'Radical solutions to India's infrastructure deficit'

Infrastructure develops around industries.

State governments in their bid to attract industries compete with each other to provide infrastructure to the industries.

Instead infrastructure development should be made a mandatory prerequisite for setting up large and medium scale industries.

It is the business of corporate houses to set up industries and they, not the government, should develop the infrastructure.
One good example is Tatanagar, which developed around the Tata steel plant. But the same Tata company wanted an agriculture land in Singur which has good road connectivity, water and electricity facilities. Food is a necessity for all be they rich or poor. 

What ails science graduation course

The old system of composite BSc course has produced neither good scientists nor employable youth in the past century. The evidence is there, despite having a large pool of science graduates, India has published few original research papers. If we want Indian science to progress then we should take a different path and not one that has already failed.

We must be clear in our approach for the future generations. Not all the students who study science at undergraduate level need to undertake research. Most of them would like to be employable, for which they need ‘market driven’ courses.

 Those who are interested in research should be given a chance to study interdisciplinary subjects. An undergraduate student may not like all the sections of a subject; he/she may like mechanics but not electricity, organic chemistry but not physical chemistry. A student should be given more liberty and choices to study what interests him/her. A compulsive study of the old pattern repels rather than attract students towards the study of science and pursuing research.

JLN:Not so Great

JLN was a man whom kids loved to call Chacha. Following an inglorious defeat in war with china, when he died and Lal Bahadur became the PM, we kids were happy: at last India had a ‘Bahadur’ prime minister.
He laid a solid foundation on which young India could add umpteenth stories to build a sky-scrapper. Pakistan, Burma, Ceylon are neighbors who got independence in 47-48 but became failed nations.

He started institutions like IITs, RECs, IIMs, INCOSPAR (ISRO), BARC, NDA, NID, AIIMS, FTII and many others. NBT publish low cost books for children. NSEP lauded by WHO as ‘greatest achievement in public health during the 20th century’ eradicated the killer disease small pox from India.
He commissioned dams that give power & irrigation and steel plants that give steel to build. His mixed economic policy and NAM were unique concepts. Industry grew 7.0 per cent annually between 1950 and 1965. Green Revolution removed the food scarcity and provided food security.
He lost a war in 1962, so have many Great Generals, but three years later Indian armed forces were so much empowered that it won a war and for half of those three years he was the prime minister.
And he was not so Great a General. He was not made of iron but he made steel.

Gandhian Capitalism

In my youth Gandhian Socialism was in vogue and I believed in it. But in present scenario I think Gandhian Capitalism is a better option. Basic Gandhian philosophy envisages the power of ‘One’. To empower the most downtrodden ‘One’ capital is needed. And equitable distribution of capital is not only not possible but is also against the law of nature. But equitable utilization of capital is possible and the benefit recycles to one who invests.

Use of Technology for the Control of Crime

A large percentage of crime involves road-rage and rowdism in broad daylight. Often either there is no witness or do not depose due to fear. Technology can help in controlling crime and punishing criminals. 

Spy cameras are available in the shape of pens, buttons, watches, glasses etc. they should be made cheaper and public should be encouraged to use them. Videos of crime can be submitted anonymously to crime control units’ websites and the culprits identified and tried in fast-track courts without the need of human witnesses.

Vehicles must have their registration numbers printed in large fonts on the top. Surveillance cameras mounted on road lights can track the offending vehicle, even on deserted highways. Furthermore satellite images can be used for the same purpose.

My India

Every now and then people raise demands for separate states in our country. The root cause of this is unequal development. Power hungry politicians take advantage of genuine grievances and lead violent movements. This worsens the situation.

The best thing to do is abolish the states and make the districts an autonomous unit.  Approx 642 districts each will have a M.P. (Loksabha) who will also be the ‘Chief District Minister’ – instead of the C.M. of a state. The C.D.M. will rule the district and select its own team to govern. Ambitious politicians will be directly responsible for the welfare of its district and will get no excuse to blame others for lack of development or any misdeed.

The country will have about 12-20 zones looked after by Governors (similar to state governors at present) who will take charge of the law and order of the districts under its zone with police under its control. There will be no political control over police.

There will be 200- 250 seats in Rajyasabha proportionately divided among political parties on the basis of percentage of votes gained during National Polls- the parties will select its members. At present the votes gained by the runner-up/ nearest looser in the polls are wasted. But in the suggested system they will add to the overall percentage of a party and will be reflected in the Rajyasabha. 

There will be only one National Poll every five years, unnecessary expenditure on several polls will be reduced.

The total number of politicians will be reduced (no MLAs) at the same time the M.P.s will get greater autonomy and funds to rule their district and select their own team freely (some good MLAs will get chance in this team). They will have all the freedom and responsibility to improve their districts. The people of marginalized / backward districts in each state will get a better chance of development.

Disclaimer: This is only a thought and in no way any comment on the Constitution of India or any individual, politician or political party whatsoever.

Ghosts!

Until the age of six I lived in a rented house having no electricity. Whenever I sat on the floor for dinner, the lantern would cast all the weird shadows on the ceiling. God I was so scared of the dark images yet I would steal a glance to see if they were moving towards me.