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What next? Uniforms to attend Gandhi event!
Posted by: manish on Tuesday, September 07, 2010 - 02:52 PM
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The Times of India reports that the security men and officials turned away chappal wearing students, who came to attend event of Rahul Gandhi. Officials feared that students might hurl chappals at Mr. Gandhi to protest. The story is also reported here and this seems like a pattern now. This is kind of little funny and at the same time little insulting. Students should simply boycott such events, which places such idiotic restrictions. In a free country like ours such restrictions should not have any place. What will they come up with next? Uniforms!!
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Police corruption is the way of life
Posted by: manish on Thursday, September 02, 2010 - 11:52 PM
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The Deccan Herald reports about a survey, conducted by the police department and the Public Affairs Centre, an NGO, which reveals 48% of the staff in 1020 police stations in Karnataka demand bribe. This should not come as shocking to the reader as everyone who lives in India knows very well that corruption is a way of life now. You are in tiny minority and considered a irritant if you try to fight against it. Recently, I had a hilarious exchange with a cop in Pune. I parked my car on side of the road of a very crowded area, called Nanapeth, to pick few things from a shop. The parking was for not more than 2 mins. By the time I came back I found a cop standing there asking me for PUC papers. When it was shown to him, he told me that I should pay fine (basically he was asking for bribe) for parking on the crowded street. To which I agreed, and politely asked him to give me the challan receipt for the same. He was in hurry (it was his business time) and was in no mood to give me the receipt and finally asked me to leave without any payment. We drove away laughing, but this got me thinking later that the system has become so corrupt that they do not even bother doing things right even once.
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Supressing open thinking
Posted by: manish on Thursday, September 02, 2010 - 10:44 PM
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The Indian Express lambasts the health ministry for going after the scientist who discovered anti-biotic resistant strain of bacteria, called superbug. The scientists chose to have name New Delhi in the name of the bug, which made the government go hysteric and noises were made that it was a conspiracy to malign India medical tourism industry. But the real point was cleverly overlooked. Now, the government via Drug Controller is going after the scientist asking them why they did not take permission to conduct their research! There is a stalinist strain in the Congress party which time to time shows up its ugly face and this incident is one such. The Indian Express rightly says "This is a health bureaucracy that’s out of control. Do we wish our scientists merely to repeat government talking points, in the approved Stalinist manner?". However, the Express would have been seen as true champion of free research and thinking had they also published similar articles when the security researcher from Hyderabad, Mr. Hari Prasad, was arrested for exposing flaws in the electronic voting machines. This episode was covered here, and here.
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"BJP’s progress report"
Posted by: manish on Thursday, September 02, 2010 - 11:15 AM
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Nirmala Sitharaman in the Asian Age writes: "It is fairly well known that the per capita income of Muslims in Gujarat is the highest in the country, and access to education for minorities in Gujarat is better again compared to any other state in the country.?
On the three reported critical measures — growth, employment and minority welfare —BJP-ruled states have shown their performance. Good governance and not appeasement brings benefits. Benefits for all." Read More.
Interestingly, when the BJP ruled states are providing good governance while being on right of the center, why the central leadership tends to be on the left of the center.
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Let the food grain waste and we'll make sure it never reaches the needy
Posted by: manish on Thursday, September 02, 2010 - 03:20 AM
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Recently, the Supreme Court of India ordered the Ministry of Agriculture, to distribute food grains rotting in the godowns of the food corporation of India (FCI) to the poor and needy for free. The FCI procures grain from farmers based on the support price set by FCI. These procured food grains is supposed to reach the public via the public distribution system (PDS), which people avail via their ration shops on subsidized price. If one were to visit the ration card office in their town one would realize the extent of corruption (i.e the whole PDS system is corrupt to the core). I personally experienced it when I tried to get ration card made for my family. I was given an option of using an agent who would have made sure that my ration card was made within a week, and the other option was indefinite wait. I waited for full two months and finally managed to get the ration card. In any case, that is not the crux of the story. It is about how the PDS system is so screwed up. At the end of the day this system benefits everybody but the people it is intended for. Interestingly, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Sharad Pawar thanked the SC for suggestion and said he would take decision on the matter. The SC replied that it was not a suggestion but an order. The Indian Express feels that by ordering this the SC is encroaching into the executive function. The fact of the matter is that the executive is repeatedly failing the country. Mr. Pawar instead of running his ministry efficiently, is more interested in running Cricket around the world. Mr. Pawar who has a strong agricultural roots and is darling of farmers of Western Maharashtra became Agricultural Minister riding on the high hope that he would solve many problems faced by farmers. But he has proven himself to be totally useless as Agricultural Minister. The other article in the Indian Express argues for direct transfer of money instead of the PDS system. But before abolishing the PDS system, shouldn't government first auction all the food grain stored in the FCI godowns first? This auctioning process would atleast rationalize the food prices in the open market.
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"Party Ministry"
Posted by: manish on Thursday, September 02, 2010 - 03:20 AM
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The India Express writes: "absentee railway minister deployed two companies of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) for her security during her August 9 rally at Lalgarh. If that is evidence of her readiness to treat the railways as her personal fiefdom, it was not her only offence. The RPF deployment at Lalgarh was made without informing the Union home ministry and the West Bengal police — the latter being officially responsible for her security and maintenance of order at the venue, the former being responsible for clearing any deployment of Central paramilitary personnel." Read More.
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"Honour, freedom and dignity on the campus"
Posted by: manish on Monday, August 30, 2010 - 11:07 PM
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Sukanta Chaudhuri in the Telegraph writes: "The embarrassment over Viswanathan Anand’s honorary degree has raised the question of academic autonomy in a dramatic, if peripheral, way. The human resource development minister has intervened; Anand has conducted himself with dignity; the matter has receded from the headlines. That is a relief and a pity. We have missed a chance to examine some deeper issues of academic functioning." Read More
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"An Indian version of court packing"
Posted by: manish on Monday, August 30, 2010 - 10:50 PM
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Bibek Debroy in the India Express writes: "Other than issues about a committed judiciary, consider the implications. There is a process for amending the Constitution. Amendments don't require unanimity in Parliament. They require a majority, suitably defined. As an MP, I have sworn allegiance to the Constitution and perhaps I am in a minority when the Constitution is amended. Ipso facto, once the amendment takes place, I should promptly resign. That would be an odd definition of democracy." Read More.
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When will our so called leader loose their mai-baap mindset
Posted by: manish on Monday, August 30, 2010 - 10:50 PM
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The Indian Express has a interview transcript with the Congress Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr. Hooda, who when asked about land acquisition in Haryana for urban development purpose has this to say: "kya unhi ke naam likha hua hai ki wohi zameen ke saath rahenge? (Why should farmers always remain farmers?). They should also be given opportunities. They should also be treated as other citizens are treated.".
On a cursory reading nothing seems wrong with what the CM is saying, but if you think about it it reeks of the same old mai-baap attitude that has held our country back for decades. What is this attitude about "they should be rehabilitated"? Who will rehabilitate them? When will these leaders come out this mai-baap attitude and learn that it is they who are the employee of people and not other way around. Now, it is well known that the land from farmers was acquired on pittance by the government (for e.g. Rs 20,000 per acre) and then given to the developers who made killing in the market. Instead of engaging in verbal jugglery the CM should look into the successful model in other states which resulted in fair deal for everyone. Magarpatta City is a great example of farmer-developer partnership via which for each acre that was invested in the project a farmer earns close to 16-18 lakh per year. Other than public infrastructure why should government be in the business of land acquisition?
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Discrediting attack on security researcher
Posted by: manish on Sunday, August 29, 2010 - 01:16 PM
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The Times of India reports that the R&AW and IB are checking background of Mr. Hariprasad, a security researcher based out of Hyderabad who showed that the electronic voting machines can be tempered. He was arrested couple of days ago on the charge of theft of the EVM he used to conduct his research. Times of India questions his motive of research and cast aspersion he may be a "mere tool in the hands of some corporate rivals who want to make a clone of the equipment which has a huge demand in countries across Africa and South America?"
When Mr. Hariprasad was arrested, I wondered whether we are living in a free country or police state. Not a single voice came from either any news paper or so called champions of "civil society" questioning this move by the government. Now, the Times of India goes and literally calls the researcher a 'thief' and cast aspersion on his motives. By doing this, instead of asking questions like why the security researcher was arrested when he was acting on greater public good, the TOI has decided to be a tool in the hand of the government and unleashed this shameful discrediting attack. When no charges have been proven, no court has convicted Mr. Hari Prasad, how come the Times of India goes out and calls Mr. Hari Prasad 'thief'? They should not only retract this story but also apologize to Mr. Hari Prasad for this shameful article.
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