MG DEVASAHAYAM NOTHING SMART ABOUT SMART CITIES p24 DEVENDER SINGH MPs: SALARY OR SERVICE? p28
November 5, 2015 ` VOL. 9, ISSUE 8
BIG BOSS ANIL SWARUP
p16
gfilesindia.com
JUSTICE TS THAKUR
ISSN 0976-2906
FI R M ST B ST KA IR p3 US RIN 8 HA G L S
The man behind the judge 1
¼Hkkjr ljdkj dk miØe½
fgUnqLrku dkWij fyfeVsM HINDUSTAN COPPER LIMITED (A Govt. of India Enterprise) www.hindustancopper.com
ns’k dk rkez [kfud
THE COPPER MINER TO THE NATION
22
From the Editor
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015 Anil Tyagi | editor TR Ramachandran | executive editor Niranjan Desai | roving editor GS Sood | consulting business editor Vartika Nanda | consulting editor Rakesh Bhardwaj | editorial consultant Naresh Minocha | contributing editor Anish Gandhi | consultant, foreign affairs Narendra Kaushik | associate editor Sanjeev Acharya | associate editor Venugopalan | bureau chief (bengaluru) Kanika Srivastava | sub-editor & coordinator Mayank Awasthi | reporter Manasvi Sharma | trainee sub-editor Pawan Kumar | production coordinator Sumer Singh | assistant manager, logistics Nipun Jain | finance Gautam Das | legal consultant Bushchat Media | edit & design Madan Lal | Webmaster Abhisshek Tyagi | director advertising & marketing delhi: Pallav Moitra | director marketing +919810119937; e-mail: pallav@gfilesindia.in e-mail: adv@gfilesindia.com chandigarh: Ramesh Sharma— +918699519405 e-mail: rameshsharmaemail@gmail.com mumbai: 48/C-1, Areshwar, Mhada, S.V.P. Nagar, Andheri(W), Mumbai 400 053 bengaluru: 2210, 10b main road, 3 block, jayanagar, bengaluru 560 011 Contact — +91 9845730298 e-mail: venu@gfilesindia.in Anil Tyagi, Printer & Publisher 118, 2nd floor, dda site 1, new rajinder nagar, new delhi – 110 060 +All information in gfiles is obtained from sources that the management considers reliable, and is disseminated to readers without any responsibility on our part. Any opinions or views on any contemporary or past topics, issues or developments expressed by third parties, whether in abstract or in interviews, are not necessarily shared by us. Copyright exclusively with Sarvashrestha Media Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction of any material of this magazine in whole, or in part(s), in any manner, without prior permission, is totally prohibited. The publisher accepts no responsibility for any material lost or damaged in transit. The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw or otherwise deal with any advertisement without explanation. All advertisements must comply with the Indian Advertisements Code. Published and printed by Anil Tyagi on behalf of Sarvashrestha Media Pvt. Ltd at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt Ltd. E-125, Site-B, Surajpur Ind. Area, Gautam Budh Nagar, Greater Noida-201306 U.P. (INDIA). All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts in New Delhi only
Contact: editor@gfilesindia.com For sales: adv@gfilesindia.com For Subscription: hrd@gfilesindia.com tel/fax: +91 11 2874 4789, +91 11 4508 2832, +91 99111 10385, +91 99531 20281
The bedrock of our democracy is the rule of law and that means we have to have an independent judiciary, judges who can make decisions independent of the political winds that are blowing.— Caroline Kennedy
O
n August 15, 1947, when India became independent after being ruled by the British for over 200 years, the nation adopted the path of parliamentary democracy. The British parliamentary system left a lasting impression; due to the colonial legacy, the framers of the Indian Constitution borrowed this system. However, the freedom of the judiciary was drawn from the US. The American system bestowed considerable power on the judiciary, making it free of the biased influence of the executive and the legislature. The US set an example of the freedom of the judiciary before the world. There is a clear and distinct line that separates the three major organs—the executive, legislature and judiciary. As a result, the US has had a glorious 200 years of peace, progress and harmony. Amidst the National Judicial Appointments Commission debate over who is supreme, the judiciary or the legislature, Justice Tirath Singh Thakur, a senior-most judge, is designated to take over as Chief Justice of India on December 2. He assumes office at a time when fires are raging in India and will be a veritable general taking over the reins during war-time. There are two important tasks. To restore normalcy and create an atmosphere of confidence in the institution. gfiles’ cover story on Justice Thakur is not about the NJAC controversy but endeavours to tell our readers what kind of a Chief Justice India is going to have in these fraught times. Our writers Justice Vijender Jain, Senior Counsel and Member of Parliament KTS Tulsi, Rakesh Bhatnagar and Neeraj Mahajan, analyse the persona of Justice Thakur. The new Chief Justice will have major challenges before him. First is corruption in the judiciary. There is no provision for registering an FIR against a judge for accepting bribes without the permission of the Chief Justice of India. Next is the backlog of pending cases. India’s legal system has the largest backlog of pending cases in the world—30 million. Over four million are High Court cases, 65,000 are Supreme Court cases. Then there is lack of transparency, another problem facing the Indian judicial system. Last but not least, undertrials in Indian jails spend more time in jail than the actual term that might have been awarded had the case been decided in time. And, of course, the Indian judicial system has little connection with society, something it inherited from the British judicial set-up. Political winds are blowing and the judiciary is unflinchingly trying to be independent and not succumb to the will of the political dispensation. The debate will keep going. Parliament has to finally take a call about who the decision-making body in the country is—the legislature elected by the people of India or a judiciary selected by the system. If Parliament is not ready to decide the crucial issue soon, it will have serious repercussions in future. Thankfully, at this juncture the Indian judiciary will be headed by a judge who is cool-headed, farsighted and endowed with insightful vision not only for the judicial system but the nation. Anil Tyagi
Download the gfiles app
www.indianbuzz.com
editor@gfilesindia.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
3
CONTENTS
LETTERS editor@gfilesindia.com
6 Bric-a-Brac
akhilesh’s methods, hooda tries his best, council woes, younger brother finds favour, amit shah post-bihar
10 Cover Story
profiling the new chief justice of india: justice ts thakur
16 Big Boss coal secretary anil swarup
24 Governance
can smart cities deliver all-round development? 28 panel for mps’ salaries 32 tackling the mindset in pakistan
38 First Stirrings
mb kaushal looks back
42 Book Review
memoirs show the way
46 Leisure
travel to orchha
47 Stock Doctor
look for buying opportunities
50 Perspective
one with the elements
57 By the Way
servants in service, questions for kejriwal, tussles in south block, record keeper in prasar bharati
Retirement debate The article “A step towards ‘minimum government’?” (gfiles, October 2015) states the pros and cons of a hot topic in India: whether retirement should be 33 years of service or 60 years of age. India for ages has been working in a particular format without questioning. But now it will be interesting to see what the government decides and how the public of India reacts. Mayank Sehgal via email
India’s policy towards Islam A very interesting article (“After Aurangzeb, who?”, gfiles, October 2015) that is well analysed and straightforward in terms of expression of speech. The writer without any hesitation has clearly written his mind. It describes the true colour of Islam and their warped perspective and dual personality. I have said so because they deny the yogic asana, Surya Namaskar, saying they cannot recite to any other God except Allah! But in Australia their children recite to their (Australian) God. Chander via blog Brahmins and Rajputs (claiming to be the saviours and guards of Hindus) in large number embraced Islam during the 600-plus years of Muslim rule. Only
4
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
Vaish and Yadav communities did not record any conversion. Most intelligent were the Kayasthas, who were well versed in the language and attire of the Muslim courts but scratch the uppermost layer of the skin of a Kayastha, one will find a devout Hindu. Another interesting fact is that wherever marauding forces of Islam reached, whether in Egypt, Mesopotamia or Iran, the entire population succumbed and converted to Islam but in the Indian subcontinent, the marching forces of Islam halted and little wonder, more than 80 per cent remained Hindus. Perhaps secularism is in the DNA of the residents of the Indian subcontinent. Anil Maheshwari via blog
A role model This is with reference to the article “Captain of the people” (gfiles, October 2015). Brijesh Kumar Gupta can be seen as a role model for aspiring IPS officers. He has not only provided a different vision to the rest of the police force but also left a legacy to be followed by introducing a ‘humane’ approach. His decision to disband the Social Defence Unit is worth applause. Such officers bring hope and ignite faith in the police. Gopi Shankar via email
Skilling India The article (‘Old wine in new bottle’, gfiles, October 2015) came as a big surprise to me due to the unbelievable figures about dropouts and unemployed in India either due to lack of the Internet, low payment or less qualification. The article unambiguously unveils the ‘hidden educational’ infrastructure of India and depicts a very desolate scenario. I would say that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must first terminate all the obstacles that create hindrances in the education system and then press on to ‘skilling India’. Anil Rao via email
www.gfilesindia.com
www.edelweissfin.com
Remake in India Our robust team of specialists work hard to resolve, reconstruct & revive financially-stressed companies. And in a span of just five years, we are proud to be the fastest growing and largest Distressed Asset Resolution business in India. More than anything else, giving hope to millions of people is what we are most proud of.
EDELWEISS DISTRESSED ASSET RESOLUTION RESOLVE Ĺ– RECONSTRUCT Ĺ– REVIVE
www.indianbuzz.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
5
Bric-a-brac comings & goings
Lessons in ‘good governance’ how about a leaf from akhilesh’s book?
T
o learn ‘good governance’, just visit any district of Uttar Pradesh. The Akhilesh Yadav government has evolved a unique formula Th for faster growth and to appease Samajwadi Party workers. The fo state has been be divided according to the needs of favoured leaders. Moradabad, Bijnore, Bareilly, Rampur, Muzaffarnagar and Badaun Morad districts have reportedly been allotted to Azam Khan, the Minister distr for Parliamentary Affairs, Muslim Waqf, Urban Development, fo Water Supplies, Urban Employment & Poverty Alleviation, W Minority Welfare & Haj. Sources say that ministers or civil Mi servants cannot intervene in these districts without his knowledge. serv Works Department, Jal Nigam and other departments’ The Public P contracts are being allotted at the discretion of Azam Khan’s office. contr departments are bewildered at the way work allocation has All these th without tenders. The government, which claims to be a been done d champion of good governance, has evolved this new method to allot champ work to sycophants without tenders. For example, if a water tank is to constructed in a locality and the cost will be approximately `10 be con crore, the t work will be divided into orders of not more than `2 lakh.
Hooda dreams of a comeback deeds returning to haunt ex-cm
B
hupinder Singh Hooda ruled Haryana like an iron man for 10 years, in the process finishing the Congress, but he remains ns very ambitious. First, he desires to be General Secretary tary of the Congress party. If that is not passed by the Congress high command, then he aspires to be President of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee mmittee or Leader of the Congress Legislature Party. rty. If none of this materialises then he would like e to see his son, Deepender Singh Hooda, MP, as General Secretary of the party. But the Congress leadership is not very enamoured of Hooda and family. Not only is the old man in the political wilderness right now, he is also fighting many battles within and outside the state. His latest tussle is with Kiran Chaudhary, y,
6
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
the daughter-in-law of Bansi Lal, who is the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the state. His bête noire is Ashok Asho Tanwar, Congress President and protég protégé of Rahul Gandhi. Tanwar is against Ho Hooda’s dictatorial attitude. Then there’s the Gurgaon land scam case. The Haryana government has handed it over g to the CBI, CB say sources. CBI officials are sitting in Gurgaon, Manesar and Sohna for the past pa two months. The Manohar Lal Khattar government is determined to send Hooda to jail. People are waiting to s how it deals with Hooda see an his builders’ coterie. Psst: and Whether Hooda’s career will revive Wh or not n depends on one of the most powerful power leaders within the Congress, whom Hooda ignored during his chief Ho minister days when he was very min cosy with a certain son-in-law. c
g
www.gfilesindia.com
INSIDE EYE
ILLUSTRATIONS: ARUNA
Delhi sun always shiness on n suits pm hobnobs with ‘younger brother’
N
o matter which party comes to power in Delhi, industrialists are never out of favour or circulation. They keep mingling with the ruling and opposition sets just the same in n all seasons. The fact is that politicians like to liaise with big industrialists. For one, the latter accommodate their relatives and friends in their respective industries. stries. For another, industrialists take care of politicians’ ‘comfort’ off and on. So, keeping this trend alive, the younger brother of a top industrialist is currently very much in circulation and is the envy of other industrialists. In any case, the brothers always manage to ingratiate themselves with every regime. Modi palace sources say the Prime Minister reportedly likes the younger brother more. So does one of his trusted ministers, who holds an important portfolio. A member of the industrialist’s ’s public relations team is a outes all operations through close friend of the minister and younger brother routes him. The Modi government is reportedly taking care re of Younger Brother, never mind that his company owes a debt of `30,000 crore. ore. In return, the industrialist is also touring BJP-ruled states and establishing the he right contacts. It is rightly said, “Become so big that if you begin to sink theree will be others who will desperately save you.”
g
www.indianbuzz.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
7
Bric-a-brac comings & goings
Bihar polls stretched BJP shah threw himself into campaign
T
he Bihar electioneering is over and the dust has settled in New Delhi. Most of the BJP ministers from the Hindi belt returned to Delhi after touring Bihar for a month, with the fatigue showing on their faces. In private conversations they admitted how tough the elections had been. The campaign was fought tirelessly by Amit Shah and his team, who actually created many teams within and outside the state. First, Shah created a team of local leaders who were not only fighting their own elections but also travelling for campaigning. Then he created a team of central
leaders like Dharmendra Pradhan, Anant Kumar, Bhupender Yadav and Narendra Singh Tomar, who were at his beck and call. Sources say Shah’s next political target is West Bengal. Mukul Rai, an accused in the Saradha chit fund scam and aide of Mamata Banerjee, is likely to launch his own political outfit. He is even ready with the party’s name and application to the Election Commission. Whether he will make a dent in Mamata’s citadel has to be awaited but one thing is clear—he knows her political tricks trick well. He is reportedly in touch with aides of Shah. But Narendra Nar with Modi and Shah are currently more involved invol Sources say the RSS and Mohan Bhagwat. Sou Bhagwat is convinced that neither neith the BJP nor the RSS will have a leader like Modi in no in years to come and he appears app mood to stop the PM from doing whatever he desires. d
g
8
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
www.gfilesindia.com
www.indianbuzz.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
9
COVER STORY
justice tirath singh thakur judiciary
A judge who wields the sword and speaks his mind Justice Tirath Singh Thakur is known as a no-nonsense judge. Not afraid to call a spade a spade, Justice Thakur has many landmark judgments to his credit. These include the Sahara investors refund case, the BCCI case concerning former board chief N Srinivasan and match-fixing in the IPL and the ruling on live-in relationships. He swears by the secular fabric of the country as enshrined in the Constitution and is a strong votary for an inclusive society. Rakesh Bhatnagar and Neeraj Mahajan profile the man who is going to be the 42nd Chief Justice of India
10
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
www.gfilesindia.com
A
N unconventional judge who wields the sword and is not afraid to speak his mind–this, in a nutshell, describes Justice Tirath Singh Thakur, who will soon take over as the 42nd Chief Justice of India, replacing Chief Justice HL Dattu on December 2, 2015. Better known as the Supreme Court Judge who heard the Sahara investors refund case against Subrata Roy in the apex court after Justice JS Khehar recused himself from the hearing, Justice Thakur is known to be a thinking judge who does not hesitate to call a spade a spade. Born on January 4, 1952, and enrolled as an advocate on April 5, 1974, Justice Thakur started practice in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court before being appointed Additional Judge there. He was soon transferred to the Karnataka High Court and later to the Delhi High Court, where he was the senior-most judge. He was then appointed the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court following a vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Vijender Jain. He was then elevated as Judge of the Supreme Court and assumed charge on November 17, 2009. He is due to retire on January 4, 2017. He is the son of the late DD Thakur, the lawyer-turned-finance minister of Jammu and Kashmir, who defended Sheikh Abdullah when he was arrested for alleged anti-national activities during the Nehru era. His brother, Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur, is a sitting judge in J&K High Court. Known as a disciplinarian, Thakur strongly believes in the independence of the judiciary from the influence of the executive. It is evident from his observation, made soon after Parliament passed the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Bill on August
www.indianbuzz.com
14, 2014. During the hearing of a lawsuit relating to backlog of cases in courts and for setting up an arrears’ review committee, Justice Thakur commented, “Some issues that ought to be on the back burner are being put out on the front burner.” He heads a committee, formed to suggest viable measures to solve the problem of mounting arrears, both in the apex court and High Courts. Those who watch developments in the Supreme Court from close quarters opine that Justice Thakur belongs to the moderate school of thought. He is neither a strict status quo-ist nor an adventurist. He is an ardent follower of the Preamble of the Constitution and its avowed faith in the secular character of the country
which is known for unity in diversity of culture and religion. He believes “inclusiveness is part of our culture” and compares the communal tussle over “masjid or mandir” to a “fight between brothers”. “I have seen, as lawyers often do, that when a fight takes place between two brothers over property, it is the most vicious kind of fight. They go all-out. But does that mean they are not brothers? When it comes to a third party, the brothers will come together to fight,” Justice Thakur summed up while narrating the lessons he had learnt during his 43-year legal journey. The no-nonsense attitude of Justice Thakur also came to the fore on the issue of cleaning the Ganga,
One of India’s sharpest minds by KTS TULSI
F
OR Justice Thakur, justice is the right of the weakest. He is one of those judges who will not even condemn the devil wrongfully. He presumes everyone to be innocent. The best things about Justice Thakur is that he is one of the most amiable judges who, rarely, if ever, has raised his voice in court. The pleasant demeanour is always accompanied by a smile, even in the most trying circumstances. To him, dispensing justice is a spiritual activity and he admits that, to him, the inspiration for justice is also accompanied by the fear of injustice. If a judgment reveals the extent of the mind’s illumination, then Justice Thakur must be possessed of one of the sharpest minds for, one after another, he has authored brilliant judgments which are equally humane. His judgments are perfectly balanced; neither
leaning towards the left nor towards the right. The most complex of issues are presented in his judgments in a simple, straightforward manner. The courage of his conviction has been demonstrated time and again in each of the judgments pronounced by him, including the case against Sahara and also BCCI and Uphaar. He is as stern as he is magnanimous. The examples of his sternness are in the Sahara and BCCI cases and magnanimity are the Urmila Devi vs Yudhvir Singh and Uphaar cases. Every man is entitled to be valued by his best moment and his best moment has almost arrived. He is going to be merciless with regard to any smell of corruption in the judiciary. He is going to be vigilant and will guard the image of the judiciary by ensuring that the cheese of justice is not gnawed by mice. I wish him all the luck in his future endeavours. (KTS Tulsi is Senior Counsel, Supreme Court of India, and Rajya Sabha MP)
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
11
COVER STORY
justice tirath singh thakur judiciary
for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created a special ministry with massive budgetary allocation. Justice Thakur, who heads the bench hearing a PIL on the pathetic state of rivers and water bodies in the country, had slammed the government’s senior solicitors: “Where is the urgency in dealing with this matter? The people are waiting. Your (BJP) election manifesto said that it (cleaning up of the Ganga) would be done on a war footing. Where is the urgency? No one is showing any urgency.”
W
HEN the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was seen as a tool to deprive the executive of its power by the court, he said, “the judiciary is not too ambitious, nor did it want to take over governance. But, it would be expected to act in public interest if there is complete deficit in governance…when the darkness is all around.” He further explained, “Our attention towards public interest jurisdiction is not because we want to take over governance, or because the judiciary is too ambitious and also not because we have a grudge against people who have the power and authority. It is only because of the necessity of the situation.” If he seems to be mellow on this issue, Justice Thakur showed his
other side by being a signatory to the significant judgment that upholds the constitutional validity of Section 364A of the Indian Penal Code, which entails the death sentence for kidnapping for ransom. Section 364A was brought into the statute in 1993-94 following an amendment in the criminal law. It envisages that ‘whoever kidnaps or abducts any person and hurts or kills that person with a demand for ransom, shall be punishable with death or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine’. On a number of occasions, Justice Thakur has demonstrated a knack for upholding the right cause, even at
“Appearing before him, one is satisfied that he has heard you and understood you. That is all a lawyer expects from a judge. He is a wonderful judge with a good vision. I can say he is a wonderful person and a wonderful judge. We always remember him. He is always in our heart. The whole High Court remembers him. He was always floating new ideas. He never accepted anything as a problem and would say ‘no problem, there is always a solution’. He is a positive man.” – Advocate Amit Rana, Member, Bar Council of India, on Justice Thakur’s tenure as Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court. He also had firsthand experience of appearing in Justice Thakur’s court.
12
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
the cost of ruffling a few feathers. He created a sensation when, as a Supreme Court judge and executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), he claimed that over 40 per cent Indians were deprived of basic rights and opportunities. “Over 40 per cent of Indians are living below the poverty line. They also are surviving with lack of literacy, lack of basic opportunities and scopes besides economic deficiencies,” Justice Thakur said while delivering a speech at a symposium. “Our target must be to support neglected people of our society. Injustice cannot be tolerated in our system,” he said, adding, “There is a commitment to ensure that poor people have equal access to justice. We have been devising our own ways to reach out to them.” Delivering another bold judgment, an apex court bench of Justice Thakur and Justice Kurian Joseph called for greater transparency and “objectivity” in the selection of law officers. “Normally, people picked (as law officers) are known” and there are instances when people engaged in other vocations, including politics,
www.gfilesindia.com
Judgment on live-in relationships D Velusamy vs D Patchaiammal case Supreme Court Bench: Justices Markandey Katju and TS Thakur
T
HE appellant, D Velusamy, a secondary teacher in Thevanga Higher Secondary School, Coimbatore, filed an appeal against the judgment of the Madras High Court. He alleged that he was married to Lakshmi according to the Hindu Customary Rites on June 25, 1980, and a male child, who was born out of wedlock, was now studying in an engineering college at Ooty. The respondent, D Patchaiammal, had filed a petition before the Family Court at Coimbatore, alleging that she was married to Velusamy, who after living together in her father's house for two or three years, left her but continued to visit her occasionally. She alleged that as she did not have any livelihood, she was unable to maintain herself. Hence, she prayed for maintenance out of Velusamy’s salary of `10,000 per month. The Family Court Judge in his judgment held that the appellant was married to Patchaiammal and not to Lakshmi. This was upheld by the High Court. The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Markandey Katju and TS Thakur, held that, “In our opinion, since Lakshmi was not made a party to the proceedings before the Family Court Judge or before the High Court and no notice was issued to her, hence any declaration about her marital status vis-a-vis the appellant is wholly null and void as it will be violative of the rules of natural justice. Without giving a hearing to Lakshmi, no such declaration could have validly been given by the courts below that she had not married the appellant herein since such a finding would seriously affect her rights. And, if no such declaration could have
are appointed government counsel. Taking exception to such appointments made by state governments, Justice Thakur said: “Some people grace the office (they come to occupy) and (in other cases) office graces the person.”Going a step further, the court observed that from the kind of appointment being made and the remuneration being paid, it appeared
www.indianbuzz.com
been given, obviously no declaration could validly have been given that the appellant was validly married to the respondent. Because, if Lakshmi was the wife of the appellant then without divorcing her, the appellant could not have validly married the respondent. The apex court further observed that Section 125 CrPC provides for giving maintenance to the wife and some other relatives. The word ‘wife’ “includes a woman who has been divorced by, or has obtained a divorce from, her husband and has not remarried.” “When a wife is deserted, in most countries the law provides for maintenance to her by her husband, which is called alimony. However, earlier there was no law providing for maintenance to a woman who was having a live-in relationship with a man without being married to him and was then deserted by him,” the court added. In our opinion a ‘relationship in the nature of marriage’ is akin to a common law marriage. Common law marriages require that although not being formally married: (a) The couple must hold themselves out to society as being akin to spouses; (b) They must be of legal age to marry; (c) They must be otherwise qualified to enter into a legal marriage, including being unmarried; and (d) They must have voluntarily cohabited and held themselves out to the world as being akin to spouses for a significant period of time. Hence, the Supreme Court bench set aside the impugned judgment of the High Court and Family Court, Coimbatore, and remanded the matter to the Family Court Judge to decide the matter afresh in accordance with the law.
“it is some kind of pension. Lakhs of rupees are going down the drain just for doing nothing”. The apex court bench also took the Punjab government to task for appointing 74 Additional Advocate Generals, five Senior Deputy Advocate Generals, 40 Deputy Advocate Generals, 55 Assistant Advocate Generals and two Advocates on
record for 40 courts in Punjab. Even if there was one committed law officer for each court, that would have been sufficient, the court observed. On yet another occasion, Justice Thakur created a stir when, as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, he lambasted the Punjab government for failing to implement the Juvenile Justice Act.
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
13
COVER STORY
justice tirath singh thakur judiciary
¶2QH RI WKH ÀQHVW KXPDQ EHLQJV , KDYH PHW· by JUSTICE VIJENDER JAIN
W
HEN I was asked to write about Justice Tirath Singh Thakur as I knew him, I faced a dilemma. If I write in praise of him, it may be taken as if I am trying to do so because the incumbent is going to occupy the office of the Chief Justice of India. But then, my inner conscience came to my rescue—having held the office of the Chief Justice of any High Court is more than enough reason and as I have entered the 70th year of my innings, I must pen down my feelings about a man who is going to occupy the highest office of the judiciary in the country. I had known the late DD Thakur, father of Justice Tirath Singh Thakur, for a considerable period of time. My intimacy with him grew when I was elevated to the Bench in 1992 and lived at Shahjahan Road, where he was my neighbour. My wife, Kumud, and DD Thakur
used to walk together daily and then he would come to my home for a cup of morning tea. Over tea, we used to regularly talk about social, legal and political dimensions prevailing in the country. DD Thakur was a great statesman and a great lawyer. I was impressed by his court craft and ingenuity. During that period, somewhere in 1993, I met Tirath Singh Thakur when he was a lawyer. Later, in 1994, he was elevated as a Judge of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court and, on account of transfer policy, transferred to the Karnataka High Court. Bangalore is a city which I visit often. Not on account of its climate or serenity, but because a very dear friend, Dr Shreeram, lives there. In 1996, during one such visit, I called Justice Tirath Singh Thakur on the phone. Instantly he said, “Brother, we must dine together.” I insisted that he come to dine with me at Dr Shreeram’s house, but he said that I must come to his house. I had the taste of the hospitality of Anitaji, wife
“I think he will perform very well (as the Chief Justice of India). He listens with patience. He has good knowledge of law as well as a good temperament. He is a judge who does not subscribe to extreme views and follows traditional views. His appointment is as per a longstanding tradition of senior-most judges taking over as the Chief Justice. This is something that should be followed unless there is overwhelming reason not to do so. Appearing before him, one was satisfied that he has heard you and understood you. Ultimately, the judge has to say yes to one side and no to the other side, but both sides must be satisfied that they got a patient hearing. That is all a lawyer expects from a judge.” – Senior advocate Pravin Parekh, six-time President of the Supreme Court Bar Association
14
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
of Justice Thakur, and a very gracious lady. I had a sumptuous meal at their house and, thereafter, my closeness to him grew. Justice Thakur is an embodiment of humility and courtesy, and one of the finest persons I have met in my life. His sense of humour, interest in Urdu poetry and overall erudite knowledge of law made me very fond of him. Normally, people, after reaching higher offices, forget. But, recently at a dinner hosted by a judge of the Delhi High Court, Justice Thakur came and told me, “Bhai Sahib, how can I forget your care and affection when my father was hospitalised in PGI, Chandigarh.” I was really surprised that he still remembered something which was my duty to do as I was at that time the Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court and DD Thakur was seriously sick and admitted in PGI, Chandigarh. The point I am making is that he is one of those people who remembers a small courtesy. This is a quality of a
Speaking at a seminar, he claimed that the Punjab government had not met several statutory requirements of the Act. “A basic body like the child welfare committee is missing from most districts, no inspection committee has been set up to monitor the working of children’s homes and there is no shelter home in the state,” he said. “The state had not bothered to set up a juvenile justice fund and the state has no advisory board either for the implementation of the Act,” he added. Pointing out the pendency of cases under the Juvenile Justice Act, he
www.gfilesindia.com
great personality. He has a great sense of humour too. One day, he called me from Bangalore and said that I had visited Orange Country Resort in Coorg and had not paid the bill and some inquiry has started. I was surprised and told him that I had cleared all the bills. Thereafter he simply said that he was joking and then handed over the phone to Dr Shreeram. This sense of humour makes him an extraordinary human being. His concern for social justice and rule of law for the economic development of the country are unparalleled. I had the privilege of presiding at a full bench in Delhi High Court with Justice Thakur. The aptness and dexterity with which he handled the lawyers was remarkable. I need not go into the landmark judgments which he has delivered during his tenure as Judge of the Supreme Court as everybody is aware of them. The Indian judiciary is safe to have Justice Thakur as the next Chief Justice of India. g
said, “I have been told that 776 cases are pending in Punjab where the juveniles have been in observation homes for over two years. In Haryana there are 4,000 cases where the juveniles have been in observation homes for more than four months.” Justice Thakur added that the state governments should be careful in choosing members for juvenile justice boards. Some of the other landmark judgments delivered by him include the one against suspended Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N Srinivasan and two IPL franchises, Chennai Super Kings and
www.indianbuzz.com
“He is a very nice person. He was very good in his dealings when he was a judge of the Karnataka High Court. There was no allegation against him at any point of time. As a judge, he is very good in all subjects. His approach is very good. He is a calm judge. He hears the advocates patiently. He never gets angry like other judges. He is a relief-oriented judge. This does not mean that in every case he is granting relief, but where required, he gives relief. – Advocate YR Sadashiva Reddy, central government standing counsel and member of the Bar Council of India. He appeared before Justice Thakur in the Karnataka High Court in several cases. Rajasthan Royals, for their alleged involvement in match-fixing and betting in IPL VI. Srinivasan was stopped from participating in BCCI affairs because of the conflict of interest as he was BCCI president as well as stakeholder in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the same time.
H
E, along with Justice Markandey Katju, pronounced a pathbreaking judgment on whether a woman can claim maintenance and other benefits if she is deserted by the man she was living with in a live-in relationship (see
box). The landmark judgment recognised the rights of a woman, if the man and woman, though not formally married, were living like husband and wife. In other words, they are helping each other and are not living together merely for sexual purposes. Delivering a judgment on a contempt petition against the government for not complying with its direction to implement OROP, as per a 2008 judgment, Justice Thakur reminded the government: “This was part of your manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections. You must keep your word.” g
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
15
BIG BOSS
anil swarup secretary coal
Man with the Midas touch Anil Swarup, a 1981-batch IAS officer, is now seen more as a crisis manager and less as a bureaucrat. While he was in the Cabinet Secretariat, before he became the Coal Secretary, he was asked by the previous UPA II regime to tackle the problem of investment paralysis to kick-start growth. As the head of the Project Monitoring Group in the Prime Minister’s Office, he had to build a consensus among warring ministries, which had stalled several mega projects. He proved his efficiency as he removed the road blocks for over 200 projects worth `700,000 crore. When the NDA II regime decided to shift him to the coal ministry, the sector was wracked by scams and scandals. The Supreme Court had cancelled the coal allocations by the previous regimes, and Swarup had to restart the process through corruption-free auctions within a few months. The diligent Swarup proved that policies can be pursued in a transparent manner as he burnt the midnight oil to ensure the coal auctions were a success. The auctions showed his leadership mettle, as he took his colleagues along with him. As he admits, “I couldn’t have done it alone without the overwhelming help from my colleagues.” Over the past few years, Swarup has worked with other central ministries like labour and commerce. He was the brain and heart behind a national health insurance scheme, Rashtriya Swasth Bima Yojana, which benefitted 90 million people and was hailed by the United Nations Development Program as one of the best social security schemes. Alam Srinivas spoke to Anil Swarup on a range of subjects.
16
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
H
AVE you seen the Bollywood movie, Gangs of Wasseypur?” I ask. “Yes,” replies the Coal Secretary, Anil Swarup. “Does the movie portray the reality as it exists today?” “I don’t know. But the only way to deal with the problem is to increase coal production. If this happens, the Gangs of Wasseypur become redundant. With higher production, the mafia will die. One has to look at the causes, and not the symptoms. One
www.gfilesindia.com
PHOTOS: RAJEEV TYAGI
has to understand how the mafia operates; it thrives in a scarcity kind of a situation,” explains Swarup. The Secretary goes on to add that within the next five years he aims to double the annual coal production to a billion tonnes. The state-owned Coal India Limited (CIL) has never witnessed this kind of phenomenal growth. “In the past five years, its annual growth in production was 1-3 per cent. Last year, it grew by 6.7 per cent; this year, the figure will be 9 per cent. It was unthinkable within CIL
www.indianbuzz.com
that it can produce a billion tonnes, but now it has begun to believe in it.” Within the coal ministry, a detailed plan was chalked up to increase the production. There is a detailed minewise data on how to hike it, and the blueprint has the acceptance of the managers in each of the mines. “I sat with them to discuss it; they have the ownership over the plan. CIL thinks it is its plan and there is a spring in the steps of its managers to achieve the target. I have told CIL that its problems are mine. Thus, it has confidence
in us and vice versa.” While this is a laudable action plan, Swarup is perhaps wrong in his assessment that this will curtail the role of the coal mafia, as shown in the two-part Gangs of Wasseypur. There are several theories, as well as aspects, of why organised criminal gangs thrive, either locally, nationally or globally. The obvious one is the rent-seeking one, which applies to sectors where there are shortages and prohibitions. There is an implicit urge to resort to smuggling since the
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
17
BIG BOSS
anil swarup secretary coal
profits are huge, compared to the costs of retribution or action by the legal governments. However, the mafia can behave like a giant private conglomerate. In such situations, the former attempts to maximise profits as it expands into several legitimate and illegitimate areas, each of which add to its bottomline. The same organisation is used to run several rackets, including the ones that don’t yield the kind of profits that they did earlier. Importantly, if the gangs get the products virtually free, as is with coal, they will never give up the illegal activity. Their primary costs are those of running their establishments, and paying bribes. In addition, there is the inherent possibility of a collusion between the mafia and government. Thus, organised crime “ensures political support for groups of candidates, while the latter repay the favour through a favourable management of public
18
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
procurements and the provision of public services or subsidies,” says the book, The Economics of Organized Crime by G Fiorentini and S Peltzman. In areas like Dhanbad (Jharkhand), the mafia leaders became the elected representatives in the state Assembly or Parliament. In such cases, it doesn’t matter whether the production of coal goes up. Exception is not the rule Swarup is at his best and worst, his sharpest and weakest, and most
‘In the case of telecom, all companies faced similar problems. In coal auctions, only four have gone to the courts, so the policy remains visionary for the remaining 66 private bidders’
aggressive and defensive, when he animatedly and excitedly talks about the several rounds of coal auctions in the past few months. The auctions were a spectacular success; they raked in lakhs of crores of rupees for the exchequer, the bulk of which will be shared by the coal-producing states. Most critics hailed the transparent policy, given the backdrop of the huge coal allocation scam in the previous regime. Swarup adds, “Not one person said that the auction policy was wrong.”
H
OWEVER, there are reservations. Experts contend that coal auctions will lead to a scenario where either this government or a future one will need to offer sops to the winning bidders. “It will become like the telecom policy of the 1990s, which had to be changed dramatically in 1999 because mobile licence bidders offered an unbelievably high price to the government for the spectrum that they got. The fact is that over-bidding is imperative during any auction, especially for scarce natural resources like spectrum and coal,” says one of the spectrum bidders. The same has happened in coal auctions. Four bidders have offered to pay the government for the coal that they will excavate from the captive mines. So, instead of asking for the coal costs to be included in the tariff of the electricity that they will generate from the power plants, which will use the coal, these winners will absorb the expenses and pay an additional amount to the government. A few others have offered huge discounts over the coal’s market price. What will be the power tariffs of such companies? Who will buy their power? Will they not plead before the power regulator, and then the government, to offer them incentives to
www.gfilesindia.com
www.indianbuzz.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
19
BIG BOSS
anil swarup secretary coal
become viable? Will the future regime ask these firms to simply shut down after having spent thousands of crores of rupees, which include huge loans from the State-owned banks? “In the case of telecom, all the companies faced similar financial and other problems. In coal auctions, only four have gone to the courts, so the policy remains visionary for the remaining 66 private bidders. At this stage, we cannot assume that all the others will get into trouble in the future. Most of the private firms didn’t overbid. Hence, there is no need to help the four. We assumed that private players will look at viable alternatives. But if some of them decided to jump into the well and overbid, they will suffer,” comes the pat response from Swarup. He adds that the critics want the government to “make the exception the rule. That’s the problem, and we cannot do it. Sixty-six of the 70 bidders were right, and there is no problem with them. For the remaining four, their situation is of their own making. They can shout from the rooftops but the government cannot step in now.” He is partly right, for when exceptions and discretions became the rule during the previous regime, it resulted in a huge scam. Art of making policies WARUP explains how policies are formulated. “At any stage, a government does proper due diligence, gets feedback from various stakeholders and devises a policy in the hope that everything will go right. Some of it may go wrong but the government cannot react immediately. It doesn’t work this way. One has to see how things evolve, based on what various bidders did. The current regime can keep a watch on the situation. And the government of the future will take
S
20
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
‘It is only because the auctions were transparent, the process determined that there may be a case of cartelisation. We were not satisfied with the process in that case’ a call on what to do with the policy.” There is no ideal option vis-à-vis a policy. Any government opts for the best possible solution at a particular moment. In the case of coal, the two issues before the regime were to determine the price to sell the scarce resource and the people to whom it can be sold. The auctions were the best way forward to avoid scandals. “The prime idea behind the auctions was transparency, and not revenue maximisation for the government,” says the Coal Secretary. Sadly, the auctions were sold by the coal minister, and even the Prime Minister, as a transparent process
that maximised gains for the government. It is in this context that critics contend auctions are not necessarily transparent and yield the highest revenues. The reason: some of the private players invariably resort to collusion. In fact, the government has itself alleged that there was cartelisation in one of the bids. It has gone to the courts against it. “It is only because the auctions were transparent, the process determined, that there may be a case of cartelisation. We were not satisfied with the process in that case. But without a fair auction, we couldn’t have discovered it. There was a reasonable suspicion and, therefore, we decided not to accept the bid. We have to be fully convinced about the way the bidding has happened. Despite this, no one has doubted the auction process,” counters Swarup. Science of transparency For him, transparency and lack of corruption are articles of faith. It is
www.gfilesindia.com
www.indianbuzz.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
21
BIG BOSS
anil swarup secretary coal
largely about how each individual can discover the faults that he or she commits inadvertently. Despite the best of intentions, any bureaucrat can make mistakes. It is only when all the relevant issues are in the public domain that someone, somewhere can point them out. This is the basic philosophy of Swarup, the 1981-batch IAS officer who served in several central ministries like commerce and labour, and even in the Prime Minister’s Office under the previous regime. Ever since his first job as the District Collector in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, he used information technology to facilitate and improve local governance. “During the 1991
ent. Everyone needed to know what was being done. “In PMG, mine was the only office that was paperless; there was no movement of any files. We formed a portal, where any of the aggrieved parties could list the problems related to the projects that we monitored. Designated joint secretaries would comment on those issues on the website itself. Thereafter, the issues were discussed in sub-groups and the solutions were posted on the portal.
information was sought from or sent to 5-10 officials. Each time, there were exchanges of letters and files. Each of these passed through Swarup. “I decided that there was no need for a file to be generated for these issues. Such information could easily be put up on the ministry’s portal or an IT platform. The structured information would be on the portal, the unstructured one could be exchanged through emails. I eliminated most of the files. This left me with the deci-
We helped to fast-track projects that entailed an investment of `600,000 crore. Ironically, the portal helped us to discover the real inefficiencies of the government.” Swarup has initiated the same ‘file-cleansing’ process in the coal ministry. When he joined, he would get an average of 50-60 files a day. But when he analysed the nature of the files, he found that half of them were routine; they related to normal information that was either sought or sent. Due to the bureaucratic process,
sion-making files. I decided to digitise them too; the process is 50-60 per cent complete. These days, I get a mere 6-7 files a day,” explains the Coal Secretary. Minus the plethora of files, Swarup has the time to visualise the future. It is only when he has the time that he can think about how CIL can produce a billion tonnes a year within five years. He can deal with various problems related to land, environment, railways and others, and find the best solutions. He is not bogged down by
‘In PMG, mine was the only office that was paperless... We formed a portal, where any of the aggrieved parties could list the problems related to the projects that we monitored’ elections, I was among the first ones to use software packages. I have used IT applications in all official jobs since then. It was in Lakhimpur Kheri that I discovered IT’s importance. It makes my job easy; it helps to ease management responsibilities,” says Swarup.
D
URING UPA II, which was wracked by several controversies and accused of policy paralysis, Swarup was asked to head the Project Monitoring Group (PMG) formed by the PMO to fast-track mega projects and make it easy for the business community to do business. The Coal Secretary knew that in a scamtainted environment the only way to reduce apprehensions and insecurity was to become completely transpar-
22
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
www.gfilesindia.com
bureaucratese; he can act like a corporate mentor, whose job is to think ahead about the sector. Future of coal RIME Minister Narendra Modi has affirmed his commitment on clean energy sources. He wants the country to develop alternative sources of energy, especially renewables like solar, wind and nuclear energy. Apart from being environmentfriendly, unlike coal, these add to the
P
inated until 2030. In sheer volumes, the demand for the fuel will go up, but its proportion of the total energy sources will come down. In fact, I hope it comes down. We know coal is bad, we know that environment issues are non-negotiable, but we have to live with the fact and have to find practical and realistic solutions since we cannot eliminate coal and there are no viable alternatives,” explains Swarup. Therefore, the trick lies in cleaning coal and doing the same with the
duction. Now, we will take the next steps, like coal washeries. For example, we know that underground mining, compared to open cast, is more environment-friendly. But is it safer and viable? We are conducting two experiments which will conclude by January 2016. After that we will take a decision on how to expand underground mining.” Swarup has indeed set ‘tall’ and ambitious targets. This is despite the fact that CIL’s plans to set up coal washeries were delayed for years. Several foreign investors in CIL have complained about this. One of them sold its stake and walked away. However, the Coal Secretary insists
‘We know coal is bad, we know that environment issues are non-negotiable, but we have to live with the fact and have to find practical and realistic solutions’
future vision of energy security and raises India’s image globally. Even in the smart cities’ concept, there is an obligation to use renewable energy for a minimum percentage of the city’s power needs. Given this mindset, what is the future of coal? Will the sector’s importance plummet in the near future? If this is the case, then why spend so much bureaucratic energy on CIL and the operations of private players? “Coal will continue to be a major source of energy and will not be elim-
www.indianbuzz.com
environment. The ministry and CIL have decided that for every hectare of forests removed for coal excavations, two hectares will be afforested, and the results will be monitored through satellite imagery. CIL’s entire production will be first crushed and then transported by January 2016. By October 1, 2017, every tonne of coal produced will be washed to make it environment-friendly. “One has to prioritise in the governance process. Initially, the larger issues were about auction and pro-
that it was related to the delays in the selection of technology. Today, CIL has resolved the issue and is involved in the tendering and environmentrelated plans. Unfortunately, while these decisions will benefit the coal sector, what is required is CIL’s complete overhaul. Most importantly, the government has to let the market decide the price of coal. Swarup’s contention that policymakers need to have a say in coal pricing will not wash anymore. He and his successors will have to get their hands dirty. They have to decide whether they wish to adopt the socialist stance and let CIL remain a nearmonopolistic PSU, or they will go the capitalist way as has happened in other sectors. g
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
23
GOVERNANCE
urban development mg devasahayam
Smart cities: just real estate
PHOTOS: PIB
Grand notions, concrete skyscrapers and electronic gadgets have become the hallmark of smart cities and not people who are to live in them
I
N 2005, responding to India’s urban challenges, the Government of India (GoI) established the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Reams can be written about the failure of this Mission, reflecting the pitiable state of urban governance in the country. But there was one bright spot—an endeavour to democratise Urban Local Governments (ULGs) by implementing the decentralisation measures envisaged in the Constitution (74th Amendment) Act 1992, and to empower them to perform the key tasks assigned under the 12th Schedule (Article 243W): Urban planning and development; land use and construction; economic and social development; roads and bridges;
24
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
water supply; public health and sanitation conservancy; urban forestry and environment protection; safeguarding interests of weaker and handicapped sections of society; slum improvement and upgradation; urban poverty alleviation; provision of urban amenities; and promotion of cultural, educational and aesthetic aspects. To make this happen, JNNURM mandated City Development Plans (CDP) and several reforms, including transfer of all special agencies that deliver civic services in urban areas to ULGs. It also mandated a “public disclosure law” to ensure preparation of medium-term fiscal plans of ULGs and release of quarterly performance information to all stakeholders and
“community participation law” to institutionalise citizen’s participation in urban governance. Though lots of funds were drained out under JNNURM, most of these democratisation measures did not materialise! The key to effective and sustainable urbanisation and attracting quality investment is the state of the institutional framework ultimately responsible for it and the system of governance in which these institutions function. This is the Achilles’ heel of urban governance in India and the remedy has to be found only through participatory and democratic institutions, and not otherwise. An attempt was made in this direction in the Revised Chennai CDP in 2009, which was submit-
www.gfilesindia.com
ted to the Union Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) and the Government of Tamil Nadu. The plan, based on indigenous wisdom and some foreign expertise, suggested a democratic blueprint and institutional framework for urban governance in accordance with the 74th Amendment Act (see diagram). I was part of its preparation and there was neither big business nor real estate interest in the Plan. No wonder, it did not see the light of day! The strategic components ing multinational company, signed Democratisation of urban governan MoU with the Confederation of of SCM are city ance was at least a fig leaf for UPA Indian Industry (CII) to lead the improvement (retrofitting), conceptualisation and implementagovernments to pursue an otherwise city renewal bureaucratic and fund-and-figure tion of pilot projects in smart citJNNURM. But soon after assuming (redevelopment) and city ies across India. CII has initiated a office in May 2014, the NDA govern‘National Mission on Smart Cities’ to extension (greenfield ment cast away even this fig leaf in act as a key facilitator and thought development) plus a pan- leader to assist the GoI in the develtheir pursuit of digital-driven rapid city initiative in which urbanisation through ‘smart cities’. opment of 100 smart cities by 2022. Giant corporate entities, who had The MoU between CII and Siemens smart solutions are worked in the background, were forms part of the implementation applied, covering larger ready. Within weeks, CISCO showprogramme to see the country’s smart parts of the city cased its smart city solutions, using city vision realised. sensors and the internet to solve a range of city problems, from water AVING sewn up things leaks and air pollution to traffic conthus, on June 25, 2015, ULBs gestion, vehicle parking and the garPrime Minister Modi bage crisis. Sensors, it said, would launched the Smart Cities State be present on every building, Mission (SCM). Speaking at Media Government lamppost, parking lot, garthe event, he said: “Many bage bin and water pipe in people are wondering the city that would then about what exactly help in monitoring and the smart city is. But controlling them. one does not need to URBAN Academic Specialised Microsoft was not to be think a lot. Smart city GOVERN Institutions Agencies left behind. In December is a city that provides MENT 2014, this software giant more than what a citiannounced partnership zen expects. Before he with the Surat Municipal wants it, we provide it… Corporation to transform The decision to make citIndustry Central Surat into a smart city and ies smart will be taken not & Government help the municipal adminisby governments but by the Commerce Civil Society tration in adopting technology people of the city, the local ad[CBOs/ infrastructure to meet the changing ministration…Private property NGOs] needs of its citizens. Soon thereafter, developers should not decide how a in March 2015, Siemens, an engineercity should grow; it should be decided
H
www.indianbuzz.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
25
GOVERNANCE
urban development mg devasahayam by residents and city leadership.” MoUD came out with a compendium outlining the definition, features, strategy, challenges, financing and implementation mechanism for the SCM. Most important among there are strategy and implementation mechanism. The strategic components of SCM are city improvement (retrofitting), city renewal (redevelopment) and city extension (greenfield development) plus a pan-city initiative in which smart solutions are applied, covering larger parts of the city. Retrofitting will introduce planning in an existing built-up area consisting of more than 500 acres, to achieve smart city objectives, along with other objectives, to make the existing area more efficient and liveable. Since existing structures are largely to remain intact in this model, it is expected that more intensive infrastructure service levels and a large number of smart applications will be packed into the retrofitted smart city.
R
EDEVELOPMENT will effect a replacement of the existing built-up environment and enable co-creation of a new layout with enhanced infrastructure, using mixed land use and increased density. Redevelopment envisages an area of more than 50 acres, identified by urban local bodies (ULB) in consultation with citizens. For instance, a new layout plan of the identified area will be prepared with mixed land use, higher FSI and high ground coverage. Greenfield development will introduce most of the smart solutions in a previously vacant area (more than 250 acres) using innovative planning, plan financing and plan implementation tools with provision for affordable housing, especially for the poor. Greenfield development is required
26
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
around cities in order to address the needs of the expanding population. Pan-city development envisages application of selected smart solutions to the existing city-wide infrastructure. Application of smart solutions will involve the use of technology, information and data to make infrastructure and services better. The smart city proposal of each shortlisted city is expected to encapsulate either a retrofitting or redevelopment or greenfield development model, or a mix thereof and a pan-city feature with smart solution(s). Though couched in ‘service delivery’ jargon,
SPV which will be headed by a fulltime CEO. The board of directors will have representatives of the central government, the state government, the ULB and independent directors, in addition to the CEO and functional directors. Additional directors (such as representative of parastatal) may be taken on the board, as considered necessary. The execution of projects would be done through joint ventures, subsidiaries, public-private partnership (PPP), turn-key contracts, and so on, suitably dovetailed with revenue streams. The SPV will be a limited company
Not one law of the land has been complied with by the state in the case of developing Amaravati, the new capital of Andhra Pradesh
the SCM strategy speaks ‘real estate’ language, and much against the Prime Minister’s proclamation, it is property developers who would decide as to how a city should grow! However, it is in implementation that democratisation is substantially derailed to be replaced by corporatisation. This is done through fully autonomous special purpose vehicles (SPV) that will plan, appraise, approve, release funds, implement, manage, operate, monitor and evaluate the smart city development projects. Each smart city will have an
incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, at the city level, in which the state and the ULB will be the promoters, having 50:50 equity share-holding. The private sector or financial institutions could take equity stake in the SPV, provided the shareholding pattern of 50:50 of the state and the ULB is maintained and the state and the ULB together have majority shareholding and control of the SPV. The private sector or financial institutions could also do so, provided the state and the ULB share are equal to each other.
www.gfilesindia.com
The SPV would appoint project management consultants for designing, developing, managing and implementing area-based projects. SPVs may take assistance from any of the empanelled consulting firms in the list prepared by MoUD and the hand holding agencies. Most consulting firms and all hand-holding agencies— the World Bank, ADB, JICA, USTDA, AFD, KFW, DFID, UN Habitat, UNIDO–are foreign entities wedded to alien concepts, ‘development’ mindset and philosophies. To ensure operational independence and autonomy of SPVs, the state government and ULBs would delegate to them the rights and obligations of the municipal council with respect to the smart city and approval or decision-making powers of the government departments under various laws and rules. This is a clear derailing of democracy and ushering in corporatisation. And, if corporatisation comes, can privatisation be far behind? Certainly not, particularly with giant MNCs, topnotch foreign consulting companies and ‘hand-holders’ breathing down the neck of SCM! It is only to be expected that SCM will largely rely on the foreign hand as officials of most of the 88 upcoming smart cities have expressed their wish to work with international consulting firms in the hope of preparing robust development plans to win government funding. The MoUD would be the facilitator. Except for some scanty meetings and monologues with select gatherings, ‘citizen feedback’ is just an online, faceless exercise. This effectively keeps away the ‘informal economy sector’, comprising poor and low-income groups that constitute over 75 per cent of the urban working population. In a ‘corporatised smart city’, driven by business
www.indianbuzz.com
interests of giant MNCs, there is not much scope for inclusiveness. More so, smart cities are all about commercial commodification—producing, selling and purchasing generic built units (square-foot) adopting industrial batch production approach. This is the hallmark of today’s technology/ globalisation-centred urbanisation, which is undemocratic, exclusive and expansionist with money-making as the only motive. All the hype notwithstanding, there is nothing new about the smart city concept. Arguably, it dates back at
In a ‘corporatised smart city’, driven by business interests of giant MNCs, there is not much scope for inclusiveness. Smart cities are all about commercial commodification— producing, selling and purchasing generic built units least as far as the invention of autoPDWHG WUDIÂżF OLJKWV ZKLFK ZHUH ÂżUVW deployed in 1922 in Houston, Texas. But in the last decade, thanks to the rise of ubiquitous internet connectivity and the miniaturisation of electronics, the concept seems to have crystallised into an image of the city DV D YDVW HIÂżFLHQW URERWÂąD YLVLRQ that originated with giant technology companies such as IBM, CISCO and Software AG, all of whom hoped to SURÂżW IURP ELJ PXQLFLSDO FRQWUDFWV $GDP *UHHQÂżHOG DXWKRU RI WKH book, Against the Smart City (2013), is on the mark when he said: “The notion of the smart city in its full contemporary form appears to have originated within these businesses
rather than with any party, group or individual recognised for their contributions to the theory or practice of urban planning.� This is very true of India’s SCM from which professional bodies of urban planners were kept away. In the event, grand notions, concrete skyscrapers and electronic gadgets became the hallmark of smart cities and not people who are to live in them!
T
HIS is precisely what is happening in Amaravati, the Andhra Pradesh capital. On Vijaya Dashami day, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for this ultra-mega-super-smart-city on the banks of the Krishna, spreading over 50,000 acres (phase I) of the most fertile farm and forest land. There was no semblance of democracy in the entire process, including site selection and land assembly for the project. Not one law of the land, including obtaining environmental clearance, has been complied with by the state. Conceived, planned and designed in Singapore with no stakeholder consultation, the rajadhani of this primarily agrarian state is being built by destroying prime agricultural land! Singapore firms will be masterdeveloping this massive real estate venture and funds are sought from Japan. Calling it a capital project like Chandigarh is a misnomer. As structured and promoted, smart city is business power versus people power. With governments lined up on the former’s side, the latter are bound to lose. Leo Hollis, author of Cities Are Good For You—The Genius of the Metropolis (2013), does not mince words when he says, “In the end, the smart city will destroy democracy.� Better heed this before it is too late. g
The writer is a former Army and IAS officer. Email: deva1940@gmail.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
27
GOVERNANCE
parliament devender singh
MPs maange more! The rationale adduced for setting up of an independent Emoluments Commission is that it would set at rest the media criticism and public outcry as MPs would cease to be the judges of their own cause
S
TUNG by public criticism over MPs determining their own pay packets, the government is evidently setting up an independent Emoluments Commission. The All India Conference of Chief Whips and Whips last month, chaired by Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs M Venkaiah Naidu, resolved that an independent Emoluments Commission be set up for determining the salary and allowances of MPs and that the states should consider having uniformity in the salaries and allowances of legislators across the country with varying allowances, depending on the situation of each state. The decision, when implemented, would fructify the initiative of Somnath Chatterjee who had mooted the proposal way back in 2005 and on which there was unanimity among the leaders on the urgency of putting in place an institutional mechanism for fixation of the salary and allowances of MPs. The argument advanced was that it sullies the image of legislators if they fix their own salary. Under Article 106 of the Constitution, MPs are entitled to such salary and allowances as may be determined by Parliament by law, in exercise of which power the Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament Act, 1954 was enacted. The Joint Committee (JPC) on Salaries and Allowances of MPs, set up from time to time under the Act, makes recommendations with respect to the salary, allowances and other facilities
28
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
to MPs and the pension payable to ex-MPs. Taking into consideration the recommendations of the JPC, the GoI brings a legislative proposal before Parliament. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pawan Bansal, while piloting the Salary, Allowances and Pension of MPs (Amendment) Bill, 2010, which effected the latest revision, informed the Lok Sabha that the Cabinet had approved the proposal in principle in 2006 for setting up of a permanent mechanism for determination of salary, allowances, pensions and so on of MPs and the modalities thereof would be settled after discussing the matter with political parties. The announcement was welcomed by the members across the political spectrum who wanted the mechanism to be evolved and put in
place without further delay. The LoP (LK Advani) was emphatic that “there should be a mechanism in place to decide the matter and neither the Parliament nor any Committee of Parliament should decide it, rather an outside authority, whatever you call it, should decide about it”. However, there were suggestions (Pinaki Mishra and Sanjay Nirupam) that the salary should be linked with performance on the principle of ‘no work, no pay’, considering ‘persistent disruptions and empty benches’. However, this was stoutly opposed by one member (Raghuvansh Prasad Singh) who thundered, “But whenever I disrupt the House, I feel that I have worked the most. We have to sometimes ¿JKW IRU WKH SHRSOH¶V SUREOHPV ´ Responding to the debate, the
www.gfilesindia.com
Minister had assured the House that the “universal demand� for setting up a permanent mechanism for determining the emoluments of MPs would be implemented after wide consultations within the parameters of constitutional provisions�. Indisputably, MPs must be provided essential salary, allowances and facilities befitting their representative character and the extremely onerous and demanding nature of their responsibilities. No legislator anywhere in the world represents such a vast constituency of people as an Indian MP. The sheer geographical spread of the country and a myriad problems of the constituents, requires most of the MPs to maintain two establishments, one in the constituency and another in New Delhi. In many cases, a member has to maintain a third establishment where his residence is outside the constituency. Besides, a member needs qualified support staff, a facility which most of the leading parliaments extend. This entails considerable additional cost. The
moot point, however, is why the legislators want to renounce the power to determine their own salary and allowances and how many countries in the world have such independent Emoluments Commissions.
A
CCORDING to a survey conducted in 2013 by the Genevabased Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), only parliaments of a few countries, namely, the UK, Namibia and Bhutan, have such independent commissions. Most of the parliaments determine the salary of their MPs in reference to the payscales of the civil service or external indices. Other parliaments follow different methodologies but eventually all proposals for determining the emoluments are approved and passed by Parliament. The rationale adduced for setting up of an independent Emoluments Commission is that it would set at rest the media criticism and public outcry as MPs would cease to be the judges of their own cause. Further,
Salary and Allowances of MPs as last fixed in 2010 Head
Amount (in `)
Monthly Salary
50,000
Daily Allowance
2,000 per each day of residence on duty
Constituency Allowance 45,000 per month Office Expense Allowance
45,000 per month (15,000 for Stationery & Postage, 30,000 for secretarial assistance)
Travel Allowance
t QFS LN #Z 3PBE
t UJNFT UIF BJS GBSF #Z "JS
One First Class & One Second Class Fare t BJS KPVSOFZT GPS .FNCFS 4QPVTF $PNQBOJPO BJS KPVSOFZT GPS TQPVTF EVSJOH TFTTJPO JO B ZFBS
Water and Electricity Telephone Pension
www.indianbuzz.com
LM PG XBUFS BOE VOJUT PG FMFDUSJDJUZ JO B year 1,50,000 local calls in a year ! QFS NPOUI GPS FWFSZ additional year
the Commission would take due note of the huge responsibilities and the important role that the MPs play as public representatives and ensure that the matter is decided in a fair, transparent and equitable way. It is also argued that the salary of MPs should not be so low as to deter suitable people from entering politics or so high as to be lucrative but instead it should be adequate enough to facilitate efficient discharge of their multiple functions and duties and to secure their independence and integrity. Besides their representational duties, MPs, not being ascetics, have to discharge their familial obligations. The setting up of an independent Emoluments Commission, though novel per se, should not be seen by the discerning public as a modus vivendi for procuring such a pay hike which may create more public misgivings and distrust. The avalanche of public outcry following the report of the expert committee appointed by the Delhi Legislative Assembly raises questions of credibility. Political rivals termed it “a fatty package� and “a ploy to keep disillusioned AAP MLAs happy�, debunking the high-sounding moral claim of “members voluntarily giving up the constitutional and statutory privilege�. The outcry is suggestive of the dictum, ‘a remedy worse than the malady’. Hopefully, the GoI will take the cue and constitute a credible Emoluments Commission for determining the salary and allowances of MPs in a fair, transparent and equitable manner and succeed in staving off public criticism and outcry. g The writer is Additional Secretary, Lok Sabha. The views expressed are personal. He is also the author of Parliamentary Questions: Glorious Beginning to an Uncertain Future
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
29
GOVERNANCE
parliament devender singh scam
November 28, 2015, New Delhi
AWARDS CATEGORIES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION AWARD EXCELLENT CONTRIBUTION AWARD
AWARDEES 2014
30
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
Ved Marwah, IPS (Retd.), V Lifetime Achievement Award A
Dr Shrikar Pardeshi, IAS, Exceptional Contribution Award A
Amitabh Kumar, IRS, Exceptional Contribution Award A
Balvinder Kumar, IAS, Excellent Contribution Award A
www.gfilesindia.com
RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNANCE gfiless awards recognise excellence in governance by an independent jury comprising former bureaucrats of unmatched standing backed by credibility and goodwill. The aim is to recognise people with consistent performance of the highest standards and those who have made a major contribution to Indian society. An award can work wonders for the morale of the person getting the award and motivate him/her to work even harder and set a positive example for others to follow.
THE JURY Prabhat Kumar
Anil Razdan
(Former Cabinet Secretary, Govt. of India, and Chairman of the Jury)
(Former Secretary, Power)
awards@gfilesindia.com
Dr Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary, IAS, Exceptional Contribution Award A
K N Kumar, IAS, Exceptional Contribution Award A
Vishnu Bhagwan
MB Kaushal
(Former Chief Secretary, Haryana)
(Former Secretary, Internal Security)
www.gfilesawards.com
FOR BRANDING OPPORTUNITIES CONTACT Mobile: +91 9650689811 Phone: +91 11 28744789 Fax: +91 11 45082832
Email: adv@gfilesindia.com FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit www.gfilesawards.com Pratibha Singh, IFS, Excellent Contribution Award A
www.indianbuzz.com
Rinkesh Roy, IRTS, R Excellent Contribution Award A gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
31
GOVERNANCE foreign policy mk kaw
The case of the naughty neighbour
T
HIS is not a whodunit. So no prizes for guessing who the naughty neighbour is. Our problem with Pakistan is that we cannot destroy it or wish it away. Nor can we ignore it, for it will not let us live in peace. Pakistan was conceived in sin, for it was the last-ditch attempt of our colonial masters to divide and rule the erstwhile Indian Empire. Had Mountbatten not been in such a dashed hurry, he would not have declared an impossible deadline for the transfer of power to the natives. This made the partition of the country inevitable, even before India had been born. Theoretically, Pakistan was supposed to be the refuge of the pak or the pure, to wit, the Muslims. But it left more of the pure in India than the ones who went to the newfangled entity. It was supposed to prevent the impending civil war between the Hindus and the Muslims. But it caused the most horrendous holocaust in India’s long history. Jinnah wanted Pakistan; Gandhi tried his utmost to prevent it. Within a year, both were dead; Bapu felled by an assassin’s bullet, the Quaid-e-Azam by cancer. The rulers of Pakistan have never been satisfied with what they got in the Partition sweepstakes. They tried to wrest Kashmir by force in the 1948 war which was camouflaged as a Qabaili attack. They would have been pushed back entirely but for the adolescent enthusiasm displayed
32
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
by Nehru for the supremacy of the UN experiment. Come 1965. They misconstrued the diminutive soft-spoken Lal Bahadur Shastri as being an easy target, but were rudely awakened from their dream when he attacked the soft underbelly of West Pakistan. Had it not been for big power intervention and the mysterious demise of Shastri at Tashkent, the history of the subcontinent might have been radically different. In 1972, the Punjabi generals who ruled Pakistan committed the folly of underestimating the polite Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman as well as the petite Indira Gandhi as weaklings who could be cowed down by aggressive belligerence. The Indian army gave them a crushing defeat and captured a record 95,000 prisoners of war. This was indeed sweet music for ears long used to huge armies being routed by a few hundred horsemen. But what could have been a historic occasion establishing forever more the unequivocal military superiority of the Indian army was allowed
Pakistan has a definite India policy that consists of attempts to defeat it militarily. India has no Pakistan policy except to counter Pak moves through hastily thought-out countermoves
to be frittered away through the simplee ploy of the wily Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto o falling at Indira’s feet and making g a solemn promise to settle the border rder issue and the Kashmir problem em once and for all within three months. And d then we had the Kargil fiasco, the bus ride to Lahore and the Agra agreement that was luckily not finallyy agreed to. What iis the h morall off the h story?? Pakistan has a definite India policy that consists of attempts to defeat it militarily and establish a clear superiority over the Indian military machine, conspiring with India’s rivals, draining it of its lifeblood through terrorism, forged currency, smuggling of drugs and gold, sparking off communal riots and so on. India has no Pakistan policy except to counter Pak moves through hastily thought-out countermoves. The only concept that is sometimes bandied forth cursorily or casually is that of the Hindu Rashtra. It seems to imply that the Indian subcontinent should have a majority of Hindus in it. Hindu laws should
www.gfilesindia.com
ARUNA
apply to all. There should be a massive reconversion of Muslims, Buddhists and Christians to Hinduism. Ch i i Hi d i This idea was mooted by RSS ideologues, but there is no action to back it up. For a long time it was believed by most Hindus that one was born a Hindu and there was no way a nonHindu could become a Hindu. Swami Shraddhananda was the first to make conversion acceptable among orthodox Hindus through his Shuddhi movement started as late as 1923. The fact of the matter is that Hindutva is not a force. It is not like Islam, with its oil-rich sheikhs and Islamic bomb, and its worldwide reach, its ISIS, its Taliban, its twin towers slap on the face of omnipotent US, its global sweep of opposing every other ideology so aptly captured
www.indianbuzz.com
by Huntington. It is not like communism, which even in i disarray, di puts out its i macabre head in diverse shapes and assorted sizes, pretending to be Maoist in texture even when it is capitalist in design.
H
INDUTVA is a phrase of recent origin, coined by some fiery elements advocating militant Hinduism. Like anything artificial it feels unnatural and superimposed. The word “Hindu” itself was not the name given by the intelligentsia of the Indic civilisation to the motley concepts that flitted around their intellectual landscape. They called it “Sanatan Dharma” or the “Eternal or Perennial Philosophy”. The appellation “Hindu” was a name given
by foreign invaders to the people living across the river Sindhu. The peculiar feature of Indic philosophy has been its essentially pacifist tendency. Its most favourite invocation is “Om shanti, shanti, shanti” or “Om peace, peace, peace.” Indian kings never commanded large armies for invasion of foreign territories. Thus historically there has never been a militant Hinduism. What is Wh i referred f d to in i history hi books b k as Greater India was a cultural effervescence of our stories, epics, plays, music, sculpture and schools of philosophy. These travelled along with our traders, monks, artists, priests, sailors and tourists, never with kings, generals or soldiers. The other interesting feature of the Indic culture has been its emphasis on peace, brotherhood, amity, tolerance, love, righteous conduct and nonviolence. Our most famous mantra advocated: “Let everyone be happy. Let everyone be free from disease. Let everyone see only what is auspicious. Let sorrow visit no one.” We looked upon the world to be neither like a bazaar, nor like a battlefield. It
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
33
GOVERNANCE foreign policy mk kaw
seemed to us more like a family. The problem with the Hindutva theory is two-fold. It does not have its origins in our past. The Indic civilisation has always been pacifist. Even though the RSS wishes it, Hindus cannot suddenly turn into aggressive militants. That is why we are unable to produce a militant response to the warlike designs of our neighbour. Whatever be the provocation, India’s approach has always been benevolent, elder brotherly and peaceable. In all the four major wars between us, Pakistan has always been the aggressor. India has repulsed the attacks as a defensive posture. Even where we took Pakistani territory as in 1965, we returned it. Where we had prisoners of war, as in 1971, we promptly released them without holding them as hostages.
P
M after PM has tried to promote good neighbourly relations with Pakistan. We unilaterally gave Pakistan the most preferred nation status in our trade. We have continued it even though Pakistan has not reciprocated the gesture. Several times we have tried to promote initiatives for the SAARC region that would be beneficial to all the seven countries. Pakistan has been the sole dissident in all such initiatives. Somehow, the Pakistanis have assumed that we Indians are inimical to them: That we wish to undo the Partition and create an Akhanda Bharat. (The stray remarks by Hindutva enthusiasts do not help matters.) That R&AW has been created with the sole objective of dismembering Pakistan. They ascribe the separatist movements among their disenchanted people in Baluchistan, Waziristan and so on to secret interventions by our agencies, not as a normal response to the suppression
34
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
of their democratic sentiments as they undoubtedly are. In fact, the received wisdom in the policy forums in India is that Pakistan should remain one. A dismembered Pakistan would be an explosion waiting to happen. If one were to conjure up a scenario of militant Hindutva in India,one could suggest the following steps for the consideration of the present government: a) Whenever a ceasefire violation takes place, the punishment meted out to Pakistan should be at least 10 times in terms of casualties.
The problem with the Hindutva theory is twofold. It does not have its origins in our past. The Indic civilisation has always been pacifist. Even though the RSS wishes it, Hindus cannot suddenly turn into aggressive militants b) At an opportune moment the air force should conduct predawn raids in the border areas and destroy the training centres where terrorists are trained. c) There should be no talks with Pakistan unless they totally abjure the path of terrorism. d) All terrorists caught in India should be killed in encounters. e) Separatists who are Indian citizens should be tried for sedition and be jailed for life. f) If Pakistan commits armed aggression on Indian territory, it should be repulsed with all our might. The army should be authorised to take as much of enemy territory
as it can. The same should be returned only if certain conditions are fulfilled. g) All kinds of pressure should be brought to bear on Pakistan to achieve the following long-term foreign policy objectives: i) Complete peace for the next 50 years ii) No encouragement to terrorism. iii) Full cooperation to SAARC as an agency for developing South Asia as a region of fast development and cooperation. iv) A final solution to the Kashmir issue. What is the track record of the present government? If we designate the approach of PMs like Inder Kumar Gujral as the “jhapian aur pappian (embraces and kisses)� style, Modi cannot be held guilty of the same. Nor has he gone along fully with the hawkish attitude advocated by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. At best, he can be accused of blowing hot and cold, thus keeping the sundry power centres in Pakistan on tenterhooks. So far, he has not unveiled his longterm plan of besting the enemy. Foreign policy analysts have, therefore, been reduced to deducing the elements of a strategy from body language. If Modi and Sharif go to the US, the debate centres around whether they will meet in the lift or shake hands. As it turned out this time around, the two leaders merely waved at each other. Now the experts are busy studying the tapes to analyse whether the waves were effusive or merely formal. Meanwhile, Pakistan continues with its game of being a naughty neighbour. The snag is that the game is deadly, macabre and gruesome. g MK Kaw is a former Secretary, Government of India. (The views expressed are those of the columnist.)
www.gfilesindia.com
www.indianbuzz.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
35
GOVERNANCE foreign policy mk kaw
PRESENTS
MEMORY CLOUDS The Hon’ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on April 21, 2015, on Civil Services Day, gave a clarion call to record and upload the memoirs of senior and experienced civil servants. Hence... gfiles brings you a compilation of reminiscences by senior civil servants which were published in gfiles between 2007 and 2015. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from the wealth of experience of veteran civil servants. Pre-order the book in advance to avail of the onetime offer of `720. You can make the payment through cheque, DD or RTGS in favour of gfiles.
For further information or queries: Mail us at editor@gfilesindia.com
36
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
www.gfilesindia.com
Featuring Prabhat Kumar BG Deshmukh MC Gupta Kripa Narayan Srivastava V Selvaraj Sushil Chandra Tripathi Romesh Bhandari Devi Dayal Reva Nayyar VP Sawhney SK Mishra Dr G Sundaram KC Sivaramakrishnan Nitish Sengupta Vishnu Bhagwan Gen Noble Thamburaj Baleshwar Rai Arun Bongirwar Arvind S Inamdar Madhav Godbole Ved Marwah Trinath Mishra Vineeta Rai Arun Kumar Rath Ajit Nimbalkar TR Kakkar Najeeb Jung MS Gill Shovana Narayan Lt Gen JFR Jacob Brijesh Kumar Surrinder Lal Kapur Yogendra Narain and many more...
or log on to www.gďŹ lesindia.com/memoryclouds.html www.indianbuzz.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
37
FIRST STIRRINGS mukund bihari kaushal
Trustee of public interest MB Kaushal never compromised with his principles. All through his career, he stood by his people and never flinched from owning up to his mistakes
M
UKUND BIHARI KAUSHAL (73) says he attended three schools in his life—government schools in places like Bareilly, Kanpur, Haridwar and Etawah and schools called ‘family’ and ‘police department’. The first kindled his interest in history and literature and helped him figure among the top 15 in the Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) examination for the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1962. The second, represented by his grandfather, Raghunath Prasad Kaushal, father, Harish Chand Kaushal and mother, Shyama Kaushal, taught him how to live for others and not to consider anybody inferior (chhota) in life. The trio taught him by example. Raghunath Prasad willed his entire property— land, orchards and house in Kanpur/ Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh— to a religious charity. Harish Chand, who served as chief engineer in various districts of UP, played benefactor to the children of many of his family members and other acquaintances. Shyama, daughter of a prominent lawyer in Lakhimpur, taught him not to ever look down on children of his family servants who studied with him in government schools. She also taught him to share with others.
38
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
As for his third ‘school’, Kaushal says his 37 years in police service and the government taught him to care for his subordinates and people at large, be their leader and fight for their welfare. It taught him to stand by his people and not flinch from owning up to their and his own mistakes. “My parents were my role models. I learnt from them to be a good human being. I learnt that the criteria of judging your life should be how many people you have been good to. A good human being is the one who lives for others,” says the 1963 AGMUT (Arunachal-GoaMizoram and Union Territory)-cadre officer, who served as Delhi Police Commissioner from February 1992 to January 1995. Kaushal joined the IPS on July 10, 1963. Kaushal spent around three years in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). He was Additional DG CRPF and Chief Coordinator during elections in Jammu & Kashmir—first parliamentary elections and then Assembly polls. In September 1996, he was promoted to the post of DG and led the paramilitary for over a year. He became the first IPS officer to be made Secretary (Internal Security) in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs before retiring on December 31, 2001. Kaushal, who had a long tenure
as police commissioner and was extremely popular among his staff, still draws inspiration from the goodness of his father. He makes it a point to go to Roorkee University (earlier Thomson College of Engineering), from where his father had passed out, every time he visits the city in Uttarakhand. “Memories are always a big support,” he notes. It all started in the mid-1960s with his first posting as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Shahdara (now part of North-East Delhi), when he was asked to evict unauthorised cart vendors from the suburb’s chhota bazaar to unclog a thoroughfare in the market. “Where will they go? Their vocation is unauthorised, not the men. Police have no business to deprive them of their living. Our job is to maintain
www.gfilesindia.com
PHOTOS: RAJEEV TYAGI
Kaushal says his 37 years in police service and the government taught him to care for his subordinates and people at large, be their leader and fight for their welfare peace so that people can exercise their right to earn bread,” was Kaushal’s first ethical dilemma in the police service. He was 24 then. To his satisfaction, a local councillor helped him to resettle the vendors at another place in the area. A few years later, another incident brought his leadership qualities to the fore. He was the Superintendent of Police (South) in the national capital. There were a large number
www.indianbuzz.com
of colleges in the area and students would frequently vandalise DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation) buses to press for their demands for better transport facilities. On one such occasion, after students of PGDAV College had broken the window panes of DTC buses near the college and the police had used teargas to disperse them, he decided to walk into the college to have a dialogue with the students. “My Deputy SP, Sardar Amrik Singh, advised me against the move. It was dangerous to go in alone. But I did not see an alternative to talks. I could not have deployed policemen permanently there,” he recollects. Kaushal went in and reasoned with student leaders. Delhi University student union leaders became his ‘dost’ and even organised a farewell for him when he got transfered to Goa in 1973.
In Goa, Kaushal faced another dilemma when the then Chief Minister, Dayanand Balkrishna Bhandokar, ordered him to suspend a head constable, D’Souza (he does not remember his first name). The CM had found during an inspection that D’Souza’s eyes were red and voice muffled, probably due to drinking. Kaushal, then an Inspector General (IG), called D’Souza. The latter was unable to give an explanation. He placed him under suspension. Subsequently, when Superintendent of Police S Ramakrishna told him that D’Souza did not drink and had lost his voice after the death of his young son, he corrected his mistake. “I immediately called D’Souza and apologised to him in front of other senior officers. I told him I had committed a mistake. Moreover, I decided not to do anything based on hearsay,” he reminisces. The incident made him realise the strength one draws from owning up to a mistake and seeking forgiveness.
K
AUSHAL faced an identical situation in Delhi in 198081 when he was Additional Commissioner (New Delhi). He overheard people at a party saying how the police had implicated an innocent man in a bride-burning case. “I could not sleep at night,” he recalls. In the morning, he called the DCP and the investigating team to his office and also the accused husband. He got to know that no stove (the allegation was that the bride received burns from a stove) was found at the site and yet the police had charged the man. He apologised to the accused for inconvenience and harassment caused to him and told the investigating officer to withdraw the case. During his tenure as Delhi Police Commissioner, he always stood by his
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
39
FIRST STIRRINGS mukund bihari kaushal
though, happened in 1978 when Prime Minister Morarji Desai led a Janata Party government in Delhi. Kaushal was then the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Security). He was told by his men deployed at the PMO (then 1 Safdarjung Road) that Kanti Desai, son of Morarji, had told them not to frisk his friends at night. This was a grave risk as Kanti lived in a room next to the Prime Minister’s. Kaushal conveyed his concern to the Delhi Police Commissioner orally. After nothing came of it, he wrote a letter to the Commissioner and the head of the Intelligence Bureau.
W men and offered to take flak for their mistakes. The police was responsible for the failure of a BJP rally in Delhi in February 1993, in the wake of the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. Thirty-four privilege motions were moved in Parliament against the arrest of over 100 BJP MPs. Kaushal says he told the then MP, Vijaya Raje Scindia, during a hearing that he had clamped Section 144 of the CrPC and was ‘convinced by legality and appropriateness of his orders’. The matter ended after he offered to take responsibility for all omissions and commissions committed by the policemen. During his three years at the helm as Delhi Police Commissioner, no Delhi Police personnel other than him ever appeared before the Delhi Lieutenant Governor or any other senior bureaucrat or politician. He even refused to transfer Vedpal Rathi, then the SHO of the Jama Masjid police station, at the instance of the Shahi Imam. The matter went up to the Prime Minister.
40
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
During his three years at the helm as Delhi Police Commissioner, no Delhi Police personnel other than him appeared before the Delhi Lieutenant Governor or any other senior bureaucrat or politician He says that he had told his SHOs that they were the CPs of their area. He got 1,700 of Delhi Police personnel promoted to Inspector and ACP ranks in one go. Besides, in 1993, he started the precedence of inviting the Prime Minister, President and other dignitaries on Delhi Police Day (February 16). Kaushal persuaded the IPS association to fight for all uniformed men (not IPS alone) and was instrumental in getting Delhi Police constable payscale for the CRPF and other paramilitary forces. The biggest test of his character,
HEN the letter was placed before the PM (all IB reports are placed before him) next morning, he noted, “Rules may be observed”. For Kaushal, it was a shot in the arm. The “dignity and grace of Prime Minister Morarji Desai” came as a pleasant surprise to him. Desai even left a recommendation for Kaushal before he quit as the Prime Minister. He was appointed as a negotiator with JK militants (Hizbul Mujahideen), Naga Undergrounds for ceasefire ground rules and Gorkhaland leader Ghising. Kaushal retired in 2001 as the Secretary (Security) in the Home Ministry when LK Advani was at the helm of affairs in North Block. He worked with the Congress, Janata Party, United Front and BJP-led governments and yet was never identified with a political group. His “apolitical” nature, “pride in being a policeman” and humane approach to problems during the service are what makes Kaushal a “contented” man. Kaushal treats his wife, Asha, children (a son and a daughter) and grandchildren as his blessings. g As told to Narendra Kaushik
www.gfilesindia.com
www.indianbuzz.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
41
BOOK REVIEW
by BN UNIYAL
biography non-fiction
Modi: The Man of the Moment Modi has a historic opportunity to do what for whatever reason Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh could not in relation to Pakistan Shireen-tar az hikayate-e-maa neest qissa-e Tareekh-e-roozgar sarapa navishta em. No story is as sweet as mine, I have written all history from beginning to end.
M
EMOIRS are the passion of the times. Crafted into a book, they benefit all—writers, readers, publishers and booksellers. Reminiscing about one’s life story during one’s fragile, concluding years must feel cathartic, giving some meaning to otherwise meaningless years. Readers benefit too in many ways. At the lowest, sordid level, they get the sort of pleasure a Peeping Tom gets by looking into someone’s bedroom through the keyhole, though a memoir must be salacious enough for that which most of ours—unlike those of the English, in particular— are not. At other levels, one may read other people’s recollections out of curiosity or empathy, or to learn lessons from the past, or to seek inspiration and new insights. It is simply human nature to be interested in other humans. For the publishers and booksellers, memoirs are steady business, especially those of bureaucrats and politicians. Until some years ago, this genre was popular mainly in the West but other cultures have caught up fast during the last some years. In India and Pakistan, writing and reading of memoirs have both become a passionate pursuit and a remunerative pastime of late. The sheer size and weight of Kasuri’s book is off-putting. Such thick books are a curse on mankind, especially in
42
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
the time of Twitter. But this one may be excused, for it is not just a memoir but almost a history of contemporary Pakistan—a real tareekh-eroozgar, as the Persian poet has said. I do not remember who that poet is but his verse is absolutely appropriate here. Anyone with the slightest interest in the country’s past, present and future will find Kasuri’s account immensely interesting. He opens a large window on Pakistan’s political, diplomatic, military, intelligence and terror establishment. Yes, terror too because terror and terrorism have over the last some decades grown to be an essential and an inseparable part of the Pakistani establishment; for terror is everywhere in Pakistan— in its cities, towns, mosques and madrassas and all along its borders. With so much terrorism and so many terrorists inside the country, how can terror not have a seat in the very heart of its establishment? Kasuri has not shied away from acknowledging this. Actually, he has been fairly blunt in admitting that terrorism is and has for long years been an instrument of state policy in Pakistan. He is honest and equally blunt about the growing Islamisation of Pakistan from the time of Zia onwards which offers him an occasion to dwell on the growing intolerance and aggression of the Hindu extremists in India
Title: Neither A Hawk Nor A Dove: An Insider’s Account of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy Author: Kasuri, Khurshid Mahmud Publisher: Penguin India Price: `999 Pages 896
too. He cannot be wronged on that count, particularly after what the Shiv Sainiks did at the time of his recent book release in Mumbai. Kasuri’s book sounds authoritative, for it is the first firsthand contemporary account of an executor of foreign policy and not a mere secondhand compilation of events by an academic researcher or an analysis by a backroom strategist. He narrates crucial happenings of momentous years of his foreign office years, talks of the character and conduct of key players of his time and unhesitatingly tells innermost details of quite some confidential activities as also of the few diplomatic faux pas that had an upsetting effect on the events. A large part of the book understandably deals with India and Kashmir as any book by a high-level diplomat or intelligence operative from either of the two countries must. Kasuri
www.gfilesindia.com
highlights the working not only of Pakistan’s foreign office but also the culture, character and outlook of its military men and masters and their relations and dealings with the politicians of the country. The book can be a bit tedious at times with details not everybody can be interested in but overall it makes for interesting reading. Kasuri gives inside details of some crucial events and amusing episodes that were otherwise known only disjointedly to outsiders. However, one should not read the book for any stunning revelations but mainly for the cogent case it makes for continued dialogue between Pakistan and India. Kasuri‘s account—as also that of Dulat—shows that, man to man, a Pakistani officer in all departments of modern statecraft is no different from his Indian counterpart in character, conduct, intelligence or dedication. This is not surprising considering that they both come from the same stock, similar backgrounds, share a composite Hindu-Persian-TurkishMughal-British heritage and a common cultural outlook fashioned during the last many centuries. Several times in the book, Kasuri speaks of his father who found no contradiction between his Islamic faith and his heroes like Porus and Ranjit Singh which sentiment is reciprocated in India by people who hold Bulle Shah, Faiz or Noorjahan in as much esteem. This is because though India and Pakistan have split as nation states, they have not yet diverged culturally very far. But the atmosphere is changing fast on both sides. In Pakistan, open State support and sponsorship have accelerated the change through the years, as acknowledged by Kasuri in the book. But the atmosphere is changing for the worse in India too. Once the older generation that Kasuri has spoken of passes
www.indianbuzz.com
away completely in the two countries, they will begin to diverge further away from each other and with much greater acceleration too. Maybe the divergence will free the future generations from the hangover of the past and make them wonder, why the hell have we been sore with each other for so long! Come on now, friends from both sides, let us sort out these cobwebbed tangles of the past quickly and be friends in the future. That sounds idyllic. There is little evidence at the moment from either side that this divergence will move along that line. Hence, Kasuri’s anxiety for continued talks between the two countries!
There are today people on both sides who believe in giving a tit for every tat to the other side and carrying on G3/ G4 covert wars to bleed, shatter, disorient, defame and fragmentise the other. Such people say that as this will be a long war, we should, instead of trying to duck it, prepare our people for a long haul like the European 100 years’ war. There are people on both sides who think nothing of a nuclear conflict to settle things once and for all. Certainly, they are not many and not in sensitive or powerful positions at least, but they are around and do wield a considerable influence on rabid and vociferous fringe activists.
Kasuri and Dulat, both high-level operatives of their respective countries, share much in common. They both feel Musharraf and Vajpayee could have sealed a historic deal on Kashmir at Agra but for the hardliners like RSSbacked Indian Home Minister LK Advani
am sure the saner people on both sides must be of a different opinion. It is not that they will want or agree to give up covert ways or military alternatives fully or suddenly but only that they may be better at appreciating the value of continuing talks even as they keep pursuing covert operations, for that is what statecraft is about. The emphasis on one or the other may change from time to time but overall no one can reject the route of talks for ever or in its entirety. I feel tempted to recall a conclusion endorsed by most of the bigtime spies from both the eastern and the western camps at the end of the Cold War. Some time soon after the fall of the Soviet Union and its satellite communist states, a conference of the spymasters of the two blocs was called in Berlin to assess how much their covert activities had advanced the interests of their countries. Surprisingly, they all said “very little or marginally at best”. What led to the collapse of the authoritarian communist regime in the former USSR was not espionage or the proxy wars, or the excess of nuclear weapons, but simply the explosion in information
Title: Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years Author: AS Dulat Publisher: HarperCollins Price: `599 Pages 344
I
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
43
BOOK REVIEW biography non-fiction
in the east about the life and culture of the west—increased citizen travel between the two blocs, constant visits of the politicians, scientists, artists, writers, bureaucrats, journalists, and so on, which spread information in the Soviet bloc that economic and social change was possible even with democracy, free press, rule of law, liberalism and mutual tolerance. In the end, what won the Cold War was simply spread of information. That is in sum and substance the message of Kasuri’s book too. He emphasises the negotiations route, people-to-people exchange, cultural shuffling, trade relations and such and similar other measures for resolving the India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir. It is not surprising that the long-time Indian IB and R&AW Kashmir hand, AS Dulat, also comes to the same conclusion in his excellently written book. Dulat’s book is the best read of the three books listed here. It is informative, insightful and even amusing at times. It cannot be just a coincidence that Dulat seems to arrive at a similar conclusion on Kashmir as does Kasuri on India and Pakistan. He too is convinced that the only policy that will work in Kashmir and be acceptable to the world at large today is talking it out with the Kashmiri people and their representatives—politicians, peaceniks, militants, zealots, civilians, pro-Indians, pro-Pakistanis, Azadiwallahs, one and all, and with Pakistan too. Dulat’s book is all about Kashmiris and Kashmir where he spent most of his working years in the Intelligence Bureau and with which he was concerned the most, both as the R&AW director and afterwards as Vajpayee’s handyman. His book is peopled with all sorts of characters from Kashmir who were all so often in and out of his doors throughout his
44
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
Title: India: The Crucial Years Author: TV Rajeswar Publisher: HarperCollins Price: `599 Pages 360
career. Most of them must be wellknown to everyone with the slightest interest in Kashmir affairs. Some have disappeared from the scene. Others have faded out. Those who survive look pitiable at best; yes, even the villainous ones.
K
ASURI and Dulat, both highlevel operatives of their respective countries, share much in common. They both feel Musharraf and Vajpayee could have sealed a historic deal on Kashmir at Agra but for the hardliners like RSS-backed Indian Home Minister LK Advani. They both think Manmohan Singh’s failure to sign a deal with Musharraf was another regrettable miss. And, what is, perhaps, most important is that they both strongly feel that the only way forward for India and Pakistan on Kashmir is the one laid by Vajpayee and Musharraf. Today, they both say in so many words, Narendra Modi is the man of the moment. He has a historic opportunity to do what for whatever reason Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh could not. He can be the man of the moment, for he has an absolute majority in the Indian Parliament and he has no Advani to
pull him back. He overshadows his cabinet where he fears no opposition. There is, of course, the RSS but once Modi makes up his mind and puts his foot down he may very well be able to carry the day for India. As for Pakistan, Kasuri’s view is that the military and the ISI too have come a long way from the time of Ayub and Zia and, if both India and Pakistan move with a spirit of give and take, a settlement to the satisfaction of both is feasible. That is a bit tricky and difficult to take on its face value because even if America, UK and Russia fell in line, will it be as easy for Pakistan to bring over China too to endorse such a peace plan for China may then very well want an overall tripartite border settlement! The third book—TV Rajeswar’s— in the list above is rather mundane: a mere narrative of the life and career of a high-level spook who seems to have been happier in the role of VIP security chief than as the head of a national intelligence outfit. There is little that he tells that is not already known to those who were around when the events he narrates took place such as the Emergency, Operation Blue Star, the Samba case and so on. There are hardly any new observations on men or events, or any moving insights into crucial affairs of the times. One chapter, however, everyone will find of considerable interest is the one wherein Rajeswar draws fascinating sketches of his six predecessor DIBs or Directors of the Intelligence Bureau. This is the most deftly written, perceptive and amusing passage in the entire book. It will certainly delight the IB and R&AW chaps—past, present and future. It would be a good idea if every officer of that level left behind a sketch of his notable predecessors and noticeable juniors. g
www.gfilesindia.com
d in
b ian
bu ian
d in
. zz
m
o m .co m
u z.c uz
an
gfiles inside the government
45
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
www.indianbuzz.com
o m z b z c . an u o m z b di o in an uz z.c c b m . z di n o z u in a c i z b . m z u o nd n z b
in
di
a i c i . u m z d nb uz .co in z b a om di n uz z.c m in dia nb uz z.co m in dia anb buz zz.co n di an bu i
FOLLOW US ON :
LEISURE
travell madhya madhya dh pradesh pradesh
Frozen in time
O
RCHHA’S grandeur has been captured in stone, frozen in time; a rich legacy of the ages. On this medieval city, the hand of time has rested lightly and the palaces and temples built by its Bundela rulers in the 16th and 17th centuries retain much of their pristine perfection. Orchha was founded in the 16th century by the Bundela Rajput chieftain, Rudra Pratap, who chose this stretch of land along the Betwa river for his capital. Of the succeeding rulers, the most notable was Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo who built the exquisite Jehangir Mahal, a tiered palace crowned by graceful chhatris. From here the view of soaring temple spires and cenotaphs is spectacular. Complementing the noble proportions of their exteriors are interiors which represent the finest flowering of the Bundela school of painting. In the Laxminarayan Temple, vibrant murals encompassing a variety of religious and secular themes bring the walls and ceiling to rich life. Inside the fort complex to the right of the quadrangle lies the Raja Mahal where the plain exteriors, crowned by chhatris, give way to interiors with
46
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
exquisite murals, boldly colourful, on a variety of religious themes. Of special interest at Raja Mahal is a new sound and light show on the premises facing the entrance gate. The one-hour show in Hindi and English brings alive the 400-year history of Orchha in a stunning spectacle. There is also the Rai Praveen Mahal built for the beautiful paramour of Raja Indramani. The palace is a low, two-storied brick structure, designed to match the height of the trees in the surrounding beautifully landscaped gardens of Anand Mahal, with its
GETTING HERE By Air: Nearest airport is Gwalior (119 km), and Khajuraho (170 km). By Road: Orchha lies off the Jhansi – Khajuraho road. Regular bus services connect Orchha with Jhansi. By Rail: Nearest railhead is at Jhansi (16 km), on the Mumbai-Delhi and Delhi-Chennai main lines. All major mail and express trains stop at Jhansi.
STAY
Your Host: Betwa Retreat (MP Tourism) Ph: (07680) 252618 Sheesh Mahal (MP Tourism) Ph: (07680) 252624
octagonal flower beds and elaborate water supply system. Skillfully carved niches allow light into the Mahal which has a main hall and smaller chambers. The main temples are the Ram Raja Temple (the only one in the country where Rama is worshipped as a king), the Chaturbhuj Temple, and the Laxmi Narayana Temple. Laid out as a formal garden, the Phool Bagh complex testifies to the refined aesthetic qualities of the Bundelas. A central row of fountains culminates in an eight-pillared palace-pavilion. A subterranean structure below was the cool summer retreat of the Orchha kings. An ingenious system of water ventilation connected the underground palace with Chandan Katora, a bowl-like structure from whose fountains droplets of water filtered through to the roof, simulating rainfall. The iconic Orchha photograph is of the 14 cenotaphs of the Bundela rulers and members of their family standing proudly on the southern, the right, bank of the Betwa river. The chhatris rise on a square platform and the sanctum is also square. The first chhatri has a marble statue of Madhukar Shah and his wife with a painted canopy over them. Other places worth seeing in Orchha are Diwan Hardaul’s Palace, Sunder Mahal, the Shahid Smarak and the shrines of Siddh Baba ka Sthan, Jugal Kishore, Janki Mandir and the Hanuman Mandir.g
www.gfilesindia.com
STOCK DOCTOR dr gs sood
T
Increased volatility ahead
HE market is staring at a fresh set of uncertainties arising from both global and domestic developments. The three major worries on the global front include the possible Fed rate hike, China’s desperation to arrest its slowing growth, and increased risk for West Asian economies due to declining oil prices. Back home, the outcome of the Bihar elections will test the popularity of Narendra Modi and his policies. The US Fed may not hike interest rates in December as expected but the uncertainty surrounding the decision is playing heavily on the market. The market may move up post the hike since it will indicate that the largest economy of the world is doing fine and India may end up a net gainer, given the robustness of its macro fundamentals can not only withstand such an eventuality but are prepared to fetch the best out of it. Europe, China and Japan continue to follow monetary easing and US policymakers believe that easing in these economies will be enough to balance the contraction effects of higher US interest rates. Post the Fed meeting on October 28, 2015, treasury yields have moved higher and the dollar index is up 1 per cent. If the same continues, it may be enough to shake the world markets. China’s six consecutive rate cuts within this year with the one-year lending rate at a record low of 4.35 per cent shows its desperation to arrest the slide in growth and has raised doubts of yet another yuan shock coming. The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for China indicates that the manufacturing sector continues
to contract. The Producers’ Price Index falling by 5.9 per cent in September indicates persisting deflationary conditions. Falling commodity prices may be good for India, but is enough to destabilise economies like Russia, Brazil and West Asia. The Indian market, up 3.3 per cent, has underperformed the MSCI index in October that is up by 8.3 per cent. FIIs bought stocks worth `6,650 crore in October after selling shares worth `23,000 cr in August and September. But they are wary due to the high valuation of the Indian market that is trading at 37 per cent premium to EM index against the five-year average of 34 per cent. But Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) have emerged as major buyers capping the impact of any big sell-off by FIIs. DIIs’ stake in BSE 500 companies, propped by increasing flows from retail investors and HNIs, was the highest in the
September quarter in the last 25 quarters whereas that of FIIs dropped to the lowest in the last seven quarters. However, India’s high growth rate and relatively better macroeconomic fundamentals that include stabilising inflation, low current account to GDP ratio of 1.2 per cent, improving regulatory environment, increased infrastructure investment and lower government debt ratios have not only continued to justify the premium it commands but have made international rating agency Moody’s upgrade its outlook for India. No significant improvement in corporate earnings and stressed balance sheets of some of the leading corporates remain major areas of concern. Investors may witness increased volatility in the days to come. Any sharp correction should be seen as a buying opportunity since long-term fundamentals remain intact. g
Stock Shop BY
RAKESH BHARDWAJ
Grauer & Weil India Limited (CMP `22)
I
NCORPORATED in 1957, the company is a renowned manufacturer and supplier of electroplating and allied chemicals. The product range includes anodizing / phosphate / pretreatment and topcoats, engineering plants, effluent treatment and waste recovery systems from spent solutions, industrial lubricants, high performance protective paints and coatings for automotive and marine industry. Further, it is expanding business activities in real estate development sector.
An uninterrupted dividend record, high promoter’s stake and leadership position in the domestic market with a strong distribution network makes the stock almost a risk-free buy. The real estate development has started bearing fruit and the closure of the Chembur plant may not be aimed at cost-cutting only but utilised for commercial development. The stock sells at PE of just 15 as against the industry PE of 49. The company’s reorganisation and setting up of new plants to give increased focus to more profitable businesses will bring in results. The stock may be a multibagger for investors with a time horizon of around two years.
The author has no exposure in the stock recommended in this column. gfiles does not accept responsibility for investment decisions by readers of this column. Investment-related queries may be sent to editor@gfilesindia.com with Bhardwaj’s name in the subject line.
www.indianbuzz.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
47
SPOTLIGHT Finance Secretary Ratan P Watal along with Secretaries of the Ministry of Finance, including Shaktikanta Das, Secretary (DEA); Dr Hasmukh Adhia, Secretary, Revenue; Anjuly Chib Duggal, Secretary (Financial Services); Aradhana Johri, Secretary (Disinvestment); and Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) Dr Arvind Subramanian, holding a press conference in New Delhi. The Director General (M&C), Press Information Bureau, AP Frank Noronha, is also seen.
Union Minister for Defence Manohar Parrikar, Minister of State for Planning (I/C) and Defence Rao Inderjit Singh, Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar and Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, in a group photograph at the commencement of the Air Force Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi recently.
Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space Dr. Jitendra Singh releasing the firstever Hindi Atlas Book on “Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)” in New Delhi. Secretary, Department of Space, Chairman, Space Commission and ISRO, AS Kiran Kumar, the Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary to Department of Atomic Energy Dr. Sekhar Basu are also seen.
Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, BP Sharma interacting with thalassemic children at the inauguration of the Voluntary Blood Donation Camp organised by the Department of Health and Family Welfare at Nirman Bhawan in New Delhi.
Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha and the German Minister for Economic Cooperation & Development of Germany Dr. Gerd Mueller exchanging the signed document between the Government of India and the Federal Republic of Germany in New Delhi on October 5, 2015.
48
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
www.gfilesindia.com
PHOTOS: PIB
Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Sunil Arora during a meeting with the representatives of the FTII Students Association at Films Division in Mumbai.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh presenting certificates to top performers of ‘Operation Smile’ at the inauguration of the National Conference on Anti-Human Trafficking in New Delhi. Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, V Somasundaran and CBI Director Anil Kumar Sinha are also seen. Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari receiving the ISO 9001: 2008 Certificate acquired by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways at a function in New Delhi. Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Vijay Chibber and other dignitaries are also seen.
CMD, NSIC, Ravindra Nath presenting the dividend cheque to Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Kalraj Mishra in New Delhi. Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Dr Anup K Pujari is also seen.
Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space Dr. Jitendra Singh releasing a brochure at the launch of the mobile app for the Public Grievances Portal in New Delhi. Secretary, DoPT, Sanjay Kothari and other dignitaries are also seen.
Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (I/C), Prakash Javadekar releasing the NGO Directory in New Delhi. Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ashok Lavasa is also seen.
Compiled by Kanika Srivastava
www.indianbuzz.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
49
PERSPECTIVE elements sadhguru
E
SSENTIALLY, the body is a play of five elements or pancha bhutas—water, earth, air, fire, akash. Everything you call a physical creation has substance of some kind; that’s earth. All of it is in movement— that’s air. All of it ascribes to some temperature—that’s fire. In everything, there is cohesiveness —that’s water. And all of it is held together by what we call akash or etheric space. Whether an atom or a subatomic particle, everything is made of these five elements. From the basic aspects to the highest aspect, your life becomes a possibility only with the cooperation of these five. The fundamental process in yoga is referred to as bhuta shuddi. Bhuta means element, bhuta shuddhi means to cleanse the elements. When the elements are pure, you distinctly know the difference between what is physical, psychological and existential. Most human beings are completely in the grip of their physiological and psychological processes. Our physiology is an accumulation of food and our psychological process has been accumulated in the form of impressions. Between these two processes, who you are existentially, the nature of your being, is completely missed. All the suffering in your life arises from your body and mind. If you can hold these two at a distance from yourself, this is the end of suffering. Bhuta shuddhi is an important step in creating this distance for one to live life in full stride without the fear of suffering.
Cleansing the Five Elements Water: Of the five elements, water has the greatest significance because a major percentage of the body is water. Water has a sense of memory, and even a thought, emotion or touch can change the way it behaves within
50
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
Play of Five Elements your system. If you keep water in a copper vessel, preferably overnight or at least for four hours, it acquires a certain quality. Approach it by holding the vessel in your hands with a sense of gratitude and reverence because it is life-making material, and then consume it. It will do wonders within your system. Earth: Even if you live in a concrete jungle, it is important to keep in touch with the earth upon which you live. If your bare hands and feet—particularly the palms and soles—come in touch with the earth on a daily basis, it will harmonise the physiological process in your system. Try to spend at least a few minutes in the garden, barefooted, touching the plants or trees. Air: What kind of air you breathe is important, but how you breathe and how consciously is equally important. At least for a few minutes every day, take a walk in the park or along a lake or river. If you have children, at least once a month take them out where nature is in a reasonably pure state so they can climb a small hill, walk in a forest, or swim in a river and do something where the breath is dynamic. The intelligence in the body will make sure that when it senses the air is pure and alive, the way the body breathes will be different. Fire: What kind of fire burns
within you? Is it the fire of greed, hatred, anger, resentment, lust, love or compassion? If you can handle your fires sensibly, you will become an equanimous and exuberant being. A simple process you can do to cleanse the fire within you is get some sunlight every day. Though we have contaminated every other element, sunlight has remained pure—make best use of that. Akash: The fifth and most expansive dimension is akash. Akash has a certain intelligence. The nature, quality, and power of your life are essentially determined by how much access you have to this intelligence. One process you can do to find more access to akashic intelligence is, after sunrise, before the sun crosses a 30° angle, look up at the sky and bow down to akash for holding you and this planet in place. After the sun crosses 30°, sometime during the day, look up and bow down again. Within 40 minutes after sunset, look up at the sky and once again bow down to the etheric space around us that is holding everything in place. Purifying and taking charge of the elemental dimensions of your making will bring a tremendous sense of wellbeing and power. g Sadhguru, a yogi, is a visionary, humanitarian and a prominent spiritual leader (www.ishafoundation.org)
www.gfilesindia.com
birthdays IAS officers’ birthdays Nov 16, 2015 — Dec 15, 2015
IAS officers’ birthdays Nov 16, 2015 — Dec 15, 2015
Sanjiv Saran
SP Kadu
Pawan Kumar Sain
Arun Goel
CADRE: UTTAR PRADESH
CADRE: MAHARASHTRA
CADRE: UNION TERRITORY
CADRE: PUNJAB
sarans@ias.nic.in
spkadu@ias.nic.in
pk.sain@ias.nic.in
goela2@ias.nic.in
Arvind Mehta
Malay Shrivastava
Roop Ram Jowel
T Sham Bhatt
CADRE: HIMACHAL PRADESH
CADRE: MADHYA PRADESH
CADRE: HARYANA
CADRE: KARNATAKA
amehta@ias.nic.in
smalay@ias.nic.in
jowelrr@ias.nic.in
bhattts@ias.nic.in
Sharat Chauhan
Rakesh Garg
Usurupati Venkateswarlu
Ameising Luikham
CADRE: UNION TERRITORY
CADRE: UTTAR PRADESH
CADRE: MANIPUR-TRIPURA
CADRE: MANIPUR-TRIPURA
csharat@ias.nic.in
gargr@ias.nic.in
vurupati@ias.nic.in
luikhama@ias.nic.in
Alok Nigam
Ganga Ram Baderiya
Manoj Saunik
G Gurucharan
CADRE: HARYANA
CADRE: KARNATAKA
CADRE: MAHARASHTRA
CADRE: KARNATAKA
nigama@ias.nic.in
baderiya@ias.nic.in
saunikm@ias.nic.in
gcharang@ias.nic.in
Naresh Kumar
DP Ahirwar
Rawther Dawood Nazeem
Anuradha Gupta
CADRE: UNION TERRITORY
CADRE: MADHYA PRADESH
CADRE: HIMACHAL PRADESH
CADRE: HARYANA
kumarn5@ias.nic.in
dpahirwar@ias.nic.in
nazeemrd@ias.nic.in
guptaa4@ias.nic.in
Debashish Sircar
B Kishore
Md Nasimuddin
Jitendra Kumar Dadoo
CADRE: MANIPUR-TRIPURA
CADRE: ANDHRA PRADESH
CADRE: TAMIL NADU
CADRE: UNION TERRITORY
sircard@ias.nic.in
kishoreb@ias.nic.in
nasimudd@ias.nic.in
dadoojk@ias.nic.in
Debashri Mukherjee
Navraj Sandhu
Manoj Singh
Manoj Jhalani
CADRE: UNION TERRITORY
CADRE: HARYANA
CADRE: UTTAR PRADESH
CADRE: MADHYA PRADESH
dmukher@ias.nic.in
sandhun@ias.nic.in
singhm4@ias.nic.in
jhalanim@ias.nic.in
Satish Chandra
Anita Karwal
M Mohana Rao
AJ Shah
CADRE: ANDHRA PRADESH
CADRE: GUJARAT
CADRE: MADHYA PRADESH
CADRE: GUJARAT
csatish3@ias.nic.in
karwala@ias.nic.in
raomm2@ias.nic.in
ajshah.ias@ias.nic.in
Saket Kumar
Tejveer Singh
Rajeev Kapoor
VV Deshmukh
CADRE: HARYANA
CADRE: PUNJAB
CADRE: UTTAR PRADESH
CADRE: MAHARASHTRA
saket.kr@ias.nic.in
singht2@ias.nic.in
krajeev@ias.nic.in
vvdeshmukh@ias.nic.in
Subash Chandra Khuntia
James Varghese
Ram Dass Dhiman
M Selvendran
CADRE: KARNATAKA
CADRE: KERALA
CADRE: HIMACHAL PRADESH
CADRE: MADHYA PRADESH
khuntias@ias.nic.in
varghese@ias.nic.in
dhimanrd@ias.nic.in
selvendr@ias.nic.in
Girish Chandra Murmu
Rashmi Verma
Hardeep Kumar
Paraag Jain Nainuttia
CADRE: GUJARAT
CADRE: BIHAR
CADRE: HARYANA
CADRE: MAHARASHTRA
gcmurmu@ias.nic.in
vrashmi82@ias.nic.in
khardeep@ias.nic.in
jainp3@ias.nic.in
G Venkata Ram Reddy
Tajinder Singh
I Srinivas Srinaresh
Mandeep K Bhandari
CADRE: ANDHRA PRADESH
CADRE: MANIPUR-TRIPURA
CADRE: ANDHRA PRADESH
CADRE: JAMMU & KASHMIR
reddygv@ias.nic.in
singht1@ias.nic.in
snaresh@ias.nic.in
mandeep@ias.nic.in
Sujit Gulati
Rajesh Kumar Sinha
Pravir Krishna
K Pradeep Chandra
CADRE: GUJARAT
CADRE: WEST BENGAL
CADRE: MADHYA PRADESH
CADRE: ANDHRA PRADESH
gulatis@ias.nic.in
sinhark2@ias.nic.in
kpravir@ias.nic.in
pradeepc@ias.nic.in
16-11-1959
16-11-1960
17-11-1968
18-11-1961
18-11-1963
19-11-1957
19-11-1968
20-11-1961
20-11-1974
21-11-1957
21-11-1959
22-11-1956
22-11-1959
23-11-1958
23-11-1964
24-11-1956
24-11-1960
25-11-1956
25-11-1958
26-11-1959
26-11-1962
27-11-1970
28-11-1957
28-11-1958
29-11-1966
30-11-1971
30-11-1980
01-12-1958
01-12-1959
02-12-1963
02-12-1968
03-12-1963
03-12-1964
04-12-1958
05-12-1958
05-12-1962
06-12-1956
06-12-1961
07-12-1961
07-12-1962
08-12-1956
08-12-1958
09-12-1956
09-12-1958
10-12-1957
11-12-1962
12-12-1956
12-12-1957
13-12-1973
14-12-1972
14-12-1974
15-12-1956
For the complete list, see www.gfilesindia.com
www.indianbuzz.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
51
birthdays IPS officers’ birthdays Nov 16, 2015 — Dec 15, 2015
IPS officers’ birthdays Nov 16, 2015 — Dec 15, 2015
ARK Kini
RS Praveen Kumar
Bhupendra Singh
Sivagami Sundari Nanda
CADRE: BIHAR
CADRE: ANDHRA PRADESH
CADRE: RAJASTHAN
CADRE: AGMUT
arkkini@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
praveen@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
bhupendra@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
ssnanda@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
PS Ranga
AG Pon Manickavel
Ram Singh Meena
Vijay Prakash
CADRE: HARYANA
CADRE: TAMIL NADU
CADRE: UTTARAKHAND
CADRE: UTTAR PRADESH
psranga@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
manickavel@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
meena@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
vijayprakash@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
Sanjay V Mane
Ish Kumar
K Jayanth Murali
N Sambasiva Rao
CADRE: MADHYA PRADESH
CADRE: ANDHRA PRADESH
CADRE: TAMIL NADU
CADRE: ANDHRA PRADESH
svmane@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
ishkumar@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
jayanth@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
sambasiva@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
Sonia Narang
BK Upadhyay
M Mahender Reddy
RC Shrivastava
CADRE: KARNATAKA
CADRE: MAHARASHTRA
CADRE: ANDHRA PRADESH
CADRE: CHHATTISGARH
sonia@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
upadhyaybk@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
mmreddy@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
rcshrivastava@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
Anand Prakash Tiwari
Ashok Tiwari
Surinder Kumar
Kailash Makwana
CADRE: ASSAM-MEGHALAYA
CADRE: HIMACHAL PRADESH
CADRE: JAMMU & KASHMIR
CADRE: MADHYA PRADESH
ssp-guwahati@assampolice.gov.in
ashoktiwari@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
surinderkumar@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
kailash@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
RP Shrivastva
Ajit Singh
Akun Sabharwal
Sudhir Mishra
CADRE: MADHYA PRADESH
CADRE: RAJASTHAN
CADRE: ANDHRA PRADESH
CADRE: WEST BENGAL
rpshrivastva@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
ajitsingh@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
sabharwal@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
smishra@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
Ramanand Sunil Bharma
M Akhaya
Rakesh Agrawal
Narinder Sharma
CADRE: MAHARASHTRA
CADRE: ODISHA
CADRE: PUNJAB
CADRE: PUNJAB
rsbharma@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
makhya@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
rakeshagarwal@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
narindersharma@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
Niraj Kumar Singh
S Murugan
AK Khan
Mohd BS Yasin
CADRE: WEST BENGAL
CADRE: KARNATAKA
CADRE: ANDHRA PRADESH
CADRE: KERALA
nirajks@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
smurugan@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
akkhan@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
yasin@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
A Satish Ganesh
Geetha Johari
Bipin Kumar Pandey
M Hari Sena Verma
CADRE: UTTAR PRADESH
CADRE: GUJARAT
CADRE: RAJASTHAN
CADRE: WEST BENGAL
asganesh@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
jgeetha@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
bkpandey@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
mhsenaverma@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
Pankaj Kumar Darad
Sreeramacharan Reddy K
Dawa Sherpa
Gurbachan Singh
CADRE: JAMMU & KASHMIR
CADRE: KARNATAKA
CADRE: UTTAR PRADESH
CADRE: ODISHA
pkdard@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
sreerama@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
dawa@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
gurbachansingh@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
B Srinivasulu
Anil Kumar Raturi
Matta Ravi Kiran
Sadanand Vasant Date
CADRE: ANDHRA PRADESH
CADRE: UTTARAKHAND
CADRE: HARYANA
CADRE: MAHARASHTRA
bsrinivasulu@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
akraturi@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
mrkiran@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
svdate@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
Bhushan Kumar Garg
Pradeep Kapur
Prem Prakash
PC Thakur
CADRE: PUNJAB
CADRE: ODISHA
CADRE: UTTAR PRADESH
CADRE: GUJARAT
bkgarg@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
pradeepkapur@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
premprakash@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
pcthakur@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
Daljit Singh Chaudhary
Binay Kumar Singh
Vikram Singh Mann
VK Suryavanshi
CADRE: UTTAR PRADESH
CADRE: CHHATTISGARH
CADRE: ANDHRA PRADESH
CADRE: MADHYA PRADESH
daljitsingh@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
binaykumar@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
vsmann@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
vksuryavnshi@mail.svpnpa.gov.in
16-11-1957
16-11-1956
17-11-1961
17-11-1975
18-11-1975
19-11-1958
19-11-1968
20-11-1969
20-11-1969
21-11-1969
21-11-1961
22-11-1956
23-11-1965
23-11-1967
25-11-1958
25-11-1958
26-11-1963
26-11-1964
27-11-1957
27-11-1961
28-11-1972
28-11-1957
29-11-1966
30-11-1960
30-11-1962
01-12-1959
02-12-1959
02-12-1958
02-12-1962
03-12-1962
04-12-1959
04-12-1976
05-12-1975
06-12-1956
06-12-1966
07-12-1962
07-12-1967
08-12-1962
08-12-1970
09-12-1964
09-12-1968
10-12-1957
11-12-1956
11-12-1965
12-12-1961
12-12-1959
13-12-1959
13-12-1959
14-12-1958
14-12-1966
15-12-1956
15-12-1959
For the complete list, see www.gfilesindia.com
52
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
www.gfilesindia.com
Lok Sabha Members
Nov 16, 2015 — Dec 15, 2015
Lok Sabha Members
Nov 16, 2015 — Dec 15, 2015
Hukmdev Narayan Yadav
Rajen Gohain
Sonia Gandhi
K Parasuraman
BJP (Bihar)
BJP (Assam)
INC (Uttar Pradesh)
AIADMK (Tamil Nadu)
hukum@sansad.nic.in
rajen.gohain@gmail.com
soniagandhi@sansad.nic.in
parasuraman.k@sansad.nic.in
Kamal Nath
Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi
Poonam Mahajan
TG Venkatesh Babu
INC (Madhya Pradesh)
BJP (Karnataka)
BJP (Maharashtra)
AIADMK (Tamil Nadu)
knshikarpur@gmail.com
pralhadvjoshi@gmail.com
poonam.mahajan@sansad.nic.in
venkatesh.tg@sansad.nic.in
Dinesh Kashyap
Satya Pal Singh
Sudip Bandyopadhyay
Babul Supriyo
BJP (Chhattisgarh)
BJP (Uttar Pradesh)
AITC (West Bengal)
BJP (West Bengal)
dinesh.kashyap@sansad.nic.in
bjpbagpat@gmail.com
sudip@sansad.nic.in
mos4ud@gmail.com
Rama Kishore Singh
Sanjay Jaiswal
Harsh Vardhan
Suvendu Adhikari
LJSP (Bihar)
BJP (Bihar)
BJP (NCT of Delhi)
AITC (West Bengal)
rksvaishali@gmail.com
drsanjayjaiswal@gmail.com
dr.harshvardhan@sansad.nic.in
adhikarisuvendu@gmail.com
Kiren Rijiju
Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh
Rodmal Nagar
BJP (Arunachal Pradesh)
BJD (Odisha)
BJP (Madhya Pradesh)
kiren.rijiju@sansad.nic.in
mpkandhamal@gmail.com
rodmalnagar@gmail.com
Devajibhai G Fatepara
Nagendra Kumar Pradhan
BJP (Gujarat)
BJD (Odisha)
mpsnr1419@gmail.com
nagendrakp1952@gmail.com
17-11-1939
18-11-1946
18-11-1962
18-11-1964
19-11-1971
20-11-1959
Pankaj Chowdhary 20-11-1964
BJP (Uttar Pradesh)
26-11-1950
27-11-1962
29-11-1955
29-11-1965
29-11-1971
1-12-1952
Ravindra Kushawaha 1-12-1962
21-11-1987
Ramesh Chander Kaushik 3-12-1956
SP (Uttar Pradesh)
BJP (Haryana)
yadavteju@gmail.com
mp.sonepat@gmail.com
Mulayam Singh Yadav 22-11-1939
Jugal Kishore Sharma 5-12-1962
SP (Uttar Pradesh)
BJP (Jammu & Kashmir)
mulayamsingh.yadav@sansad.nic.in
jugal.bjp@gmail.com
Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar 23-11-1959
Janak Ram 5-12-1973
AITC (West Bengal)
BJP (Bihar)
kakoli.dastidar@sansad.nic.in
janak.ram@sansad nic.in
Om Birla
23-11-1962
Nalin Kumar Kateel 7-12-1966
BJP (Rajasthan)
BJP (Karnataka)
ombirla@yahoo.co.in
mpdkannada@gmail.com
Kristappa Nimmala 25-11-1956
Saumitra Khan 8-12-1980
TDP (Andhra Pradesh)
AITC (West Bengal)
nimmalakristappa@gmail.com
saumitrakhan@gmail.com
Prataprao Jadhav
Laxmi Narayan Yadav
SS (Maharashtra)
BJP (Madhya Pradesh)
jadhavprataprao25@gmail.com
lnyadavsagar@gmail.com
25-11-1960
9-12-1980
10-12-1952
13-12-1954
15-12-1960
15-12-1960
15-12-1970
15-12-1970
15-12-1960
Rajya Sabha Members Nov 16, 2015 — Dec 15, 2015 Palvai Govardhan Reddy
Rajani Patil
INC (Telangana)
INC (Maharashtra)
palvai.gr@sansad.nic.in
rajanipatiloffice@gmail.com
Dhiraj Prasad Sahu
KC Tyagi
INC (Jharkhand)
JDU (Bihar)
dp.sahu@sansad.nic.in
kc.tyagi@sansad.nic.in
Parvez Hashmi
Sharad Pawar
INC (NCT Delhi)
NCP (Maharashtra)
parvez.hashmi@sansad.nic.in
spawar@sansad.nic
Dilip Kumar Tirkey
Majeed Memon
BJD (Odisha)
NCP (Maharashtra)
tirkey.dk@sansad.nic.in
majeed.memon@sansad.nic.in
DP Tripathi
Chandan Mitra
NCP (Maharashtra)
BJP (Madhya Pradesh)
dp.tripathi@sansad.nic.in
chandan.mitra@sansad.nic.in
R Lakshmanan
Manohar Parrikar
AIADMK (Tamil Nadu)
BJP (Uttar Pradesh)
r.luxman@sansad.nic.in
manoharparrikar@yahoo.co.in
20-11-1936
05-12-1958
BJP (Uttar Pradesh)
pankajchaudharyloksabha91@gmail.com kushawaharavindra@gmail.com
Tejpratap Singh Yadav
9-12-1946
9-12-1944
23-11-1955
24-11-1954
25-11-1977
29-11-1952
29-11-1971
10-12-1950
12-12-1940
12-12-1945
12-12-1954
13-12-1955
Jagat Prakash Nadda 02-12-1960
BJP (Himachal Pradesh)
jp.nadda@sansad.nic.in
For the complete list, see www.gfilesindia.com
www.indianbuzz.com
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
53
Tracking
For a complete list of appointments & retirements, see www.gfilesindia.com
MF FAROOQUI
RAMESH ABHISHEK
ALKESH KUMAR SHARMA
The 1978-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre has been appointed Chairman of Broadband India Forum (BIF).
The 1982-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre has been appointed Secretary, Performance Management, Cabinet Secretariat.
The 1990-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre has been appointed Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Ltd.
VIJAY SHANKAR PANDEY The 1979-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre has been appointed Secretary, Chemicals and Petrochemicals in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.
ARUNA SUNDARARAJAN
NAINI JAYASEELA
NAVIN VERMA
The 1980-batch IAS officer of the Union Territory cadre has been appointed Secretary, Inter State Council, under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The 1982-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre has been appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
ANUP K PUJARI
TAPAN RAY
The 1980-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Steel, with additional charge as CMD, Steel Authority of India Ltd.
The 1982-batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, Secretary, Corporate Affairs, has been appointed on the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
RAJEEV KHER
O NABAKISHORE SINGH
The 1980-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre has been appointed Member, Competition Appellate Tribunal.
The 1984-batch IAS officer of the Manipur cadre, Additional CS & CEO, has been appointed Chief Secretary of Manipur.
AMARENDRA SINHA
SANJAY BANDHOPADHYAY
The 1981-batch IAS officer of the Uttarakhand cadre has been given additional charge of the post of Secretary, Minority Affairs.
The 1988-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre has been appointed new CEO of NATRIP under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
The 1982-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre has been appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Steel.
Moving On: IAS officers retiring in November 2015 ASSAM-MEGHALAYA
Pochister Kharkongor (1987) Santanu Thakur (1997) Ganesh Kr Kalita (1997)
BIHAR
Asok Kumar Chauhan (1980) Pradeep Kumar (1996)
HIMACHAL PRADESH
Ravinder Kumar Jain (1981)
JHARKHAND
Jon Pascal Lakra (1999)
JAMMU & KASHMIR
Mohammad Iqbal Khanday (1978) Sonali Kumar (1979)
KERALA
VM Gopala Menon (1994)
54
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
KARNATAKA
S Shankaranarayan (2000)
MADHYA PRADESH
Sudha Choudhary (1991) NS Bhatnagar (2001)
OM PRAKASH GUPTA The 1992-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre has been appointed Controller General of Patents, Design and Trade Marks, Mumbai, for five years.
YATENDRA KUMAR The 1996-batch IAS officer of the Manipur-Tripura cadre has been appointed Chief Vigilance Officer in the Airports Authority of India, under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
KRBHN CHAKRAVARTHY The 2001-batch IAS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre has been appointed Director, Women Development & Child Welfare, Andhra Pradesh.
AJIT BALAJI JOSHI The 2003-batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre has been appointed Deputy Commissioner of Chandigarh.
B BALA MAYA DEVI The 2004-batch IAS officer of the Telangana cadre has been appointed Chief Rationing Officer in Telangana.
NV PRASAD The 2004-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre has been appointed Inspector General of Registration and Commissioner of Stamps, Karnataka.
V SANTHA
ODISHA
Gokul Chandra Pati (1978) Ashok Kumar Tarenia (2000)
The 2005-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre has been appointed Director of Sericulture, Tamil Nadu.
UTTAR PRADESH
MUKHTIAR SINGH
WEST BENGAL
The 1967-batch IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre has been appointed Chairman of the Jharkhand Education Tribunal.
Harbhajan Singh (1983) Siddharth (1983) Subrata Dutta (1998)
SHOBHNA JOSHI The 1979-batch IDAS officer has been appointed Controller General of the Defence Account (CGDA).
www.gfilesindia.com
GURJIT SINGH
JAIDEEP PRASAD
The 1980-batch IFS officer, Ambassador of India to Indonesia, is the new Ambassador of India to the Federal Republic of Germany.
The 1995-batch IPS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, DIG, CISF, has been posted as IG in the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D).
SUJAN R CHINOY The 1981-batch IFS officer Ambassador to Mexico is the new Ambassador of India to Japan.
SUCHITRA DURAI
BINAY KANT MISHRA The 2003-batch IPS officer has been appointed DCP in Delhi Police, Police Training College.
The 1988-batch IFS officer High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Kenya has been appointed the next Ambassador of India to the Federal Republic of Somalia.
DHEERAJ KUMAR
RS MALHOTRA
The 2010-batch IPS officer has been posted as DCP Gurgaon.
The IFS officer has been appointed Ambassador of India to the Republic of Niger.
MAN MOHAN BHANOT The officer has been appointed the next Ambassador of India to the Syrian Arab Republic.
SHARAD KUMAR The 1979-batch IPS officer of the Haryana cadre, Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), has been re-appointed to the same post.
SURESH ARORA The 1982-batch IPS officer has been appointed DGP of Punjab.
JYOTI NARAYAN The 1986-batch IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre has been appointed Additional Commissioner of Security (Civil Aviation), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.
TILOTAMA VARMA The 1990-batch IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre has been appointed Additional Director, WCCB, New Delhi.
RAM KUMAR VERMA The 2001-batch IPS officer of the Union Territory cadre has been appointed Additional CP in Special Branch.
RAJA SRIVASTAVA The 1994-batch IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre has been appointed IG in the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The 2005-batch IPS officer of the Union Territory cadre has been appointed DCP, DAP, Delhi Police.
SULOCHNA KUMARI
USHA RANGNANI The 2011-batch IPS officer of the Union Territory cadre has been posted as DCP EOW.
MAMATA WAHENGBAM The IPS officer of the Manipur cadre has
THE FOLLOWING HAVE BEEN APPOINTED ADDITIONAL JUDGES BY THE PRESIDENT: CALCUTTA HIGH COURT SAMAPATI CHATTERJEE, SAHIDULLAH MUNSHI, SUBRATA TALUKDAR, TAPABRATA CHAKRABORTY, ARINDAM SINHA, ARIJIT BANERJEE, and DEBANGSU BASAK KARNATAKA HIGH COURT ARAKALAGUDU VENKATARAMAIAH CHANDRASHEKARA, RATHNAKALA, BUDIHAL RUDRAPPA BHIMAPPA, PRADEEP DATTATRAYA WAINGANKAR and KORATAGERE NARASIMHA MURTHY PHANEENDRA TELANGANA & ANDHRA PRADESH HIGH COURT BULUSU SIVA SANKARA RAO, MANDHATA SEETHARAMA MURTI, SARIPELLA RAVI KUMAR, UPMAKA DURGA PRASAD RAO, TALLURI SUNIL CHOWDARY, MALLAVOLU SATYANARAYANA MURTHY, MISRILAL SUNIL KISHORE JAISWAL, AMBATI SHANKAR NARAYANA and ANIS
been appointed Superintendent of Police in Crime Investigation Department (CID/ Technical) in Manipur.
SURENDRA KUMAR VERMA The IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre has been appointed to DGP office, Lucknow.
VAIBHAV KRISHNA The IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre has been posted as SSP, Ata in Uttar Pradesh.
SUMEDH SINGH SAINI The DGP of Punjab has been appointed Chairman of the Police Housing Corporation in Punjab.
DKS CHAUHAN The 1982-batch IPoS officer, CPMG, Rajasthan circle, has been given an additional charge of CPMG, Gujarat circle.
SOBHANA KAMALA RAO The 1987-batch IFS officer of the Kerala cadre has been given additional charge of Development Commissioner, Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (APIIC) at Achutapuram, Visakhapatnam.
SUNJAY SUDHIR The 1993-batch IFS officer has been appointed Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas for a period of three years.
RAMACHANDRA MISHRA The 1991-batch IOFS officer has been appointed Director in the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India.
S MOOKERJEE The 1978-batch IRAS officer has been appointed the new Financial Commissioner (FC) (Railways) and ex-officio Secretary to the Government of India.
MANOJ KUMAR DUBEY The IRAS Officer has been appointed Executive Director, Finance (PPP), Railway Board.
ANANYA RAY The 1980-batch IRS-C&CE officer has been appointed Member of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) in the
gfiles inside the government
www.indianbuzz.com
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
55
Tracking Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.
METTA RAMA RAO The IRS-C&CE officer has joined the Government of Andhra Pradesh on deputation as Officer on Special Duty, Andhra Pradesh Bhavan, New Delhi.
NAJIB SHAH The 1979-batch IRS-C&CE officer, Member, CBEC, has been appointed Chairman, Central Board of Excise and Customs.
BHUSHAN KUMAR BANSAL The 1981-batch IRS-C&CE officer has been appointed Member of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).
AMARAPALLI DAS The IRS-IT officer has been appointed OSD in the office of Principal CCIT Delhi region at CIT level.
ANANDI SUBRAMANIAN The 1982-batch IES officer has been appointed Senior Adviser, Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change.
NAGESH SINGH The 1982-batch IES officer has been posted as Senior Economic Adviser, Office of Economic Adviser, DIPP.
KS UMA The 1980-batch IES officer has been appointed Principal Adviser, Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, and Department of Telecommunications.
ANIL GUPTA The officer has been appointed Director (Finance), National Textile Corporation.
For a complete list of appointments & retirements, see www.gfilesindia.com
THE FOLLOWING IAS OFFICERS HAVE GOT NEW POSTINGS: ANDHRA PRADESH G VANI MOHAN has been appointed Commissioner, Survey Settlement & Land Records; P USHA KUMARI is Joint Secretary, Minorities Welfare; and PRASANNA VENKATESH is Additional Commissioner, Capital Region Development Authority and Capital Area (CRDA) in Andhra Pradesh. TAMIL NADU K RAJARAMAN has been appointed Secretary Tourism, Culture, Religious Endowments Departments; SK PRABHAKAR has been made Commissioner, Taxes; RAJENDRA KUMAR is Secretary, Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department; D JAGANNATHAN has been posted as Director of Museums; and PRADEEP YADAV is Member Secretary. MADHYA PRADESH SUNITA TRIPATHI has been appointed Director, Public Health and Family Welfare; NAVNEET MOHAN KOTHARI is Additional Secretary, Finance and Director, Budget; SHILPA GUPTA is Additional Project Director, Middle Education Campaign and Deputy Secretary, School Education; MADHUKAR AGNEYA has been appointed Deputy Secretary, Scheduled Caste Welfare Department; and AJAY GUPTA is Deputy Secretary, Kisan Welfare and Agriculture Development in Madhya Pradesh. ANDHRA PRADESH LV SUBRAMANYAM has been appointed Special Chief Secretary, Sports & Youth Advancement, Tourism; B KISHORE is Secretary, Services, GAD; MV SESHAGIRI BABU has been assigned additional charge of the post of Marketing Commissioner; MUKESH KUMAR MEENA is Commissioner, Excise and Managing Director, AP Beverages Corporation Limited; and KV SATYANARAYANA is Special Commissioner, Health & Family Welfare. HARYANA KESHNI ANAND ARORA has been appointed ACS, School Education and Electronics and Information & Technology; TRILOK CHAND GUPTA is Principal Secretary, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Department; SIDDHI NATH ROY is Principal Secretary, Printing Energy Department; ANKUR GUPTA is Principal Secretary, Renewal Energy Department; and SUKRITI LIKHI is now Managing Director, HAFED. CHHATTISGARH RICHA SHARMA has been appointed Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection; AVINASH CHAMPAVAT is Director, Horticulture with additional charge of Commissioner, Health; and RAVPRAKASH GUPTA is Joint Secretary, Secretariat.
PRAKASH TATIA
KAVYADEEP JOSHI
The former Judge of the Rajasthan High Court has been appointed Chairman, Rajasthan Human Rights Commission.
The 2013-batch IA&AS officer has been posted as Assistant Accountant General in the office of Accountant General (Audit), Bihar, Patna.
G NARAYAN RAJU The officer has been appointed Member Secretary in the Law Commission, Legislative Department.
SARAT KUMAR ACHARYA The officer has been appointed Chairmanand-Managing Director of Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd (NLC).
56
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
BINAY DAYAL The General Manager, SECL, has been appointed Director (Technical), Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL) by the Government of India.
SK GUPTA The Executive Director, RECL, has been
appointed new Director (Technical), Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (RECL).
VK SAXENA The officer has been appointed Chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
MK SURANA The CEO, HPCL, has been selected for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), at a Public Enterprises Selection Board meeting.
www.gfilesindia.com
...by the way South Block’s strange shuffles
N
A jewel in the sarkar!
7
his is an affair the Chairman, Prasar Bharati, should UHVSRQG WR :KHQ 3UDVDU %KDUDWL DGYHUWLVHG LQ Employment News RQ 1RYHPEHU WZR SRVWV of ADG (Admn/Fin) and ADG (Prog), detailing criteria DQG SD\ VFDOHV DSSOLFDWLRQV ZHUH UHFHLYHG 7KH\ ZHUH GXO\ VHQW IRU VFUXWLQ\ 6LQFH WKH DSSRLQWPHQW LV E\ GHSXWDWLRQ RU VKRUW WHUP FRQWUDFW XVXDOO\ WKH $&5V RI VHUYLQJ RI¿FHUV DUH SHUXVHG DQG WKH 3UDVDU %KDUDWL %RDUG ¿QDOLVHV QDPHV IURP D OLVW $ *URXS &DSWDLQ Anand Naidu 3ROD KDG DSSOLHG IRU ERWK SRVWV EXW ZDV IRXQG ³1RW (OLJLEOH´ E\ WKH 6HOHFWLRQ &RPPLWWHH 6LPLODUO\ DQRWKHU FDQGLGDWH ,QGHUMHHW .DXU ZDV IRXQG WR KDYH VXEPLWWHG LQFRPSOHWH GRFXPHQWV DQG WKDW should have sealed her fate too. Interestingly, they were ERWK &(2 -DZKDU 6LUFDU¶V FDQGLGDWHV DQG KHUH FRPHV the twist in the tale. He got the selection criteria altered, VWLSXODWLQJ WKDW VHOHFWLRQ ZDV WR EH PDGH RQ WKH EDVLV RI WKH LQWHUYLHZ PDUNV ZHUH WR EH DFFRUGHG IRU WKH LQWHUYLHZ DQG IRU WKH $&5V 1RZ VLQFH WKH &(2 KDV no authority to frame any such rules on his own, these FULWHULD ZHUH UHMHFWHG E\ WKH %RDUG 7KRXJK WKH &(2 LV ERXQG E\ WKH %RDUG¶V UXOHV 6LUFDU ZHQW DKHDG DQG JRW ERWK FDQGLGDWHV DEVRUEHG ,QGHUMHHW .DXU GHVSLWH QRW PHHWLQJ WKH HOLJLELOLW\ FULWHULD ZDV DEVRUEHG RQ 0DUFK 1DLGX WRR GLG QRW PHHW WKH UHTXLUHPHQWV DQG DGGLWLRQDOO\ WKHUH ZDV D EUHDN LQ KLV VHUYLFH UHFRUG 6RXUFHV LQ WKH 0LQLVWU\ DOVR FRQ¿UP UHFHLYLQJ FRPSODLQWV DJDLQVW 1DLGX IRU PRUDO WXUSLWXGH 1RZ WKH FDQGLGDWHV ZKR ZHUH HOLJLEOH DUH SODQQLQJ WR ¿OH D FULPLQDO VXLW DJDLQVW 6LUFDU IRU WDPSHULQJ ZLWK UHFRUGV g
www.indianbuzz.com
o good tidings from South Block, which houses the External Affairs Ministry. Even 6HFUHWDU\ OHYHO RI¿FHUV DUH XQKDSS\ ZLWK WKH ZD\ VHQLRU GLSORPDWV DUH EHLQJ WUDQVIHUUHG 7KH EDVLF FRPSODLQW LV WKDW WKHUH LV D FRPSOHWH PLVPDWFK RI FRPSHWHQFH DQG SRVWLQJV 7KH 0LQLVWHU DQG RQH RI WKH VHQLRUPRVW RI¿FLDOV DUH DW ORJJHUKHDGV RYHU WKHVH FUXFLDO GHFLVLRQV -XQLRU OHYHO RI¿FLDOV DUH EHLQJ SRVWHG DV 81 UHSUHVHQWDWLYHV ZKLFK LV D 6HFUHWDU\ OHYHO SRVW $QLO :DGKZD ZKR ZDV 6HFUHWDU\ (DVW WLOO QRZ DQG FRQVLGHUHG D FRPSHWHQW GLSORPDW KDV EHHQ VHQW WR 5RPH ZKLFK LV D % FDWHJRU\ SRVWLQJ ZKHUHDV KH GHVHUYHG DQ $ FDWHJRU\ FRXQWU\ 6XMDQ 5 &KLQR\ KDV EHHQ WUDQVIHUUHG IURP 0H[LFR WR &KLQD 9LNUDP 'XUDLVZDP\ KDV EHHQ SRVWHG WR 6RXWK .RUHD ZKLFK LV VWUDWHJLFDOO\ FRQVLGHUHG DQ LPSRUWDQW SRVW *DXWDP %DPEDZDOH %DPEDZDOH currently India’s DPEDVVDGRU WR %KXWDQ GRU WR %KXWDQ KDV EHHQ DSSRLQWHG DSSRLQWHG High Commissioner mmissioner to Pakistan. an. But %DPEDZDOH LV DQ DOH LV DQ H[SHUW RQ &KLQD DQG &KLQD DQG East Asia.. And Navtej 6DUQD DQ HI¿FLHQW HI¿FLHQW GLSORPDW PDQDJHG PDQDJHG to wrigglee out of the clutches of his ERVV DQG secured WKH SRVWLQJ RI +LJK QJ RI +LJK &RPPLVVLRQHU WR WKH 8. 7KLV ZDV SRVVLEOH RQO\ EHFDXVH RI KLV SUR[LPLW\ WR 6XVKPD 6ZDUDM ,W LV OHDUQW VKH WRRN SHUVRQDO LQWHUHVW LQ 6DUQD¶V DSSRLQWPHQW 0HDQZKLOH DQRWKHU JURXVH DJDLQVW RQH RI WKH WRS RI¿FLDOV RI WKH 0LQLVWU\ UHODWHV to the creation of a north-south India divide which KDV QHYHU RFFXUUHG EHIRUH LQ WKH 0LQLVWU\ g
gfiles inside the government
vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
57
...by the way Envoy woes
M
Whither Kejriwal the messiah?
A
UYLQG .HMULZDO &KLHI 0LQLVWHU RI 'HOKL ZRQ WKH $VVHPEO\ HOHFWLRQ ZLWK D WKXPSLQJ PDMRULW\ EHFDXVH DOO WKH GRZQWURGGHQ DQG 6& 67 YRWHUV LQFOXGLQJ JRYHUQPHQW VHUYDQWV IDYRXUHG KLP 7KH\ EHOLHYHG KH ZRXOG ORRN DIWHU WKHLU LQWHUHVWV %XW WKH\ DUH VRUHO\ GLVDSSRLQWHG 6HQLRU 6& 67 RI¿FHUV DUH SDUWLFXODUO\ VR :KHQ WKUHH RI¿FHUV 66 <DGDY 6&/ 'DV DQG $UXQ %DURND ZHUH WUDQVIHUUHG RQ 0DUFK VRXUFHV VD\ 5DMLQGHU .XPDU 6HFUHWDU\ WR WKH &0 ZDV LQVWUXPHQWDO LQ DGMXVWLQJ WKH ¿UVW WZR EXW %DURND D 'DOLW ZDV OHIW RXW 7KH VWRULHV RI 'KDUDP 3DO 0. 0HHQD DQG 61 6DKDL DUH DOVR FLUFXODWLQJ LQ WKH 6HFUHWDULDW RI KRZ WKH &0¶V 2I¿FH ZDV ELDVHG LQ KDQGOLQJ WKHLU FDVHV 2I¿FHUV LQ WKH 'HOKL JRYHUQPHQW ZHUH DJKDVW ZKHQ ¿YH VHQLRU 'HOKL $QGDPDQ 1LFREDU 6HUYLFHV '$1,&6 RI¿FHUV ZHUH VXGGHQO\ WUDQVIHUUHG WR WKH /DERXU GHSDUWPHQW '$1,&6 RI¿FHUV DUH DOORWWHG WKLV GHSDUWPHQW DW WKH VWDUW RI WKHLU FDUHHUV 7KUHH RI WKHP DUH 6&V WKH RWKHU WZR DUH 2%&V 7KHQ WKHUH ZDV WKH FDVH RI WKH EDWFK ,$6 RI¿FHU RI WKH 87 FDGUH ZKR KDSSHQV WR EH D 'DOLW $OUHDG\ GXPSHG LQ DQ LQVLJQL¿FDQW SRVW KH ZDV GHPRWHG IURP &0' WR 0' DQG WKH &KDLUPDQ¶V SRVW ZDV YHVWHG ZLWK WKH FRQFHUQHG PLQLVWHU &DQ \RX EODPH 'DOLW RI¿FHUV IRU DVNLQJ LI .HMULZDO LV DFWXDOO\ DJDLQVW 6& 67 RI¿FHUV" g
RUH XQVDYRXU\ GHWDLOV FUHHSLQJ RXW IURP 6RXWK %ORFN 5HPHPEHU WKH FDVH RI 5DYL 7KDSDU D EDWFK ,)6 RI¿FHU ZKR ZDV +LJK &RPPLVVLRQHU WR 1HZ =HDODQG XQWLO -XQH EXW was unceremoniously shunted out on an alleged FRPSODLQW E\ KLV GRPHVWLF KHOS" :HOO LW VHHPV WR EH D EDG WLPH IRU RXU GLSORPDWV $WOHDVW RI WKHP SRVWHG RYHUVHDV DUH IDFLQJ FKDUJHV UHODWHG WR FRUUXSWLRQ KDUDVVPHQW DQG GHUHOLFWLRQ RI GXW\ RYHU WKH SDVW \HDU 7KH JRYHUQPHQW LV DOVR KDYLQJ WR GHDO ZLWK GRPHVWLF PDWWHUV :KDW LV XQFOHDU LV whether these are genuine cases or stemming from SROLWLFV ZLWKLQ WKH ([WHUQDO $IIDLUV 0LQLVWU\ DLPHG DW JUDEELQJ SOXP SRVWLQJV 7KDSDU DSSDUHQWO\ PDGH D UHSUHVHQWDWLRQ WR WKH 6HFUHWDU\ ([WHUQDO $IIDLUV 6 Jaishanker, stating that the team which was sent to 1HZ =HDODQG WR LQYHVWLJDWH WKH LVVXH QHYHU ERWKHUHG WR OLVWHQ WR KLP EXW MXVW WROG KLP WR SDFN XS DQG UHWXUQ WR ,QGLD ,W ZDV DQ HPEDUUDVVLQJ VLWXDWLRQ IRU D VHUYLQJ GLSORPDW DV QRERG\ ZDV UHDG\ WR OLVWHQ to him in the Ministry. Finally, after he managed to PHHW WKH 0LQLVWHU VKH OLVWHQHG WR KLP SDWLHQWO\ DW KHU KRPH DQG WKHQ EDLOHG KLP RXW 7KDSDU KDV EHHQ UHKDELOLWDWHG DQG SRVWHG DV $GGLWLRQDO 6HFUHWDU\ &RXQWHU 7HUURULVP 7KH SRVW RI +LJK &RPPLVVLRQHU WR 1HZ =HDODQG LV VWLOO YDFDQW 7KH WRS RI¿FLDOV RI WKH 0LQLVWU\ ZDQWHG WR VHQG RQH RI WKHLU EOXH H\HG GLSORPDWV EXW 0DGDP 6XVKPD LV VPDUWHU WKDQ WKHP DQG LV QRW FOHDULQJ WKH ¿OH g
ILLUSTRATIONS: ARUNA
58
gfiles inside the government vol. 9, issue 8 | November 2015
www.gfilesindia.com
.c ind m a i o ind a.c m i o c . ind a i m o ind .c a m i o ind ia.c m
ind .co
ia m o ind .c dia om www.indianbuzz.com
gfiles inside the government vol. 7, issue 5 | August 2013
19 59
Regn.No.DL(C)-14/1161/2013-15 Licence No. U(C)-03/2013-15, Licence to post without prepayment Posted on 7th & 8th of every month at SPM SRT Nagar, Post Office, New Delhi 110055 R.N.I. No: DELENG/2007/19719. `200, vol. 9, issue 8 | Date of Publication: 5/11/2015 | Pages 60
60