overall, 15% of India’s urban population is estimated to be living in slums.

As cities develop, other adverse effects can include a dramatic increase in costs, often pricing the poor people out of the market. For example, escalating housing costs and rents may make it difficult for the lower income groups to get affordable accommodation close to their workplace. This may compel them to move away to far-flung places in search of affordable accommodation, which may hike their commuting time and commuting cost.

Furthermore, extensive urbanization or indiscriminate growth of cities can lead to many other adverse effects. Some of them are enumerated below:

(i) Disintegration of joint family: High cost of living is a major problem in all big cities. In megalopolises such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore, it becomes very difficult for lower income groups to maintain a decent standard of living. Even joint families can’t be maintained in cities on account of high cost of living. So people prefer to live in nuclear families.

(ii) Impersonal relationships: The concept of good-neighbourliness and community life is almost non-existent in urban centers. So, people often become self-centered and they show little concern for fellow human beings. Hence, urban life tends to become monotonous and get characterized by highly secondary relationships. This may have an adverse psychological impact on individuals.

(iii) Problem of pollution: In industrialized cities, pollution is a major problem. Air pollution may be caused by smoke-emitting industrial units or by excessive movement of vehicles. Similarly, water bodies in cities also tend to get polluted due to discharge of effluents by chemical factories, dyeing units, textile mills, etc.

(iv) Stress: Urban life is characterized by stress that can even strain family relationships. In cities, female members in the family are also compelled to take up jobs in a bid to meet the increased cost of living. Changing role of women tend to create stress in the family, which may result in strained relations or even lead to painful divorces.

(v) Increase in crime rates: Urban centers are known for higher crime rates. Theft, dacoity, murder, cheating, pick-pocketing and rapes become quite common in such places due to over-crowding, scarcity of resources, unemployment, poverty, stress, etc.

(vi) Environmental hazards: A major consequence of migration is the environmental problems caused, which may destroy the physical appearance of cities. Some portions of cities or their structural environment may get damaged due to over-crowding, as migrants encroach public places or they put up illegal houses or create unhealthy slums in and around the city because they have to shelter themselves and live within their limited incomes.

How to arrest rural-urban migration

Since, one of the major causes for the rising migration from rural to urban areas is lack of productive employment, creating earning opportunities by generating sufficient number of jobs and business opportunities in rural areas would be the best way to stop people from migrating. This can happen through promoting agriculture in various ways like creating awareness, printing agricultural literature and reaching them to farmers, distributing good quality seeds, constructing cold storages and warehouses and encouraging farmers to put in their best in a bid to improve yield and output and then encouraging farmers by felicitating them for their good performance.

Secondly, a good number of Indian villages are in a state of utter neglect and under-development with a large number of impoverished people as a result of past legacies and defects in our planning process and investment pattern. To correct this situation, every village in our country should be provided with basic amenities like clean drinking water, uninterrupted power supply, sound healthcare, quality educational institutes, good public transport, modern communication network and internet access as well as other facilities. These steps will open up ample avenues for gainful employment and steady source of income for villagers.

Lack of irrigation facilities and water scarcity are also major issues facing the countryside. As such, Indian agriculture is mostly dependent on monsoon rainfall. Unless there is an increased thrust on enhancing irrigation coverage across the country, the agriculture potential of India’s rural hinterland cannot be fully realized. Moreover, new social and engineering solutions are needed to deal with water scarcity. Simultaneously, new water reservoirs are also required to deal with floods and droughts.

To enhance income and livelihood security of the rural poor, our country should give a major impetus to various activities related to rural development. The government should ensure that the benefits of economic reforms percolate to all the villagers across the length and breadth of our country. To ensure that the corporate sector also pitches in and contributes to the cause of the rural poor, special incentives and tax rebates should be given to companies in a bid to motivate them to invest in promotion of agricultural and rural development related activities. Rural and agricultural development should also be made an important part of various corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Currently, most jobs in rural areas are agriculture related or dependent on agriculture. They often tend to be seasonal and therefore unreliable. For the rural masses to overcome poverty, villages should be able to provide economic opportunities throughout the year. A large percentage of the rural populace should also be able to earn a decent living through non-agricultural occupations. Our government strategies and investments should be directed towards this goal.

Small scale industries that can be linked with agricultural operations spread over rural areas and smaller towns nearby may be the answer. Villagers should find it easy to make a decent living without migrating to big cities. The false lure of the cities as an attractive place for better living should be totally abolished by making village life economically attractive. For this to happen, our government should promote economic prospects and focus on infrastructure development in rural areas. It should also create ready markets for supporting agricultural and economic activities and also development of sustainable agricultural practices in the rural sector.

The Central and state governments should formulate appropriate policies and programs for the development of rural areas with the fundamental objective of ensuring their sustainable development by ensuring adequate working and living conditions and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage. Measures for the development of rural areas should encompass aid for investment into farms, processing of agricultural products, environmental protection measures in agricultural and forestry areas, land improvement measures as well as reconstruction and development of the countryside.

The Reserve Bank of India and the National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (Nabard), in close coordination with regional rural banks and district cooperative banks, should come up with short-term and long-term projects, programs and policies aimed at providing credit and micro-lending facilities to small and marginal farmers as well as to village artisans. This step will not only ensure that villagers have easy accessibility to finance, but it will also strengthen rural banking so that it can serve as the backbone of development in rural and remote areas on a sustainable basis.

Finally, any rural development program can be successful only if the unfettered population growth is curbed. Indian population is burgeoning at a feverish pace. Whatever little economic progress is made possible by the governments get eroded by the faster increase in number of mouths to feed. The scanty health services, the negligible primary education facilities and sparse housing are further strained, thereby keeping the poor always in poverty.

As such, India’s economic growth would be seriously hampered if the country’s population growth is not checked. The available resources are spread thin leaving the poor unhappy. The poor think children are a means to augment earnings, while the truth is that increase in population would never lift them out of poverty. Therefore, population control is the immediate imperative, with two-child norm and sterilization through incentives and gentle persuasion. Rural poverty and high fertility are closely linked. One cannot be solved without tackling the other.

As the potential in rural India is immense, the above corrective measures will boost the purchasing power of the rural population, thereby creating enormous demand for goods and services. When this happens, the possibility of reverse migration of people from the urban slums back to the villages will become a strong possibility.

Before concluding this article, it needs to be mentioned that the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) recently announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an excellent program that can help in arresting rural-urban migration. The scheme encourages Members of Parliament from both Houses to identify and develop one village from their constituency as a model village by 2016, and two more by 2019, covering over 2,500 villages of the 600,000 villages country-wide.  

Since there are 800 parliamentarians in our country, around 2,500-odd villages can get covered within a span of three years. Similarly, if all Indian states initiate similar schemes with their MLAs, 6,000 to 7,000 villages could get covered. One good village can inspire the entire area because of which a positive viral effect could gradually begin.

The foremost need is to stay away from politics which we attach to any and every work of the government. Decisions are taken by the administrators and it is apparent that not all can be made contented, specially the opposition. Think of this- Of two finalists, both from dissimilar religions, the Indian PM has to declare one as a winner. He employs the finest measures of assessment and finds the Hindu candidate better than the other one. But the opposition, news channels, and even the common public, to some extent, would blame the PM of being biased. Same is the case now when the minister of HRD, Smriti Irani, has tried to rectify a mala fide and unconstitutional addition to the curriculum of Kendriya Vidyalayas. Let us appreciate the fact that the constitution of India recognizes 23 Indian languages which can be taught as third language in schools. But the ones, advocating modernity, synergy, competitiveness and global harmony would stick to an unfounded reason that the present government favors Hindutva, Hindi, Sanskrit, Vedas, and such other Indian legacy and ethics. Unacceptable? Then shall we wait for and then extend baseless support to a political party that promises teachings of lip locks, foreign languages, modernism, and even the dark side of jihad? I am sorry I am not in favor.

There is a very thin line of demarcation between being secular by words and being a secular by actions. I can form a political group and can promise perks for the minority, which in the present milieu will be regarded as secular. On the contrary, my support, be it something backed by facts and conditions, for Hinduism and Indian languages would turn me to being communal. ‘They are taking India to the ages of epics’, ‘By advocating the elevation of Sanskrit and Hindi, the new government is appeasing Hindus for votes’- these are the expressions shared by many in the prime time shows of news houses. It is acceptable to study history as they say that with unsound knowledge of our past, the future cannot be made prosperous. But if the government will embrace biographies of freedom fighters, they will turn communal. Coming to the row over discontinuation of German as an alternative to Sanskrit, let me tell you that German was added in the year 2011 via an MOU between KVS (Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan) and Goethe Institute-Max Mueller Bhawan, which was never brought up to the ministry for perusal or clearance. It is then obvious that a mala fide act of the past shall be curbed as and when it comes to the notice of the authority, which is what the HRD minister has done.

Let us also know what happened when. The National Policy on Education, 1968, came up with the dictum of ‘Three Language Formula’, hence adding any one of the modern Indian languages, as a third language apart from English and Hindi, as a compulsion. It was aimed at national integration and was expected to make a student from the north learn any regional language of the South and vice versa. Many, however, opted for the Sanskrit language as the third one owing to transfers of government officials, hence change of schools from one area to the other. Then in 2008, KVS came up with offering some prominent foreign languages, German, French, Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish as an optional learning subject; German thereby was readily picked up by students. This encouraged the unconstitutional replacement of Sanskrit from the Third Language list by an optional foreign language, German in 2011. It is apparent that the interest of the new generation has been much towards German, hence regional languages along with Sanskrit disgraced with time. Then can we term the much wanted and apt verdict of the HRD ministry mistaken and detrimental to the development of students? Wasn’t the same obligatory to safeguard our linguistic heritage and national harmony?

Now for the advocates of modernism and global synergy, leave apart what constitution says or what unlawful was done in 2011. Sanskrit, which you regard as substandard to the German language, embraces the optimum tradition of not just drama and poetry, but also technical, scientific, dharma and philosophical texts. German, however, derives almost all of its vocabulary from Indo-European language family. Then, for the aspirers of German universities, know that most university learning in Germany is conducted in English, and the verdict of the government does not completely sack German from Kendriya Vidyalayas, which can be pursued as an additional subject. Then, for job-aspirers in Germany, know that all prominent German companies conduct their operations in English. Also overcome a widespread delusion and know that Sanskrit can be pursued even after schooling in almost every eminent university of India; the work prospects for Sanskrit learners range from the post of a teacher to a translator. But let us not remain narrowed to work prospects. Sanskrit’s fame also rests in the facts that it is the most scientific human language of all time and that Classical Sanskrit is the most sophisticated and precise human language ever invented. For an advanced and pro-western Indian, know that Madonna has used Sanskrit chants in her singings, and her Grammy award winner song, ‘Shanti’ has lyrics of the mantra ‘Om Shanti’. For global acknowledgment seekers, know that St. James Jr. School in London, England offers Sanskrit as part of the curriculum.

While in the U.S., high school students get credits as Independent Study and towards Foreign Language requirements by studying Sanskrit, promotion of Hindi and Sanskrit in India, for unsolicited causes, raises criticism on communal, backwardness and Hindutva lines. I, in no way, am backing the verdict of the government baselessly, but yes I favor execution of what our constitution says, advancement of Indian linguistic heritage, and suppression of any measures that result in superseding of eminent Sanskrit language by any European language. Why can’t we acknowledge that the deeds of the government, when they endorse something like this, are brave and mandatory, and not communal? German language can be pursued in addition to the compulsory curriculum and also via private lessons. The ministry of HRD, which is remedying the mistake of 2011 allegedly committed by the UPA government, deserves applaud and not disparagement. The PIL filed by a group comprising of parents, saying that mid-term change in curriculum can lead to setbacks as nearly 70,000 students, who have studied German throughout the year, will be affected. This indeed calls for swift perusal and the government must find a way out in no time may be by allowing German in the upcoming assessments. But when an evident breach of the national education policy is known to have happened in 2011, calling corrective measures as backed by Hindutva is absolutely unfounded.

Lastly, Indian heritage is acknowledged round the globe for our Vedas, Upanishads, and epics written in Sanskrit; however Indian society isn’t fetching any paybacks from the same since Sanskrit has been regarded as a ‘complex’ language. Tell me can this be a valid excuse? Prior to the incursion of Mughals in India, Sanskrit was prominent medium of exchange; however British and Mughal invasions dumped the same and promoted languages which can be termed as ‘foreign’ in the Indian context. The mother of almost every Indian and regional language, Sanskrit, is on the verge of total collapse, then the chasers of national harmony and consensus can never validate replacement of Sanskrit by any foreign language. While art and culture lovers across the world are making every possible use of Sanskrit, can India manage a situation when the natives herein would refer to foreigners for construal of Vedas and Upanishads? The other side of the coin is also worrying and any verdict promoting Sanskrit cannot be executed vaguely. The HRD ministry can come up with a scholarship programme so as to encourage students who wish to pursue Sanskrit after School. Plus, counselling of students and promoting work prospects in government departments will arouse many to opt for this Vedic language.

All in all, Hindi and Sanskrit are the insignia of India, and the government while rolling out the new national policy on education is expected to pay heed in this context. Hindi as a compulsory subject till class 5, meaning thereby all through the phase of primary education, should be a must in all schools, private as well as government and affiliated to any Boards of education, along with in Madrasas; and Sanskrit as an optional subject everywhere from class 6 to 8 is the need of the hour, not just to stimulate linguistic legacy but also to let people across India share thoughts quickly and thus develop. The HRD minister can put aside all negative judgments by opposition in view of fortifying the education system, and it is expected that productive outcomes will soon be reaped.

We get to know things through newspapers and such other sources. The campaign ‘Kiss of Love’, a protest by a cluster of college students, is one of the news these days, while some others range from a woman paraded naked on donkey on the orders of Kangaroo Court to PM’s endeavors for revolutionizing India through digital dash and e-villages. It is evident that newspapers reach even the most backward provinces of the country and sway the minds of the readers. I was envisioning a girl, resident of a remote village in Chhattisgarh and a government school student, who would have seen the pictures of a couple with lips locked in public and asking for freedom for such conduct. No, nothing is wrong in the era with internet access to large number of Indians and with lessons on sex taught in schools, but why only students from a few prominent educational centers were present in the Delhi protest outside the RSS workplace? People say that the same has gained admiration and social networking page of Kiss of Love has fetched lakhs of likes, but the rest hundreds of crores of Indians cannot be self-imagined to have similar views, after all we are the people who have pursued the path of Swami Vivekananda, who, undeniably favored love, but never advocated contentment of lust in its name.

The ones raising voices, which they say is against recurring cases of moral policing, however, say that with the development of economy, social norms are bound to change and the society must accept changes, which are a ‘move forward’. In a recent survey, New Delhi was ranked among world’s most fun-loving cities and an upcoming occasion, Wine Festival in this city assures that one of the towns of India has accepted the ‘move forward’. But what about those rural blocks where open defecation, absence of drinking water and education facilities, harassment of women, and not freedom to hug, kiss and hold hands in public are the concerns? Why am I speaking of these facts is just to make the advanced youth realize that the Indian economy is still developing, unemployment rates are high, and subsidies on fertilizers and food are swelling the fiscal deficit. When the new PM speaks of collaborative deeds for nation building, he seeks our devotion in terms of adding a brick to monument of democracy. Have all the participants of the Kiss of Love campaign pursued the goals of clean India and clean Ganga? Prior to asking for the freedom to kiss and hug at public places, shouldn’t we protest against what just occurred in the state of Chhattisgarh when a woman was paraded on a donkey on the roads of the village? The news, however, is paid least heed to as this isn’t that ‘hot’.

Ok, protests and demonstrations are one of the most vital pillars of democracy, and the nation can hardly aim for the target of inclusive growth unless the ones suppressed by others are represented on a public platform. But an eye for an eye; is this what we are aiming at in this case? Some politically driven people have in the past agitated the fire by taking a tough stand on girls and boys relishing their right to freedom. Then should we ask for penal actions against those elements, or should we take this an opportunity to derive acceptance for fulfillment of our short-lived emotions, which we are terming as love. Love is beyond kisses and hugs, and I can bet that my young friends would accept this fact. Even I have reasons to protest; I too disagree with the stand of many columnists, but should I write all my views in a blunt way and condemn these writers?  Or in case I am angry with what a rapist did with a 3-year old girl, should I assassinate him on my own? I am just trying to substantiate a very basic norm of any society, that no person or a group of persons can demand any facility that opposes traditions, social harmony, cultural values, and legal acceptance. In case we get a supportive legislation for what you are asking for and a couple in rural Haryana locks lips in public resulting in aggressive consequences, would the Kiss for Love protestors take the liability?

Remember, any and every of our demands can never supersede the social norms. No law can be framed for a trivial cluster, keeping the rest of India at stake. And if there is nothing wrong in locking lips in public, have the protestors tried the same at home? And if parents do allow such acts in metro cities, why is there a need to use public places for the same. Or are we justifying our desperation? Then one day even a rapist can come up validating his. Sorry my young friends, your demands may have been just in case we were living in an upgraded milieu. You must view the outcomes of your protest in terms of whole of India, where if your demand is approved, there will be no end to nuisance. Places for making love are different and none of the revolutions can permit love making at the venues you are looking forward to. Tell me, are the pictures with couples locking lips outside colleges’ campuses needed? Where did all this begin from? The dissent was I believe against the unpleasant cases of moral policing, hence should it have not been confined to putting an end to unlawful practices? Holding hands in public was never a dispute I believe; then are we trying to use this golden prospect for sanctioning even lip locks in public? And if one day your father objects a couple from doing such acts while in public place, are you ready for some bitter words for him? All in all; let us understand that the protest has been dishonestly promoted; hence all of yours’ wisdom is needed.

Lastly, no arguments or justifications can approve instances of brutality in the name of moral policing and killing of young lovers in the name of honor and pride. Similar is my view and I believe would be the view of my friends, when lip locks in public and the evil side of moral policing is talked about- Both are equally unjust and carry nil references to our cultural heritage and human values.

When I waited for a wastebasket for long to dispose of a wrapper of wafers, it became evident that without the ancillaries, the Clean India project cannot serve the purpose. Why was that man throwing away the paper plate on the railway track and not in the bin was the question that the same person rebutted with saying that the railway station does not host wastebaskets in proportion to the stretch. Ok, the government or other local bodies would pay heed to the concern and let us hope that public places will have adequate measures enabling people to get rid of unwanted things. Once we are off, the management/ disposal of this waste comes into the picture, which unless taken care of, will make a fuss of the dream mission of the Indian PM. It is true that news channels cover the tip of the iceberg, while beneath is the massive anxiety, proper management of the accumulated waste. Tell me, have you not seen overflowing garbage containers? And the waste collected is then dumped in abandoned stretches of land, recognized as landfills. Just forget separation of biodegradable waste from the non-biodegradable one or any other measures for treatment of the collected solid waste by the municipality.

The Report of the Committee for Solid Waste Management, in 1999, recommended that the composting of food wastes is the most effective process that has to be followed in view of Indian soil which needs organic measures to do away with loss of fertility and for lesser reliance on chemical fertilizers. As per a study of the Central Pollution Control Board, Indian urban parts generate almost 1.3 lakh tons of solid waste every day, figure that is massive and not something that can be allowed to be just put away in landfills. The honorable Supreme of India constituted the committee mentioned above and urged the authorities to comply with the suggestions, which aimed at reducing the unplanned open dumping of waste by advancement of landfill sites, arranging for waste processing and adequate disposal facilities, and restricting dumping in landfills to only the waste that does not allow its composting. Let me also tell you that the MSW Rules prohibit any littering and throwing of garbage on roads, and bestow upon the shoulders of Indians the responsibility to deliver amassed waste as per the collection and segregation system of the city. On the contrary, open burning of solid waste and landfill fires are prevalent.

Along with all other venues of pollution, this burning adds Carbon Monoxide, Particulate Matter, Sulfur Dioxide, and Hydrocarbons to air, which is far more harmful than unclean roads and other public places. Countries such as Africa, Thailand and Netherland have depicted how nations, though not that commercially robust, can handle management of solid waste. Not just have they managed the waste well, but have also created wealth and jobs, along with reducing carbon footprints and climate disruption issues. India, the country that is now being looked upon as a preferred investment location, will certainly become an industrially rich nation, but the content of solid waste will upsurge too. Then if the PM will look at the ‘Make in India’ and the ‘Clean India’ campaign collectively, not only does he need to better the corporate milieu, but also needs to push reforms in the waste management domain. Limited budget for waste treatment, ill-equipped municipal bodies, and lack of efficiency in amassing waste are some visible bottlenecks apart from the approach of garbage collectors and even the common man who disposes the same in any and every possible manner. Yamuna in Delhi is in actuality not flowing owing to the toxic waste that reacts with water and white deposits accumulated at the surface.

While boiling down to the solutions, putting into practice the recommendations of the MSW Committee seems workable enough. The same suggests that at least 80 per cent of waste-clearance vehicles should be on-road, with double shifts in case of scarcity. It recommends that waste management infrastructure should be an indispensable part in new development areas, something that can be linked with the ‘100 smart cities’ plan of the government. Waste treatment and such other ancillary charges are to be linked with the cost of living index, along with levy of administrative charges for chronic littering. In terms of work for the municipal bodies, biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste is to be separated, where the former can be subjected to composting, while the latter can be recycled, with plastic, paper and metal then serving as bent resource. Regularizing use of compost product, derived from waste, in agriculture and combustion of rest in a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility so as to recover energy has to be thought over.

The waste-to-energy models need thorough analysis and the same can be executed by considering a strategic PPP model. In Okhla region of Delhi, a private concessionaire manages a large scale waste to energy project, wherein 1500 metric tonnes of waste is processed every day to produce power. Similar other projects are being run in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Japan is the largest user in the world in the thermal treatment of MSW with 40 million tonnes; numerous thermal treatment plants therein are using the process ‘Direct Smelting’. How can the PPP model in the WTE setup help India can be viewed in a way that the solid waste, which currently is gathered by the municipal bodies can be allowed to be processed by private companies for generating energy by utilizing the lands of municipalities. Municipal bodies can share the revenues and MSW can act a revenue-generating asset, thus relieving them from the burden of disposing. All in all, not just ‘Clean India’, the apt ruler of India will have to extend the same to a sustainable solid waste management structure for escaping environmental pollution, improving the lives in urban India and trimming down diseases.

When the new Indian PM was addressing the Madison Square Garden and even the UN General Assembly, were we bothered that the speech was in Hindi? No. But the world bothered. I could read many foreign dailies urging people to learn Hindi if they wanted to understand the words of world’s one of the most popular political figures, the Prime Minister of India. Ok, enough with the political aspect. Isn’t easy and quick exchange of thoughts a must for the society to develop? One man can never bring prosperity to the entire nation. Now to engage others in the same task, conversation is desirable. Are we then heading towards the path leading to success with citizens of the same nation not even capable to exchange opinions due to linguistic variances? English, Chinese, and French are the languages that have preserved the unity of respective nations intact. But the linguistic diversity of India, though something we are proud of, is a key hindrance if we talk of unity, prosperity, and all-inclusive growth.

There are as many as 22 official languages in our country. Imagine at least 22 clusters connecting within the group in their own language, and when a north Indian seeks to connect with someone from the south, add to it the unskillfulness in English language. Would the economic domain develop then? Here is some more data. About 400 million Indians are Hindi-users, while 70 million, 61 million, 74 million and 83 million use Urdu, Tamil, Telugu and Bengali languages as a medium to communicate. Doesn’t this appear destructive? Yes, the prevalence of one common language throughout the country will eat up the jobs of translators, but are they adding to our output? Wouldn’t it be quick and economical for me to discuss work with one of my professional peers in the South if we could speak and understand the same language? I was wondering how the USA and UK managed to touch such heights. Was it the political dexterity or the entrepreneurs that helped? Anything it is; was it possible if one from London could not understand the words of another from Edinburgh?

Article 344 of our constitution speaks about constituting Official Language Commission every ten years that should aim at stimulating the use of Hindi throughout the country and imposing restrictions on the use of English for all or any of the official purposes of the Union. Would you believe that the 2011 census recognized 1635 rationalized mother tongues in India? If we talk about large clusters, 28-30 languages are in use by groups with more than a million native residents. Now would you call this as linguistic diversity or linguistic paralysis? In the quasi-federal form of governance, the Union has adopted Hindi and English as the official languages for work, while states have their own set of languages. So, not only you need to have the know-how of corporate laws of overseas nations while doing business, but you should also learn Marathi, Bengali, or Punjabi in case you are aiming at markets of two or more regions. And in the same scenario, feel the pain of foreign stakeholders having business interest in India. Political leaders must recognize this basic fact rather than promoting just regional languages to lure voters.

Let us come to those now who are advocating the use of English. Foremost, English in India is an adoption, not a creation. Hindi, on the contrary, is the language that backs the name ‘Hindustan’. Infused in our roots, Hindi is the language that we can call as the language of the nation, though we do not have any declared national language. Yes, it is agreeable that English is a widely embraced language hence expansion of economy is directly linked to English. But then why do Chinese and French speakers rarely care for this ‘language of the titans’? Also, what comes first- national consensus or cross-border sync? And the ones promoting the use of Hindi across all states of India never ask for a total ban on English, which can be taken up as an ancillary language. Else, translate our ‘Vande Mataram’, ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, ‘Jai Hind’, and ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’ in English. You would agree that Hindi is our foundation, and in case this basis is crushed, never dream of an optimistic tomorrow. Politicians, who have been opposing the lessons of Hindi, are those rare anti-nation-builders who can ever think of a developed India.

Agreement of thoughts is indispensable and we are all ‘Hindustanis’ at heart. Then why say no to inclusion of Hindi language in all schools nationwide? And I am not talking of rocket science. While there is no harm in teaching Tamil in Tamil Nadu, something will be lost if Hindi is not taught along with. And that ‘something’ is ‘nexus’ between the Indians despite of the state an Indian comes from. For the new union government, it is advisable that actions be taken to direct every school and even the madrasas to impart lessons on Hindi. How about all state governments according Hindi the label of official language of the state? Tell me; is it feasible to translate a film in multiple languages so that the viewers across the country can uncomplicatedly relish the same? India, indeed, is the only nation where language is a political weapon; you can observe politicians in the state of Maharashtra delivering speeches in Marathi just to appear native. Isn’t then the language gap dividing the country in clusters? Sooner than later, and with a view to binding all the Indians, say ‘Yes’ to Hindi.

The government has done its part. They are planning to set up food processing industries and cold chains by mapping the surplus and deficit areas gap, which would mean that annual loss of vegetables, fruits and grains worth more than INR 44,000 crore will be taken care of. This would also address the grave concern of food inflation and scarcity of food for poor by assuring that 18 percent of fruits and vegetables which are produced in the country are saved from wastage. This is, however, one part of the story where we can expect the law-makers to come up with solutions. Plates, burdened with distinct foods, are a normal scene at ceremonies, and so is the garbage can filled with leftover food. Hunger, in case you are unaware, is the primary cause of death in the world followed by AIDS and Cancer etc. I have learned from a source that almost 20 crore Indians sleep hungry every day and indeed a shame on this developing nation is that lakhs of Indians die of hunger every year. Has any GDP growth or banks interest rates decline helped these sufferers? 79 percent of children aged 6-35 months and 56 percent of married women are anemic, and half of our little ones are underweight.

During a weight checkup in one of the districts in Madhya Pradesh, a two-year old girl, Rajni, who was placed unclothed on the electronic scale weighed just half of what she should have been. It was reported that the children checked were listless and sick, and had less chances to survive, and even if they do, they would grow up weaker, shorter and ugly when compared with their better fed peers. Isn’t this the social divide that we realize for underprivileged households, but the same commences right from birth and is more or less overlooked. And the kids of the rich are flooded with nutrition and other perks that can be adequate for feeding five kids of the poor. This is a barefaced truth of Indian society and economy, and is much more pressing than even jobs and lessons. Is it just the work of NGOs and social activists to care for those who are deprived of basic needs? Then know that we are the ones exaggerating the misery of the cluster by filling our waste bins with prepared food and advising a poor child to look for job than to beg. And those supporting by way of handing over cash to kids are pushing them to greater complications, just look at the stats for children involved in drug-addiction and fights.

Are we so hungry that we over-fill our plates and order recklessly at restaurants? Ok, I have that money to afford such luxuries at hotels and at ceremonies I am not alone, everyone does this. And while showing off my assets, why should I bother about loss of food or money? Why should I make an attempt to visit a shunned place and handover any surplus food I have to those in need. As far as social responsibility is concerned, I pay my part to the government in form of taxes, so why should I go that extra mile to save the most crucial asset, food? My child can have candies, milk, proteins and other luxuries because I worked hard for the same, then why should I care if he wastes half the milk or throws away a burger after a bite saying that it doesn’t taste that good this time? Ok, there is no legislation to punish those who waste food, so what is the need to care, right? Imagine a day when your business collapses or your organization sacks you and all such treats come to an abrupt end. I am sorry for this, but the thoughts even are so frightening, so think the pain of kids staring at bins for the leftover food.

Yes, solutions to curb food waste are uncomplicated to pursue, but not just advisory and environmental groups can be the contributory. A girl child is considered more like a debt, and we all know why, the curse of dowry and spending on marriage. The youth of today has considered the evil of dowry, but lavish and even that little but unaffordable spending on the ‘party’ thrown for hundreds still finds place. The buffet system, though allows access to extra, but the resulting is surplus waste. Shouldn’t this be put to end? But surplus food would still survive, even in reduced capacity. Feeding of food leftovers to animals, in particular dogs, chickens and birds is an unproblematic option. But let this be confined to that part which is unfit for consumption by human. Municipal collection is then an alternative, which is running in few areas, but can never beat individual labors aimed at ‘100 percent starvation eradication’. Rather than turning the surplus food to garbage, turn it to a blessing for someone. Plus, go for planned foodstuff purchasing and apposite storage of the same to reduce spoilage. As a planned measure, the food waste can also be biodegraded by way of composting and can be used to fertilize soil.

Authorities, in a stern voice, will have to convey to the people to order/ prepare food that isn’t afterwards wasted; yes, money belongs to the one spending, but resources belong to the society. Framing legislation for this purpose, by considering Food Waste Regulations in other countries, for instance Ireland, is a workable notion. The law, apart from considering the food wastage aspect, can embrace sections restricting restaurants and caterers from preparing bulk food in advance which subsequently is served for days by preserving the same in deep freezers. Plus, restaurants are to be fortified to charge fine on wasted food, with the money going for charity. The same will spread across a positive message. NGOs undertaking the work of carrying leftover food to those in need too need motivation and support from the state. By and large, it is evident that Indian soil is adequate to produce food grains for every Indian, without any need of importing, provided that the ones who can afford higher than required realize the vitality of food protection. Remember, alert purchasing doesn’t cost anything, rather earns you profit.

Here is a case that elucidates that ‘We’ create poverty, because we do not ‘share’. The shadow of God, Mother Teresa, was once on way to South America in an air plane, and just after the flight took off, the attendant came forward to serve meal. Mother asked if she could have the cost of that meal so as to help the poor with some money. She was allowed to take away USD 5 for the meal, and the same stirred a sense of morality in all passengers who too opted for money. Post landing, Mother asked if she take away the food as well and hand out to ones in need, since the airline would not serve unexploited food and would rather discard it. This was executed by help of trucks she managed to secure from TACA Airlines. Brave, isn’t it? Morality and aiding others demand courage, the same courage we use to prosper our family. Get up; tell yourself and all others that snacks, sweets and main-course meals at marriages, which collectively go as high as 200 in number, is nothing more than killing others, killing the ones who are helpless, helpless as we never work to help. Else, ask for a law which should bindingly limit the number of dishes served to less than 10 during such occasions. If we can unite for Jan Lokpal Bill, why can’t we for a Food Wastage Regulation?

As Indians, or shall I say Indians who study the lessons of Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi all during life, we will have to realize the call of morality and equality. Here is a motivating thought of Mother, ‘The very fact that God has placed a certain soul in your way is a sign that God wants you to do something for them’. Let me also tell you that it was Mother herself who drove that truck, though she was short and had to peep between the steering wheel and dashboard to see, but by God’s grace, managed to accomplish her duty, the duty conferred upon all of us. The Prime Minister has been sharing positive and nation-building thoughts via his initiative, ‘Mann Ki Baat’, and through the same platform, if he urges for ‘Love Food and Hate Waste’, Indian society will surely be blessed, besides saving on food inflation. To all the readers- Realize the significance of food today, to give the underprivileged a healthier tomorrow. Lesser you waste; more are the plates that will serve the hunger of the poor.

HUMAN RESOURCE

This can be termed as the most fundamental. Citizens prosper with better opportunities and so do businesses. The government has amended the Apprenticeship Act 1961, the Factories Act 1948 and the Labor Laws Act 1988. Mentioned below are some issues that the government should consider urgently.

1. Multiplicity of labor authorities puts ambiguous picture. For states as well as the center, all aspects related to labors should be dealt with by a sole authority that shall take care of industrial disputes, enforcement of labor laws, maintenance of industrial peace and such other functions.
2. Industrial corridors, investment zones, and such other infrastructure development projects must embrace a scheme dedicated to Workers’ Housing plans. Be it even a smart city, low-budgets homes must be a basic part.
3. Skill development for active workforce demand partaking of industries in designing the curriculum and certification of academic courses.
4. E-learning, R&D, train the trainer, and job-oriented skill expansion programs are the areas of focus that can promise comprehensively competent workforce.
5. Similar to 100 smart cities initiative, 100 universities be identified and developed in the coming years to match steps with global leading players.

FUNDING

From over-dependence on foreign institutional investors to lack of long-term lending financial institutions for stable and promising corporate investments, bottlenecks are many; however solutions stated as under can bring in the break through.

1. Long-term lending by financial institutions be promoted and a couple of FIs must be recognized to undertake this function.
2. Government can think of diluting stake held in PSU undertakings and banks through capital market, thus raising fresh equity.
3. Retail investors in capital markets to be fortified via information sharing programs and deepening of capital market.
4. Amalgamation of a few public sector banks to match global trends with respect to magnitude of operations.
5. Implementation of guidelines for year-on-year growth of MSME credit, along with zero-tolerance in terms of payment defaults to MSMEs and use of commercial bills.
6. Fill equity gap of MSMEs by allowing sources of capital such as private equity, venture capital and angel funds. Listing on BSE and NSE without need of floating an IPO.

INFRASTRUCTURE

It all starts with resources. From railways to ports and from export oriented zones to land acquisition, every sector demands constructive measures. Hereunder are some key solutions.

1. PPP model be thought over and executed for development of railways substructure, right from procuring of railway stocks for ease of mobility to commercialization of excessive land available with Indian Railways.
2. Privatization or franchise arrangement of public sector ports.
3. To promote hefty PPP infrastructure development projects, clearances prior to even bidding.
4. Connectivity of ports, airports and railway corridors with industrial centers, especially connectivity of coal extraction plants and places of consumption.
5. Smart cities with assured and reliable access to water, power, sewerage, and such other basics, along with inclusion of homes for low-income earners and affordable dormitories for MSME workforce.
6. For all industrial zones and corridors, skill expansion centers to be made obligatory with a view to upgrading the quality of personnel as well as production.
7. Inevitability and fairness to be accorded to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act with a view to ease land acquisition both for land owners and industrialists.
8. Change in Land use to be notified in a time-bound manner for impartial deals.
9. Any idle industrial space shall be allocated for time-bound period to avoid wastage of crucial resource.
10. Coal sector demands revamping of CMN Act and MMDR Act, along with developing such a facility that transportation of extracted coal becomes swift and resourceful.
11. Private investment in exploration and carriage of coal, along with setting up of coal dealing mechanism for transparent and quick sale and purchase.
12. To rejuvenate E&P industry and fund-providers, gas pricing concerns be addressed.
13. To attract flow of capital into the country, minimum area development norms can be reworked, and better inter-linkage of agencies involved in real estate development.

ROAD FOR CREATIVITY AND GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS

1. ‘Zero Defect-Zero Effect’ production be encouraged and e-commerce players be made to follow norms of the industry.
2. MSMEs and other industries will spread wings only when the produced goods are in demand locally. Procurement by government, essentially from indigenous players is the need of the hour.
3. As done in the defence, excessive dependence on imports in terms of capital goods, coal, electronics, food grains, and such other commodities that can be made in India to be dispensed with.
4. Businesses to be encouraged to undertake valuation of quality of production and efficiency of labor so that global competition be met and beaten.
5. MSMEs to be promoted by way of compulsory procurement by state departments, at least 25 per cent of their needs, from this sector.
6. Multi-tier support system for MSMEs by collaborating with industry clusters and R&D institutions for inducing technology-based effectiveness.
7. Liberal policies and assistance programs for MSMEs to nurture innovation.
8. Rationalization and merging of programs run to help MSME producers in marketing their output through participation in trade fairs and events.

This is a glimpse of the roadmap towards successful execution of ‘Make in India’ dream of the government. It cannot be denied that the fiscal and legislative environment too needs a shift to a conductive phase, where GST and subsidy rationalization are pressing demands. For the same, the government can consider proposals of various committees, introduction of third party certification mechanism to replace the inspection system, and single-window clearance backed by supporting legislation. It is evident, that the above proposals are not exhaustive, but are capable to fetch promising outcomes if executed with authentic and dedicated labors.

I am writing not because I wanted a supervisor of the property of the Waqf Board, the Shahi Imam, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, to invite the flag-bearer of India in the ceremony that would see yet another appointment for the position of ‘successor to Shahi Imam’, but because the ‘politics’ involved herein is not what that the Indians thought of while voting in the 2014 general polls or legislative polls in Maharashtra and Haryana. Isn’t it very obvious that to run your political career in a country like India, you just need to either blindly support one religion or suppress some other community without reasons? So, ‘conflict of interests’ with one or the other religions is what you need to relish the fruits of ‘power’. To be a community leader, just drive back a politician who does not biasedly favor yours. Then ask your community to favor the leader who promises biased courtesies for your religion, and this goes on and on. We thought this would end with the subject-matter of development and inclusiveness, but some people rarely learn.

Honorable Delhi Court, in one of the cases against Syed Ahmed Bukhari, said, ‘It is very surprising and shocking to see the police force not able to execute the NBW issued against Bukhari. Such inaction against Bukhari is intolerable.’ This came because Delhi Police has been for years not able to arrest the accused, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, citing communal tension- Politics herein too. Let me tell you that an ‘Imam’ is an Islamic leadership position and the person entitled shall lead worship services and provide religious guidance. In case you are confused as to what the current Shahi Imam aimed at while promoting SP in the UP legislative polls and Congress in the recent general polls, try finding lessons on politics in religion and religion in politics. The main mosque of India, Jama Masjid, is the property of the Waqf Board and Imam Bukhari is just an employee of the Board, as ruled by the honorable Delhi High Court. And when Imam is all set to pass on the baton to the new generation, I believe that at least a respect was expected for the topmost position holder in the democratic republic of India.

But the Shahi Imam did not consider his words twice when he urged that the present PM is anti-Muslim and is responsible for riots, hence he cannot be invited to attend the ceremony at Jama Masjid on November 22. In the era, when the current rulers of India are putting all labors for inclusive growth, such cases tell that we can hardly overcome the bitterness of communal gap. Alleging the PM liable for massacre of Muslims, did the Imam notice what this message means to the people of this community, living not only in India, but even in other countries? Interestingly, the son-in-law of Syed Bukhari was an MLC of Samajwadi Party, who resigned when Bukhari accused Mulayam Singh Yadav for being unfavorable to Muslims. The Imam, shouldn’t we believe, has more to do with politics than religion? Then for this sake should he have not respected the peers? And when he says that the entire Muslim community is unsupportive to the PM, I wonder who casted the votes in Gujarat and general elections when the BJP secured seats in even Muslim-majority constituencies? For sake of power, please stop mingling religion and politics, else I am sorry we will have no other option than to look beyond religion.

To the news houses, yet another ‘hot topic’ has emerged for prime time debates. The leaders, from each side, are justifying their stands; however no gain is being secured by the country. Aiming for cleaner Ganga, financial inclusiveness, bettered industrial sector and such other constructive goals, the Indian PM, I believe, should pay least heed to matters that are initiated with the intent of gaining communal appreciation and nothing more. To some extent, religion and politics have been separated from one other by the Indian voters in the recent polls; however much more of such verdicts are needed for complete parting. Asking for Modi’s apology, who has been adjudged blameless by the SIT, on what happened in the state of Gujarat in 2002, the religious leader must, prior to anything else, co-operate with the police and the Court for the case pending in his name. To news houses- Indians’ aspirations have taken a shift and so is much-needed from you all in case we want the youth to witness a prosperous tomorrow. To general public- Our religious sentiments do not run the economy, a capable administrator does this job; hence your support for the right is sought for.

Lastly, to the person; who disrespected the democratically elected Prime Minister of India, a leader holding primary constitutional position; India and Indians’ would not raise the value of any such misdeeds, and to promote your political and religious career, better shift to a place wherein the citizens approve such detrimental views. It is clear that the political acceptance within your community, your father Abdullah Bukhari, carried when he managed to mobilize people to vote out Congress government of Indira Gandhi, lacks in you, but for the same, India cannot allow you to burn the fire of communal hatred or to disrepute a leader chosen by the mass. No right to freedom of speech can tolerate this.

While going through the controversial subject of extremism, I learned how militants use religion as a weapon against mortality. Having read that the terrorists, who crushed the civil order and slaughtered hundreds of guiltless in Mumbai on 9/11, were given lessons on using heavy weapons and adjusted-history on brutality with the men of a particular community, I realized that extremists are far more tactical and strategically-adept than those who urge for global peace. They corruptly play with the minds of new blood, turn them into destroyers, and steer clear of adverse outcomes. I then hunted for any group in India which, I thought, would be linked with conveying lessons on national service and patriotism. Luckily, I came across an arm of the Indian Army, The Territorial Army, which enrolls civilians and provides them prospects to receive military training and thus creating a reserve force that could back the regular army, when circumstances warrant. Pleased was I and looked for admission. Then were the admissibility criteria, which only permitted ‘gainfully employed’ civilians possessing a graduate degree. But that did not let me down as I am ‘eligible’. The ‘criteria’, however, urged me to pen few thoughts.

Why at all is this necessary? 

Those who designed study curriculum would have had considered an authentic fact that unless you inform the kids of the nation about the contributions and sacrifices of worthy Indians, the sensation of reverting what we fetch from nation’s soil cannot be expected. Poems on Rani Lakshmi Bai and chapters on India’s struggle for independence were not for adding knowledge of science but for adding patriotism to kids’ approach. But, ‘busy and tough life’ we call it, that fades away all lessons and we just want our police, army, politicians, and activists to pursue the path of national service. Tell me, as a common man, scuffling for better work and living prospects, am I relieved of the duty of serving my nation? And if your answer is ‘No’, then why am I found polluting the roads, bribing the officials, discarding the laws of the land, and employing any and every trick for the betterment of ‘my’ house? Civilians, in any nation, far outdo the number of government employees, hence nation-building is lacking without the common man’s partaking. And then, when I imagined 125 crore ‘Indians’, with India in their heart, I foresaw cheerful and prosperous households as an outcome of equal distribution of national wealth.

Milieu in other nations

I could find a hefty list of countries, which engage civilians in enforced military training for a year. The youth is infused with a sensation to serve the nation, whenever the time demands. Along with, punctuality, use of weapons, and coordination are what that the youth learn at the very early age of their lives. Norwegian Parliament has lately adopted amendments with a view to extending obligatory military services to women of Norway. ‘Conscription’, as the world terms it, denotes compulsory enlistment of citizens in some sort of national service, which most often is the military service. Post serving the ‘active duty’, the recruits are transferred to ‘reserve force’. Even in the U.S., males between 18 and 25 are mandated to register with the Selective Service System, which helps to keep a track of persons available during crisis. 

Indian setup 

Having discussed the Territorial Army wing of Indian Army, I have shared the option of being a part in national service, however, only a few can avail the same. Unemployment rate in India is above 3.5 percent; hence this cluster becomes ‘ineligible’. Next, with the pressure of serving private and government jobs, how many of the employed ones can opt for the same? Graduation degree is another binding clause. Presently, the Territorial Army has strength of 40,000 first line and 160,000 second line troops. Do you think this is acceptable for a country with second highest population in the world? 

Suggestions 

It is evident that achieving a model similar to ‘compulsory military service’ will not be a feasible option in India. But, infusing ‘India’ in the heart of every India is indispensable if the PM is aiming for inclusive support. You would agree that the teachings we learn in schooldays fade away with time. Herein, the need is to deploy one army personnel at all educational institutions, public or private, for the purpose of teaching a lesson each day on national service until grade 12^th. Plus, post High School, one hour of essential quasi-military training should be added to the learning course. Lessons on obedience, realism, physical activeness, handling tensed situations, readily accepting the call for national service, and ‘India first’ must be made obligatory. National Anthem and Constitution of India, biographies of national heroes, and vitality of contribution towards country must be a part everywhere. And when all educational institutions are talked about, taken into account should also be privately-run local schools and madrasas. 

With ‘India’ in every Indian’s soul, betrayal and brain drain will not find any place. Plus, the youth will become much more responsible post undergoing military training. India can then expect loyal, participative citizens, readily available for national service.

BJP, when was not in power, was quite clear about the bringing back of black money stashed abroad. The leaders, from the top wing to the bottom, seemed promising and goal-oriented in their approach, and the general public that voted in favor of saffron too anticipated that what belongs to the common man and the country would ultimately be brought back. And then something that isn’t the BJP way of governance came up. Arun Jaitley, the new Finance Minister, has a few days back warned the Congress of not that healthy position once the names of black money holders are made public. It is evident that the capable minister may not have any intent to attack an opposition party owing to political rivalry, but the words have been interpreted differently, and I can say, not in the favor of the BJP. The next day, the FM took a step ahead and said that former UPA ministers could be in the list of holders as the government has secured regarding Swiss bank accounts. ‘Blackmailing’ and ‘Political Clash’ were the expressions that Congress’ leaders urged and even the news channels were gifted with a ‘hot topic’ for discussions.

In the UPA reign too, black money was one of the most crucial matters. Reasons like covenants of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAA) and pressure from the governments of nations where the suspected money could have been stashed were given by the then rulers for not disclosing data, even when received from some sources including the names of account holders in Liechtenstein Bank and HSBC. Stating similar reasons, the BJP government attempted to steer clear from being a detrimental ruling body for corporates and politicians who have used safe havens for keeping illicit money. In a recent turnover, senior Supreme Court lawyer Ram Jethmalani has urged that DTAAs are no valid cause for keeping the names of black money holders secret. Letter of lawyer even accuses the FM of not being willing enough in letting the Indians know the underlying facts. It is apparent that the government must have some lawful reason when they say that out of 800 names alleged to have illicit money abroad, only 136 can be reported to the Apex Court. Otherwise I believe that the sincere BJP squad would not have been so limited or I must say biased.

It is now being heard that the government has started filing charges and prosecution has been commenced against one or some of the account holders as are in the HSBC Geneva list. Again this selective approach of the government has raised many voices. In many talks, we can hear of charges against a former union minister. The general public is keen to know why can’t the government probe all the Indians as are included in the lists and as a swift measure, why can’t the Income Tax officials be ordered to scrutinize the returns and records of such account holders to find whether the money in foreign bank accounts is legitimate or illicit. CBDT, Financial Intelligence Unit, Central Economic Intelligence Bureau, and CBI are all distinct wings of the central government that have the powers and caliber to assess the legitimacy of money deposited/ stashed abroad. Then we have a lengthy list of legislators, senior advocates, and retired judges who can study the agreements signed by the Indian government with foreign nations and can advise what canbe done and what is forbidden.

In an endeavor to make helpful changes in international agreements, the Swiss’ rulers are thinking over including such norms in bilateral treaties so that the tax evading done by individuals and corporates is slammed. Information sharing post such changes will become easier and fast. The Indian government, which had the issue of black money as one the most votes-attracting matter, is either feeling the pressure of corporates or is dealing with the matter with deficient attention. For any misperceptions, if there are, in the DTAAs with respect to sharing of account holders’ names, must be sought out with the help of skilled interpreters. To know whether the money lying abroad has generated from legal/ illicit source, Income Tax officials, who can assess the same, can be handed over the list of names and the outcomes can be expected in a week or two. Also, valid and positive amendments can be made to the existing bilateral agreements with safe haven nations to assure that receipt of information on black money account holders becomes uncomplicated in the future. All in all, the BJP squad will have to realize the keenness of the general public as well as the Apex Court on this subject-matter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi cherishes a commendable vision to take India to new heights on the socio-economic front. For this to happen, first our country has to catch up with the developed world in the manufacturing and industrial sector. Unfortunately, even after more than two decades of economic liberalization, India has barely managed to scratch its existing potential. The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector contributes significantly to manufacturing output and exports of our country. It also provides maximum opportunities for both self-employment and jobs, outside the agriculture sector. The inclusiveness of this sector is underlined by the fact that nearly 50% of the MSMEs are owned by disadvantaged groups of society. As such, if India is to develop faster and achieve new heights, then our government needs to aggressively promote the growth and development of this particular sector.

Overview of the MSME sector

Currently, the MSME sector contributes 8% of the national GDP and accounts for around 40% of the total exports and around 45% of the manufacturing output.  According to the Fourth All India Census of MSMEs, the total number of enterprises in the sector is 36,176,000 of which 1,564,000 are registered enterprises. An overwhelming 72% of India’s 36.17 million MSMEs are engaged in the services sector, whereas the balance 28% are in the manufacturing segment.

MSMEs are complementary to large industries as ancillary units and this sector contributes enormously to the socio-economic progress of our country by providing employment to over 80,524,000 persons. In a country like India where millions of people are unemployed or underemployed, the MSME sector has thus emerged as a major provider of jobs by creating more employment opportunities per unit of capital. Furthermore, MSMEs are the nurseries for entrepreneurship and innovation. They are widely dispersed across the country and produce a diverse range of products to meet the needs of the local markets, the global market and the national and international value chains.

During 2011, the total production of MSMEs amounted to Rs 10,957.6 billion (at 2001-02 prices) and the sector manufactured more than 6,000 products ranging from traditional to high-tech items. Meanwhile, the MSME sector has also played a vital role in fulfilling other socio-economic objectives. It has emerged as a powerful tool for dispersal of economic wealth and power. This sector has also contributed handsomely towards removal of regional disparities and economic backwardness in the rural and less developed segments. As a result, it occupies a strategic position of unique importance in the Indian economy, and also has the potential to lift the country to the bracket of developed nations.

Recognizing the importance of the sector and with the aim of making it a significant player in the global marketplace, our central government has passed the MSME Development Act 2006. The objective of this Act, which came into effect on October 2, 2006, is to facilitate the promotion and development of the sector and also to enhance the competitiveness of the MSMEs as well as to redress all the matters connected therewith and incidental thereto. Meanwhile, under the Public Procurement Bill 2012 approved by the Cabinet on April 1, 2012, all public sector undertakings (PSUs), central government ministries and departments will have to procure at least 20% of products and services required by them from the micro and small enterprises (MSEs). Though the public procurement policy for MSEs has become effective from 1 April 2012, the provision of 20% procurement of products and services will become mandatory only from April 1, 2015. 

Challenges faced by the MSME sector

Despite the Union government passing the Public Procurement Bill 2012 mandating that 20% of all government procurement of goods and services should be from MSEs with effect from April 1, 2015, several PSUs and agencies are yet to initiate the process of measuring how they will procure from the sector. Moreover, the transaction costs that the MSEs would have to bear for registration, earnest money deposits, etc are considerably higher than what most small enterprises can bear. Financially, for most of the firms in this sector, cash management and working capital cycles are very tight. So, additional transaction costs will impose a fairly large burden on them. For small firms with limited management capacity, the concerned registration process also tends to be very complex. That is a huge stumbling block. Qualification criteria are set so high as to be intimidating; the perception that MSEs cannot meet quality standards is reinforced when such hard-to-meet criteria are imposed.

Furthermore, PSUs and government agencies have to climb a steep learning curve before implementing the procurement rules from April 1, 2015. To start with, there is no comprehensive database on MSEs. Moreover, there is very little information about the capacity and ability of the MSEs that can be drawn from the available data from registration. Besides this, a massive challenge for MSMEs is finance, and when a significant proportion of all MSMEs are proprietary firms rather than corporate structures, even small changes in cash management and working capital cycles can create unanticipated problems.

Though there are large numbers of startups coming up all over the country, at the field level there is a high death rate or sickness rate of new enterprises. This is specifically because of a lack of healthy entrepreneurship ecosystem in many states across the country. This can be attributed to the failure of the concerned state governments to provide the required policy thrust for startups and also to the absence of backward linkages where large corporates source from local SMEs.

Over and above all these, the MSME sector has also been reeling under various other disadvantages that have been historically affecting small enterprises in India — such as lack of capital and credit facilities, infrastructure deficit, higher fixed costs compared to the large-scale sector and lack of access to global markets.

Boosting the growth of MSME sector

History shows that MSMEs of countries like Japan, Korea, etc managed to emerge as global players only because of the persistent and effective support they received from their respective governments. Though the Union and state governments in our country have been striving to support the MSME entrepreneurs by making things simpler for them, still there are certain issues related to policy and government support that need immediate attention. Moreover, facilitation from government is required to minimize transaction costs for technology upgradation, market penetration, modernization of infrastructure, etc. Taking into account the diverse issues and challenges currently inhibiting the growth of the MSME sector, given below are some recommendations categorized under six different focus areas, which if implemented properly will facilitate the rapid growth and development of the Indian MSME sector.

1. Finance, including CreditCredit is a crucial input for promoting growth of the MSMEs, particularly the MSE sector, in view of its limited access to alternative sources of finance. Currently, entrepreneurs have to face lot of trouble when they try to get loans from banks. So, first and foremost, granting of loans to entrepreneurs in the MSME sector should be simplified and made hassle-free with the aim of increasing required fund flow to the sector and for ensuring that every entrepreneur gets timely loans without having to go through avoidable, time-consuming and complicated procedures and formalities.

   The complex terms and conditions for availing of loans also pose a stumbling block. A survey of 540 MSME units reveals that 71% of the entrepreneurs were not even aware of the credit guarantee schemes launched by the central and state governments. Those who were aware could not take advantage as banks, which administer such schemes, are themselves not equipped to guide the customers — either the staff are not trained or they lack information.

   Collecting account receivables is also an area of major concern. When PSUs delay settlement of outstanding dues to corporates, the latter in turn delay the same to SME firms and a never-ending loop comes into play. Zero tolerance in case of defaults and use of commercial bills with minimum proportion of dues under the bill system and fixed date of payments can be a corrective measure to resolve this issue. Next, while on one hand MSME firms face the scarcity of collateral during early stages, unnecessary borrowing for capital needs is a worry too as interest is to be borne all throughout; on the other, bank credit on inventory has to be assured as this would also eradicate the issue of collateral. A hidden aspect of MSME borrowing is a move towards non-bank sources such as commercial paper, which increases the burden of interest rates, thus taking away the competitive edge of the borrowing firm. Hence, our government should formulate strict rules and legislations to resolve these issues.

   Furthermore, our government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) should strictly implement guidelines for year-on-year growth of MSE credit. Moreover, the reach of the MSEs to the banking network has to be substantially enhanced through setting up of branches near clusters. In fact, a cluster-centric approach is the best bet for addressing the credit needs of the MSME sector, because of reasons of operational convenience and trust building. To address the risk perception of banks, particularly for lending to MSEs, the credit guarantee schemes need to be further strengthened with enhanced budgetary support.

   Lack of equity support for the MSME sector inhibits their growth. In order to fill equity gap, access to finance needs to be enlarged through alternative sources of capital such as private equity, venture capital and angel funds. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) should also come up with specific measures to encourage SMEs to raise funds on the already existing dedicated platforms for SMEs and start-ups on BSE and NSE, which allows small companies to get listed without an IPO.

2. TechnologyThe low technology generally used by the MSME sector has been a major cause for poor competitiveness of the sector. So the Union and state governments should set up a multi-tier support system by collaborating with industry associations, industry clusters and private R&D institutions for inducing technology-based competitiveness in the sector. This support system should be given the required encouragement to enable it to develop appropriate technologies for various manufacturing processes, which in turn will lead to substantial reduction in cost of manufacturing by improving labour productivity, reducing material wastage and minimizing energy consumption.

   Steps should also be taken to support innovative ideas in a bid to develop them into marketable products, facilitate linkages of MSME clusters/ Mini Clusters to public and private R&D institutions, and finally subsidize the cost of technology available in the international market. Government should formulate liberal policies and assistance programs to nurture innovative ideas of academic institutions and techno-preneurs.

   Government assistance may vary depending upon the level of technology and the transaction cost involved and may be kept at an attractive level. To facilitate absorption of globally competitive manufacturing technologies that are available in the international market for various industries, government may subsidize the industry. Meanwhile, the extent of support may be decided based on the type of industry and the level of technology being adopted.

3. Infrastructure Development

For MSMEs, land and infrastructure constraints are major problem areas, especially in bigger cities and metros. As production processes of majority of MSEs can be accomplished in flattened factories, such complexes may be encouraged by providing financial support under the Integrated Infrastructure Development Scheme of the central government. Likewise, accommodation problem of industrial workers may be addressed by establishing dormitories on a sustainable basis.

Maintenance of industrial estates (mainly maintenance of roads, drainage, sewage, power distribution and captive power generation, water supply, dormitories for workers, common effluent treatment plants, common facilities, securities, etc) are very important for the successful functioning of enterprises in industrial areas. Industrial estates are generally developed by the state industrial development bodies (for example, GIDC in Gujarat, HSIDC in Haryana, and RIICO in Rajasthan). It may be appropriate to handover maintenance of industrial estates to industry associations, local bodies, state government agencies or Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) on self-sustaining basis.

In advanced countries, hi-tech and innovative enterprises start in modular industrial estates. To encourage such ventures, Modular Industrial Estates having Raw Material Bank, Technology Resource Centre, Design Centre, Business Centre, Tool Room, Testing Centre, Incubation Centre, Training Centre, Mini Trade Fair Centre, etc should be set up near Centres of Excellence like IITs. Furthermore, our country currently has no specialized testing facilities for certain high-end products, such as leather items. Therefore, the exporting MSME units have to avail these facilities from overseas testing labs. As such, there is a need for creation of such testing facilities at suitable locations adjacent to clusters of such industrial units.     

4. Marketing Support

Marketing is the most important tool in business development that leads a product from creation to customer through different channels. Marketing is a dynamic activity that calls for constant updating of marketing intelligence and new tools of marketing. It includes a whole gamut of activities such as packaging, labeling, trade mark, bar coding, brand building, advertising, domestic and international exhibitions, buyer-seller meet, e-marketing and customer service to name a few. Generally, MSMEs don’t have the financial muscle or wherewithal to make their presence felt in the market. It is here that our government can pitch in and help them.

While marketing of products of MSMEs mostly depend upon the market forces and individual efforts of the concerned enterprises, government and its various departments and organizations can play the role of a facilitator to help the MSME sector in these endeavours. Ministry of MSME and its attached organizations have been assisting the sector through certain schemes and programs. However, emerging marketing-related challenges call for scaling up of these programs and introduction of certain innovative policies for the sector.

There are multiplicity of market development assistance programs to support MSMEs for participation in domestic and international trade fairs, bar coding, packaging and standardization within the Ministry. There is an urgent need for rationalization and consolidation of such programs under various broad heads. There is also a need for up-scaling of such programs with higher financial allocations.

Lately, Indian MSMEs have acquired global competitiveness in sectors like auto components, leather goods, garments, engineering items, gems and jewellery, etc. In the services sector, education, healthcare, grooming and beauty therapies have enormous export potential. Direct export from enterprises in these segments should be accelerated by enabling services like B2B meetings, events, seminars, dissemination of information about new markets and products, offshore warehousing, product promotion, etc. As individual enterprises do not have sufficient resources to take up such initiatives, our government should set up Business and Facilitation Centers with the aim of providing necessary help through cluster and consortia-based initiatives through the PPP model.

5. Skill Development & Training

Lack of skilled manpower and information as well as lack of reach to modern technology are key issues affecting the growth of the MSME sector. Compared to many other countries, India enjoys an advantage because it has a huge population in the productive age group. If this comparative advantage can be augmented with adequate skill development, India can become a global supplier of quality manpower. In this context, it is very encouraging to know that the Narendra Modi-government is planning to launch a new Skill Development Program by March 2015, which will bridge the gap between educational institutions and the labour market. The proposed scheme is expected to move beyond the target of skilling 500 million youth by 2020 that was set under the National Policy on Skill Development 2009 formulated by the UPA government.

To coordinate the entire process of conducting skill development programs, the central government should set up a virtual SME University, which will standardize the training curricula as well as certify the trainers and the trainees on completion of the program. Eventually, the university can also become a repository of the details of the persons who have been trained under various programs of the Ministry as well as other Ministries and discharge the function of a virtual Employment Exchange. To enhance workers’ skills and proficiency, our government should also set up 100 Tool Rooms or Technology Development Centers (TDCs), including Central Footwear Technology Institutes (CFTIs), which will provide specialized training to the existing and prospective workers in the manufacturing sector. Such institutes should be set up in industrial clusters and districts, with state-of-the-art machines in a bid to impart training to make the participants readily employable in high growth sectors like auto components, engineering, readymade garments, leather products, etc. To make such programs self-sustainable, they should be taken to the self-financing levels, which will also make them qualitative. To ensure high success rate of such programs, they should be made practice-oriented by involving industry associations in the training, which will also help in identification of the skill gap, development of appropriate training curricula as well as handholding of trainees via internship and apprenticeship arrangements.

Our government, in collaboration with specialized agencies, should arrange to impart regular training to MSME entrepreneurs on risk management strategies, delivery channels, product development related issues, financial management and such other key business parameters so that they are well-equipped to profitably manage their ventures and make them successful.

6. Institutional Structure

The institutional and legal framework for promotion and development of the MSME sector in our country is spread both at the national and state level. While the state governments have the primary responsibility for the development of MSMEs, the central government supplements their efforts through a range of initiatives. Here it is worth noting that the employment-intensive MSME sector has suffered tremendously due to a plethora of laws, rules and regulations that kept on accumulating during the control regime of the licence-permit raj. Ensuring compliance with so many rules and regulations of that era has considerably stifled the growth of the MSME sector. To unshackle the growth of the sector, our government should immediately address the following issues that obstruct the growth of the MSME sector.

1. Environmental issues
2. Labour issues
3. Amendment of MSMED Act
4. Exit policy
5. Restructuring of the DICs and MSME-DIsTo elaborate further on the environmental issues, the relevant policies should be made uniform all over India, while extending appropriate relaxation of controls for MSMEs. On labour issues, the immediate need is to consolidate the plethora of labour laws into one industry-friendly law. The MSMED Act 2006 was enacted to promote the growth of the MSME sector. However, there is an urgent need to strengthen various provisions of the Act along with the enactment of appropriate rules under various sections, which will help redress diverse issues and challenges such as inadequate physical infrastructure, complex regulatory environment and inadequate availability of skilled manpower that have constrained the growth of the MSME sector.

   Furthermore, while amending the MSMED Act, an appropriate provision enabling easy rehabilitation or exit of nonviable SMEs should also be incorporated. In fact, it would be better if our government brings in a single comprehensive MSME law (to replace the MSMED Act 2006) that would include the Labour Law, Factories Act, Land Acquisition Act, 25% land allocation in all industrial corridors, and an Exit Policy (on the lines of Chapter 11 in the US). This new MSME policy should also enable simplified procedures for clearances such as online applications and easy procurement procedures. Raising competitiveness and productivity in the MSME sector should also be a critical focus area of the new MSME law. To achieve the same, funds as well as technology may have to be brought in from abroad for the MSME units, for which relevant provisions should be appropriately incorporated.

   It has been noted that banks while extending loans to MSMEs struggle with limited data on the credit history of the borrowing firms. To resolve this issue, our government should set up a Credit Bureau at the all-India level with its regional offices in all the states. Currently, the District Industries Centers (DICs) under the state government and the MSME Development Institutes (MSME-DIs) under the Ministry of MSME, provide the requisite facilitation to new and existing entrepreneurs for developing their enterprises. The state and central governments should formulate an appropriate restructuring plan for them in order to attune them to the contemporary entrepreneurship scene and likely future developments so that they can play a more helpful role and also discharge their functions more effectively.

If all the above recommendations are implemented in right earnest, then over the next few years the MSME sector will certainly emerge as a highly vibrant and dynamic sector of the Indian economy. This in turn, will open up huge employment opportunities at comparatively lower capital cost and also help in the industrialization of rural and backward areas, thereby reducing regional imbalances as well as assuring more equitable distribution of national income and wealth.

This suggestion is much-inspired by PM’s recent measure of launching the ‘attendance.gov.in’, aimed at biometric attendance of government employees. The pluses of digitization were hardly known to former administrators; however the use of digital media, for augmenting nation’s productivity, during his control has been far than promising. We have been actively participating by way of disseminating ideas through editorials and via discussions at mygov.in and the youth, indeed, is extremely enthused towards providing aid to the process of India-building. You would agree that mygov.in has refurbished the overall setup and has aptly made use of technology in erecting the India of today, India of and for every Indian. 

Similarly, the ‘Digital India’ programme will do away with many of the flaws of paperwork and will bridge the gap between backward and developed. In the same context, if we could also host a scheme of ‘One Identity’ Card for every Indian, wherein all the information, social as well as financial, of an individual becomes accessible from a single platform, I am sure that requisite drive will be accorded to PM’s vision and labors. Post all the Indians become recognizable via a single platform, devising schemes and policies will be far more accurate, and their execution will be cost-effective. Wouldn’t you agree that humans, who make this society and combine to form a nation, are a key asset as well as a liability? ‘Details with one click’ is thus a pressing need, also to overcome undue harassment of common man. 

Ranging from Voter ID to Driving License and PAN to DIN, we live with multiple identities and the same results in complexity. Recent addition to the list, with loyal intent but blurred plans, is the Aadhaar Card. It is for the first time that the RBI has instructed banks to accept variety of IDs for the purpose of account opening; else the same was a tough job until recent past. The ‘Digital India’ project will, indeed, result into a connected economy, beyond enhancing the government’s delivery system. In my view, the new rulers can either back the Aadhaar project for according it with ‘Inclusive Identity’ attribute or can come up with an all-new plan with the goal of making every Indian distinguishable under ‘one umbrella’- the ‘One Identity’ Card. 

The ultimate idea is to bring a revolutionary and constructive change, wherein India becomes a country with every member of the society ‘identifiable’ with a single endeavor. Confusion and cheating will find no place in such an arrangement. Right from the birth of the child to his/her admission in school and university, from procuring an employment to fetching a bank loan, from criminal/ civil offences to state recognitions (bravery/ Padma awards), and from extension of family to the demise, a distinctive number must hold every noteworthy detail. Escaping from any liability, crime, commitments, and forgery will become unmanageable and rights and interests of an individual would go directly in his/ her pocket. You all would accept that the economy as well as the society will flourish once we overcome duplicities and slipups. 

To list a few pluses, I will mention curbing of subsidy and bank loan frauds which at present are paralyzing the economy. We know that pensions flow from the exchequer even after the death of the pensioner, PAN cards and voter IDs are duplicated to deceive the state, bribe is used as an easy way to get hold of false identity even by non-Indians, and ranging from telephone bills to bank loans, individuals deceive private as well as public enterprises by escaping any track of credit history. Factual number of Indians and voters will too be uncomplicated to discover at any point in time. We know that our PM has an idiosyncratic approach towards prosperity and a stable Indian economy; hence this suggestion may find a place closer to his vision and way of governance.

A central government’s agency can act as depository for all the records viz. Voter ID, DL, PAN, DIN, credit score, penal actions, and even the demise. A single card would then mean access to all-inclusive database of an individual. This would, in turn, uplift the subsidy and social security regime and will curb the existing malpractices of forged data. It is evident that collating all the data and safekeeping of the same at a centralized database is a challenging task. The paybacks, however, will exceed the labors. Imagine carrying just one identity card that would serve all the purposes. Government departments, too, will be relieved of the burden of testing the validity of numerous IDs. If the CG takes this up as the pilot project in Digital India, expect feat.

“मैं ही हूँ गरीबनी ऐसी जो कुछ साथ नहीं लाई

फिर भी साहस कर मंदिर में पूजा करने को आई I

 धूप दीप नैवैद्य नहीं हैं झांकी का श्रृंगार नहीं

हाय! गले में पहनाने को फूलों का भी हार नहीं I”

 In one of her poems, late Smt. Subhadra Kumari Chauhan depicted the pain of a poor woman who was embarrassed to have visited a temple without any material offerings; however presented her heart and body to the Almighty. We have all read the poem in our school days, yet only a few of us pay heed to the underlying criticism of the current milieu, wherein our customs and religious celebrations have become a representation of our assets. You would have seen faith exemplified by the quantity of donations. Diwali, the most celebrated festival of India, has too modified its persona from a celebration of lights to a carnival of crackers, power-lit lights, new clothes, and exchange of gifts. The same, however, remains limited to only that cluster which is blessed enough to afford materialistic goods. Post the celebrations, children from underprivileged families begin the task of collecting accumulated waste of crackers so as to make some quick money. Kids of capable households resume to their studies and many of them argue the volume of money spent by them on crackers and lighting. Isn’t this what economists regard as ‘inequality of income distribution’? The purity of our social existence as well as religious celebrations has been superseded by fake and destructive formalities. Worshipping of Goddess Lakshmi with unadulterated heart and soul is rare to find.

Let’s boil down to some gradual minuses of our dominant practices. Firecrackers release carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and such other pollutants in the air, which then become the causes of bronchitis and problematic breathing. Last year, the Apex Court of India directed that bursting of sound-producing crackers shall be banned from 10 in the night till 6 in the morning. Did we follow the direction? While we yell on our political leaders for not obeying laws, are we playing our part? Throughout the year, we are concerned for birds and animals, but the mankind is put at stake on the Diwali night. Is it the age factor that urges us to be a part of law-breaking or do we take this as an opportunity to tell the world how opulent we are? Next morning, the roads are littered with remnants of crackers. From burnt fireworks to the bottles used for lighting off rockets, the waste is allowed to rest on roads and then subsequently pass into our drainage system. The next is the noise pollution, which adds to the glitches of patients, students, and elderly members of society. If anyone could tell one valid or a socially favorable purpose that is realized by way of spending hard-earned money on fireworks, the ones opposing the same shall have no concern in quitting the battle. If not for the sake of environment, think with respect to those who make excuses to kids for not outlaying on crackers.

Power crisis and scarcity of coal have been the key bottlenecks of the Indian industrial sector. We can observe Section 144 as a recurrent weapon of governments for banning unlawful assembly, but is there no arrangement to stop unwanted use of power, which is at the peak echelon during the festive season. The festival, Diwali, which denotes the comeback of Lord Ram and the win of good over evil, has turned from celebration by way of lighting lamps and candles to use of hefty power-lit bulbs. The same could have been an acceptable notion in case India was a developed economy with plenty of power and other natural resources. Public spending on fireworks and lighting exceeds average of the entire year even when the nation has been in the grip of price inflation since past many years. ‘Ghee ke Diye’, which are eco-friendly and are our traditional pride, have lost their charm to the rich ones who go for imported decorative bulbs and also for the underprivileged who rarely can afford the essentials. I was anxious to know the public expending on fireworks during Diwali, which I came to know from a source is above USD 800 million. I could also find that fireworks, decorative lights, God’s and Goddess’s idols and a variety of Diwali gift items from China enter into the Indian market both through the legal route and illegally via Nepal hurting the indigenous artisans’ and manufacturers’ profitability- Thus, hitting the country all-inclusively.

Then is the exchange of Diwali gifts which has substituted the centuries-old tradition of celebrating the win over darkness by way of consuming and distributing sweets. And do you ever notice the price of the gift pack you enthusiastically buy as compared to the price of goods packed inside. The packaging costs you more than the money spent by a poor man on meal for one time. I would come again to the writing of Smt. Chauhan just to make the society know that celebrations or belief in God does not mean materialistic offerings. The idols of Ganesha and Lakshmi, made of gold or silver seem to have more impact on the Almighty than the ones made with clay and soil. The voice of fireworks seems to be heard more by God than the voice of soul. Are we sure? Then why did Lord Ram did not talk about any of the money-backed presents for relishing the existence of God or to celebrate a religious occasion? While we have disremembered the real path that leads to God, we have also overlooked the damages caused to India’s economic, social, environmental, and cultural wings- Something that can leave us ruined.

This Diwali let us pledge to bring the change our PM wants us to. Let us contribute whatever we can to the ‘Clean India’ project by saving on and saying ‘no’ to fireworks and power-lit bulbs. Now that would mean a twofold dominance. Plus, go for clay-made idols and let the Indian artisans fetch value for their hard endeavors. Along with, how sacred would it be if we could share God’s and Goddess’s idols, diyas, and sweets with those who though wish to be a part of the celebration, however, lack the means to afford? You would agree that a piece of sweets in the hands of the poor would lessen the gap of rich and poor on one hand and will fetch the donors some blessings on the other. Make this Diwali ‘Pure Diwali’. Returning to our roots- Let us make the start of this festive time, the day of Dhanteras (birthday of Goddess Lakshmi) a day dedicated to Her. Then will be the Naraka Chaturdasi (Choti Diwali), the day we shall pledge to make colorful by way of Rangoli. Diwali, the ultimate day, should see real remembrance of God Ram and his principles this year, followed by Govardhan Puja (the fourth day of Diwali celebrated by way of building cow dung hillocks and offering prayers to Lord Govardhan) and finally the day of sister-brother loving relationship, Bhai Duj.

What if we step ahead this Diwali, knock the doors of the ones who are powerless to see the festivities due to lack of vision, and add our names to the list of eye-donors? I am sure that you would never have experienced such satisfying Diwali if you could pass on the light of God to someone in need. My suggestions are not exhaustive and any of the good deeds of yours that can further enhance the glory of Hinduism are welcomed.

Finally, to the government- We, the common men of India, know the evils of our way of relishing Diwali. You, being the law-making body, should along with appealing to the people for nil use of fireworks and zero depletion of power, also frame such stern laws and rules, the prohibition of which shall lead to severe punitive actions. I can assure constructive mass awakening.

Hereunder is a glimpse of the work of Late Smt. Chauhan, mind and soul awakening, substantiating that God seeks true devotion, not our purchases.

देव!तुम्हारेकईउपासककईढंगसेआतेहैं

सेवामेंबहुमूल्यभेंटवेकईरंगकीलातेहैं I

धूमधाम से साजबाज से वे मंदिर में आते हैं

मुक्तामणि बहुमूल्यवस्तुएं लाकर तुम्हे चढ़ाते हैं I

मैं ही हूँ गरीबनी ऐसी जो कुछ साथ नहीं लाई

फिर भी साहस कर मंदिर में पूजा करने को आई I

धूप दीप नैवैद्य नहीं हैं झांकी का श्रृंगार नहीं

हाय! गले में पहनाने को फूलों का भी हार नहीं I

कैसे करूँ कीर्तन, मेरे स्वर में है माधुर्य नहीं

मन का भाव प्रगट करने को वाणी में चातुर्य नहीं I

नहीं दान है, नहीं दक्षिणा खाली हाथ चली आई

पूजा की विधि नहीं जानती, फिर भी नाथ चली आई I

पूजा और पुजापा प्रभुवर! इसी पुजारिन को समझो

दान-दक्षिणा और निछावर इसी भिखारिन को समझो I

मैंउन्मत्तप्रेमकीप्यासी,हृदयदिखनेआईहूँ

जोकुछहै,वहयहीपासहै,इसेचढानेआईहूँ I

चरणोंपरअर्पितहै,इसकोचाहोतोस्वीकारकरो

यहतोवस्तुतुम्हारीहीहै,ठुकरादोयाप्यारकरो I

It was not just the cancellation of 122 odd licenses awarded by a dishonest telecom minister, but was much more than that. In 2012, when the honorable Supreme Court announced revocation of 2G spectrum almost 80 million customers; banks who lent INR 30,000 crore to five firms; companies who shared infrastructure; and foreign investors including Norway’s Telenor and Russia’s Sistema went into a state of anarchy. This is not a single incident that led to an environment wherein stakeholders lost trust in the Indian market. Now criticizing the same does not mean that the same should not have happened. Justice, for sure, is above anyone’s interest or loss. But am I wrong in saying that ‘economy’ is a synonym of ‘country’? And for a stable economy, surety of business is indispensable. The mistake, of course, was committed by the legislatures, but what about the sufferers who followed the prescribed regulations and extended money and labor? I can remember what Justice AK Ganguly, added to his verdict, ‘I am only doing my job’, knowing the ruin that the judgment would do to the Indian corporate sector.

Recent is the Apex Court’s judgment in the Coalgate scam where the honorable judges scrapped 214 coal blocks and ordered auction of the same post 6 months of judgment. Prior to coming to the consequences, let us notice that the court also asked companies to pay INR 295 per tonne of coal they extract and that too with retrospective effect. In case you had prepared the budgets and forecasts for the year, please rework. We are all aware of the scarcity of coal with power plants and the subsequent impact on Indian industrial sector. Also, households are paying hefty charges for electricity. Banks, which extended loans to companies, will suffer from steeply rising bad debt liability (Indian banking sector has an exposure of more than INR 5 lakh crore to the power sector). Of all the banks, the public sector bank, PNB has a peak exposure at 2.6 per cent of total advances to the mining sector. Others are the NBFCs ranging from REC and IDFC to the Power Finance Corporation. Something vital to note from the judgment are the words of the honorable judge, ‘There was no proper application of mind in distribution of coal blocks’. Plus, the court commented on lack of transparency and paramount irregularity.

We all agree that the honorable court accorded supreme place to justice. And integrity, indeed, must prevail. Nevertheless, the pain of those who without any fault fall into the grip of helplessness is something that in case not taken care of can fade away even the tough labors of the new Indian PM. ‘Make in India’ can succeed, but business security is the foremost essential. Even the susceptible stock market has a safety device, Investor Protection Fund to defend investors. Then how can the fund-seeking corporate sector of India prove detrimental to investors who extend substantial capital? But the democratic arrangement places judiciary above all, which in fact is lawful too. Who then is at fault? Yes we all know. They, however, are at fault since decades. Something relaxing, if has happened in the recent past, is the verdict of courts against high-profile politicians, put behind the bars. The rest, however, will learn, is not assured. Another depressing fact is the statement given by S&P’s credit analyst that Supreme Court’s ruling in the Coalgate can hurt significantly improved investor sentiments towards Indian corporate sector.

World Bank has lately predicted India’s economic growth at 6.4 per cent in the FY 2015-16 and has also said that the country is benefitting from ‘Modi dividend’. Share market is bullish and so are the entrepreneurs, but the recent conclusion by the Apex Court in the Coalgate scam has probed many in-house weaknesses. Remember, overseas fund-providers will not just rely on the pluses of the new government at the center. Rather, while finalizing strategic restructuring and investment visions, the due diligence report focuses on all-around factors that can upset the venture in the long-run. The new Act for the corporate sector, as known to all, is packed with gaps and holdbacks. Then we have lack of consensus between the union and state governments. Scarcity of adequate infrastructure is apparent. Then can we also bear the burden of revocation of concluded business deals? INR 2.87 lakh crore, as submitted by private companies, is the amount that they invested in coal extraction projects. Now, the GOI is seeking legal opinion in the matter of annulment of title deeds and forfeiting of bank guarantees. Mess, all over.

Anything we say, the judiciary will do its job, rightful and intact, and this is what we all expect from our honorable wing of democracy. A workable resolution can be agreement between the judiciary and the legislative wing. What about setting a threshold limit for business transactions that involve government and private players as parties, and then placing a supervisory judicial board to assure arm’s length dealing? From the beginning till the conclusion of such business deals, a judicial personality should have the power to administer, and upon completion, such deals should become unalterable. Along with, the government can set up a board, with legislative and judicial members, to prepare a due diligence report of hefty dealings. Once approved, corporate players must have the immunity from being harassed or penalized later. An Investor Education and Protection Fund can be created which shall be funded from the compulsory CSR aid. The Fund will advise domestic and overseas investors beyond resolving grievances and making good any authentic loss to the corporate houses. Let us hope that the new government and the new CJI will think over the prevailing pulls in the Indian market and will curb them.

Lastly, can I request India’s honorable and worthy judges to also notice the pain of the corporate houses, their shareholders, and employees prior to declaring a deal void ab initio? There is no harm in assessing the overall impact of a decision, though we respect the fact that the judiciary bears the burden of uprightness. But righteousness cannot be at the cost of guiltless. Invalidation of deals is untenable. International and indigenous investors, who extended money, labors and time in the 2G and Coal allocation ventures, now stand crumbled. Wouldn’t the milieu be much auspicious in case the honorable court had also awarded compensation, by nationalizing the developed substructure, to make good the loss incurred by investors who followed the prescribed laws? Or at least, an option to pay the amount as per the prevailing market prices so as to carry on operations. Penalize dishonest officials and ministers rather. It is high time that the suffering of business houses be paid apt heed to. A commission, with ministers, fiscal and judicial experts, and veteran judges as members, must develop such a setup that decisions once taken by the GOI, and involving weighty allotments/ sanctions and grant of licenses be made irrevocable guaranteeing stable business atmosphere to investors.

Politics is no fair job, we all know this. A political party, which being in power had no daring to respond to the attacks of ill-behaving neighbors, is now claiming that the new Indian PM has just a 5.6 inches chest. The blame game continues, and so does Pak’s ill conduct at the border. What is the opposition party, or India’s common man expecting? I can hear many talking of responding to Pakistan with heavy weapons. Have we paid heed to a fact that Pak’s violation of ceasefire has abruptly amplified post the economy of India has shown signs of recovery? Let me remind you that the war of 1999 between India and Pakistan occurred in the months when India was about to elect a stable union government, after the loss of power due to lack of allies. From Obama to Bill Gates and from overseas investors to credit rating agencies, the world has unexpectedly become auspicious towards India. Believe it or not, Pakistan’s ideology has been and will always be ‘anti-India’, rather than ‘progressive-Pak’. The nation run by the army, which in no way seeks accord with India, is in fact an army with a state and not a state with army. 

Be certain. What does India want? A Prime Minister busy making war strategies or a PM planning for economic and social evolution, an army with casualties at the border or an armed force ensuring national peace, homes with toilets or houses with mortar marks? I am assured that every worthy Indian would pick opulence; leave aside those who make paybacks even by placing the nation at stake. Should the government care for those 1 million Indians who have relocated owing to violence at the border or shall the policy-makers devote all their time in fixing things with an ever-disobedient neighbor? I have just learnt that three kids go missing from the India Gate every day. Mentioning this is essential. Because resources are limited and will always be. Then why waste them until pressingly warranted? The new government has taken over a shattered economy, which demands devotion and tough labors. Moving resources towards anything like war would mean a recurrence of what happened in 1999. It is estimated that India expended INR 10,000 crore to teach a lesson to Pakistan in Kargil. Then we had loss of lives, property, and natural resources. Resorting to war as the last option is rational and favorable too. 

Coming to those who find yield in invoking tensed conditions. Men of the political party, that prior to May 2014 had the control, can easily be expected to follow the path they are pursuing. ‘Political mileage’, you can term it. But is the Indian electronic media on a way to nation-building? Discussions and arguments are now prime time shows, and the same are indispensable in a democracy. However, the thin line of demarcation between responsible and immature has to be identified. Arousing the sensation of patriotism can be workable notion, but allowing panelists to openly blame government’s stance cannot be endurable. TRPs of new channels even cross high-end TV dramas, then publicizing a message that would compel the common man to believe that the GOI is helpless while dealing with war-like conditions is unlawful. Healthy criticism of government’s viewpoint towards economic, social, or political domain is welcomed, but debating over a subject concerned with national security and integrity, and that too when the anchor or the so-called ‘intellectual panelists’ have nil pressure to take prudent decisions, is detrimental. In such a milieu, banning dialogues on matters related to Home, External Affairs, and Defence Ministry is the sole option since India’s supremacy is above freedom to speech. 

‘Coward’, they can term you if you do not bombard a missile in reply to a bullet. Seeing news and reading editorial is a stress-free job. But the elected government manages all spheres and is accountable for the subsequent gains/ damages. At one hand, when the poor of India are scuffling for apt medical and health services, can it be permissible to focus on ‘how to teach Pakistan a lesson for a lifetime’? Pak, where the democratic form of government has no vital role in framing foreign or security policies, is led either by a group of extremists or the army. Deviating India from the concrete pathway that leads to inclusive growth and stable economy seems to be the sole target. Shall India then go for something that can, in a second, ruin the rigid endeavors of the new PM? The cost of war does not end when the fight stops, it continues till decades. Building the crashed infrastructure, paying medical and disability costs to the wounded, and dealing with the pressure of lenders will take years to revert to balanced position. Are we ready for high interest rates, hefty tax burdens, lesser work prospects, and mounted budget deficit? A war is the death of many, depression for the survivors, and shock to financial deftness. 

Let us aspire for a wise verdict from the administrators of India, who I am sure, are far more concerned about the nation’s security than the ones aiming for ‘news-bites’. What the Home Minister has lately conveyed is enough for a neighbor who knows that Indian army and security forces rank way above. Pakistan is hurt with global attention towards India, which has been a concern for them since past six decades. Of course, when time warrants a war, every Indian will be the first to deliver national service. Until then, the citizens, corporate houses, and global partners expect India to pursue development. For the armed forces, the Defence Minister has well-ordered to strike back at the attacks to ‘make the cost of Pak’s adventurism unaffordable’, while officials anticipate a cutback in the unprovoked firing soon. The ‘no talks until such violations stop’ approach is the best, which the Indian rulers are already pursuing. As a piece of suggestion for the ‘worried opposition’ parties, understand that this subject involves India’s peace and global repute. Shouting merely for media coverage will serve no purpose, rather request PM for an all-party meet for a productive argument, or approach the Lok Sabha Speaker or the honorable President of India for the same. For media houses, India’s pride is way above your TRPs, stop being sensational and creating hypes, confusions, and threats. Indians, be assured that the Modi-led GOI will leave no stone unturned for India’s pride.

Now that all of us know the mishap at the Incheon Asian Games, let me tell you a few more depressing facts. L Sarita Devi, the Indian boxer people are talking about these days, had to scuffle hard, or shall I say, beg (I am sorry, brave heart), for the USD 500, the fee for lodging a protest for mala fide judging. Further, the appellate board told that the judges’ decision cannot be reversed, while the USD 500 fee wasn’t returned. Then, we hear that the medal has been awarded back to the boxer post she filed an apology in writing, which was something that Indian officials coerced her to do. Busy celebrating the gold won by another Indian iconic boxer, the same officials were nowhere when the judges bluntly awarded a dishonest decision against Sarita Devi. What more to expect. Let me also tell you that the IOA (Indian Olympics Association) is currently headed by former BCCI president, N. Srinivasan’s brother. While he was being elected, he was the only contender for the position; hence you can imagine the ‘fair voting system’. 

Known to us all is the appalling fact that the IOC (International Olympic Committee) suspended IOA on 4 December 2012 due to corruption in the process of election within the Association and non-adherence of IOC rules. The ban was revoked on 11 February 2014 only when the IOA conducted fresh polls. This can never be a normal happening. A body responsible for selecting athletes to represent the nation at Olympics and other international athletic meets lost recognition for 14 long months. And then we say that China and USA are the nations our athletes shall aim to compete with. Leave aside the scarcity of quality sites and tools for players, even the talented players, capable to fetch respect for India at global platforms, are left to destiny by the officials. The lady who brought India first medal at the 2014 Asian Games, Shweta Chaudhary, had to manage with a bronze as the serial number of her regular pistol was conveyed incorrect to the Korean custom by Indian officials. Nonetheless, she had no regrets and blamed no one. 

All this isn’t new. The laidback approach of Indian sports bodies is widely acknowledged but rarely anyone dares to challenge the setup. We talk of corruption in ministries and government offices, but these autonomously working bodies, which are not answerable to any statutory authority, are never paid heed to. The sports ministry has been asking for details of expenses on IOA and NSFs (National Sports Federations) officials during the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Moreover, the ministry also questioned the IOA for sponsoring sports federations’ officials to the Asian Games basis that the amount spent on sending these unwanted people could be better expended on good governance. The Cycling Federation of India recommended a Congress MP and his wife for a ‘paid trip’ to Incheon; while on the other hand, India was charged with USD 10,000 for withdrawing from seven sports at the last minute. Where is the IOA focusing? Same is the case with the BCCI or the Indian Hockey Federation, bodies that many a times make headlines for corrupt behavior by officials and coerced process of polls. 

And let me also tell you that these so-called autonomous bodies are not free from the clutches of politics. With many politicians heading state councils of BCCI and NSFs, it is expected that the sports ministry must have a control over the operations of these rich federations. But the irony is that the most affluent cricket board of the world, the BCCI, works as per self-designed laws, which do not allow transparency in operations. Beyond understanding are the instances when we hear the addition of cricketers in the Indian cricket team backed by close nexus with the members of the selection committee. Contracts awarded to Nimbus and Sony by the BCCI, though are under suspicion, but the probe cannot be initiated. The Supreme Court of India in 2012 commented ‘Cricket should be kept free from politics and the game should not become a ball for politicians’. This was in reaction to the row where some officials parted ways with Bihar Cricket Association (headed by Lalu Prasad Yadav) to form Cricket Association of Bihar.  

While SAI (Sports Authority of India), a nodal agency of the Sports Ministry of India funds training programmes for many sports, the ministry does not have an exclusive control over the functioning of sports agencies. Almost every of the sports federations, though at liberty from the supervision of the government, have politicians as members/ heads. Let me also tell you that the Table Tennis Federation of India has MP Dushyant Chautala, son of Ajay Chautala as the VP. Likewise, the All India Football Federation has Praful Patel as Chairman. Vijay Kumar Malhotra heads the Archery Association of India, Akhilesh Das Gupta heads the Badminton Association of India, Raninder Singh heads the National Rifle Association of India, Abhishek Matoria is the President of Indian Amateur Boxing Federation, Vidya Stokes is the lifetime patron of Hockey India, and Birendra Prasad Baishya heads the Indian Weightlifting Federation. It is apparent that with political men competing for positions in sports bodies, veteran sportsmen stand no chance of playing an apt role for the betterment of relative game.  

When the Indian sportsmen represent the country worldwide, the union government is supposed to be the decisive controller. ‘India’ is the state they play for, not for any of the federations. To avoid distressing instances and malpractices, as have happened in the recent past, the ministry will have to knock down uncontrolled sports federations, which have become a home to politics and uselessness. Sooner than later, the GOI will have to curtail such quasi-political setup. Herein, the federations and boards should be made a statutory wing of the SAI. Plus, political intervention, of any manner, should be stopped. Headed by capable bureaucrats with former expert sportsmen as members of respective advisory boards, indeed, these bodies will function more proactively and unbiasedly. Only then we can expect timely allocation of funds, unbiased selection, and India’s domination in the arena of sports. For speedy advancement of sportsmen and to elevate the sports milieu of India, curbing the present state of affairs is much-needed. Else, we can continue cheering mere one or two gold medals in Olympics. But then, stop expecting much from Indian sportsmen.

Happy we are, but would our attendance at the venue where the Ravana statue will be put to ground by God Ram be enough? Or just by sending across messages with inspiring thoughts, will we serve any good to the society? The modern Hinduism has just confined itself to speaking of pluses, while the society, of which we all are the members, is busy ruining the teachings of Ramayana. God Ram is in our discussions, our thoughts, our Temples, but is He in our deeds too? Why did someone pen down the incidents relating to Ram and why is the mankind following those rites and celebrations until today? For sure, the ancestors wanted the upcoming generations to absorb goods that bonded men. From past many years, we have been debating over the rising prices and pervasive corruption, but did we care to notice our participation in all such ills? The poor households do not relish crackers, do not have access to sweets, and rarely do they buy new clothes to celebrate Dussehra or Diwali. Do we care?

Now you may ask what role can a common man play when the job of ensuring inclusive affluence has been entrusted topolitical men. Have we then also delegated the task of building a better environment for our children to the government? Or why did Ram kill the king of Lanka? Was it just the forced take away of Sita that led to the defeat of the mighty Ravana? You would agree that the incident substantiates a basic fact that good always rules over the bad and that ego is vulnerable to downfall. The character of Lord Ram is not just confined to a loyal husband, son, or brother. It embraces love for all the men and women that combine to form a society. Lord Ram’s persona is beyond a trusty king serving his province. But yes, for the rulers of today, He is a model to replicate. Believe me, Ravana is alive, and he rests within all of us. Just recall the last incident when you cheated your parents, your colleague, your boss, or someone else from the society. Recall how rude you are many a time, how egoistic you become at trivial feats, and how self-seeking you are when you foresee success.

I will boil down to the subject that we are celebrating today. Dussehra, as we usually term it, has been derived from a Sanskrit expression, ‘Dasha Hara’, which means ten of the badattributes lying within us that we should look to win over. Kama Vasna (Lust), Krodha (Anger), Moh (Attachment), Lobha (Greed), Mada (Over Pride), Matsara (Jealousy), Swartha (Selfishness), Anyaaya (Injustice), Amanavta (Cruelty), and Ahankara (Ego) are the ten evils that a human shall surpass. But do we pay any heed to these preaching of God. Busy we are in buying clothes and crackers; however inner cleanliness is something that we always overlook. A day of work-off and we feel relaxed and duty-free. While relishing the back to back fireworks on the day of Dussehra, shall we not analyze what bad lies inside us that too needs to be burnt? Those lessons of ourtextbooks that embraced the good works of Ram and Krishna find no place in our lives once we step out of schooldays. And then we say, ‘To survive in this cruel world, one has to be cruel.’ Tell me, ‘Are we not the ones who make this world?’

The statues of Ravana, Kumbhkarana, and Meghnaad do not just denote minds with ill ambitions. Their collapse symbolizes a statistic that rulers are to be humans first. In the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, lies the key to living. How to manage family, society, and the reign is all covered in the books of our existence. From life to birth, childhood to old age, and dharma to adharma, the epics in themselves are an inclusive piece to moksha. Yes, today’s India and Indians are sensing a change, achange from decades old form of politics, governance, andsocial divide. But will it be authentic to pass over all the liabilities to rulers? Why then we deserve a holiday for Dussehra and Diwali? History and principles of Hinduism convey an aptmessage that a human, be it of any religion/ caste, is the creation of God. Why then the ‘we’ has been overshadowed by ‘I’? With new clothes, we will not be able to overcome the internal evils. For the same, we need self-realization. To rise from where we are, a revolution is the need of the hour.

Of course, everyone has to identify inner faults, but prior to expecting the same from others, shall we not lead from the front.I saw the Prime Minister of India with a broom on national news channel. Even you saw the same. But we debated, admired/ criticized, and believed that our job is over. Think how many Ravanas reside in our society today and is there even one Ram to kill them? Then why not to be a Ram ourselves by killing the evil Ravana, who takes us to the path of greed, injustice and lust? ‘Vijayadashmi’, the other synonym for Dussehra, means win over the ten bad qualities within you. The day not just seeks our participation in fireworks, but expects that we realize the vitality of good deeds and incorporate the attributes of Lord Ram’s personality in our own. Ram is not a historic icon; He is anever-ending symbol of love, impartiality and dharma. This Dussehra let us pledge to be honest towards the society, our country, and the world as a whole. Let us put to ground the ten evils and be a Ram.

When I look at one of the calendars at my workplace, a hefty list embracing 34 holidays seems soothing enough. Those red dates in the month are looked upon by most of us as relaxing and cheerful days. Being a secular nation with abundance of religions and customs, India is one of the most liberal countries in terms of work-offs. And if I will ask you the underlying cause for a specific holiday, most of us will search for the same on Google. Then why not search for number of public holidays allowed in nations that rank above us both in terms of GDP growth rate and Human Development Index. Sorry to say, but we would all welcome a declared paid holiday on ‘Ravidas Jayanti’; however only a few of us know about his contribution towards the society. Moreover, the exact motive behind declaring some days of the year as public holidays is unknown. Did we want just a reason to take some rest from work, or did we want the public to realize the meaning of such days when a prominent person was born or a critical event took place? Tell me justly, do we ever recall the teachings of great Indian men while relishing offs? 

Anyways, we rarely care to remember the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi on the 2^nd of every October; however, yes we plan the fun activities for the day weeks before. The Human Resource Management modules these days advocate ‘People First’ principle, wherein all workplaces must provide a harmless and enjoyable milieu to employees, incentives for innovation, recognition for traveling the extra mile, and breaks from work to maintain lasting interest. I can understand the role of the initial three concepts; however either we have misinterpreted the concept of breaks from work or we are willingly allowing the productivity to hamper. The new ‘5-days’ working culture became popular with the advent of IT and BPM sector. And then we have those ‘Monday Blues’ with feelings of anxiety and the ‘Friday Fever’ with the enthusiasm of the weekend. Yes, the same could have been an acceptable theory in case we valued the ‘Work while work and play while play’ idea. But are Indians, or more precisely, most of the Indians, ready for this model? 

As per the directions issued by the Department of Economic Affairs (Banking Division), Indian banks relish 15 public holidays, which embrace occasions and celebrations for all the religions prevailing in the nation. Sunday is a universal rest-day. But, the local shops of any locality and even the multiplexes/ supermarkets work 24x7x365. Yes, they make profits, the workforce enjoys work, and the contribution to national GDP is eminent. But how do they manage such work culture? Rotational shifts, fun at work and roster offs balance the tough job and employees’ expectations. Even the IT and BPM industry calls the workforce for extended shifts and variable week-offs to manage the demand-supply equilibrium. In the public sector, however, the list of 15 holidays is abruptly enlarged by respective state governments in view of public appeasement. Not rare are the instances when political parties with specific vote bank declare public holidays on days which are of prominence to only a small cluster. Loss of business? – Who cares. 

We repeatedly hear about caste-based reservation system and caste-based rallies (most common in states like U.P. and Maharashtra), but no one talks of caste-based holidays which are consistently eating up our viability. FYI- The BSP-led state government of the U.P. declared October 9, the death anniversary of party’s founder, Kanshi Ram, as a public holiday; however the SP-led government cancelled the same after assuming power in 2012. And the irony is that not even a trivial percentage of state employees or school children knew why they were off from work on October 9. Is someone caring for nation-building, or is everybody busy in luring the vote bank? Shouldn’t the government at the center revoke all such negative powers of states? If you take away all Saturdays and Sundays, public holidays, and paid casual/ sick leaves, almost every wage earner in India works even for less than 200 days. And then we wander for development. Adding to the curse is access to social networking websites, personal emails, messages, and calls during work hours. Isn’t banning the same while work lawful? Remember, until we take up our work as a fundamental social duty, we can never anticipate success. 

As per the BBC, every bank holiday in the U.K. costs the U.K. economy £2.3 billion. In India, when the bank employees opted for strike against a change in the Banking Laws Bill, ASSOCHAM estimated per day loss to the economy as INR 15,000 crore. We know that the banking system is the backbone of our economy. Same is the case with other public departments which are set up for the sole purpose of uplifting the economy. The common men, most of whom are free from work liabilities on Sundays, face a condition of distress when every public office, be it the local municipality or a nationalized bank, have their doors closed. Imagine how weighty would be the detriment to the economy when apart from the statutory 15 public holidays, even most of the states have framed their own Industrial Establishment Holidays Acts, wherein firms are directed to declare a paid holiday for specific days, which most of the times are of regional connotation. The milieu is alarming as even during working hours, we deliver sub-optimal outcomes. 

It is evident that offs from work are legitimate only to the extent they do not hamper productivity. Herein, declaring only the three days of national importance as statutory holidays and allowing five other optional days for paid leaves can be a workable notion. The optional holidays can be cheered by the employee on any of the days listed, which must be days of prominence. Yes, the culture of ‘5-days’ can be followed; however, the public offices must be made accessible 365 days a year. This can be done by employing extra workforce for Saturdays and Sundays, and also by effecting the variable week-offs system. Possibility of extending the working hours of public offices to 9 pm can also be established. Businesses seek approvals from the government departments, the general public hunts for easily accessible state offices, and the inter-state trade looks for same holiday policies in all states (specifically banks). The new government will have to find ways to cut down the evils of hefty holiday-list and to let the economic environment breathe zealously. Of course, the pain of a common man wandering to pay bills and to file documentation in government departments on Sundays is also to be paid heed to. 

The month of October has gifted a lengthy holiday spell to most of the Indians wherein from the 2^nd till the 6^th many offices would observe paid holidays. As many as 8 holidays on weekdays in a month and then you have those Saturdays and Sundays again. To all- While we are pledging for a cleaner India this October 2^nd, let us also give a deep thought to the concern that is hurting our throughput and development to the core. This vow is a must- “My nation needs my labors, urges for my commitment, and seeks pure work while work; Yes, I am ready to deliver, I am ready to serve my motherland.”

The essence of justice says that every person is innocent unless proven guilty. And the authority lies with the judiciary to adjudge a person guilty of an offence. My purpose of writing will become evident in case I quote the instance of a father and mother affirmed shamefaced to have killed their daughter. And you know the names. Since 2008, and all through the passing years, the media, the police, and those news-bite experts did not leave any stone unturned to make the general public believe that the parents were the slayers. It was in November 2013 that the special CBI court proclaimed the association of parents in the brutal crime; however the public was certain to the core as the verdict was many a times pre-announced by the police and media. Can you fail to recall those reincarnations by the media houses based on the theories projected by the police where they alleged the murdered girl’s sensual connection with the male house-help? We all remember a veteran BJP leader’s pure acquittal in the Ayodhya and in the multi-crore hawala case. Then why blame him of prejudicing the investigation by political stimulus? 

This is just one of those cases where the probable offender is deemed-guilty basis the unsubstantiated equations proposed by the police and media. The recent is the much-hyped Badaun case, which if you will search is listed as ‘2014- Badaun gang rape’ in the Wikipedia. The CBI, however, has established zero evidences for sexual assault. And in case the discoveries come true, what about those detained men who would re-live their public lives; however with a tag of deemed-rapist? ‘Breaking News’, which most of the times comes from ‘sources’, makes every endeavor to validate whatever is stated. Just lately, the CBI reported to the court that the agency could not establish any connection between mala fide activities and a highly regarded Indian entrepreneur in the Coal-Gate scam. Now, would the same CBI or the media houses that adjudged the industrialist as guilty pay for the losses incurred in the business owing to a blow to his reputation? No. Post such failures, none of the probing agencies stand liable for harms to the acquitted. 

Bloomberg has claimed that the evil of ‘paid news’ is decomposing Indian democracy. It is now quite easy to ruin the public life of any individual by bribing either the police or a media house. Considerable to note, post the toughening of rape law in 2013, acquittal rate in rape cases has gone as high as 75 per cent. But would these 75 per cent be able to lead a normal and reputable public life owing to the sensational claims made by the police in many of these cases ending with declaring the apparent offender as guilty? The list of such cases is not exhaustive and ranges from violations linked with murders, corruption, rapes, and cheating. And extending from shattering the public life to sullying the business/ career, the outcomes take away even the basic right of a person to lead a cherished and peaceful life. The catastrophe does not end here. A deemed-guilty even when led free by the court remains a suspect in any of the wrongs that subsequently happen. What a wretched conclusion of our constitutional rights and privileges. 

The most vulnerable to this obscenity are the renowned individuals viz. the politicians, businessmen, film stars, and bureaucrats. Politicians were once considered as men who for the service of the mankind and economy abandon their personal lives. In the Indian political setup, however, with many politicians held as suspects in scams and crimes the general public regards the entire community as cheats. Same is the case with corporate houses, the crucial leaders of which are named in police/ CBI charge sheets, leaving the hard-earned business reputation at stake. Our bureaucracy is usually acknowledged as the most crooked wing; however, the list of bureaucrats declared guilty by the court of law is noticeably trivial. And the common man, who has every right to be respected in the society, is deprived of all such honors once he is charged with misconduct, many a times even without any substantial evidences. The ones, able to get out untainted, are blamed to have prejudiced the judiciary with misuse of political power or money. The gravity is severe and hence Indians’ constitutional rights ask for some quick actions. 

Holding of press conferences the same day when the case is recorded in no way makes sense. The investigating agencies, with their rushed disclosures and verdicts, rule out the accused as guilty there and then. The enduring part is played by the media and the accused has no other option than to live in a state of anarchy. More flavors are added by the lawyers of both sides who voluntarily give news-bites to press. To my valued government officials- Sir/ Madam, the public appreciates your devotion towards work; however premature exposes leave the accused in dejection. Appearances on TV are not that important, the reputation of the accused, however, is a life-long earning. All of us know what happens in the search operations of IT Department when the eager officials adjudge cash and gold holding as illicit, but later findings find the same as untainted. The public standing of any ‘deemed-guilty’ is what we all need to preserve, always. 

Let me share an incident where an NGO filed a petition with the Delhi High Court over sharing of information with the media by the investigating agency in Delhi serial bomb blasts case. The petition said, ‘Delhi Police is leaking info claimed to be obtained by them in the course of interrogation into a case to the media and the manner in which the media publishes the same, apart from being defamatory in nature, also affects the fundamental right of the accused to a fair trial.’ The Court not just issued notice to the Centre and the city police, but also said, ‘It is a serious issue. Such press conferences go beyond giving information to hamper the investigation. You are an investigating agency. Don’t you know how to preserve evidences?’ It is thus evident that apart from damaging the repute of the accused, Indian investigating agencies also leak substantial information during press releases, or shall I say hurried press releases. Forget justice or fair trial in the particular case, such immature acts even lead to additional detriment. 

Now, either the new rulers or the Apex Court of India should step in at the earliest. Infringement of rights listed under the constitution is apparent in such conditions; hence firm guidelines have to be established to prevent further breach. Investigating squad, lawyers in the ongoing suit, media houses, and other government officials must be directed to preserve the findings of the case, which are prone to take twist and turns subsequently. Press releases by police and re-creations by media are not to be allowed unless one of the courts of law adjudges the defendant as guilty. The other side of the coin though demands flow of facts in the public domain; however this can only be said in case of proven facts. Little knowledge is a dangerous thing- An old proverb says.

Despite the extensive reforms that India’s indirect tax system has undergone since 1991, our country still has a highly fragmented, inefficient and distortionary tax structure characterized by multiple tax rates, barriers to inter-state trade and cascading of taxes. The numerous amendments over the years have also made it one of the most complicated legislations in the country. As a result, considerable time and large amounts of money are spent by both the taxpayers as well as the government in long-drawn tax disputes, which in turn locks up billions of rupees in taxes. All these tend to hike up the cost of our products and services.

Besides this, the firms that desire to sell across states face a border tax, local sales tax, central service tax, federal excise, central sales tax and other duties that often vary from state to state and from product to product. This multiple tax system has increased incentives for corruption. Moreover, over the past few years, India has witnessed long-drawn litigations with regard to cross-border transactions and transfer pricing issues involving big multinationals such as the Vodafone Group, IBM, Royal Dutch Shell and Nokia, which have made headlines internationally and also dampened foreign investor sentiment in India.

In this fast-globalizing world when developed nations are striving to bring down tariff barriers, our Union government has also been trying to introduce a simple, stable and predictable indirect tax regime comprising a national sales tax known as the Goods and Services Tax (GST). It aims to streamline the tax administration and creating a single, unified market, while also bringing in higher revenue for the Central government and the states. Unfortunately, as GST requires a Constitutional Amendment and ratification by half the state governments, its implementation has been pushed back several times since it was first announced in the Union Budget of 2007-08.

Furthermore, the 115^th Constitution Amendment Bill was introduced in Parliament in March 2011, but consensus on the modalities of the GST has remained elusive. However, according to latest media reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given directions for GST to be rolled out by April 2016. On September 15, 2014 Mr Modi met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to find out how far the GST preparations have progressed.

The Finance Ministry has already set up a GST cell headed by a joint secretary-level officer. This cell, which also has officers from the Central Board of Excise and Customs, will be the secretariat for the empowered committee of state finance ministers and it will pilot the key bills through Parliament and monitor their subsequent progress through state legislatures. The setting up of the cell shows the ministry has now begun to rush the timetable for the GST roll out.

The only way to untie the GST knot is to treat it as a federal (ie, centre-state) issue and not just an economic efficiency issue – which is well known. This means Prime Minister Narendra Modi must wear his old hat as Gujarat CM to sort out the issue from the point of view of the states. Mr Modi has reportedly advised the Finance Ministry to ensure that all the elements are in place, before making the announcement for a nationwide roll-out of the tax. When implemented, GST will replace all the domestic taxes on production and sale of goods and services. While the Finance Ministry is in favor of a single rate of tax in the bill, it has conceded to the demand by the states for a band within which their levies would flourish. Currently, a rate of 12-20% is suggested as tax band, and this is reasonable for growth.

GST thus has two clear beneficiaries – business and central government – and one possible loser, the states. I say ‘possible loser’, because some states will gain from GST and others lose. States as a whole may not lose, but as long as there are some losers, one can hardly blame states for fearing a post-GST world. The Confederation of All India Traders, which has most retailers under its umbrella, has argued for a single rate. Meanwhile, representatives of major industrial houses have stepped up their lobbying with the Centre in a bid to make GST a reality. States are demanding different rates of GST. Now irrespective of such diverse demands of stakeholders, the actual rollout of the GST will be the single most economic reform in our country.

Likely challenges in implementation of GST

Implementation of GST may not be easy in view of the many glitches and diverse challenges that are likely to crop up right from the beginning. Some of the expected challenges are as follows:

1. The federal character of the Constitution of India gives autonomy to states to raise their own revenues. Accordingly, our Constitution gives powers to the Union and the states to levy and collect taxes as per Union, State and Concurrent List. So, one of the major challenges to the introduction of GST is the apprehension of states that the federal system would get diluted. As such, implementing the proposed GST legislation across the country will require a Constitutional Amendment via voting in both houses of Parliament, plus the support of 15 of the 29 state governments.
2. GST has to be implemented simultaneously by the central and state governments. While doing so, the central government would only be able to offer the proverbial carrot, but cannot weld the stick as it doesn’t have the constitutional authority to impose such ideas on the states. In this scenario, some states may express stiff opposition to GST fearing loss of autonomy. So the Centre would be at the mercy of the state governments with regard to this decision. And striving to arrive at a consensus among all the 29 states having different political parties with their own ideologies and agendas won’t be an easy task.
3. Under GST, taxes would be levied on the basis of the Destination Principle, which means goods and services would be taxed where they are finally sold or rendered. As such, many state governments have a fear that they may lose revenue or may have to forgo some portion of the tax they may otherwise be entitled to. Though the central government has put forward a tax revenue sharing program, some States are yet not fully convinced of its feasibility.
4. In the initial stages of its implementation, the Indian economy is likely to witness high inflation rates, and product prices may go up. The central and state governments may also have to incur unanticipated administrative costs thereby pushing up tax collection costs. There are also concerns that the tax burden on the low income group may go up. Furthermore, the industries would also need some handholding to understand GST mechanism and to be able to follow them faithfully.
5. Finally, implementation of GST may not be easy to begin with, given the migration to a new and untested information technology (IT) system. Even more difficult would be tackling the complex taxes and integrating them into the new model. For example, CENVAT conversion to an input tax credit mechanism could be complicated and excise duties, exemptions, conversion of specific tariffs into ad valorem duties, etc would add further layers to the task. So, one of the biggest challenges in the run up to the GST is setting up of a national IT framework that can act as a clearing house for the taxation of inter-state movement of goods.

Why GST should now top India’s agenda

Currently, the GST system is the most important taxation reform that is being contemplated in our country. Any tax-related reform is difficult to implement, and in a federal republic like India where states weld immense powers, the related problems tend to get compounded. So despite all the likely glitches and challenges, the Union government should go ahead and expeditiously implement the GST framework as it will bring in the following advantages and benefits for the stakeholders.

1. The GST framework will usher in a simple, stable and predictable indirect tax regime. It would also be a comprehensive and all-encompassing tax on both goods and services as they pass through the value chain. It would replace most of the complex multiple taxes that are currently being imposed at various levels by the central and state governments as well as the local bodies and thereby make India a single market. Thus, GST aims to economically unify our country by removing all kinds of barriers to trade among states. As such, the supply chain would become faster, seamless and more efficient.
2. The introduction of the GST system will ensure a transparent, unambiguous and easy-to-comply-with tax law that will ease the pressure on industry and help growth. Hence, as soon as GST is implemented, our country’s GDP is expected to receive a big boost because of a major drop in transaction costs. Economists and industry analysts believe GST will add as much as 1.5-2 percentage points to the growth rates. At a time when the Indian economy is sub-performing, this measure has the potential to kickstart a new investment cycle. The manufacturing sector in particular will be a big beneficiary of GST as the economic system becomes more competitive.
3. The benefits of GST are obvious. It is a self-policing tax with little scope for avoidance because whenever anyone sells a good or service he adds the fixed rate of GST to it. However, since he will get a rebate on GST already paid on goods and services bought from his suppliers, he will demand proof of GST payment by his suppliers. Thus all GST taxpayers ensure that GST is paid by their suppliers to get the rebate.
4. As GST is aligned with a corresponding information technology platform, the tax payment system will get streamlined. With manufacturing growth, the objective of employment generation on a large scale will also be promoted. Simultaneously, in the long run, GST would also help moderate inflation by the lowering of transaction costs. Timely credit refund, where applicable, will incentivize firms in compliance, which in turn will bring in more revenues for both the central and state governments. Eventually, India will have a better tax system that is rational, standardized and stable and also simple, fair and neutral.
5. The GST system will immensely benefit the Indian economy as it will simplify India’s tax structure, broaden the tax base, and create a common market across states. It will also ensure a transparent, unambiguous and easy-to-comply-with tax law that will ease the pressure on industry and help growth, which in turn will lead to increased compliance and push up India’s tax-to-gross domestic product ratio. According to a study conducted by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), GST is expected to increase economic growth by between 0.9% and 1.7%. Exports are expected to increase by between 3.2% and 6.3%, while imports will rise between 2.4% and 4.7%.
6. India’s business and corporate sector will also benefit as the average tax burden on business enterprises and companies will decline. This will bring down production costs thereby making our country’s exports more competitive in the international market. The highest rate of taxation under GST is expected to be around 15% in the first year, and it will come down to 12% in the second year. By comparison, the rate of various indirect taxes currently being levied in India amounts to roughly 20% or even more. Goods deemed necessary or of basic importance will be taxed at a lower rate. In view of these benefits, the business sector has already indicated that it will more than welcome the GST.
7. As GST is an all-inclusive tax at the national level on the manufacturing, sale and consumption of goods, it will ensure that Indian consumers are not taxed multiple times like it happens now. This means that taxes like octroi, CENVAT, central sales tax, state sales tax, entry tax, license fees, turnover tax, etc will no longer be present as all of them will be subsumed into GST. This will lead to a more willing and increased compliance, thus increasing the total amount of tax collected and that too at a lower cost of collection. Of greater importance will be the end result – lower costs of goods and services. This will immensely benefit the consumers, leading to more consumption, which in turn will give a major boost to India’s economic growth.
8. GST will not only simplify the taxation structure, but it will also broaden the tax base by bringing more taxable goods and services under its purview. As the proposed GST framework will have two components – a central GST and a state GST, with the central GST going to the centre, and the state GST going to states, none of the states will lose control on their revenues after its implementation. Once the total GST rate is decided, the Central GST and the States GST will be agreed upon. The modalities of sharing of tax revenues with the states and the reimbursement of any shortfall in their tax kitty will also be worked out and a consensus reached on that. The central government has agreed to give states compensation for revenue losses arising out of GST for three years, after its implementation.
9. Furthermore, GST is not simply VAT plus service tax, but a major improvement over the previous system of VAT and disjointed services tax, which is a justified step forward. Moreover, with the collection of both the central and state taxes proposed to be made at the point of sale, there won’t be any confusion about when this has to be paid. Currently, different taxes are collected at different stages of the process so there is a tax on manufacturing, one at the time of sale and even another one when goods move from one place to another. Under the GST all of these will be eliminated making it easier to implement and follow.
10. Finally, as India currently has a complicated tax structure, complying with all the provisions therein tends to make it very burdensome, tedious and time-consuming. Since most businesses also face commercial and legal hassles in this regard, our taxation structure is also corruption prone. The end result is that goods cost more, and customers naturally seek cheaper alternatives. Since India already faces competition from China and other countries, if we continue with the current taxation structure, we will effectively price ourselves out. To avert such an unwelcome scenario, India should invariably implement the GST system as early as possible.

While most of the Indians know about the Reserve Bank of India, only a trivial fraction is aware of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), a statutory body regulating the functioning of the stock market. Bullish trend in the NSE or BSE is cheered by many, but of us how many have actually held shares/ debentures, or for that matter have earned any dividend/ interest? Of course, almost every economist and all books on fiscal matters regard banking and stock market as the backbones of any economy. India has so far been successful (though greater heights have only been attained after the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana) in widening the services and the customer base of banking sector; however the percentage of Indians holding a demat account is still below 2.

Leave futures and options, the irony is that a common man is unfamiliar with NSE, BSE, NSDL, or a Depository Participant. Let me consider this with respect to requirement of funds by any corporate house that, in case zero or low commitment funds are absent, needs to approach banks, financial institutions, and foreign investors. Yes, the scenario will sound more apt if we talk just about the listed companies on recognized SEs; still it cannot be denied that with requisite push to the number of transactions in the SEs, more and more companies would look forward to entering the sphere. Herein, it is vital to note that the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the oldest exchange in Asia, has just over 5000 companies listed, of which more than 1200 are in the suspended category.

Shares, of course, is one of the most relaxed ways for corporate houses to raise money for taking up a new project or for restructuring as they carry nil commitments (dividend is payable only on profits). Bank loans, on the contrary, carry debt servicing charges and hence are to be taken care of even when the business does not prove viable. With respect to shareholders, shares means contributing in the corporate house’s evolution, earning some extra bit which is not possible with fixed rate of interest in banks, and tax benefits. The economy, on the whole, with an upsurge in transactions on share market, profits from controlled foreign liabilities, and much greater savings. Banks and FIs are also to gain with decreased NPAs and reduced burden of handling cumbersome records.

Money vs. Capital market is a gone discussion. Today, every economy knows the crucial role of capital market, without which sustainable development is unmanageable. Herein, the Indian economy embraces just over 20 million demat accounts, of which more than 30 per cent are zero-balance with nil transactions. Another 5-8 per cent is held purely by commodity traders who do not have any equity exposure. The months of February and March this year witnessed record closure of demat accounts (over 52000 closed in January), despite the anticipated bullish trend in the stock market. It was only in 2008, that a push was seen in the number of demat accounts when Coal India came up with India’s largest equity public issue. The Rajiv Gandhi Equity Scheme (RGESS), which was launched with the aim of enhancing equity participation, has not yielded any outcomes.

Enhanced sharing of retail investors is indispensable if the new government is targeting better milieu for corporates and financial inclusion of common man. The RGESS allowed investments by retail investors of up to INR 50,000 in the domestic capital market with 50 per cent tax savings. However, the then-rulers failed to comprehend the fact that even the literate and working section of our society is unaware of the basics of share trading. Those lured towards the bullish trend have lost their money owing to high risks and low data. Experts have many a time revealed how market makers build up market for a particular stock without any fundamentals, owing to which an unknown investor participates with a view to making quick profits, however, ends up losing the hard-earned money when the market abruptly falls. The capital market, in the current state, has made it dreadful for the corporate houses to plan timely expansions and strategic restructurings. Cited hereunder are some proposals to the vibrant new PM.

Prior to launching any scheme such as the RGESS, the concepts of capital market, share trading, risks and gains, and IEPF are to be made acknowledged. Along with, banks and other DPs will have to be encouraged to open no-frills demat accounts, since most of the closures are backed by obligatory annual maintenance charges and nil transactions. The PMJDY model can be replicated. SEBI and the MCA must realign their rules related to IPOs and FPOs. NDSL and CSDL have though provided an apt platform for trading, the quandaries in understanding the milieu, that changes every other second, are to be curbed. Entering into four agreements and 20 signatures for opening a demat account is the primary hurdle. Investor education, both at pre-account opening stage and post-account opening stage, is necessary. Hindrances while investing in overseas stocks, for instances, problems faced by Indians in buying the recently launched Alibaba IPO due to Indian brokers not attracted towards overseas trading accounts, need to be curbed.

It is now a known fact that the intermediaries follow their prospective clients only until they get a demat account opened; however no aids like newsletters or seminars are arranged for making the client aware of the prevailing trends. This renders most of the accounts dormant or losses incurred due to false market trends sponsored by market makers. With limited know-how of the capital market, employees of the PSU banks fail to encourage the prospective customers for demat account opening. In tier-II and tier-III cities, trade fairs, literatures and briefings on capital market can change the current trend. Along with, depositories and stock exchanges are to be stimulated to spend a part of their earnings in organizing investor education programmes. DPs should also be directed to send regular updates to customers with future projections on current stocks so that investments are not based just on the trend set by market makers. Though the list of suggestions is not exhaustive, if the push is accorded to Indian capital market similar to the lately launched PMJDY, viability along with stability can be expected.

The 2014 riches-list of Forbes proudly embraces three Indians.On the contrary, the UN’s list of all countries by Human Development Index has India at the 135th position, while Sri Lanka, Japan, China, Singapore, and Maldives are way above.Inclusive growth may be the target of the new government; however would remain unaccomplished unless one critical concern is paid heed to- Equal distribution of national income.Herein too, the foremost target is to bring as much money as can be possible under the state-revenue basket, which is the solesource of distributing income equally and unbiasedly among various clusters of the society. Of course, you cannot expect private income earners to participate in nation’s development else for contributing by way of taxes on their incomes. Revenues from taxes can be regarded as earned income of government as servicing liabilities are not attached.

In this context, let us leave the income tax levied on individuals (salaried persons) for the matter that they are least exposedtowards tax evasion. Next is the agricultural income that is exempt by virtue of Section 10 (1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.Tax on corporates is what I would link with inclusive growth in the subsequent paragraphs. In India, the corporate tax rate for domestic companies is 30 per cent, while for foreign companies the same is 40 per cent. Thereafter, we have provisions for MAT (Minimum Alternate Tax), CENVAT, Custom and Excise Duty, Service Tax, and VAT; however I will stick to basics. Now prior to analyzing the corporate taxation regime of India, let us see some global aspects. In the U.K., for profits up to £300,000, applicable rate of tax is 20 per cent, which enhances to 21 per cent for profits above £300,000. In the U.S., federal tax rates oncorporates vary from 15 per cent to 35 per cent.

Why there exists a tax differential in the U.K. and U.S.? In the U.S., for corporates with taxable income not over $50,000, the applicable tax rate is 15 per cent. When you will compare the corporate taxation rates globally, India will emerge as one of the uppermost tax-levying nations. While in most of the economies the rates of corporate taxes saw a decline from the period 2006-2014, we haven’t made any such variations. Registered companies have been paying the ever-high tax on their revenues, no matter whether the corporate is a high risk and low revenue business (Leather Tanning and Commercial Banking), or a low risk and high revenue business (IT and BPO services). While on one hand, the new PM is making every endeavor to boost the manufacturing sector, are they considering the impact of equivalent rates of taxation on all corporates; high-risk, low-risk, high-revenue, or low-revenue business activities?

My purpose of writing will become much clear with the following facts. The share of our manufacturing sector in the GDP is just above 15 per cent, while that of the services sector is above 57 per cent. Agriculture remains source of income for more than 50 per cent of our population; however the remaining 50 per cent is divided almost equally among the manufacturing and services sector. Another fact is that while the services sector employs people with specialized skills (engineering, banking, communication); the larger chunk (those from rural parts) is absorbed by the manufacturing sector. Ranging from high interest rates capping consumers’ spending to past government’s sluggish decision-making, one key bottleneck of the manufacturing sector is the ever-high tax rates, whether or not the operating risks/ revenues are high or low. Having stated the manufacturing sector as the Achilles wheel of Indian economy in his interim budget speech, the former FM overlooked theinfluence of taxation on this sector.

On the contrary is the services sector, being precise the IT and BPO sector. The IT and BPO services sector of India recorded a revenue of above USD 109 billion in the FY 2012-13 and is expected to fetch a combined revenue of USD 300 billion by 2020. The sector accounts for 8.1 per cent share in the national GDP and holds largest share in total services export. Plus, IT-BPO is the largest private sector employer and fourth largest in terms of employing women from urban areas. By 2020, the sector is anticipated to count for 18-20 per cent of India’s total exports and more than 10 per cent in terms of contribution to GDP. The sector also accounted for more than 10 per cent of country’s total FDI in the last decade, as per NASSCOM. When the numbers are analyzed in light of India’s economic growth in the past years, the sector stands at top of the list, hence it is expected by many experts that the government should ease ways further for the evolution of the sector in the coming days.

The preceding paragraph tasks much about the countable share of IT and BPO sector in India’s economic evolution. However, when the former FM mentioned the expression ‘manufacturing’ 15 times in his hour-long interim budget speech, it became quite clear that the economy cannot stand even for a day in case our manufacturing is superseded by the services sector. Though as a general rule of economics, the share of services in the GDPescalates with the pace of development, China was an economy that could bear the recent economic slowdown on the shoulders of its manufacturing sector that contributes more than services in China’s GDP. It is evident then that unless the pillar of manufacturing is rendered requisite vigor, India cannot expect a stable economy that is equally prosperous for all Indians. Sad to note, industrial production in India has been sinking since long. The same contracted 0.6 per cent during April-December, 2013-14.

It is now time to boil down to the heading ‘Inclusive Growth and Differential Taxation’. When it is quite visible that no twosectors or for that matter no two businesses in the same sector have exact resemblance, how can the taxation regime treat them alike? For instance, the IT and BPO sector can thrive without any need for inventories, hefty corporate loans, and substructure to undertake production or to store goods. All these are, however, an essential for most of the manufacturing sector industries. Plus, similar to the rule for individuals andproprietorships, where tax structure is linked with volume of earnings; the government will need to consider levying ofcorporate tax basis the volume of revenues earned from operations. It is hard to understand the intents of our tax structure that has no rebates for small businesses; however offers tax deductions to large players in form of CENVAT, STPI (100 percent tax deduction on profits under Section 10A and Section 10B of the Income Tax Act), and SEZ scheme.

‘Inclusive Growth’- The honorable Supreme Court has held that the principal aim of a socialist state is to eradicate inequality in income, status and standards of life. The basic frame work of socialism is to provide a proper standard of life to people, especially, security from cradle to grave. It is to be noted that while the farmers of U.P., Bihar and Maharashtra were committing suicides, and workers of manufacturing concerns were protesting against closures, employees of the IT and BPO sector spent INR 76,000 crore in the FY 2009, of which INR 6000 crore were spent on telecom facilities and INR 7400 crore were expended on hotel and tourism (NASSCOM’s report).Such wide distinction in lives of Indians is something that our Constitution forbids. Herein, our taxation regime can play a key role. By extracting excessive money from the pockets of hefty corporate houses, funds can be allocated to schemes aimed at rural, women, education, and infrastructure expansion- Thus ensuring equitable distribution of resources and income.

Extreme mention of the IT and BPO sector in my writing in no way means delegating the burden of heavy taxes on the shoulders of this industry. Reports reveal the decline that this industry has lately seen as an outcome of competition andregulatory hurdles for offshoring. Rather, the Finance Ministrymust form a committee to study the pluses and minuses of taxation structure of the U.K. and U.S. Also, the impact of our rigid tax regime on various sectors of economy, along with on distinct industries in same sector has to be assessed in light of the fact that unless the burden of above-30 per cent tax rate isdetached from the shoulders of small entrepreneurs, innovation and risk-taking capability cannot be rewarded. The ‘Make in India’ expression of the new PM says it all about his courtesy forthe industrial sector. However, unless the tax regime is renderedpositivity, inclusive growth and robust manufacturing sector will be far than attainable.

Indians’ love for gold is in the open. From festivities to investments, almost every other Indian hinges on gold. Even if we leave apart those hefty gold investors, even the Tier-II and Tier-III towns play a key role in driving the demand for gold in India. Shares and stock market are unknown in such provinces, and beyond a savings bank account or a savings scheme under the Post Office, rest is the holdings in gold. No bills, no accounts, and hence most of our gold purchases remain disguised. This adds to the already-high unaccounted money which easily beats the taxing authorities. We talk about dealings in real estate transactions that contravene with the legislation by bringing only the 60-70 per cent of transaction value under the tax bracket. Here, shall the authorities not pay heed to a crucial fact that gold has always been a relaxed way to conceal black money?

Records reveal that Indians own over 25,000 tonnes of gold. On a yearly basis, almost 900 tonnes is added to this holding. If measured in terms of currency, the value of this gold is USD 1.2 trillion. Being the world’s top bullion consumer, and sometimes second to China, import of this precious metal remains always at its high, accounting for our trade deficit. The upsurge in the inbound shipments has many a times been followed by a hike in tax on import. In order to maintain the current account deficit to a sustainable level, gold imports have always been a target. Now all that consumption of gold in our country is not just confined to jewelry purchases; a substantial portion of this can be attributed to investments in gold. And all such purchases are rarely backed by invoices, thus rendering the transactions go unaccounted for. USD 1.2 trillion or even more, that we have in the form of gold, is something that has a dirty nexus with black money.

Vital to note, the study, that was presented a couple of months ago to the new SIT on black money and to the Finance Ministry, reveals that the extent of unaccounted money in India may be as high as 71 per cent of the GDP. This means that this dirty parallel economy could be up to USD 1.4 trillion. The report lays special emphasis on the role of gold with respect to laundering of the unaccounted money. The Indian gold market is as non-transparent as the real estate market, as per the report, which tells how easy it is for anyone to park black money in gold. The CBDT too reported a couple of years ago that procurement of gold bullion and jewelry is the second largest parking lot for the unlawful money next to the real estate sector. A 1-percent tax on purchase of gold by any manufacturer/ retail customer was the way to collect tax on cash acquisitions owing to the outlook that such cash may have come from an unaccounted source.

In the search and seizure operations of the Income Tax Department, cases have shown that enormous sum of black money converted to gold and jewelry is stockpiled safely in bank lockers. World Gold Council counts India’s annual gold imports at a breathtaking above-900 tonnes, which means that almost USD 50 billion flows in India in the form of gold and is then acquired without any audit trail. Real estate dealings can be made less vulnerable to black money laundering by ensuring declaration of true value and entire receipt flowing into the economy; however in case of gold, upsurges in import duty or levying of tax on cash purchases cannot be an ample measure. Directorate of Income Tax, in an investigation conducted in 2009-10, found that the real estate, and the gold jewelry and bullion sectors, along with the manufacturing sector account for the leading chunk of unaccounted money. The government, hence, needs to pay heed to gold.

Herein, the government must urgently consider coming up with a scheme for voluntary declaration of any hidden holdings in gold. The declared gold can be taxed at 30 per cent and then be allowed to flow freely, thus helping lessen our gold imports and trimming down CAD. Tax evaders would pay taxes, and interest and penalty (at lesser rates), along with the promise to keep their identity unrevealed. Plus, source of income should not be asked. The measure can conclude to unearthing of at least 40 per cent of black money laundered via investments in gold. This would roughly sum up to USD 400 billion. Tax of 30 per cent would mean addition of USD 120 billion to the government’s treasury. This, on one hand would bring down the fiscal deficit, add to the economic dexterity by pumping up education, healthcare, agriculture, and industrial sectors by way of dedicated allocation of funds, and by adding almost 12000 tonnes to our gold, this would render zero import of gold for next 12 years, thus trimming down the CAD.

Until when would we ask the government, the bureaucrats, the RBI, the activists, or for that matter our bosses to bring in prosperity in our lives? We, the citizens of India, are all human beings, with almost similar senses to construe things; however our approach towards life can be dissimilar. And this is essential too. Else, all of us would dream to be an entrepreneur, an artist, or even the Prime Minister of India. On the contrary, India embraces people with versatile talents and hence we have made it to the top of the list of developing nations. Developing- Until when? In case you have delegated all the tasks on the shoulders of the new PM, expect nil advancements. Not because the new PM lacks that ability, but because change cannot be brought single-handedly. 

Of course, we have played a key role in electing a worthy squad that is to administer the nation for the next five years. But the role doesn’t end here. For instance, the task of maintaining cleanliness, if conferred upon just a handful of men deputed by the authority, what about those industries that drain their hazardous waste in rivers, and what about those numerous men who in the name of religion toss over the remains in sacred rivers? Are we expecting the authorities to employ all men and machines in this job? Then what about running other government departments and executing nation-building schemes? ‘I’ represents the common Indian man and also embodies ‘India’. It is then very much evident that the ‘I’ of India will have to play a prominent and liable part in the process of nation-restructuring. 

Hereunder, I am enumerating the fundamental duties of all Indian citizens as prescribed by our Constitution. Let us read these one by one, assess our past deeds in accordance with what was expected out of us, and also decide our future actions. 

• to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem;
• to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom;
• to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;
• to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;
• to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women;
• to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;
• to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures;
• to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;
• to safeguard public property and to abjure violence;
• to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavor and achievement;
• who is a parent or guardian to provide opportunities for education to his child or, as the case may be, ward between the age of six and fourteen years 

Have we abided to the duty of protecting India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity? Just stop blaming those so-called secular politicians for disturbing communal accord. Rather, accept the fact that unless we sanction these leaders to attain their unlawful goals in search of pity benefits they are nobody to trouble our peace. Haven’t we overlooked the fact that the ultimate sufferers in the end, for instance what followed the Muzzafarnagar riots, are those who rarely are jealous of other communities? And when national service is talked about, how many of us have been a contributory? The spirit of inquiry and reform- Are we concerned? Many of us do not even know the names of suspects in 2G, commonwealth, and Coalgate scam. On the contrary, we even cast our crucial votes in favor of such culprits.

I will quote two instances. One, when I was on my way to office a couple of days back, one of the roads was blocked as an old man had collapsed. I could see people getting down from their luxury cars, two-wheelers, and even auto rickshaws to help the man regain back the consciousness. For a while, even a millionaire businessman disremembered the gap of grade. Second is the depressed case I came across while reading a newspaper. A Dalit teen girl was burnt alive in one of the provinces of the country by 8 men and no one dared to approach for help. Of many cases of eve-teasing, many occur in public areas, yet no one cares to retaliate. Are we expecting our policemen to appear supernaturally at all places of crime? Let me remind you of the quote “Be the change that you wish to see in the world” by Mahatma Gandhi. 

Not at all this is challenging. As in most of the cases we just have to be non-functioning rather than being operative. For example, when a religious leader or a politician urges for support on communal lines, stay unmoved. While traveling to a place of cultural legacy, refrain from disturbing the status-quo. When blessed with a baby girl, steer clear from negativity; rather remember the works of Mother Teresa, Kiran Bedi, and Margaret Thatcher. When asked for any support in an endeavor that is aimed at upsetting nation’s sovereignty, uprightness, or unity, just remember that the ultimate victim will be your own motherland. When called upon to benefit from something that lawfully belongs to some other cluster, remind yourself of teachings of Gautama Buddha. And when tempted towards easy and early perks, do not forget that if all Indians pursue the same path, nation will fall into the trap of catastrophe. 

Of course, being functional is needed too. Laws ranging from Right to Information Act and Consumer Protection Act to Prevention of Corruption Act and The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act call for apt action from us. Remember, tolerating/ hiding a criminal conduct is equally sinful. If every commuter pledges to obey the traffic rules and to cease from bribing a law-protector, not just our road fatalities would decline; our roads will become a better place too. Herein, we shall reminisce that the task of safeguarding India’s progress and also enhancing it manifolds lies on our shoulders; hence any activity that can disrupt the going has to be curbed. Being honest at work, helpful towards all, vigilant towards nation’s safekeeping, and the first when it comes to rendering national service are the attributes expected from all of us. 

Shall I not add the current PM’s ‘Margdarshak’ role in my writing? From day one, he has been addressing the citizens in an altogether distinct manner, urging for unified endeavors and explaining the vitality of basic duties. Right from promotion of girl child to advancement of our education system, he aims at those uncovered aspects that are far more crucial than the rupee-dollar conversion rate or SLR/ CRR limit set out by the RBI. And the labors needed are from every Indian citizen, rather than just the ministers or government departments. Remember, our over-spending is the reason why RBI resists to lowering the interest rates, and our support is the reason that India is in the grip of corruption and scams. 

To end with, let us share those uncomplicated ways that can add to our, India’s, and above all, every Indian’s sustainability.

Education– What remains unattained is past. It is time to pay heed to the education of our little ones, boy or girl, rich or poor. Herein, you may have a single or multiple roles to play- Parent, Teacher, Activist, or a Volunteer. 

Cleaner India– Clean Ganga cannot be achieved in one day. But, clean roads, clean schools, clean government as well as private offices, clean public places (railway stations, airports, and bus depots) and clean surroundings demand just for our vow that the waste will be disposed of only at designated sites. The Kashmir flood-disaster is attributable to us all, equally. Plastic and solid wastes choke the sewage system, which we later expect the municipality to take care of. Cleanliness is a basic. From your own home to the city and the country, any calamity is more or less an upshot of our deeds. 

Power Saving– Coal and fuel crisis is known to all. Then why expect just the ministry to better the milieu. Just make sure switching off electronic devices when you are finished using them. For more valuable suggestions, visit the NTPC website. 

Water Conservation– Though we have been relishing this very basic natural resource since ages, near future projects challenging circumstances, and it is even said that the next world war may be the outcome of universal water crisis. Issues of drinking water are prevalent in our national capital even today; however those having the same in abundance never think twice while wasting it during brushing teeth, shaving, bathing, and washing cars. Let us today take a pledge to conserve this source of life by checking for any leaks in pipes, using low-flow faucet aerators, keeping the taps closed when unwanted, and by undertaking rainwater harvesting. 

Communal Brotherhood– Our country embraces multiple religions and languages. And the national resources belong to all. Then why expect pity benefits in lieu of upsetting communal harmony. No one, yes, no one can dare to create disorder unless backed by us. The magical words of Swami Vivekananda when he addressed the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago are to be recollected here. 

National Service– Contribution towards nation does not just mean to be a part of the army, air force, or naval defense squad. A loyal businessman, a responsible housewife, a truthful government employee, a committed student, and every other common man pursuing his/ her work diligently add to nation’s dexterity. 

Proud Indian– The land that has been the basis of our survival seeks our lifelong inputs in the process of nation-building. India, for sure, can be opted for as the place of work by those intellectuals who are lured to work abroad. Herein, NRIs too can play their part in distinct ways. 

Should I also not count our share in calling natural disasters owing to negligence and many a time voluntary contravention of social laws? When a city is absorbed in floods, are only the authorities liable? What about our free diffusion of plastic and waste in the sewage system? What about those unlawful constructions, breach of building by-laws, and zero heed to others’ safety? Drains get choked, water stays, and miseries happen just because we rarely follow our basic social duties. 

Finally, let’s pledge being unruffled during illicit aggravating endeavors, and also being a whistleblower during damages. I can assure that when ‘I’ and ‘India’ will go together, will pursue same goals, and will be the supportive pillars for each other, ‘developing’ will soon be replaced by ‘developed’. Hereunder are the vows India expects from us all. 

• To whichever caste, or religion I belong, India is my motherland.
• All Indians are a part of my family, and I will strive for the prosperity and wellbeing of this family.
• I will initiate the change I expect from my government.
• Water, power and fuel conservation, communal brotherhood, and clean India are my elementary duties and I will abide to them.
• I will retaliate to all misdeeds aimed at my nation’s sovereignty, and will render national service whenever called upon.
• I will treasure the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Swami Vivekananda, and Gautama Buddha.
• For me, India’s democracy, parliament, judiciary, and all other assets of national vitality are the areas of trust and respect.

Have you tried google to find FAQs on the recently introduced corporate law of India, the Companies Act 2013? When I tried the same, I just found one state-sponsored link for the Ministry of Corporate Affairs; however the same displayed error upon clicking. The U.K. has also come up with a new piece of legislation, Companies Act 2006, and the businesses around the world having any interest in the country can easily overcome uncertainties in this law by going through an exhaustive list of FAQs available at the government’s web portal. Same is the case with the Delaware General Corporation Law, the most adopted law in the U.S., which hosts a list of FAQs on its official webpage to assist businesses and professionals steering clear of any blunders. It is very evident that unless the laid down laws of the land are unambiguous and transparent, slipups and litigations will always be at their high. Is the new Companies Act one among these?

The list of clarifications, rules and notifications post the coming of the new legislation on corporate actions is dense. Hence, when drawing any conclusion from the Act, one must search extensively for any amendments made ‘thereafter’; else you may end up in a state of contravention of law. Yes, you can also find some FAQs while hovering over the webpage of the MCA, but in case you are looking for information on which form to be filed with the ROC for a specific corporate action, or are looking for any clarification on what the Act says, you are at the wrong place. The Ministry has a special cell to deal with queries and complaints; however for reaching the apt person you need a re-birth. I am hopeful that this milieu will change with the coming in of the new minister and his squad; however challenges are still many. The prime of all is the law itself, which lacks generality and is vague at numerous matters.

Foremost slip by the previous government was making most of the Sections of the new Act effective from the 1^st of April even when they were made public in the last week of March. Furthermore, the final rules were not in line with the draft ones, and at many places are even strict than the draft, hence creating an anarchy in the entire corporate and professional domain. While we have always been aiming towards bringing in global funds to India, was the globally accepted practice of according a year time to familiarize with the new law adhered to? Now, you have two pieces of legislation to adhere to for the time being, both the Acts of 1956 and 2013. Let me also include the hefty fines that are levied on LLPs in case they delay the filing of annual accounts with the ROC in this. Ranging from related party transactions and CSR to fraud reporting and whistleblowing, there are distinct areas of slip-ups in the Companies Act 2013, which I have endeavored to enumerate hereunder.

The definition of ‘Related Party Transactions’ has been widened, which now reads as ‘a private company in which a director or manager or his relative is a director or manager’. This now means that any company which seeks to enter into a transaction with private limited company may fall into the category of related party even owing to relatives. So, formalities ranging from approval of Audit Committee, Board, and /or the shareholders, wherever applicable, have to be adhered to. In this context, The Companies (Removal of Difficulties) Sixth Order, 2014, has even deepened the concerns. The notion of IDs was vague from the very beginning. Appointed by the promoters, would they really be independent, also when they can take directorship of 20 companies without any apt criterion necessities. The duty of unbiasedly monitoring directors’ actions, to make them in line with the interests of the shareholders, will be hardly served.

It becomes so perplexing in the case of closely-held companies wherein all shareholders can be a related party that the obligatory consent of shareholders, wherever required, will be unmanageable to attain. Another area of pain is restrictions placed on setting up multiple layers of subsidiaries, wherein the law now permits only two layers, hence the corporate players will need to re-think their restructuring strategies. Restrictions placed on inter-personal loans, loans to directors, subsidiaries and associates, along with the uncertainties over the applicability of relevant sections have multiplied the chaos. Then are the CSR norms and the strings attached to it. Though parking of certain percentage of profits for CSR activities has been mandated, there are no clear instructions on how the money should be expended. Herein, aren’t the corporates given autonomy to spend the fund on any of the specified activities that may even be aimed at profiting business?

Countless is the list when I add compulsion of appointment of a woman director on the Board, enhanced role of bureaucracy, alike rules for preferential and private placement, and issue of NCDs for a term of 5 years to the tailbacks of the new piece of legislation. A lot has been delivered by the new government in the initial 100 days of governance, of which, calling foreign funds for the betterment of Indian industrial sector is the most phenomenon. However, the most crucial legislation that shall aim at easing, and rather, paving the way for businesses, is proving to be the principal limitation. Vodafone India has recently spoken about the delayed clearances in India which make doing business a challenging task. Leave apart the taxation and labor laws, even our basic corporate law, the Companies Act is highly unfavorable for the functioning of corporates. The former rulers have done their part by bringing an ambiguous corporate legislation; it is now for the new squad to clear all clouds and pave a smooth way for business houses.

Intellectuals are not just within the government departments or ministries. The new PM has accepted this notion and the outcome is the mygov.in web portal. On similar lines, the MCA needs to invite concerns from valid stakeholders, viz. ICAI, ICSI, ASSOCHAM, FICCI, CII, and the business houses with respect to all uncertainties in the Companies Act 2013. Thereafter, a committee with members representing all the stakeholders should be delegated the task to formulate a master circular, which must be capable to answer all the subsequent doubts. The basic aim should be to swap all the rules, clarifications, and notifications with a comprehensive and unambiguous literature that is capable to complement the new Companies Act. Along with, corporate houses must be consulted with a view to eliminating obstacles that hamper the day-to-day corporate actions and make businesses vulnerable to penalties and litigations. To lift the corporate sector, it has become imperative to undertake reinstating actions sooner than later.

Lastly, though this may need a lot more labors and time, would it not be favorable for the stakeholders if the Companies Act 2013, which stands out of the line on numerous subject matters and somewhere even contradicts with the SEBI and RBI guidelines, be substituted by an altogether new corporate law that must be capable to balance all the current norms of Acts and Rules governing the corporate world? For instance, how can it be tolerable that the concept of IDs is dissimilar in the new Companies Act and the SEBI Listing standards? Also, it has been a long tradition now to exempt PSUs from many of the clauses of the corporate law on yearly basis. In this context, the ministry of finance is even considering exempting PSU banks from CSR spend. A new law would need extended brain storming; the result, a new and apt corporate law will be a reward for hard labors. The new squad must take the charge devotedly and expeditiously.

There is no standard definition of ‘black money’. As such, black money can be defined differently from different perspectives. From a legal perspective, any unaccounted earnings that remain undeclared to the fiscal authorities and on which requisite taxes have not been paid, may be termed as black money.

Origin of black money

There are two ways black money originates in our country. In the first case, black money is generated through perfectly lawful activity, but it is accumulated dubiously by failing to declare income and by evading taxes due on that amount. This kind of black money is found in abundance in sectors such as real estate and construction as well as bullion and gold jewellery, where there are large scale movements of unaccounted funds.

The second and more probable source of black money involves earning money through activities not permitted under the law. Such activities are considered illegitimate in India and may include smuggling, bootlegging, blackmailing, operating prostitution and pornography rackets, indulging in rampant corruption, terrorism, drug trade and other such criminal activities.

A classic case of how rampant corruption in the ministries and government departments leads to generation of black money was witnessed when the Congress-led UPA government, which was in power between 2004 and 2014, distributed scarce natural resources – such as coal blocks and 2G spectrum – to select cronies at the expense of the our country’s national interest. It obviously led to accumulation of black money in the hands of a few.

It is known that banks and financial institutions seek an appropriate debt-equity ratio prior to sanctioning a corporate loan. Many business houses approach banks with a loan application that reflects an inflated cost of project, with overstated cost allocated for capital goods to be procured from foreign/ domestic suppliers and exaggerated cost of construction. By doing so, corporates deceitfully lessen their burden of equity and many a times even steer clear of bringing in any equity in the project. Otherwise, the difference is kept in a concealed foreign bank account and post laundering of the black money component; funds are diverted to an altogether different project.

The modus operandi of such corporate houses, in case of capital goods procured from foreign, is to strike a deal with their own front company (though not a ‘related party’), located in a tax haven nation, which in turn negotiates with the manufacturer/ supplier. Upon receipt of goods in India, the billing is done by the front company by substantially inflating the price. The practice is also resorted to in purchase of indigenous capital goods and construction of building/ plant by availing credit of an amount higher than the actual cost.

In a few other instances, proprietorship firms and even a few corporations falsify the disbursement of salary to employees by showing dummy employees in the books of accounts to enhance the incurred expenses, thus leading to creation of black money.

One of the major poll planks of the new BJP-led NDA government was it would track down and bring back Indian black money stashed in foreign banks and offshore accounts and also curb the avenues for generation of domestic black money. The quantum of domestic black money is currently pegged at 7% of India’s GDP (around US$1.9 trillion in 2013) and it exists mainly due to corruption in high places in the government and the prevalence of large-scale cash transactions as opposed to the use of proper banking channels.

Parking spots for black money

Domestic black money is presumably invested in real estate, construction and the service sector as well as bullion and gold jewellery, which constitute two-thirds of the economy. Meanwhile, a huge proportion of black money also goes out of our country in the form of illicit financial flows across inter­national borders through hawala operators. Thereafter, they end up in foreign tax havens or are held as illicit wealth or deposits in Swiss bank accounts.

Till the early 1980s, the marginal rate of taxation in India being very high – the highest taxation slab was as high as 90% – the tendency of the rich and wealthy was to keep their money abroad, particularly by trade mispricing. A study by Global Financial Integrity says between 2002 and 2011, nearly US$344 billion of illicit money moved from India to various tax havens. Meanwhile, the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has pegged the Indian black money stashed abroad at around Rs 120 lakh crore or US$2 trillion.

Surprisingly, a huge amount of black money that goes out of India through the hawala operators are re-routed back into India in the form of foreign money via the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) route. According to a White Paper on black money published in 2012 by the Union Finance Ministry, the main inflow of FDI in India was caused by the return of black money. FDI statistics perhaps point to this fact.

As per data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), from April 2000 to March 2011, FDI from Mauritius was 41.80% of the entire FDI received by India, whereas Singapore contributed about 9.17%. So, more than half of the FDI received by India during that period probably was black money subject to “round tripping” and was not real FDI but black money that got laundered into white money and re-entered the country of origin.

Though all of the money from Mauritius and Singapore may not be black money, it would be presumptuous to assume that the rest of the FDI flowing in from countries like the UK, the US, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France and Korea is all money, as white as snow.

Our government’s White Paper further observes, “Mauritius and Singapore with their small economies cannot be the sources of such huge investments and it is apparent that the investments are routed through these jurisdictions for avoidance of taxes and/or for concealing the identities from the revenue authorities of the ultimate investors, many of whom could actually be Indian residents, who have invested in their own companies through a process known as round tripping.”

If secret bank accounts and the tax haven system had been transparent, this money may not have left the shores in the first place. Round tripping and huge amounts of black money movement happens because the compliance costs of round tripping is lower than that of paying taxes, unless the money is illegally earned in the first place. For illegally-earned money, secrecy and concealment is essential and round-tripping is one of the most obvious options for legitimizing the income. The tax havens exist to act as conduits and parking spots for black money.

Another instrument that enables unscrupulous people to generate and launder ill-gotten money anonymously is Participatory Notes. PNs are leveraged instruments involving Indian equity, debt or derivatives issued by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) to individuals and institutions who wish to invest in Indian stock markets without registering themselves with the market regulator, the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

What worries the SEBI is the source of huge amount of foreign money that flows into the country through this route. More often than not, black money generated in the country is sent out by hawala operators and re-routed by Participatory Notes targeting the Indian capital market in a bid to rig share prices or to manipulate stock market operations.

Strategies to combat the menace of black money

As a first step towards combating the menace of black money, our government has already constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising top bosses of the country’s premier investigation, enforcement and intelligence agencies. The officers who form part of the SIT include Secretary of the Department of Revenue, a Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Intelligence Bureau Director, Director of Enforcement Directorate, Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes and the Director of the General Narcotics Control Bureau. Director General of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit, Secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing and a Joint Secretary (Foreign Tax and Tax Research) in the Finance Ministry are its other members.

The Terms of Reference for the SIT, issued by the Department of Revenue under the Finance Ministry, states that the elite team will investigate all matters “with respect to unaccounted monies being stashed in foreign banks by Indians or other entities operating in India that may arise in the course of such investigations and proceedings.”

The SIT submitted a report to the court in August 2014 with some details related to over-invoicing of power equipment imports and how this leads to generation of black money. The report has suggested that all bulky imports should be comprehensively scrutinized for over-invoicing and that Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) was not the apt route for fetching requisite data from foreign banks. In such cases, the scrutiny work should be assigned to the squads already working in the field of taxation and revenue intelligence.

The task of managing taxation matters, arising from cross-border deals and transfer pricing, currently lies with the Director of Income Tax (International Taxation), which in turn stands accountable for curbing the cases of black money with more than 50,000 employees. Doubtful financial transactions come under the purview of the Financial Intelligence Unit. Similar other roles are assigned to the Central Board of Excise & Customs, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau, which are staffed with well-qualified and competent people. However, since India still ranks high when illegal money deposits in foreign banks are taken into consideration, what needs to be done is the overall restructuring of all these departments.

Next, the NDA government needs to take note of the report submitted by the MC Joshi Committee, which advocates rigorous imprisonment under the Prevention of Corruption Act, setting up of the National Tax Tribunal and reporting of bulky financial transactions (global) to the law enforcement agencies (similar to the USA Patriot Act). Our government should also announce a suitable Amnesty Scheme or a Voluntary Disclosure Scheme for those who are ready to reveal their black money records, pay tax and transfer their black money lying abroad into our country.

The RBI’s measure of calling back the pre-2005 currency notes will also help the authorities to get rid of unaccounted money lying with a section of unscrupulous elements. Furthermore, the Whistle Blower laws, which can play a key role in reporting and tax recovery, will have to be reinforced, along with more liability on corporate auditors.

An area, which most of the time goes unnoticed, is the route used by offenders for moving their black money from India to foreign banks. It is not just the hawala; rather many such ways still remain uncovered. In this context, as recommended by the SIT recently, India should revisit all the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs), redraft them so as to add new covenants that can allow Indian authorities to pierce the veil and introduce penal provisions to attach the Indian assets of offenders. This is important, because agreements need to be in place with Switzerland under the Automatic Exchange of Information provisions for the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) countries.

A much better option is to pass a domestic law like the FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) introduced by the US. Indian citizens living outside India, who still retain Indian citizenship, should report their financial accounts held outside India to the Indian Revenue Service, and foreign financial institutions should be required to report to Indian authorities about their Indian clients. This will of course need to be moderated in the Indian context, but the principles can remain the same.

Another major recommendation of the SIT is to amend the Prevention of Money Laundering Act so that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) would be able to attach properties of defaulters who do not bring back black money. These are very effective suggestions, but many things will have to be weighed well before any particular option is selected and implemented.

For repatriation of black money stashed in foreign banks, the Union government can also consider promulgating an ordinance to nationalize black money held by our citizens in tax havens abroad and bring the money back into the Indian financial system. The proposed ordinance will be in consonance with the Swiss Federal Act on the Restitution of Illicit Assets Act of October 1, 2010.

Simultaneously, the government should take steps to minimize generation of black money. To begin with, it could put an end to Participatory Notes, the main attraction of which is the anonymity it provides. Because of this, even terrorists are known to park their funds in PN as it enables them to generate and launder their ill-gotten wealth anonymously.

Another source of black money generation that needs to be plugged is the Indo-Mauritius Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty (DTAT). Under this treaty, no resident of Mauritius would be taxed in India on capital gains arising out of sale of securities in India, whereas capital gains arising out of sale of shares or securities for an Indian would be subject to capital gains tax. Currently, as there are no taxes on Mauritius-based FIIs investing in India, the tiny Indian Ocean island nation has emerged as the largest investor in India, accounting for almost half of the country’s FDI. The tax losses to India as a result of the DTAT are estimated at thousands of crores of rupees.

Furthermore, all vulnerable sectors of the Indian economy, for instance bullion trading and real estate, need immediate attention. Under-reporting of transactions, forged paperwork, and parking of illicit money are very common practices in bullion trade as well as in the real estate sector. Similarly, to mitigate corruption, India needs more of economic liberalization with respect to permits, licenses and approvals from government departments.

Finally, some more measures that can be considered for repatriating as well as curbing generation of black money are briefly enumerated below:

1. Checking and redrafting the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTTAs) in a bid to make them better and with a view to remove confidentiality clauses (wherever possible).
2. Creating Agreements for Information Exchange where DTAAs are not possible.
3. Setting up Income Tax cells in key tax havens to work in real time with local authorities.
4. Making taxes low and penalties high.
5. Simplifying tax provisions and creating greater incentives to pay tax.
6. Reducing multiplicity of taxes and eliminating accounting and compliance barriers.
7. Using all international platforms available to India to fight businesses trying to evade taxes.
8. Designing Gold Deposit Scheme with complete tax immunity.
9. Creating agreements of revenue sharing with governments in tax havens like the one that exists between the UK and Switzerland.
10.  Putting in place a consolidated code for dealing with black money and tax evasion, instead of using different provisions spread across multiple obscure statutes and treaties.
11.  Creating domestic and international automatic information exchange with banks and payment gateways.
12.  Creating, strengthening and integrating databases that make it easier for monitoring agencies to do their job.
13.  Offering amnesty for repatriating black money.
14.  Pursuing greater economic liberalization, implementing aggressive reforms and reducing license raj.
15.  In order to curtail the instances of overstating of the project cost while applying for a corporate loan, a statutory agency under the supervision of the RBI should be formed that must work together with the banks to examine and authenticate the pricing of imported capital goods over and above a specified amount. A policy similar to the ‘Transfer Pricing’ between related parties can also be devised. Along with, in all cases of corporate loans, banks must be directed to validate whether or not the loan applicants have brought in the equity amount upfront and the same has been expended prior to disbursement of the loan amount.

If I begin with the fact that most of our literate Indians do not even know the precise meaning of road transport signals, rest of the paragraphs can be dispensed with. The milieu, however, has deteriorated to such an extent that mentioning some crucial facts is essential. The fatality risk (road traffic accidents) is above 10 per 100,000 people, which even crosses 11 when metropolitan cities are talked about. And when the new government favors easy living for the common man, they will have to realize that our bicyclists, pedestrians, and other non-motorized commuters are the most vulnerable to these fatal risks, which is contrary to other developed nations where commuting by car or public transport vehicles is more risky. Doesn’t the fact reveal that though we have those red and green indicators, rarely does anyone cares to follow the laid down rules. And if someone disobeys that red signal, it is easy to escape by bribing the traffic policeman.

Pervasive corruption in Regional Transport Offices is known even to the law-protectors. Isn’t it surprising that prior to the introduction of biometric data recording system in the process of issuance/ renewal of driving licenses, any person could easily get a license without visiting the RTO even once. Yes, the problem lies within us and if the intentions of the new PM, as he delivered on the 68^th Independence Day, come true many of our road transportation concerns will eradicate. But prior to awakening the common man with respect to following the traffic rules, or for that matter along with such awakening, the government and other officials will have to play a vital role. When we know that the economic viability of a country and residents therein is linked with mobility of people and goods, the domain, indeed, cannot be left in vain.

Another fact that uncovers this grave concern is that India ranks top in the world in terms of cases of road accidents with more than 14 deaths and above 50 injuries every hour. Next, let me come to the issue of pollution which comes into play when our worn-out vehicles move freely on Indian roads. Herein, Suspended Particulate Matters (SPMs), which is the most hazardous to human health, need a special mention as its emission exceeds the limit set by the World Health Organization in most of our metro cities. In this context, if one would check as to how many of the vehicles running on our roads have a legitimate PUC (Pollution under Control Certificate), the alertness of our transport system and law protectors will be exposed. And do the travelers in India even know that if a vehicle is found visibly polluting, even a valid PUC stands void.

The failure owes to modal split (percentage of travelers using a particular transportation mode/ number of trips per such mode), scarcity of road safety policies, unawareness of general public, laidback approach of transport officials, and poor infrastructure. Adding to the curse are those freely moving hawkers, unlawfully parked vehicles, and recklessly driving two-wheelers. Rules pertaining to use of helmets, seat belts, number of commuters, and pollution are rarely followed in rural as well as urban parts of India. Also, it is beyond understanding how distinct streams of transport viz. pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, cars, buses, rickshaws and auto rickshaws can move on same busy road. And when you visit the states of U.P., Bihar, or Punjab, you can find buses and autos parked in the center of roads for engaging passengers, thus leading to anarchy.

Time has arrived to discuss some workable solutions. Foremost, the most viable answer to the concern of transportation chaos is developing regional economies. By this I mean that a specific region must embrace the entire requisite infrastructure ranging from services, shopping, work prospects, and leisure facilities. Though this target is more than challenging to achieve; however the outcomes will be lesser fatal accidents and better standard of living. Next, the new leaders will need to restructure the public transport domain particularly buses. In this context, it is to be noted that most of Indian commuters rely on personal means rather than on metros, rails, and buses. Publicly owned bus systems need special heed. Herein, it becomes vital to know that the Calcutta State Transport Corporation relies heavily on subsidies as the revenues are capable of covering only three-fourth of cost of operations. Fares, if needed, shall be hiked just like rails.

In view of economic dexterity, every government promotes the sale and use of privately-owned vehicles viz. two-wheelers and cars and hence the fact that the roads of our country aren’t apt enough to carry such high pressure goes overlooked. Many western countries promote use of bicycles and other green channels that not only take care of the environment but also ensures safety and public health. Also, the price differential in terms of petrol and diesel should only be allowed to promote farmers and public transport operators, and not to privately-owned diesel cars. The Motor Vehicle Act demands urgent amendments with respect to hardening of vehicle emission standards in India which are way sloppier than Euro standards. More than half of the Indian vehicles are above 5 years old, many among which are decades old, hence not complying with the standards set for environmental prevention, thus demanding for apt dumping laws.

It is evident that not all in this direction can be attained by only the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India, currently headed by Mr. Nitin Gadkari. Unified efforts are the need of the hour and all officials, government departments, automobile companies, and the common man have to be the contributories. Car-pooling and such other constructive means are to be promoted. Along with, public awareness programmes for promoting better conformity to laws should be frequently organized. It is expected that the new law-makers will recognize the issues of road congestion, fatal accidents, and ever-rising air pollution. Works in this direction seem to have begun when the new Minister announced scrapping of RTOs, studying of traffic laws of six different countries for firming our law, and proposal of cancellation of driving license of someone who jumps the red light thrice. To end corruption, however, the most spirited role has to be played by us who look for easy and deceitful ways to escape laws and punishments.

This time I would not start with those positive words describing Mr. Modi’s way of leadership. Rather, it becomes binding, or for that matter much-reassuring for me to mention the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna’ in the very beginning of this article that will aim at presenting a fair view of talked-about 100 days of governance. Almost 75 million households will benefit under this scheme by January 26, 2015, which sets a new meaning of financial inclusion. What the past governments could not deliver, the Modi-led CG has done it within 3 months. Mobile Banking via National Unified USSD Platform under the same scheme will be a new classification of an extensively technology-driven nation. With the unveiling of an interactive portal, mygov.in, citizens are made a part of governance. And that’s not all. Let’s see what all we have attained.

Assessment of first 100 days of Modi-led union government appears soothing since the vicious circle which the former government had developed was far more problematic than it appeared to the common man. However, the new leader very well comprehends that until the base of our economy and society is toughened, successes like stronger Indian currency, lower CAD, better work prospects, and abolition of poverty can never be realized. Inclusion of new vaccinations to further lessen the IMR, new schemes for pregnant women, and groundwork for new healthcare scheme are those little works that remain unnoticed, however, are the supporting pillars of any country. Yes, a few tasks like apt plan of action for augmentation of agriculture, gas, power and environment sector, and matters related to higher education and Kashmir still seek PM’s heed.

The first quarter of FY 2014-15 has witnessed growth rate of 5.7 per cent, which is the highest if compared with the results of former nine quarters. Till April this year almost every Indian knew the coming in of Mr. Narendra Modi, hence the market and entrepreneurs were motivated to rely on the Indian economy, post a long duration of setbacks and uselessness. World Bank has projected India’s growth at above-5 per cent for the current FY and above-6 per cent in the FYs 2015-16 and 2016-17. While going through an article in the ET, it felt overwhelming to note that 80 per cent of CEOs have made new investment decisions and a larger chunk is gearing up for hiring new employees. And, almost every of the CEOs have relied upon the new PM’s caliber.

New talent; get ready to fly if you have that potential. The FM has set aside INR 10,000-crore venture capital fund for start-ups in his very first union budget. Understanding the vitality of new ventures and the need of boosting the spirits of raw entrepreneurs, along with possibility of bringing in new employment prospects and technology, the measure is something that the former FMs could not realize. Also, an INR 200-crore fund is to be managed by ICFI for Dalit entrepreneurs. Investment of USD 3 billion in just a time period of 24 hours and that too in the sphere of e-commerce justifies how much trust does foreign players have placed in the Indian market. If the government takes this further by easing the regulatory milieu, expect miracle.

I believe 100 smart cities, hike in tax exemption limits, 5 new IIMs and IITs, 4 new AIIMS, Kisan TV, National Rural Internet and Technology Mission, Free Drug Service and Diagnosis Service, and the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana were some basic needs that the former governments could not address; however were paid heed to in the union budget 2014. The proposal of Ultra-Modern Super Critical Coal Based Thermal Power Technology will augment the power sector for sure. And the fund set aside for the river Ganga can be seen as a wise step towards reviving the roots of Indian heritage, along with addressing the issues of drought and unclean drinking water. Expenditure Management Commission for food/fertilizer subsidies was much-needed. Let me also add to this the India-Australia civil nuclear deal for supply of uranium to India.

An all-new Skill Development Ministry with special focus on sports and youth affairs, pacts with Japan with respect to Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Railway, ship-breaking yard in Gujarat, roads and road transportation sector, and other significant investments can be termed as milestones. The PM while addressing a joint press briefing with the Japanese PM urged for collaborative and peaceful endeavors from Asian nations and also took a tough note of China’s past illegal intrusions. Rest, the doing away from unproductive Planning Commission, mantra of less government and more governance, and measures like self-certification of documents can be added to the list of rewarding actions undertaken by the new government. Backing of Indian farmers (WTO meet in Geneva) and widespread change in government working are other hits.

Abolition of Group of Ministers for fast track governance, inclusion of roads (in rural areas), national highways and railways in the Union Budget 2014, fund set aside for ‘Digital India’, Nirbhaya Centers and restructuring of Madrasas, new Metro cities, business friendly processes for wind and solar energy sector, ease of availing loans for higher education, and toilets in every household are some notable successes/ plans of the new government. PM’s 3 Ds (Democracy, Demography and Demand), HIT (Highways, Information and Transportation) approach with Nepal, 3 S (Skill, Scale and Speed), and B for B model with Bhutan are more than promising. Bilateral dialogues with SAARC countries and 12 other nations, progress of Indian currency, decrease in CAD in the first quarter, and cheer in the automobile sector add to our viability.

Indicative reforms are what that not much analysts pay attention to. In this context, I refer to the persona and intellectuality of the Indian PM, which attracts the responsiveness of leaders and citizens from around the globe. Though most of the Asian nations enjoy democratic political setup, their politics revolves more or less around dominant families. The rise of Narendra Modi, a common Indian man, has given all Asian residents an apt reason to cheer. His words ‘Make in India’, followed by his speech in Tokyo ‘India has now turned to a red carpet economy from a red tape economy’ say it all. Foreign investors are much more self-assured than ever to spread arms in India. Yes, Mr. Modi’s words count and are banked upon. Be it his 68^th Independence Day speech or his simple and honest admiring of Japan, he alone is enough to bring revolution.

It is also important here to compare the deliveries of India’s present leaders with that of our former ones. More than 3000 days of power, celebrated ministers, and two consecutive terms were the pluses with which the Congress could have taken India to an added hierarchy. But the irony was that the ministers and even their chosen head, the PM, had nil controls. The present government has changed this and is serving the nation rather than ruling Indians. Gone are the days of delays and words. Swift execution is the new strategy. PMJDY and PM’s dialogues with multiple nation heads in just a few months are the evidences. And for Congress now, it is even more harmful to claim that the present government policies are the continuation of the ideas of UPA-2. As if they were, why was the Sensex bearish and inflation bullish during their ruling?

Expectations from the Modi-led CG were many and the government worked hard to deliver results. However, not all that was anticipated is attained. Foremost, the central assistance fund, which is disbursed to the states by the Planning Commission, is now looking for government’s new and quick directives. Secondly, for almost every of the government-funded programmes, states are to play the implementation role, which demands agreeable states-center relations and the same does not appear an easy task. Reduction of subsidies and deficits, and focus on GST and DTC are still looked for. MGNREGA, the Land Acquisition Bill, Food Security Bill, and privatization of Public Sector Units are other prominent areas that need special focus.

Pakistan and China haven’t still changed their ill-behaved approach, which the voters of the 2014 general polls expected would be taken care of competently by Mr. Modi. Yasin Malik, the Kashmiri separatist leader, was allowed to meet Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi; the CMs of many states were allowed to retaliate owing to the cases of hooting; and food inflation and unlawful stock-piling of basic goods are not paid proper heed to. It needs no mention that Indians wanted magical renovations in social, economic and political spheres when they relied upon Mr. Modi, who recently has cited the same fact in one of his speeches. However, when all of us know that the economy was shattered to the core when the Modi-led CG took over; let us afford plentiful time to the new squad of administrators to bring in thriving and stable changes.

Opposition- Will anyone assess their first 100 days too? A race to unite against the BJP (RJD and JDU collaboration, Mulayam’s invite to Mayawati, Mamta’s soft corner for Left) is just what the opposition parties are contending for. And the most aged of all, Congress, has nothing except accusing the government for communal conduct and succession of their policies. When the aim of all political groups is ‘nation-building’, Congress should be contented if their policies, in case they are, are being implemented. Having put all labors in fetching the post of leader-opposition, Congress disremembered that the accountabilities of opposition are much more than just giving news-bites and blocking even the good deeds of the ruling party. Remember, real democracy is unattained if the opposition, which too gets same powers from the public, remains unreliable.

My writing will be unfinished if I miss to mention those reassuring words that could have come only from the present PM of India. “As parents do we ever ask our son where he is going? A rapist, after all, is someone’s son.” “If you work 12 hours, I will work 13, and 15 if you work 14 hours. “Someone asked me do we still have snake charmers in India? I said that we used to play with snake, but now we play with mouse (quoting India as the best software hub)”. “Optimism is within me and only an optimistic man can bring the long-awaited optimism in India”. “Being a Gujarati, business is in my blood and I believe that the same strives for apt milieu to boost.” “Elimination of poverty cannot be attained without getting rid of financial untouchability.” Last and the most optimistic, “I am not Pradhan Mantri, I am the Pradhan Sewak.”

‘One India, Unsurpassed India’. An all-new and vibrant mantra given by the Indian PM while quoting the achievements of government during 100 days life, pride, action, and speed. Not all is that he includes in his feat. For the new PM, the PMJDY, inclusion of INS Vikramaditya and INS Kolkata in the Indian Navy, enhanced relations with SAARC nations, India’s stand at the WTO meet, harmless return of Indian nurses and fishermen from overseas, labor and judicial reforms, and implementation of transparent environmental clearances are the most countable. Approval granted for increasing the height of Narmada Dam and setting up of SIT for bringing the black money stashed abroad are much near to the heart of Mr. Modi. As the PM says, every Indian must walk and rise together believing the nation is built only when all go hand in hand.