The paradox of the cabinet

Today is the oath taking ceremony of Narendra Modi and his council of ministers. The nation has unanimously selected a leader for the next 5 years. Modi's principle for selecting his council of ministers would be that of " less government, more governance ". The erstwhile PM's cabinet had 34 ministries. One would be astonished to know that the Union of India has umpteen number of ministries and departments, as many as if they would have been run properly, there would have been no problem left in the country. A look at he Govt. of India directory would prove so. Here is the link http://goidirectory.gov.in.

Traditionally council of ministers are chosen from elected candidates from different Lok Sabha / Rajya Sabha candidates. Most of them would be close aides of the leader of the ruling party. So prevalence of cronyism was not less likely. Traditionally in India, ministers were never found to have done much work, barring few. Under the ministers come the cabinet secretaries who are none but IAS officers. So their background is in administration. Hence the model of execution becomes that of more administration and less subject matter expertise. If we borrow some principles from the corporate world, then we can easily infer that there should be only required amount of administration and more subject matter expertise. Hence under each cabinet minister there should be a team of subject matter experts who would provide valuable insights on solving the problems at hand, and the solution should then be executed speedily by the cabinet minister and the IAS officer(s). The bureaucratic chain should be minimised and the govt. should fix a goal to itself to accomplish certain number of achievable objectives within the next five years. The Govt. should also publish a quarterly/bi-annual report of its activities/accomplishments and expenditures, so that the citizen of India can assess the progress made by the Govt., else 60 more years would pass and we would remain where we are. There should be a balanced scorecard for the govt.

As to what Modi would do, we would have to wait and watch...but we would be watching....!!

Constitution of India - Fundamental Duties

Article 51A of the constitution of India describes the fundamental duties of the citizens of India. The list is not long. There are only 11 fundamental duties listed and if each and every Indian abides by them, there would be enough development that can happen effortlessly.

PART IVA

FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES

51A. Fundamental duties.—It shall be the duty of every citizen of India—

(a) to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the
     National Flag and the National Anthem;

(b) to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle
     for freedom;

(c) to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;

(d) to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;

(e) 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;

(f) to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;

(g) to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes,
     rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures;

(h) to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and
      reform;

(i) to safeguard public property and to abjure violence;

(j) to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity
     so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and
     achievement;

(k) 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.

Test of humanity !!

I have been writing a lot in this blog, but today I failed in the acid test. Today I faced a situation and I couldn't respond to it the way I was supposed to. I failed.

I was walking by the road and I saw one man lean and thin sitting by the edge of the road and vomiting blood. I saw this person sitting by the roadside shops for the past 2-3 days. He seemed like a beggar, but he was never begging. But today I saw him being surrounded by some people, I thought he might have met with an accident and had been injured and these people were taking care of him. Never did it occur to me that I should go there and enquire about the situation and then take whatever necessary action I can think of. So I proceeded for lunch. But the thought was worrying me all the while. Why didn't I do something about it, what if the man is sick, what can I do? Food was not really going down my throat. I finished my lunch in a hurry and rushed back to the same place. I saw a few cops standing there along with a couple of people. One of them was a coconut vendor selling tender coconut in the same place. I know him since that is the same route to my home from office. I asked him what had happened. He said that the man started vomiting blood. So he called the police and they had arranged an ambulance to take him to the Govt. hospital. The coconut vendor also said that the sick man was there for the past 3 days and had not been eating anything other than coconut water which I presume he had been providing free of cost. Also it was the coconut vendor who had spoken to the police and arranged for the ambulance. What an example of humanity !! Here I have been writing blogs about it, and there this simple coconut vendor(Murali) was practising humanity. So much more ahead of me in terms of his wisdom and spontaneity of action. I feel ashamed of myself that I could not do anything for that man, I could not practise the very ideals of humanity when the time came for me to act. I was hesitant, may be afraid, as to how would I deal with the situation if I took ownership of the situation. There is regret and there is remorse in me. I am deeply hurt by my inability to act when the time came. There is only one way I can deal with it. Today I take this vow that never again in my life I would let this happen.

A wise man once said, " we should have purity in heart, clarity in mind and spontaneity in action. That is when life becomes full " !!

Role of intelligence agencies in the democracy of India - 2

Today's news is replete with description of different last moment acts that UPA (Congress) is engaged in, like mass scale transfers especially within the finance ministry. One of the key events is appointing the former Intelligence Bureau chief as CIC (chief Information commissioner). The CIC is mandated to resolve appeals and complaints filed by information seekers, under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, against government departments or public authorities. It is important to question this decision. If we look at the backdrop of events, since independence of India in 1947, Indian politics and governance was heavily influenced by the british intelligence, certainly not in a constructive manner. Later on when the course of events changed, and Indian politics took a leftist turn under congress of course, the CIA and its allies took a hostile stand on India. We all remember the entering of the US 7th fleet and the british eagle fleet in the Bay of Bengal to pressurize India to stop its actions against Pakistan. However with Soviet submarines acting as deterrents, came to the rescue of Indian Govt. and the matter was neutralized. Those were different days, days of the cold war. The past few decades have shown that today most of the political platform, especially in developed countries is not dominated by nationalistic ideologies. Rather politics in developed countries is today governed by "money" or greed. Intelligence agencies are powerful apparatus and can be misused or are being misused. If we observe the different challenges we are facing today in India, we can easily infer that many of these problems are created by intelligence agencies of countries which are anti-India. But they are feeding on the basic weaknesses of Indian governmental administrative mechanisms and weaknesses in the Indian politics. The Indian RAW, IB and military intelligence today need to be better synchronized in terms of command and control as well as collaborative protocols. The power and the onus lies with the prime minister of India. The past prime ministers had failed in doing so, intentionally or unintentionally. This is one side of the story.

On the other side of the story, are the Indian citizens. Today we as citizens of India need to take charge of the politics in this country. Whichever party rules, it should be just a mechanism to deliver the needs and wishes of the citizens, rather than dictating their wishes on the citizens. The major success behind the 2014 Lok Sabha elections lies behind increased voter awareness. There had been an average increase of 10% in terms of voter turnout. Which translates roughly to 12 crore people. The impact of this is very much evident. The 2014 elections have eliminated cast based and religion based politics. Today the agenda of development and good governance has won. There were thousands of volunteers from different organizations, who worked very hard, to create voter awareness. People think that social media had an important role to play. But I disagree. Why ? Because tech savvy cities like Bangalore or Mumbai had the least voter turnout ratios, but increased by 10%. I was astonished to see people's enthusiasm on 16th May, when the results were about to be declared. Everyone was very excited. People even took leave on that day. The streets of Bangalore were empty. But when it was their turn to cast their votes and contribute to democracy, they happily ignored it. Perhaps because they don't know that they are the lucky 3% of the Indian population that earn more than Rs. 6500 per month. 97% of the Indian population earn less than Rs. 6500 per month (approx.). So while I am writing my notes here on facebook notes, I also want to send out a message to all my friends on facebook, that we need to convert part of our privilege to help the rest of the 97% of the Indian population to achieve equity in terms of livelihood and means to have a respectable, safe and secure way to live in this country. It is our duty to serve our fellow citizens of India and the world.

मन समर्पित, तन समर्पित और यह जीवन समर्पित।
चाहता हूँ देश की धरती तुझे कुछ और भी दूं ।। 

A treatise on alcohol consumption in India

Alcohol consumption has a direct relationship with the crimes being committed in a country. Under the influence of alcohol, the nervous system becomes weak and the brain loses its capability to make logical decisions. Hence most of the crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol. This article attempts to bring out all the aspects of alcohol consumption.

Alcohol consumption trends
Here is the per capita alcohol consumption trend in India, here we have to understand that alcohol is consumed by a section of Indian population, generally by the poorer section or by the considerably wealthy section of the population on a regular basis. Also per capita consumption doesn't give the complete picture, it gives only a part of the picture.

 (source : WHO, FAO)

Now let us look at how is the alcohol market doing in India. We are taking a sample of one of the major alcohol producing companies in India and its growth.

(source : Credit Suisse, Equity Research, Sept, 2012)
Here a "case = 12 bottles = 9 litres". Hence we can see from the trend that alcohol consumption has increased by more that 3 times in the last 10 years.

Who are the consumers of alcohol
India is one of the fastest growing alcohol markets in the world and largest consumer of whiskey. According to a study by ASSOCHAM, a sizeable middle class population with rising spending power and a sound economy are some of significant reasons behind increase in alcohol consumption in India. This fact comes out as an ironical one. The poor in India consume cheap country liquor and other cheaper brands of alcohol out of frustration and despair and end up spending 60% of their income in alcohol (no wonder they remain poor). The growing middle class consume alcohol as a mark of prosperity and class and again end up spending a considerable part of their income on alcohol. This nouveau riche middle class considers alcohol as a symbol of success. For richer sections alcohol anyway symbolizes success but is being conveniently offset by their higher levels of income/wealth. The question to be posed here is - is this a progressive attitude ?

Younger generations are falling into the trap of alcohol because of higher disposable incomes, lack of parental supervision, changing societal norms and peer pressure. Almost 45 percent of 12th graders in metropolitan cities in India excessively consume alcohol and teenage drinking has increased by 100 percent during the last 10 years. India ranks as one of the largest alcoholic beverage markets across the globe. Kerala and Punjab are the leading liquor consuming states in India. Indian movies depict consuming alcohol as an act of heroism. This directly impacts the psyche. Most of the youngsters consume alcohol under the influence of these movies. Indian drinking habits and patterns are problematic. Atleast one third of the drinkers fall in the "hazardous drinkers" category.

More than one fifth of the alcohol produced in the world is consumed by Indians. The liquor industry is growing at a rate of 30% per year. The total value of alcoholic drinks consumed in India is projected to be Rs. 1.5 lakh crore in 2015.

Interestingly studies have revealed that majority of the alcohol consuming population of India are males. According to data from WHO (2010), 90% of the lifetime abstainers of alcohol are females. This is a positive side of the data. Majority of the Indian female population is not under the influence of alcohol. Consequently whatever stability that exists in the Indian households is because of females. But there is another side of the story. Domestic violence is prevalent and high in households where the male member consumes alcohol. The husband consumes alcohol and beats-up the wife. I think this story can be extrapolated into other countries as well.

India Government's stand on alcohol
In the Part-IV of the constitution of India, the directive principles of state policy, article 47, it is mentioned, "The State shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties and, in particular, the State shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption except for medicinal purposes of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health."

Here it is evident that the constitution prevented the formation of any national policy on alcohol. So there is no national policy on alcohol. Instead each and every state is supposed to implement its alcohol policy. Obviously this left a lot of scope for manipulation. The corruption at the national level is visible however the corruption at the state level is difficult to observe. Now state governments earn a considerable revenue from alcohols. Hence their stand on alcohol has always been weak. Important to note here, that the constitution needs an amendment on this point.

Alcohol and crime
Because of loss of self-control and intoxicating effects of alcohol, individuals get involved in crime and fights and cause injury to others and property. It has been well established that alcohol is closely linked to routine acts of violence. Alcohol users are frequently involved in fights, brawls, rape, spousal and child abuse, thefts etc. The risk of spousal abuse increases with an alcoholic husband even during pregnancy. In the last few years there has been an increase in the number of reported crimes against women and children in India. Studies show that 99 percent of crimes against women are committed under the influence of alcohol.

Alcohol and health
Alcohol consumption is estimated to cause 1.8 million deaths per year (3.2% of all deaths) and to be responsible for 4% of the disability-adjusted life years lost per year worldwide. The impact of alcohol on disease and mortality is more in countries like India where poverty is a predominant factor. Increased alcohol consumption is related to increased rick of mortality and morbidity due to physical illness. The major disease and injury conditions related to alcohol are as follows:-

• Malignant neoplasms - mouth and oropharynx cancers, Oesophageal cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer
• Neuropsychiatric diseases - unipolar depressive disorders, epilepsy, alcohol dependence and harmful use
• Diabetes mellitus
• Cardiovascular disorders - ischaemic heart disease, haemorrhagic stroke, ischaemic stroke
• Gastrointestinal diseases - cirrhosis of liver
• Unintentional injury - motor vehicle accidents, drownings, falls, poisoning
• Intentional injury - self-inflicted injuries, homicide
  

Alcohol users generally report a greater frequency of ill-health. Common problems reported by alcohol users include generalised weakness, impaired roles within the family, impaired social relationships, obesity, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, depression, anxiety and irritability, memory loss, caugh, difficulty in breathing, poor sexual performance, duodonal ulcer, increased psycho-social problems. Alcohol users are also more likely to use various forms of tobacco than non-users, thus increasing the risk of overall health damage. Interestingly studies have shown that alcohol use is more common amongst doctors in India, indicating that doctors need more motivation to practice good healthcare habits.

Alcohol use has been identified as a major factor for injury occurrence. Consumption of alcohol leads to a variety of physiological changes. Prominent among these are changes in respiration and circulation, difficulties in making judgement and decisions, poor vision, delayed reflexes, improper coordination, problems in risk perception and recognition (like difficulties in identifying dangers in roads), sense of pseudo confidence, loss of self-control and increased risk taking. The pseudoeuphoric effect of alcohol results in loss of inhibitions and enhances risk taking behaviours.

Social consequences of alcoholism
The psycho-social and economic consequences of alcoholism can be both acute and long-term. The death of an earning member of a family in an alcohol related accident can cause untold suffering to the innocent family members. An alcoholic husband can deprive his wife and children of much needed, immediate and long-term resources. An alcoholic father sets a wrong example to his children, and also deprives his children of emotional and social security. Social consequences of alcohol abuse have prompted societies and communities across the world to limit use of alcohol to various extents. The manifestation of social consequences of alcohol abuse happens at three levels : individual, family and society.

What should we do ?
Human beings do not live in isolation. They live in a social framework. Hence the problems of society can only be tackled only by joint action of groups of volunteers. Like any other problem, the problem of alcoholism has to be tackled in similar lines. Only a strong sustained campaign can check the spread of alcoholism.

Today when I walk through the streets of India, I see umpteen number of socio-economic and political problems manifesting them in each and every corner of this country. I can choose to ignore them and take my course, or I can decide to do something about it.

The case of "Nirbhaya" shook not only me but the entire nation. There have been umpteen number of cases of violence against women in this country. How can we just sit in our homes/offices and do nothing about these?

We need to "Wake-up" !!. Our life is limited on this planet, one day we are all going to die, but while we are here, why can't we work as volunteers for this planet, for animalkind, for mankind.....

(source(s) : excerpts from financial express, thehindubusinessline
www.nimhans.kar.nic.in/cam/CAM/Alcohol_report_NIMHANS.pdf
www.nimhans.kar.nic.in/cam/CAM/WHO.ER.ch14.5.Benegal.pdf
nimhans.kar.nic.in/deaddiction/CAM/Social_20Cost.pdf )

Role of intelligence agencies in the democracy of India - 1

If we look at the democratic history of India, we can easily understand that the last decade had been darkest patch in the history of Indian democracy. From basic common sense, it is very much evident that how external intelligence agencies were controlling the entire governance of India. This is easy to deduce since our recent Prime Minister has kept a vow of silence and the PMO is being controlled by a foreigner behind the curtains. The important aspect is, who is controlling the mother-son duo sitting being the curtain. We can analyse this as follows:-
Indian defence is at its weakest period at this moment, with both the Navy and the Airforce suffering multiple accidents and a very short span of time. India is rich in oil however India imports oil. The same is the case with coal and bauxite. India is the largest producer of vegetables in the world still vegetable prices are very high. In the last decade we have seen this upsurge in food prices in India despite the fact that India has surplus vegetables. About 40% of the food is lost even before it reaches the destination. Thanks to the nexus of politicians and the supply chain agents of food in India. The country's economy is being systematically weakened. All the scams that happened have only weakened the economy of this country. The education system in India has been systematically weakened. If you see the NCERT textbooks, it is very much evident that the main subject matter is missing from text books. And these books are supposed to be written by team of teachers in workshops. Instead single unknown authors are able to write better and useful books. The data given by planning commission is completely flawed and shows false image of development. We all know the changing of the line of poverty by the planning commission. The fact remains is that the planning commission is a puppet of the congress. They never provide transparent data. The history of Indian National Congress is a shameful one. The important thing to understand here is that the first leader of independent India was a puppet in the hands of British intelligence. The congress under the leadership of "the puppet" injected systematic bugs in the Indian democratic and administrative system which has now lasted for more than 65 years. These so called "bugs" are tearing down the system part-by-part. There was a systematic injection of communal sentiment during the independence and partition of India in 1947. That communal fire is being provided the required oxygen from time to time. Millions of innocent lives are being lost from time to time. 97% of the population is actually poor in India. It is only 3% of the India population that can be called middle class/rich/super rich. It is such a pity that this 97% population is suffering immense pain. The BT cotton which is a genetically modified variety of cotton has rendered lands infertile in Vidarbha. Hundreds of farmers committed suicide. The land has become so poisonous that even a Neem tree cannot grow in that area. And the congress government has given approval for experimenting with more GM crops in India. It is clear that these are anti-national forces working according to the plans of external intelligence agencies (whether it is CIA or MI-6 or ISI or Chinese intelligence agencies, it is for the reader to guess), but nobody wants India to prosper.
Who are the sufferers, the 97% non-facebook population of India. So much for security, so much for NSA, so much for humanity, so much for human greed !!

But there is one consciousness that rules the entire creation...and that is full of love...because love is the basic substratum of the entire creation...and that Infinity would protect the just, the poor and the innocent.

Criteria for voting

As it is quite evident from my previous post, governance in India is layered. There is national level governance, state level governance and there is governance at the local bodies which are further divided into three layers. Hence if we look at the democracy of India as a whole, there is ample scope for developmental democracy. However there is one thing that is essentially lacking here, i.e., democratic awareness and education. How should we vote for various elections? From very basic common-sense we can categorize the criteria as follows:-

• National level elections - we should vote for a stable government for a party that has the maximum plausible credibility for carrying out developmental work in the country, given the current situation, whatever that may be. Hence here the party and the leadership of the party are of primary importance. Also it is important to vote for a national level party for national elections.
• State level elections - For state level elections we should see the party as well as the candidates (including the leadership). It can be a national level party or state level party, but importance should be given to the track record of that party in the development of the state. Also the background of the candidates should be checked. Candidates with criminal backgrounds should be voted out.
• Local level governance (urban/rural local bodies) i.e., panchayats, municipalities etc. - in this case importance should only be given to the particular candidate representing the ward or the panchayat consituency. Here we should not give much importance to the party. Utmost importance should be given to the candidate and his/her background, education, abilities, vision, track record etc.

Note that at the very local levels the constitution of India provides significant power to the local people to make a decisive move. The only problem is that people are not aware of their rights.

An important blog post pertaining to similar concept is here :-
http://srisriravishankar.org/layers-of-democracy