Governance Today february 2015 by Governance Today

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February 2015 Vol.- 01 Issue - 05

MOVING BEYOND PLATITUDES

Governance Today

February 2015

Governance Today

Editor-in-Chief Ajit Sinha Editor Anand Mishra Senior Copy Editor Ramesh K Raja Reporting Team Ekta Srivastava Rahul Trivedi Graphic Designer Girdhar Chandra Fuloria Web Architect Farhan Khan CORPORATE OFFICE Strategy Head Ajay Kumar Vice President Manjushree Reddy Accounts Executive Yogesh Chikara FOR ADVERTISEMENT CONTACT Stuti Bhusan stuti@governancetoday.co.in FOR SUBSCRIPTION CONTACT subscription@governancetoday.co.in ADVISORY BOARD Terry Culver

Associate Dean, SIPA, University of Columbia Vinit Goenka

National Co-Convener, IT Cell, BJP Amod Kanth

General Secretary Prayas JAC Society Pratap Mohanty

Former Dy Educational Advisor, MHRD, GOI Ranjit Walia

Managing Counsel Walia & Co. Vol. 1, No. 5; Total No of pages 76 Editorial, subscriptions and advertisements: Odyssey Infomedia Pvt. Ltd. D-77, Lower Ground Floor, Sec-63, Noida UP 201301, Phone: +91-120-4234008, Email: edit@governancetoday.co.in Printed at Avenir Enterprises A-7/105, Industrial Area, South Side G T Road, Ghaziabad, UP-201009 Governance Today does not necessarily subscribe to the views expressed in this publication. All views expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors. The magazine is not responsible or accountable for any loss incurred, directly or indirectly as a result of the information provided. Governance Today is published by Odyssey Infomedia Pvt Ltd @ All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, and mechanical, including photocopy. Or any information storage or retrieval system, without publisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s permission G VERNANCE editorial does not endorse the content of advertisements printed in the magazine TODAY

Governance Today

February 2015

MOVING BEYOND PLATITUDES The visit of the US President Barack Obama lived up to expectation as it delivered a long awaited nuclear deal, furthered the defence and economic cooperation and above all, signalled a deepening of the relation between two countries. It also indicated that India was ready to shed its non-aligned predilections and play a major role in politics of Asia Pacific region.

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ADJUSTING TO A NEW ASIA HIGH HOPES FROM NEW SRI LANKAN REGIME WATER PROJECTS CONTRIBUTING TO VIBRANT GUJARAT STATES RELUCTANT IN IMPLEMENTING POLICE REFORMS VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: IN THE SPOTLIGHT NOW!

GRADING STUDENTS A STEP IN RIGHT DIRECTION

SUPER-SPECIALIZED DOCTOR, MULTISPECIALTY HOSPITAL

Heena Zuni Pandit, Former Sports Journalist

STUNG

SC VERDICT A BEGINNING IN CLEANING GENTLEMAN’S GAME

CHANGING TIDES FOR PAKISTAN

HIGH HOPES RISE OF MONEY POWER AND DECLINE OF GENTLEMAN’S GAME SUPER LEAGUES LEADING TO...

MURKY WORLD OF DOPING

SPORTS AWARDS: DOES MERIT COUNT?

IS POOR INFRA THE BANE OF INDIAN SPORTS

ADDING THE OOMPH FACTOR

EMPOWERING YOUTH VIA ‘SPORTS’

WISDOM BEHIND ANCIENT ARTS February 2015

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Editorial

TIME FOR DEBATE, AND CONTROVERSIES

he month of January saw media space dominated by the anticipation, expectation and analysis of the US President Obama’s visit to India. It is true that it was for the first time that an American President was the guest of honor on the Republic Day celebrations, the noteworthy thing was the saturation coverage that primetime media provided to the visit, especially electronic media. From technicalities of the Air Force One to the thickness of the doors of the “beast,” and the layers of Obama’s security, media went over the top to get ahead in the TRP game. The more substantive part of the debate has also been rather acrimonious. Even as the agreement was reached on operationalizing the deal, the debate raged on who should get credit for the deal. As ruling party went gaga over the fact that it was Modi who personally took the lead to seal the deal, Congress went ballistic that former Prime Minister Mamohan Singh was not being given due credit. Some Congress leaders demanded credit be given to even Mrs. Sonia Gandhi. On the other hand, CPM, which was dead against India’s nuclear deal with the US and had pulled out of UPA-I on the issue, took out a protest rally against the deal. Another very recent development has been the replacement of Foreign Secretary. Just two days before his retirement, Indian Ambassador to the US, S. Jaishankar has been appointed Foreign Secretary, replacing Sujata Singh who was about to retire in eight months. S. Jaishankar is rated very highly in external affairs circle and has held crucial China and the US postings where his performance had been exemplary. However, as has become customary of late, Sujata Singh’s removal has generated controversy. Out take on the matter is that appointment of the Foreign Secretary is the prerogative of the Prime Minister and his decision should not be challenged just for scoring political brownie points. In a couple of weeks, the Cricket World Cup is about to start in Australia and New Zealand. As India braces to defend the coveted cup, we take a look at the current state of sports in the country. As the recent Supreme Court verdict has pointed out, the rut goes deeper than previously anticipated. However, the problems in Indian sports are many and are not isolated to Cricket. The money power, involvement of Bollywood, doping by sportspersons and inadequate infrastructure are all facets of contemporary sports landscape of the country and are threatening the soul of sports, i.e. respect for fans’ emotions and dedication to the national pride. It is high time sports administrators take note of the situation and do something to preserve the spirit of sports in the country. We hope you would like our coverage and as always, request your valuable feedback to make Governance Today even better. Best regards

Ajit Sinha Editor-in-Chief

February 2015

Governance Today

Governance Watch

Uma Bharti Calls PSUs to Join Clean Ganga Mission

nion Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti has called upon PSUs to come forward to join Clean Ganga Mission of the Government . Speaking at the 58th annual day celebrations of National Projects Construction Corporation Limited ( NPCC), a PSU of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation she said Companies like NPCC can play a very positive role in Ganga Rejuvination Programme by effectively contributing to it. The Minister complimented the company for the turnaround achieved by it during the past few years and expressed the hope that it would earn more laurels in the years to come.

“Literacy Mission” for Water Conservation

nion Minister of Environment Prakash Javdekar announced that Government is going to launch “Water Literacy Mission” to ensure Water Conservation. Speaking on “Water Security, Climate Change and Sustainable Development” in a seminar at Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor’s Summit, he said that public awareness is most needed for water conservation and for protection of natural resources. He added that no act or law could ensure this target if not taken up by people as a mass movement. He said that rejuvenation of Ganga is a step ahead towards cleanliness and added that we should emphasize on pollution free rivers in addition to expand concept of linking of rivers. He advocated linking of paralleled rivers Godavari and Krishna of South India too.

Arvind Panagariya Assumes Charge as Vice Chairman NITI Aayog

rvind Panagariya, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog assumed charge of his office. Eminent economist, Arvind Panagariya was professor of Economics at New York`s Columbia University till recently. A Rajasthan University alumnus, Panagariya holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics from Princeton University. A former chief economist at Asian Development Bank, Panagariya has worked with International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organisation and World Bank. He has written around ten books and the latest was “India: The Emerging Giant” published in 2008. Born on September 30, 1952, Panagariya is the first vice chairman of the Niti Aayog-National Institution for Transforming India (NITI). Aayog has been established by the Government to function as both a think tank and a policy forum replacing Planning Commission.

Governance Today

February 2015

Governance Watch

Make in India Policy to Provide a Major Thrust to Defence Manufacturing

anohar Parrikar, Union Minister for Defence said that, a 20 billion dollar import bill for defence was not affordable. Such a huge import bill has undesirable consequences for the economy, development and unemployment in the country. He was speaking at a seminar, “Gujarat : Preferred Hub for Defence Production” , held on the sidelines of Vibrant Gujarat, in Gandhinagar. He added that, for strategic reasons too, the country should not be dependent on defence imports. In the light of this background the Minister said that his government hopes to come up with a document in two to three months on a suitable model for defence manufacturing and procurement. Parrikar, also stated that his ministry should soon be in a position to decide which items should be manufactured in India and over a period of time, gradually that list would be increased. The Minister also said that high end technology should be used in defence. However, after spending crores in curtain projects the goal post suddenly shifts. Therefore, there is need for total overhaul in conceptualizing and thinking with regard to defence manufacturing and procurement. Once the concepts are clear, we can than engage the Gujarat Government and involve them in the process of defence production, the Minister said. He hoped that the seminar would come out with good suggestions.

Border Haat Inaugurated in Tripura

ripura located in an advantageous position in respect of strategic, diplomatic and economic relations with Bangladesh is likely to become the gateway in tandem with implementation of the ‘Act East’ policy adopted by the Government of India. The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce & Industry Nirmala Sitharaman said this during the inauguration of the first Border Haat set up along Indo-Bangladesh international border at Srinagar, a bordering village in South Tripura. She said the Centre intended to move for development of Bangladesh through Tripura. Sitharaman assured to look into the matter to expedite building the bridge over Feni river. She said the Centre is looking forward to the North-East as the threshold to reach the South-East Asian countries. Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Sarkar inaugurated the Border Haat in presence of Tofail Ahmed, Commerce Minister, Government of the People`s Republic of Bangladesh, Jitendra Choudhury, MP, India, Shirin Akhtar, MP, Bangladesh, Pankaj Shran, High Commissioner of India in Dhaka.

February 2015

Governance Today

Governance Watch

Harishankar Bramha Takes Over as New CEC

arishankar Bramha has assumed charge as the 19th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) succeeding V.S. Sampath. Prior to this, Bramha has served as Election Commissioner since 25th August, 2010. Belonging to the 1975 batch (AP Cadre) of Indian Administrative Service, Bramha served as Secretary in Ministry of Power before joining the Election Commission. He is a Post Graduate in Political Science from Guwahati University (Assam) and graduate from St. Edmund’s College, Shillong. He did his schooling from Don Bosco School, Guwahati. He has held various senior level posts in the Government of India and State Government prior to the present posting. Elucidating his priorities after taking over as new CEC, Bramha said that it will be his personal endeavor to use the latest technologies to improve the quality of election management. He also launched nationwide Electronic Roll Management System on 25th January, which is celebrated as National Voters’ Day. This will provide country wide voters list and enable voters to see their details. Bramha also stated that the Commission will prepare the ground work for extending the voting rights to the NRI voters following the directions of the Supreme Court.

European Commission Lifts Ban on Import of Mangoes from India

he ban on the import of Indian Mangoes by European Commission has been lifted after the country made improvements in plant health controls and certification systems, clearing the way for them to return to the 28-member bloc. This will take around a month, but the positive vote by the Committee gives certainty to Indian exporters and UK importers about the position for the forthcoming mango season. Welcoming the decision, British High Commissioner in India James Bevan said, “This is great news for the UKIndia and EU-India trade relationship and especially for Indian exporters and UK consumers. The European Union’s “temporary ban” came into force on May 1, 2014, and was to remain effective until December 2015 after authorities in Brussels found consignments infested with fruit flies that they feared could damage European salad crops. This news has been widely welcomed by farmers and exporters in the country as well as mango lovers in Europe, particularly in U.K. 10

Governance Today

February 2015

Governance Watch

9 Crore Consumers Join DBTL

he DBTL Scheme for LPG consumers (PAHAL) was launched on 15.11.14 in 54 districts and in the rest of the country on 01.01.15. The Scheme aims to transfer the subsidy on LPG directly into the bank accounts of over 15 crore LPG consumers. Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has been intensively monitoring the roll out of the Scheme at various levels. As a result, as on date, 9 crore consumers have already joined the Scheme and will receive subsidy directly into their bank accounts. This constitutes over 60% of the LPG consumers in the country. So far, an amount of Rs. 2262 crore has been transferred as subsidy and permanent advance in over 7 crore transactions to the LPG consumers.

President Launches Pulse Polio Programme for 2015

he President of India Pranab Mukherjee launched the Pulse Polio programme for 2015 by administering polio drops to children less than five years old, at the Rahstrapati Bhawan on 17th January. 18th January is celebrated as the National Immunization Day. Around 174 million children of less than five years across the country will be given polio drops as part of the drive of Government of India to sustain polio eradication from the country. Speaking at the function on the eve of the National Immunization Day, the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare J P Nadda applauded the sustained hard work of nearly 23 lakh volunteers and 1.5 lakh supervisors, along with donor partners for eradicating polio from India. The Health Minister stated that there has been no case of wild polio since 13 January 2011. India was certified Polio Free last year, and is part of the 11 countries of South-East Asia Region of WHO (along with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People`s Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste) which are polio free.

2015-16 to be Celebrated as Jal Kranti Varsh

he Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Uma Bharati said that the Year 2015-16 will be celebrated as ‘Jal Kranti Varsh (Year)’ across the country. Delivering the valedictory address at the 3rd India Water Week, she said the programme will be celebrated in each district of the country and all efforts will be made to conserve and save water. She also informed that all the State Governments are on board in this noble mission. Referring to Prime Minister’s call for making Water Conservation a true Public Movement, she said, Centre and States should make joint efforts in this endeavour. Making a strong pitch for the revival of Yamuna, Bharati said, inter-linking of rivers has achieved considerable progress and through Yamuna-Sharada link and Pancheswar project of Nepal, more water will flow in the Yamuna in the coming years. She said, Narendra Modi during his Visit to Nepal in the middle of this year took the Pancheshwar issue with the highest authorities in Kathmandu. The Minister expressed confidence that by next year city of Mumbai will also get drinking water through linking of rivers. On Clean Ganga mission, she asserted that power mafia will be crushed and they will not be allowed to kill the holy river. February 2015

Governance Today

Global Watch

Singapore Unveils Easy Money Policy

ingapore’s central bank has eased monetary policy, in a globally coordinated move, sending the currency to the weakest since 2010. The Monetary Authority of Singapore, which uses the currency as its main policy tool, reduced the slope of the policy band for the Singapore Dollar. It also cut the inflation forecast for 2015, predicting prices may fall as much as 0.5 per cent. The MSA said that “Since the last monetary policy statement in October, developments in the global and domestic inflation environment have led to a significant shift in Singapore’s CPI inflation outlook for 2015.” It further said that this measured adjustment to the policy stance is consistent with the more benign inflation outlook in 2015 and appropriate for ensuring medium-term price stability in the economy.

Russia Readies $35 Billion Plan To Boost Economy

ussia has announced a $35 billion “anti-crisis” spending plan to bail out its economy which has been hit hard by western sanctions and falling oil prices. The plan focuses mainly on bailing out banks and big companies to help them weather the immediate impact of the crisis, at the expense of long-term development programmes. Extra money would also be spent to increase pensions in line with higher-than-expected inflation. However not much details has been announced yet. More than half of the plan is to support its beleaguered banks, most of which was already announced last year. It is noteworthy that western countries had imposed sanctions on the country after its intervention in Ukraine. However, Russians have remained defiant and have decided to brave it out against sanctions.

Most of Ghani’s Cabinet Rejected by Afghan Parliament

ealing a major blow to the newly formed “national unity government,” Afghan lawmakers on Wednesday rejected most of President Ashraf Ghani’s nominees for the new cabinet. The lower house of parliament voted on 18 of Ghani’s 25 selections for ministerial jobs and rejected 10 of them including the proposed defence minister. Those who won approval included Salahuddin Rabbani, the former head of the Peace Council and nominee for foreign affairs minister, and Noorul Haq Ulumi, the nominee for interior minister. The proposed new cabinet was unveiled on January 12, after three months of wrangling following last year’s bitterly disputed presidential election.

Governance Today

February 2015

Governance Watch

CEL Enlightening the Railway Stations Solar Panels Installed at Sahibabad Railway Station

Nalin Shinghal, CMD, Central Electronics Limited explains the functioning of solar panel at Sahibabad Railway Station to railway officials

he country is already under the power crunch. The renewable energy is the need of the hour. Many states have already started using the renewable energy as an alternate source of energy. Now, it has become important to use the renewable energy to strengthen the infrastructure of the country. Understanding this Indian Railways has taken a smart initiative. The Indian Railways have started using the solar energy as an alternate source of energy. In order to do so, they have installed the solar panels to provide electricity to the railway stations. Central Electronics Limited (a Government of India enterprise) has installed the 25 KW Solar Power Plant on the roof top of Sahibabad Railway Station as an CSR initiative of Indian Railway Finance Company. This solar power plant shall generate around 75-85 electrical units (KWH) per day on an average i.e. more than 27,000 electrical units per year. The connected load for 8-9 hours per day would be 10 KW. It is worthwhile to mention that the objective of this prestigious project is to show-case the Indian Technological

expertise in the field of Solar Photovoltaics. The main motto behind installing the power plant is to replace 153Nos. of 50 watt fluorescent lamp with 18 Watt LED which consumes less energy. By installing LED Retrofits Railway is also saving around 10000KWH of energy per year. Apart from installing the solar panels, CEL has also replaced 15 lights with the solar energy powered LED lights. With this the station will now get the electricity despite of power cut. Nalin Shinghal, CMD, CEL said that they are working on the areas which are suffering major power cuts. On future plans he said that we are working in Ajmer and Udaipur. Further we are also installing in couple of stations of Ratlam and then it is as per the requirement of Railway and IRFC. DRM, Railways also supported the views of Nalin Shinghal and said that the CMD of IRFC has approved the plan of installing the solar panels in stations like Shamli and Khatauli where there is a power cut of around 16 hours.

February 2015

Governance Today

Lead Story

Moving Beyond 14

Governance Today

February 2015

Lead Story

| ANAND MISHRA

Platitudes

here were a couple of firsts in Barack Obama’s recent visit to India. First, it was for the first time that an American president was the chief guest at the republic day ceremony; and second, it was for the first time in Indian history that a sitting US president had visited India twice. Both of these indicate a marked shift in the attitude and approach of each of these countries towards the other. If Narendra Modi’s visit to the US was indicative of the importance that India attaches to its relation with the world’s sole superpower, the swiftness with which Obama accepted Modi’s invitation showed that India mattered to the US. Obama’s visit is also indicative of the fact that the world has changed in such a manner to warrant an increasingly closer relation between the two democratic giants. It was the realization of this fact was the drove the nuclear deal between the two countries more than the personal chemistry between Modi and Obama. While these two countries are taking assiduous steps towards forging a stronger relation to take on shared challenges and derive benefit from each other’s strengths, the visit had assumed vital significance in both economic and geopolitical spheres, and would be analysed closely in Asia and beyond, especially in light of the US-India joint vision statement for Asia Pacific. Besides ticking off China with its reference about South China Sea, it has confirmed India’s increasingly overt intent to play hard in the region. The two leaders made all the right noises, sealed the nuclear deal, and through different statements and agreements, confirmed that Indians and Americans were taking relationship to more substantive, operational level. Even though Obama’s presidency has been rendered lame duck, and any meaningful, substantive interaction between Indian and American administration would be possible only after a new occupant moves into the White House, the visit of Obama managed to firmly underscore the intent of the two countries to take relations to the next level, one where actions replaced mere platitudes. Even though both countries are still carrying remnants of cold war legacies which often pit them against each other, there is a genuine realization that the changing world order would make their interests increasingly overlap. And February 2015

Governance Today

Lead Story

It took personal push from Modi and Obama to seal the civil nuclear deal

this realization would make pragmatism take precedence over idealism on both sides, as reflected in the compromise reached on nuclear deal. This was also visible on matters as complex as defense cooperation, trade negotiations and climate change which require redefinition of interests according to changed and evolving realities and the determination to push agreements through messy domestic policy making processes and old school stakeholders in both countries. It is a case of tough love.

Bouncing from a Slump Even though the business and economic engagements between the two countries have been going strong, there was a sense of

Governance Today

February 2015

resentment in Indian diplomatic and strategic establishment as regards the direction of relation between the two countries. After increasingly gaining momentum during Clinton and Bush administrations, relationship had mostly drifted during Obama years. The intent of the Capitol Hill was never under doubt, but multiple incidents led to relations losing steam. Even though Bush got entangled in a messy war early in his presidency, he made India a priority. His basic logic was that American interests were linked to Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as both countries were democracies, pursued market economy, had lot of young people and respected entrepreneurial drive. Under his presidency, the US offered India the entry in the

global nuclear trade, which was unthinkable even for Russia, the staunchest of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historical allies. The nuclear power may not have come through yet, but the deal firmly placed India as the only non NPT signatory nuclear power. However, Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first term saw immediate concerns taking over long term interests resulting in increased American engagement with China and Pakistan which, many in the US believe, was because the US was in economic mess and also needed to figure out a respectable exit from Afghanistan. With global economy on downhill, the fire to engage India was missing. As Indian government enacted an unusually strong nuclear liability law in 2010,

Lead Story

the feeling in the US was that of disenchantment. Following years were also of divergence as Indian establishment got lost in corruption allegations, scams and economic slump. With government failing to implement crucial reforms in retail, insurance and energy sectors, the attractiveness of New Delhi diminished for American investors. The retrospective tax issue made investors worry about stability of Indian laws. Making the matter worse, the two countries were also locked in some bitter trade disputes on multilateral fora. On diplomatic front, much heartburn was caused in India when during first half of 2014, Washington’s decision to deny Visa to Narendra Modi was stirred up again in Indian media. Many Indians saw the denial of Visa to an elected leader of a state as yet another example of American disregard for India. This had come close to the arrest of Devyani Khobragade, India’s deputy consul general in New York, by the U.S. federal agents in December 2013. Both these developments had turned the general sentiment in India against the US. However, the change of guard at Raisina Hill and the vigour with which Modi undertook diplomatic initiatives since assuming office, pushed older sentiments on backburner in India. Not making visa denial an issue, he embraced his maiden US visit as the Prime Minister as an opportunity to sell himself and India to the American audience, which he did successfully. With a strong, decisive government at the centre, the US also started to see India under a new light. The successful Japanese visit and agreement to secure nuclear material from Australia also contributed to this change. The

Arrest of Devyani Khobragade had created a diplomatic stalemate both in India and in the United States

revival of the US economy and the initial signs of rebound in Indian economy further underscored the need to pull Indo-US relations up a few notched on priority list for the US. As for India, engaging America has been a major cog in the overall diplomatic scheme in Modi administration. Since the time of assuming office, Modi has tried to forge stronger relationships with like-minded democracies in Asia. The high profile visits to Japan and Australia were part of the same plot. As the US plans to put “Pivot to Asia” to practice, closer relation with the US becomes more important for Indian interests in Asia.

Interests are Aligning India and the US have been trying to put behind legacies loaded with mutual mistrust and opposite vision of global order. The non-aligned philosophy long dominated Indian actions which went against the US interests. Similarly, American actions at most multilateral organizations were against interests of

developing countries, including India. However, with turn of century, two developments changed the dynamics of relationship between the two countries. First, after 1998 nuclear detonations by India, Clinton administration started to engage India as a de facto nuclear power, and second, the 9/11 tragedy radically changed the way Americans started to see the world, including the relation with India. Since then, the two have increasingly cooperated with each other at various strategic levels. While India slowly started to shed its non-aligned stance and pursue its own interest independent of the ideology, the US stated to engage India as a partner in the war against terror and also in its rebalancing in East Asia. Though the strategic partnership is not looking like ending in an alliance, as India sees any such arrangement as playing second fiddle to the US, ever broadening and deepening defense cooperation between the two, guided by the Defense February 2015

Governance Today

Lead Story

Over last ten years, India and the US have carried out many joint air force and naval exercises

Framework Agreement, has gradually moved from trade of weapons and systems to coproduction level. Further, a broad, loosely defined grouping has emerged in the Asia Pacific region in form of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue which includes four big Pacific democracies, namely India, US, Japan and Australia. Towards middle of last decade, trust between the two got a major boost when the US stunned the world with civil nuclear accord with India. While acknowledging India’s potential as a long term strategic partner, Bush de-hyphenated India with Pakistan and saw relation with India in a different light. India on the other hand, took some foreign policy decisions which were unprecedented. Much to most Indians’ surprise, it backed three US sponsored resolutions against Iran in the International Atomic Energy Agency and in enforcing the UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran. It stopped a North Korean ship in Indian waters in August 2009 and inspected its cargo, a move seen widely as supportive of the US non-proliferation objectives. It also provided tsunami relief to Indonesia in 2004 through an adhoc naval partnership with the United States and two of 18

Governance Today

February 2015

Washington’s closest military allies, Australia and Japan. On economic side, it has harmonized its export controls with the guidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime and has committed to adhere to future changes in these guidelines. It has established annual military exercises with the US off coast of Malabar. These steps have increased the comfort of relationship between Washington and New Delhi. However, there are still areas of disagreements which can be seen in India’s refusal to put boots on ground in the war on terror and not supporting military involvement in places like Syria or Libya. There are also much difference on issues of trade and investment arena and climate change, but areas of cooperation are increasing and those of difference are shrinking gradually. Experts believe that in coming years, there would be more overlapping of interests between the two countries. As the US goes about rebalancing in Asia, India would be uniquely positioned to exert influence in both West and East of the country. According to experts, the US and India both seek to spread democracy, expand trade and

investment, counter terrorism, and, above all, keep the region peaceful by balancing China’s growing military power. The two countries have made substantial progress on defense, trade and energy cooperation and look set to continue on that path. This is amply clearly delineated in the language of the declaration of friendship, which seeks to elevate strategic dialogue to include commerce, build meaningful security and effective counterterrorism cooperation and cooperate to develop joint ventures on strategically significant projects. Moving forward, the biggest area of potential cooperation and alignment of interest would be Afghanistan. India is the fifthlargest provider of economic assistance to the war torn country. Even though India has not put its soldiers on ground, it has been active in rebuilding the country’s infrastructure. Pakistan has been opposed to Indian involvement in Afghanistan but as the US plans a total exit from the country, it can support a greater involvement of India in the rebuilding of the nation. In their interactions, both Obama and Modi agreed that Indian and American interests greatly overlap on counterterrorism and homeland

Lead Story

security and the two need to cooperate both on intel and logistic fronts to fight off terrorist outfits such as LeT, JD and the D-Company which are not just clear and present danger to India but can hit American interest in South Asia as well. On the east too, Indian and American interest are increasing aligning as driven home by the Joint vision statement. India’s greatest security threat is China with which India has longstanding border dispute that flares up intermittently. For almost a decade now, India has invariably ranked China as a greater longterm concern than Pakistan. While China has made greater progress in establishing assets near Indian landmass, India has started to engage South China Sea countries such as Vietnam and forge closer economic relations which invariably has strategic connotations. The US also considers Rising China as a potentially status changing development in Asia and aims to prevent it through its Pivot to Asia. The support of Washington for closer military relation between India is indicative of its intent of balancing China in the regions. A shared strategic interest is becoming a catalyst for the closer defense cooperation between the two countries. The recent profile of weapon systems and technologies that US has offered, such as F18 Hornets or Jevlin missiles, to India is a testimony to this basic understanding of shared interests in strategic arena. Though neither country is looking for antagonizing Beijing or be seen as conspiring against it, the undercurrent is unmistakable to any analyst.

But Grey Areas Remain Even though these two countries have been inching closer to a more shared vision of the world,

at operational level, things start to look more divergent. These result from the relative difference of status and stakes each of these countries have on various issues. For example, even though there is no denying India and the US need to cooperate on Afghanistan, and work together to fight off terror emanating from Pakistan, New Delhi and Washington differ on how to achieve it. The US considers co-opting Pakistan necessary to achieve its honourable exit from Afghanistan and therefore, feels it

in how the two countries want to further common interests globally. While both India and the US aim at spreading democracy and freedom around the world, both have a very different notion of how to achieve it. India does not share the advocacy model of democracy which the US prescribes to. India also does not believe in interfering in other country’s affairs which are sanctioned even by the UN. India has always chosen to stay completely independent and has not sided with US in regional

India’s insistence to provide food subsidy to its poor people has often resulted in stalemates in WTO

important to work with Pakistani army, but India has reasons to believe feeding Pakistani Army is same as feeding terrorists and is not ready to accept American largesse to Pakistan. Similarly, India wants a role in Afghanistan to be sure it does not again become a breeding ground for anti-Indian terrorists, arguably with Pakistani support. But America may not find it in its interest to force Pakistanis to accept India’s concerns. The difference is also visible

theatres of possible conflicts. In order not to get entangled with US in a possible conflict, it has rarely participated in major multi-service combined exercises for high-end operational missions and has not agreed for enhanced logistics and battle-group networking. It has also opted to strip out tactical interoperability aids, mostly high-end electronics and avionics, while purchasing American equipments such as P8I and C-130J aircrafts. While both countries have February 2015

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been coming closer in strategic arena, aligning interest on economic front has been tough. Even though total India US trade grew by over 400 percent from $23.9 billion in 2003 to $96.7 billion in 2013, with an even more robust 600 per cent rise in services trade during this period, the fact is that it is half of US trade with China and roughly equal to the US trade with South Korea. The common ground has been hard to find in areas of investment limits and patent regimes. On international trade negotiations, both countries have been locked in some bitter disputes and finding common ground on these would be tougher to accomplish. The Indian blocking of the trade facilitation agreement (TFA) at World Trade Organization (WTO) is an example of how hard it is to come to compromise on thorny business issues. Similarly, thanks to its patent regime, India is one of ten countries currently on the US Trade Representative’s intellectual property rights watch list. For a country that has a large population of poor people, ensuring cheap drugs overrides any other concern, but this flexibility runs counter to big pharma companies’ interests.

What Americans Want Broadly, American interests in Asia are underpinned on three basic pillars; namely, ensuring strategic stability without allowing any anti-China perception to develop, tackling Islamic terrorism, and ensuring greater access to American businesses. It has given enough indications that it looks at India as a partner in achieving its objectives in the region. In wake of the recent electoral losses back home, the Obama administration has been looking to show some economic and diplomatic gains. As such stakes were high for 20

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Leon E. Panetta, former Secretary of Defense, USA

America is at a turning point. After a decade of war, we are developing a new defense strategy for the 21st century, a central feature of that strategy is rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific region. In particular, we will expand our military partnerships and our presence in the arc extending from the Western Pacific and East Asia into the Indian Ocean region and South Asia. Defense cooperation with India is a linchpin in this strategy Obama and he wanted to fly back home with some tangible business opportunity for US industry. But there was not much businesss opportunity that he could secure by way of market opening. At the strategic level, the US is seeking to engage with India and forge a closer association along with Japan and Australia. This would support the existing “hub and spokes” treaties and

February 2015

bilateral agreements that the US has in Asia Pacific region to ensure stability in the crucial South China Sea and western Pacific, thus providing a credible counterweight to China’s growing military, diplomatic and economic clout. Moving forward, in the Indian Ocean, the US would look for greater interoperability with Indian Navy at crucial trade lines. Over time, it could even like India to be part of the

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emerging security and economic architecture, including the East Asia Summit and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The joint vision statement underscores this drive by committing to strengthen East Asia Summit on one hand and increase ties among Asian powers to diplomatic, economic and security challenges in the region on the other. The strategic cooperation that the US plans with India has to be underpinned by a commensurate defense cooperation which has become increasingly clear to Washington. This can be gauged from the fact that the National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal 2013 specifically required the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to submit to the US Congress a report on the prospects for expanding defense trade between the United States and India within the context of their bilateral defense relationship.â&#x20AC;? An earlier report to the US Congress in November 2011 had mentioned that â&#x20AC;&#x153;The United States wants to develop deeper defense industrial cooperation with India, including a range of cooperative research and development activities. India has now become an important export destination for the US which Washington wants to develop further. During present decade, Indian defence imports from the US have increased 40 per cent. With the recent C-17 acquisition, India now operates the second largest fleet of C-17s in the world, second only to the US. In 2013, the United States agreed to treat India on par with its closest partners in terms of technology release, which was unprecedented considering the wide chasm in the IPR and patent regimes of the two countries. These differences have hitherto

dogged the complex areas of coproduction or joint R&D of defense systems with only one joint venture seeing the light of the day. Tata Advanced Systems and Lockheed have decided to produce parts for the C-130J in Hyderabad. Things did move during this visit of Obama as the two countries decided to jointly manufacture four relatively modest military products and explore the development of two more high-end technologies. Americans have been pushing for higher investment cap for defense FDIs and moving forward, would want Indians to increase it beyond 49 per cent.

formal announcements were made in this regard, the entry of India in the nuclear regimes and arrangements such as MTCR and Australia Group would facilitate a closer cooperation. On economic front, the US has been looking for an opening on crucial sectors which need second generation reforms in India, especially in estimated $1.3 trillion services sector. These include politically tough areas of retail and insurance. With insurance liberalization, there is more scope for American companies to invest in India even though control of ventures in India is still not possible for

Kudankulam nuclear plant, built with Russian cooperation, started producing power last year

Another area where the US is looking for higher cooperation is nuclear security. The two countries are interested in enhancing the physical protection of nuclear weapons and materials against theft or seizure by terrorist groups. India and the US have a bilateral working group on nuclear security and the US would want this group to be more proactive, may be to even carry out joint exercises and training activities. Similarly, it would want greater cooperation with New Delhi on stopping illicit shipments of sensitive items to states of proliferation concern. While no

them. A crucial area where US has been looking for quick progress is the conclusion of a Bilateral Investment Treaty which is expected to boost the trade in services. The two countries agreed to start negotiation on this important issue. However, movement on areas such as retail FDI and tighter IPR regimes is realistically very hard to achieve and as was expected, India did not commit on these issues. A huge area where the US wanted to show progress was to secure Indian support on a climate change treaty when the Climate Change Conference will be held in Paris later this year. February 2015

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After striking a deal with China, Washington wanted to bring India on board to clinch a deal which would have been a big feather in Obama’s presidential cap. While no deal was clinched on the subject, India did commit to cooperate on reducing emissions of fluorinated gases and “cooperate closely” for a “successful and ambitious” agreement at the Paris talks.

Indian Wish List If stakes were high for Obama to show clear takeaways from the Indian visit, the stakes for Modi were perhaps even higher. A less than highly successful visit could have marred his diplomatic offensive and he needed tangible results on both strategic and commercial fronts to ramp up support in state elections many of which are months away. As it turned out, he managed to get more than what he gave away. Over last decade or so, India has gradually veered away from its non-aligned pedestal to align increasingly close to the US on all strategic matters, especially in Asia. Modi is expected to walk further down this lane as a closer American association promises to bring more goodies. His meetings with Japanese and Australian Prime Ministers right after swearing in has driven home the point that he is willing to go along with the US initiative to forge closer strategic relation with major democracies of Pacific region. The increased belligerence of China in Ladakh region and in Indian Ocean has made India wary and increased the attractiveness of the proposed US Pivot to Asia, whose major component is to counter China in Asia Pacific theatre. The importance placed by New Delhi on Indo-US ties stems from the basic realization that a more robust presence of America 22

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February 2015

Nuclear Energy: Bringing Back from Backburner With some help from the personal chemistry between Modi and Obama, the two countries ironed out the difference on sticky issues to operationalize the civil nuclear deal that India and the US had signed in 2005 and which became a law in 2008. The deal had become an example of what was wrong in Indo US friendship. It had been high on decibel but low on impact. India’s Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act of 2010, was considered too onerous by the US, in terms of liability of the supplier. India, on the other hand, did not want a loose law as it had the Bhopal tragedy still in public consciousness. Further, India has been miffed about the inordinate delay in Washington’s clearances for the proposed nuclear plant at Mithivirdi in Gujarat, for which reactors are to be supplied by Westinghouse. These include Part 810 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Under the US Atomic Energy Act of 1957, it authorises the US Secretary of Energy to give clearance to the production of special nuclear material outside the US. The provision applies to transfers and technical assistance to all activities of the nuclear fuel-cycle, including non-power reactors. Also, India wants localization of critical components, which Westinghouse has done for similar plants in China. Finally, India has been upset by the fact that the US has yet not been able to convince the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to lift the Enrichment and Reprocessing Technologies transfer ban on India. As it turned out, the two leaders took it upon themselves to ensure that the deal could see the light of the day, even as multiple rounds of negotiations of contact group could not iron out the issue of liabilities of part suppliers and raw material inspections. The Section 17B, along with Section 46 of the CLND effectively puts the suppliers under the spectre of unlimited liability, which is unacceptable for any foreign supplier. While India had previously assured the US to sign and ratify the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC), it had, till now, failed to do so. The CSC has a more restricted liability for suppliers on the issue of Right to Recourse than the Indian CLND. On the other hand, India was finding it hard to accept American condition to monitor the use of the nuclear fuel supplied by even third parties which were to be used in reactors supplied by it. To clinch the deal, India came up with a proposal to build an insurance pool of Rs. 1,500 cores to provide cover to suppliers. Half of this amount is to be furnished by the General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC), rest would come from Govt. of India in form of soft loan. The US government agreed to this mechanism. On its part, Obama used his executive powers to waive the intrusive monitoring rights on nuclear fuel. The US government would now go by the IAEA inspection of India’s use of nuclear material and equipment. A more crucial development was America’s support for phased entry of India in the multilateral arrangements and groups. This would not only entrench India in the global nuclear trade and non-proliferation regimes, it would also ease pressure on India’s domestic sources of nuclear raw material, especially Uranium. This is bad news for China and Pakistan as this freed raw material could theoretically be diverted to nuclear weapon program of India.

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in Asia is in India’s interest. As such, New Delhi is looking ready to be part of a loosely and ambiguously spelt network of nations under the US lead. As a signal of closer operational relation, the two countries have renewed discussions on two military pacts, including one that entails their militaries providing logistic support, refuelling and berthing facilities for each other’s warships and aircrafts. However, like Australia and Japan, India is very much enmeshed in rising trade with China. This limits the level up to which India would be willing to get entangled in American game in the region. Moving forward, it will be a crucial foreign policy challenge for Narendra Modi to manage a growing Indo Chinese economic relation and

last few years, it has stepped up western composition in its overall military hardware. This comes in wake of the drifting defense relation with Russia which is now trying to develop Pakistan as a potential export target. On the other hand, India’s imports from the US has overtaken imports from Russia and now India is a prominent export destination for American defense suppliers. While Washington has traditionally been hesitant in offering complete transfer of technology, India would want better response from the US in terms of technology transfer now, in wake of the strategic relation between the two. Over next decade or so, India is expected to shell out more than $100 bn on defense purchases and it hopes the lure of this market would

India has been asking the US to use its influence on Pakistan to give up terrorists like Hafiz Saeed

simultaneously pursue a closer strategic relation with the US, with rising defense cooperation. On defense matters, India has traditionally looked at cooperation with US with a degree of suspicion because of alleged American unreliability to supply crucial military hardware in case of conflict. However, over

encourage Americans to go easy on tech transfer. The proposed joint ventures have shown movement in this direction. On counterterrorism issue, which is very high on Indian agenda, India needed a clearer and more honest American response. The certification by the US that Pakistan had taken

“action against” anti-India terror groups Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) was watched with much disgust in India, especially coming weeks before Obama’s visit. India did manage to get a strong American commitment on the counter terrorism issue, when it got entities such as LeT, J-e-M and D-Company in the joint statement. The commitment to work closer on intel sharing is music to Indian ears, much to the chagrin of Pakistanis. A major item on India’s wish list was the support of the US on nuclear front. India has been trying to get into elite nuclear clubs and America has agreed to facilitate India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Australia Group (AG), and Wassenaar Arrangement (WA). Over last decade, India has covered much ground in harmonizing its export controls with the guidelines and control lists of the various groups, and wants US to use its influence in these groupings to get India on board. However, the intransigent Chinese approach would be a challenge for both India and the US in this regard. On economic side, India got American assurance to push for Indian entry in APEC which is a prerequisite for entry in TransPacific Partnership (TPP) and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). As India is not a member of any powerful trading block, it limits its external trade growth. India is highly infrastructure deficient and need massive investment in its roads, ports, power generation capacities etc. It wants greater American investment in all these areas. The “Make in India” initiative, the pet project of PM Modi, requires both advanced technology and loads of investment to have any meaningful impact on February 2015

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ground and put India on global manufacturing map. In this area also, India looks for American support. Crucially for Indian tech workers, both countries decided toinitiate discussion on Totalization Agreement which has been a prickly issue so far. This relates to the social security tax paid by Indian temporary workers in the US. These workers spend nearly a billion dollars every year without getting any benefit out of it. As for visa isue, as was expected, no development could be achieved on number of H1B visas or provisions of the Border Security Act, which almost doubled the H1B and L1 visa fees and is expiring in 2015.

Pragmatism, the Cornerstone of Relations In contemporary current affairs, the overriding ambition of India is twofold. First, it wants to grow into one of the top five economies of the world and in the process, pull millions out of poverty. For this, it needs foreign money. Second, it wants to emerge as a paramount military force with the ability to project power far into the seas, which will make India an indispensable player in the overall geopolitical scheme of things as far as Asia is concerned. Grudgingly, it has come to accept that it cannot fulfil these twin objectives without the support of the largest economy and militarily the most powerful country of the world, namely the Unites States. On its part, the US is adjusting to a new world in which its ability and willingness to ensure order is diminishing even as newer power centres, often hostile to American interests, are trying to alter the US led world order. It is looking to rearrange its global stance and forge a likeminded group of states which 24

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can manoeuvre a shared set of interests in the changed world. India, along with democracies such as Japan, Australia and Indonesia fit in this scheme of things. Over last two decades, the fulcrum of global power and wealth has shifted to Asia and the future of American pre-eminence in global military and economic arena correlates directly with robustness of its presence in Asia. Moving forward, as both countries put their cold war legacy-opinion-baggage behind, more substantive issues of cooperation would emerge as experiences of last few years show. The forty odd platforms of negotiation and interaction show the range and level of issues on which the two countries are working. New Delhi and Washington are now working together on issues which are important, bilaterally and globally. These include global trade, climate change, defense technology, high tech transfers, visa issues, counterterrorism intel sharing etc. Though unglamorous, these issues are what future bilateral interaction would primarily focus on. Platitudes apart, relationships are tools for pursuing contemporary national interest which is the only permanent element in international relations. Interests change and evolve, so do positions and friendships. Ideologies have no place in international relations and quicker India learns to play by this simple principle, more service it would do to Indian interests. If anything, India should learn this from the US, which has forged, fine-tuned and redefined relation with other countries in light of changed global realities. Indo-US relation is at a tipping point. A cold calculated analysis

February 2015

on both part has forced both these countries to come closer with a broader set of aligned and aligning interests. Sure, there are issues which need further warming of relationship in order to start showing substantive results, but the direction is unmistakable. There is realization in both Washington and New Delhi that the two countries are better off with a stronger and richer India on the one hand and a stronger, economically powerful America

The unassailable naval power of the US has guaranteed pace in the Asia Pacific region since WWII

ensuring existing order in Asia. The nuclear deal between the two is a sign that the two countries are willing to engage and cooperate at the highest strategic level, and that the US is willing to tinker with the global regimes to suit its new interests which are aligned with Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acceptance to the invitation to attend the Indian Republic Day celebrations was a signal to the wider world. It was an indication of the gradual elevation of India to the high table of global affairs and Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing acknowledgement and acceptance of the same.

Changing Tides for Pakistan | ANAND MISHRA

ver last few months, three events took place which largely went unnoticed. First, back in August last year, Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, while addressing an allparties conference, said that Pakistan was becoming isolated and other than China, it had no real friends in the region. Second, a few months ago, the Chinese President visited India and in a historical departure from routine practice, did not stop over in Pakistan. Third, just before Obama’s visit to India, US issued a stern warning to Pakistan against any possible terrorist incident in India during Obama’s visit, as

such incidents have been taking place during high profile visits to India. These three developments depict the picture of a state which is increasingly feeling isolated, is getting rebuffed by its biggest and most trusted friend, and is being directly held responsible for fomenting trouble in India, by an entity which, for most part of its history, was its main benefactor. When combined with the fact that the country is having real trouble in maintaining peace in its territory, as displayed by the recent killing of over 130 school going children, the picture become particularly grim. A nation under such turmoil is a nightmare for any neighbour, especially if the troubled country is inimical, and is armed with

BSF Jawans maintain round the clock vigil to prevent any infiltration of terrorists from Pakistan

nukes. As Obama wraps up his Indian visit, the Pakistan angle has become more visible in the overall scheme of Indo US relations. Pakistan features in two critical aspects of Indo – US relations. First, counter terrorism cooperation between the two countries are increasingly getting focussed on terror threats emanating from the Pakistani soil. As it has become clearer to the US that threat to its interests in the region is not organization specific and the multiple Pakistan based terror organizations are mutable, there is a perception developing that the menace has to be tackled in-toto. This explains the inclusion of organizations such as Lashkare-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and D-company in the cooperation agreement between the two countries. The problematic part for the Pakistani establishment is that these organizations have been used by the Pakistani state to suit its game against India. Now that these organizations have been explicitly mentioned, the usability quotient of these entities comes come down. True, it has banned two units to get aid from the US under Kerry Lugar Act, it has never been serious in containing these elements. The inclusion of D-company is also significant. For the first time, any document has mentioned it explicitly. With this, there would be increased

February 2015

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pressure on the D-company’s illicit smuggling and drug trade on one hand and on the other, Pakistani establishment would have to work more to protect and maintain its secret existence on its soil. The intel sharing between India and the US has

campaign in Pak-Afghan border is successful. But there is the catch. Against the predilection of present Afghan administration, Pakistan wants a dispensation in Kabul which can cater to Pakistan’s interest by rebuffing Indian

The mastermind of 1993 Mumbai bombing, Dawood Ibrahim is known to be residing in Karachi under ISI protection

been increasing since 26/11 and a closer interaction between the two on counterterrorism is what Pakistan is bound to feel uneasy about. Second dimension of Pakistani angle is how the Afghanistan issue plays out after the US pulls out from the scene. This is where things start to get complicated. From India’s perspective, American presence in the country has ensured that the extremist forces remain at fringe. The American exit is sure to create a force vacuum, which would be tough for Afghan forces to fill, at least initially. This period would see jockeying for territory and power, by forces based in Pak-Afghan border. The power equation in this environment is of immense concern to India. If extremist forces, represented by Taliban gains power, it could bring trouble for Indian interests in that country. But over last few months, Pakistan has been fighting elements in Taliban and it could try to stabilize the environment after American exit by supporting the incumbent afghan regime so that its own 26

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February 2015

involvement in the country. This is important for maintaining the strategic depth in Afghanistan which has been the centre piece of Pakistani strategic thinking vis-à-vis Afghanistan. Pakistan dreads a situation in which it would have to fight a proxy war with India on Afghan soil. With domestic terror situation threatening to go out of control, and compulsion to keep terror agenda against India going in east, it would be hard for Pakistani establishment to manage three fronts simultaneously. The reaction from Pakistan on the Obama visit has been muted at best. While there has been no official response from the foreign ministry till the time of our going to press, Sartaj Aziz, the national security advisor to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, expressed the hope that Obama’s visit to India will help in lowering tension in the region. He said that Pakistan’s ties with India are improving as compared to the past, adding that economic progress is not possible without improvement in ties with neighbouring countries, further

adding that “No country in the region can achieve its goals in the absence of durable peace.” However, some officials of Pak foreign ministry are said to have expressed hope that Obama should ask India to refrain from creating difficulties for Pakistan as it was seriously engaged in fighting terrorism and extremism. Pakistan has been an important ally for the US in its war against terror. Because of its geography, it has played a crucial role in American endeavor in Afghanistan for over three decades now. Even now, as the US plans to pull out of the war ravaged country, it needs Pakistani Army’s support to keep the country from falling into terrorists’ hands again. However, with trust gap widening between Americans Pakistanis, and increasing proximity between Washington and New Delhi, the elbow room that Pakistan has had vis-à-vis India on both Afghanistan front on west and Kashmir in east, is reducing fast. But this could be a positive development for Pakistan which could now pursue a true antiterror policy. The policy to harbour a particular brand or a preferred set of terrorist organizations which can be used exclusively against India, is slowly losing its sheen in light of wider cooperation between India and the US to fight terror in the region. While it may be hard to desist from a policy which has been pursued for over two decades, it is time for Pakistan to realize that this policy has run its course, without generating any strategic dividend for the country. If anything, retaliatory Indian stance which has become harsher of late, has reduced Pakistan army’s might in fighting its own war on terror in Northwest Pakistan and elsewhere.

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Stung! Joint vision on Asia Pacific has irked China | ANAND MISHRA

he US-India Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region has not gone down well with China. The vision document, as the name suggests, focuses on the Asia Pacific region, which is expected to be an area of greater coordination and cooperation between India and the US. As the US is pursuing its Pivot to Asia, it has marked India as an important partner in this effort. And India has shown signs of finally coming out of self imposed ambivalence to more openly align with American stance in the region. What seems to have stung China is an explicit mention of the South China Sea in which China has most convoluted territorial disputes and in which India is increasingly getting involved. The vision statement mentions that India and the US affirm the importance of safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the (AsiaPacific) region, especially in the South China Sea. It further called on all parties to avoid the threat or use of force and pursue resolution of territorial and maritime disputes through all peaceful means, in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In a joint statement, the US President and Indian Prime Minister also expressed concern about the “rising tensions over

India and China have long standing boundary dispute in Ladakh and Arunahal Pradesh

maritime territorial disputes” in that region. It was for the second time that South China Sea had figured in Indo-US dialogue. The two countries had expressed concern about the state of affairs in the region when Modi had visited Washington last September. This is seen as Beijing as a kind of interference. Reacting to the declaration, the Chinese foreign ministry official said that “relevant disputes should be resolved by parties directly concerned through peaceful talks and consultation,” warning that “external countries” should not stir up trouble in the region. On the crucial issue of American support to India’s entry in Nuclear Supply Group, the global body that controls almost entire global nuclear trade, the official said that the enlargement of the group “Requires very careful consideration from all member countries,” adding that “we encourage India to take next steps to satisfy the relevant standards of the group,” implying that India should first accept the Non-Proliferation Treaty before aspiring for a place in the NSG. This is because only NPT signatories can be part of the NSG. The US and Britain have supported India’s entry to the NSG even without this basic qualification. While official response of China

was guarded, the media responses were overtly scathing. The state run Xinhua stated that the visit was “more symbolic than pragmatic.” It also termed the budding friendship between India and the US as “superficial rapprochement.” It further mentioned how only a year ago, India had thrown out American diplomats in response to an Indian Diplomat’s arrest in the US. It also commented on the camaraderie between Modi and Obama stating that “Three days are surely not enough for Obama and Modi to become true friends, given their hard differences on issues like climate change, agricultural disputes and nuclear energy cooperation.” China has been miffed about Indian involvement in the South China Sea and has been cautioning it to refrain from meddling in this region. However, India has been increasing friendship with Vietnam and has let state run ONGC to explore oil in the region, in partnership with Hanoi. This has riled Beijing. The strengthening strategic cooperation between India, Japan and Australia has also irked Beijing which sees these three countries developing as a force trying to support US maintain balance in Asia which Beijing is finding uncomfortable and anti-Chinese.

February 2015

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Adjusting to a New Asia | ANAND MISHRA

f Nehru was right in any of his prophecies, it was the prediction that the 21st century would belong to Asia. The manner in which the region has amassed wealth and pulled hundreds of millions out of poverty over last forty years, is unprecedented in human history in scale and speed. Over last forty years or so, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Broader ASEAN region and now China have taken rapid strides in economic expansion and this has made East Asia the fastest wealth generating region. However, unlike Europe, whose economic rise was uniquely apolitical and without strategic dimensions, rise of Asia, especially the rise of China has been closely

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February 2015

accompanied by a commensurate rise in its geopolitical aspirations, which has deep and long lasting implication for entire South, Southeast and East Asia. There are many hotspots in Asia, both in east and west of India today. While the ones in west have a known pattern and have been constantly on the boil, those in East and Southeast Asia are potentially more catastrophic and have greater economic and military implication for countries in the region. Incidentally, China has been embroiled in territorial disputes with a large number of countries in the region, many of which are allies of the US. As Washington seeks to alter its global stance via a rebalancing in Asia, the changing landscape of Asian security and strategic architecture has profound implication for India which is trying to carve a place for itself

in a complicated and crowded space. The Asia is changing and so is great power politics in the region. India needs to adjust to new realities. The post war order of Asia, especially East Asia, was scripted and has till now been guaranteed by the presence of an unassailable US power, and undergirded in a network of military alliances and partnerships. The military bases in countries such as Japan, Koera, Singapore, Philippines etc. are proof of the US commitment to the stability of the region. However, over last decade, Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rise and the apparent vacillation of the US regarding force deployment in the region has caused a sense of strategic uncertainty to creep in. The heavy handedness with which China is handling disputes, be it Paracel/ Spratly islands with Southeast Asian countries,

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Senkaku/ Daiyoku islands with Japan and Aksai Chin/ Arunachal Pradesh with India, has made the Clausewitzian predilection of Beijing more overt than ever. It has also forced experts to rethink whether the rise of China would really be as peaceful as it claims. It is in this context that the emergence of a new Asia has to be seen in which China is emerging as a challenging force and in which the US is trying to reinforce the existing order. The “Pivot to Asia” is the American tool for rebalancing strategic fundamentals in Western pacific and Southeast Asia. As far as Indian interests and stakes are concerned, it is complicated by the fact that it is being impacted severely by developments in West as well as East Asia. On Western front, Islamic terrorism harboured by Pakistan has kept the low intensity conflict alive for more than two decades. The prospect of complete withdrawal of US forces in Afghanistan is something that India dreads and the issue is sure to have featured in Modi’s consultations with Obama. On the east, border dispute with China is India’s clear and present problem with a long history and it has the potential to escalate in military conflict. The other places in immediate neighbourhood are volatile at best. Pakistan is reeling under ‘unmanaged’ extremism, Nepal is struggling to integrate former Maoist insurgents into the political mainstream and put together a working democracy, Sri Lanka is still figuring out how to manage ethnic descent and Bangladesh is finding it hard to curb extremism even as political mainstream is hijacked by warring Begums. In recent years, the Indian Ocean has emerged as a crucial area of strategic influence, parallel to South China Sea and

Western Pacific. It is increasingly being perceived to be essential to the national interests of not just China, India and the US, but also of Indonesia and Australia, for both economic and energy security, and strategic reason. It is already the world’s busiest commercial seaway and its importance will only grow as India and China scurry to secure their energy supplies. Because of this reason, India has been making attempts to expand its force projection capacity in this region with particular emphasis

redrafted by multiple players, primarily China. Another crucial development of last two decades has been the creation of multiple regional groupings, some of which have different levels of security dimensions. Major among these are the ASEAN Security Community, ASEAN + 3 (China, Japan, and South Korea), ASEAN Regional Forum, East Asia Summit and Shanghai Cooperation Organization. These groupings can be seen as attempts to tie up states in the region in informal commitments

Chinese have at least three territorial disputes in South China Sea and East China Sea

given to the so-called maritime ‘choke points’ which provide entry to this crucial water body. The recent attempts of China to strengthen its presence in the region, through its ‘String of Pearls’ strategy can also be seen in this light. Strategically, therefore, Asia is currently mutating from an order based around American guaranteed strategic stability to one in which balance of power is being attempted to be

which could prevent stries from flaring up. The massive economic interdependence has hitherto underpinned the stability of Asia east of India. However, as China gains more economic clout and flexes muscles, all players with stakes in the region, including India and the US, are bound to feel the heat. It is in this regional environment that the emergent Indo- US relation needs to be put to test.

February 2015

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Neighbourhood Watch

High Hopes from New Sri Lankan Regime | RAMESH KUMAR RAJA

ow that there is a change of decade-long regime in Sri Lanka with Mahinda Rajapaksa being ousted by his former colleague Maithripala Sirisena in keenly-watched general elections, it is being speculated in New Delhi that the development would pave a way for greater role for India in the island nation. More so because both countries share a civilizational relation. The ties between the people of two neighbours are based on culture, religion and trade. But for the last few years, the bonhomie between the two has hit an all-time low, especially in wake of Rajapaksa’s growing preference for China on most of the counts, the issue of devolution of powers to Tamil areas after LTTE’s rout in 2009, the routine confrontation over fishermen, the strengthening foothold of Pakistan’s ISI in Sri Lanka to target South India and so on. The preceding Rajapaksa dispensation had become ever more assertive of disregarding Indian concerns. India has been stressing the need for urgent steps to resettle the internally displaced persons and has urged the Sri Lankan authorities to accelerate the endeavours of rehabilitation and reconstruction in northern and eastern Sri Lanka. India has emphasized the need for

Governance Today

February 2015

New Sri Lakan President Maithripala Sirisena

a significant devolution package, building on the 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution that would create the necessary conditions for a lasting political settlement. However, the regime of Rajapaksa was largely evasive on most of India’s demands notwithstanding the promises made by him. Since ethnic issues have been a topic of deliberations between both neighbours, India would now hope that the new Sri Lankan regime would consider this on priority list. India would expect the Sirisena government to take a sensible approach to the subject. Since Sri Lanka, as a neighbour, is immensely important to India, a solution to ethnic problem will have to be found for ties to progress. However, India will have to ensure that the balance within Sri Lanka is not disturbed in the interest of foreign relations between the two countries. Another issue of India’s concern is Chinese footmark which has been expanding in Sri Lanka of late. Chinese military supplies to Sri Lanka are estimated at US $100 million a year, with China supporting the Sri Lankan defence forces in boosting its capabilities for hightechnology aerial warfare, and restructuring and reorienting the military. China emerged as the largest foreign finance partner

of Sri Lanka in 2010, overtaking India and Japan, and its third largest trading partner in 2012. Sri Lanka is also committed to join the Maritime Silk Road initiative of Beijing which is a vital strategic project for China in the Indian Ocean. The island nation, for China, is an entry harbour up the western coast of India and further west to Iran, an important oil exporter to China. It may be noted that China played a vital role, for Sri Lanka, during the last phase of the war against the LTTE. Similarly, Chinese backing has also been priceless for Sri Lanka to challenge the USbacked resolutions at the UNHRC. Subsequently, the two countries now have a declared ‘strategic cooperation partnership’. For China, its relations with Sri Lanka give it a footing near crucial sea-lanes in the Indian Ocean, as well as entry into what India considers its sphere of influence. China is financing more than 85 per cent of the Hambantota Development Zone, to be completed over the next decade. This will include an international container port, a bunkering system, an oil refinery and an international airport. Needless to say, China’s role is now firmly embedded in Sri Lanka - economically as well as geopolitically. India has conveyed extreme unhappiness with the tactic in

Neighbourhood Watch

which Sri Lanka and China have been embracing. The docking of the nuclear-capable Chinese submarines last year has been a major concern for India, which feels the entry of the Chinese into Sri Lanka would pose a major security risk. There have been instances of Chinese arms being smuggled into India through the southern seas. Although Sri Lanka has often assured that it has in mind the security concerns of India, the new government would need to do more to convince India about that. Sri Lanka has argued that it is situated in a location that has made it a communication hub in the Indian Ocean and this would mean that the Chinese will use the Indian Ocean more often. On the travails of fishermen in the Palk Bay, a waterway between southeast India and northern Sri Lanka, the problem has arisen as an outcome of extreme trawling by Indian fishermen. India realizes the need for trawlers to be increasingly withdrawn from the Palk Bay region. Tamil Nadu fishermen should be encouraged to go into deep sea fishing. With trawlers out of the scene, the Palk Bay will once again become a calm area. Here, the ball is now in India’s court. The emergence of Sri Lanka as an ISI hub to target India via South is another issue of concern, which came to fore more recently with the arrest of a Sri Lankan national in Chennai. The operative reportedly narrated to the police about the ISI cell being based in the Pakistan’s High Commission in Colombo and was being run by their consular officer. The concern gained even more weight as India is aware that Pakistan had, in fact, supplied defence equipment to Sri Lanka post 2009. These factors are significant and India will have to engage with the Sirisena regime on improving its defence ties to counter Pakistani influence.

The atmosphere in India is very optimistic about the electoral result. The mood that India-Sri Lanka ties, which was subjected to stresses and strains, will be restored to traditional friendship and co-operation. It must be recalled that whenever Sri Lanka faced threats to its security – internal or external – India was the first country to positively respond. However, a large section of Indian strategic community feels that Colombo, on many occasions has not reciprocated Indian gestures. There is

soon come out of diplomatic seclusion. Worth noting, it was Wikramasinghe, who along with former Justice Minister Milinda Moragoda, created an “international safety net” against the LTTE. When he was Prime Minister, Wikramasinghe took independent initiative to introduce visa on arrival at Colombo airport which resulted in a quantum leap in the influx of tourists to the island nation. Sirisena-Wikramasinghe team must be cognizant of the fact now that India and Sri Lanka

Hambantota Port project — China’s growing influence in Sri Lanka

opportunity for the two countries to reset the relations when new President visits India shortly. It may be noted that the new President’s support base comes from political forces, which are well known friends of India. This fact definitely gives substance to the optimistic view. Chandrika Kumaratunga, the former President, used to consult New Delhi before undertaking new political decisions. Her Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadiragamar, with Indian aid, internationalized the ethnic conflict to Sri Lanka’s benefit. Secondly, the selection of Ranil Wikramasinghe as the Prime Minister is a master stroke of smart diplomacy. Wikramasinghe is rated high in India and in Western capitals. It is hoped that under Wikramasinghe’s leadership, Sri Lanka will

are like Siamese twins; what upsets one will shake the other. Wikramasinghe has often stated that full potential of India-Sri Lanka ties can be scaled only after ethnic settlement takes place. However, it’s not going to be that easy as extreme dependence on China has resulted in huge debt burden. If Sri Lanka does not repay the loan, China will maintain that it should have a share in equity. Such a course of action will not be in Sri Lanka’s interests. Sirisena and his team are conscious of this threat. If Colombo boldly initiates policies to bring about ethnic reconciliation and economic diversification, India and the international community will positively reply.

February 2015

Governance Today

Policy

Water Projects contributing to Vibrant Gujarat | AJIT SINHA

he state of Gujarat, known as the developed state in developing India, is now moving towards leadership in knowledge economy, a kind of first in India, based on the strong roadmap of innovation and sustainability. The development is the prime focus, based on skill development, knowledge sharing and networking. The recently held edition of the Vibrant Gujarat event, was transformational and revolutionary â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both in its coverage and scale. It provided a platform for businesses from various states of India as well as other countries to cooperate and explore attractive business opportunities. As has been the case during earlier editions, giants of Indian industry and business lined up massive investment plans/ initiatives some of which are as follows: Gujarat Venture Finance Limited announced USD 1billion (INR 6000 cr) fund meant exclusively for Japanese venture in Gujarat Indian Oil announced that it was going to build a INR 30,000 crore refinery at Mundra in Gujarat with 15 million tones annual refining capacity Anil Ambani Group announced that it would be investing INR

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150 crore for nutraceuticals plant at Halol Sanghi Industries came out with a plan to invest INR 250 crore to raise cement production besides buying ships Astral group announced that it was going to invest INR 30 crore on a plant to manufacture CPVC fire sprinkler pipes Buffettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lubrizol was one of the many foreign ventures deciding to invest in the state. It would be pumping in USD 50 million in its project in Dahej IFC group announced an investment of USD 30 million in food additives maker Lucid Colloids in the state GAIL announced its plan to invest INR 2,600 Crore in a tyre rubber plant

The List Goes On The above data is just for reference. We all know about the success of vibrant Gujarat from last seven years. The list of success is big and boasts of most of the biggies of corporate India. Governance Today is focusing on another fact of success of Gujarat which has gone virtually unsung in the popular media, which has only picked up controversies about the same. The project is Sardar Sarovar Dam. It has been in news primarily because of the

February 2015

numerous agitations supported by celebrities. If you remember, the first initiative taken by PM Modi after he took oath as the Chief Minister of the state was to increase the height of DAM. Sardar Sarover Dam, on completion will be the second largest concrete gravity Dam by its volume and worlds third highest spillway discharging capacity. The benefits that the state has generated for itself from this dam is a testimony to the fact that water can be a very crucial element in the industrial growth of any state. Since the beginning of time,

water resources have been critical to the development of mankind, for almost all civilizations. Management of water bodies has been the bedrock of all major civilizations’ success. In India, it has been realized very late. Even when it is realized, the work on the same always falls because of petty politics. Gujarat has been the exception to the rule. It has interlinked almost 20 rivers and the results have been very good for the state. In this endeavor, Gujarat has followed the idea of former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee, who had mooted

the river interlinking idea on a national level.

Water Management Through Innovative Means Every business has a water demand that grows day by day due to the rapid pace of development. Agriculture and manufacturing compete for water supply with urban and rural residential development, as well as with environment protection groups. Gujarat was historically never associated with being water surplus; almost 70 per cent of the state’s fresh water

resources are concentrated in 30 per cent of the state’s area. Uncertain rainfall and lack of major rivers flowing across the state has forced the Government of Gujarat to take a string of innovative steps for optimum utilization and minimal wastage of the state’s water resources. And for this the Government of the state came up with what it calls the 5C model. The acronyms stand for, Collection of river water, Connect rivers, Channelize water, Control of local water and Community participation. These directives form the terra firma on which the comprehensive

February 2015

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approach of water management has been built in the State. An extensive canal network has also been developed across the state to ensure constant supply of agricultural water to farmers. Narmada acts as the back boon for Gujarat and its people. The Narmada Water Resouces Water Supply & Kalpsar Department (NWRWS) and their sub- departments of Gujarat Government has been established to manage water resources of the state, and to

around 7.90 Million Acre Feet out of Gujaratâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s share of 9 MAF from the river Narmada has been allotted for agricultural use, 1.2 MAF for drinking water and the rest for industrial use.

Planning for the Dam The Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited was set up by the state government to implement the Sardar Sarovar (Narmada) Project in the year 1988. It was a comprehensive and multipurpose project which envisaged construction of

industrial uses for about 9633 villages and 131 townships. This explains the reach of the impact this dam in its totality would have on the state. The Sardar Sarovar Project is one of the largest water resources projects of India covering four major states - Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The Water Resources Department has been created to sustainably manage, develop, conserve & protect water to all over Gujarat. It is responsible for holistic water resource management in the state which includes preparation and review of the water policy, strategic planning for water resource usage, approving utilization of water resources for irrigational and agricultural purposes, maintaining ground water level across the state, and facilitating water supply in water scarce areas of the state. It is also responsible for implementing a number of state â&#x20AC;&#x201C; promoted water management schemes and projects, in addition to maintaining the safety and effective operation of dams and large capacity canals. The

The water management of the state of Gujarat rests on five Cs: Collection of river water Connection of various rivers Channelization of river and rain water Control of local water Community participation cater to the multiple demands of the state for adequate and efficient supply of water. The motto is to harness the untapped water of the Narmada for the socio economic development of people, even in far flung areas of the state. Under this initiative,

Governance Today

The state has set up extensive pipeline network to ensure ample water supply in arid areas

concrete gravity dam across river Narmada in Narmada district. The project was conceived to provide water distribution system for irrigation across Gujarat and Rajasthan Border of 74,626 Km. After completed, it could also supply water for domestic and

February 2015

department has floated many plans which are systematically changing the landscape of water management in the state. The Sujalam Sufalam Yojana has been implemented as a long term planning for providing safe drinking water and utilizing the

Policy

WASMO has been successfully providing drinking water in remote villages

additional flood water of the Narmada River. The Saurashtra – Narmada Avtaran Irrigation Yojana (Sauni Yojana) has been introduced to divert excess over flowing flood water of Narmada allocated to Saurashtra Region. This surplus water will be distributed into 115 reservoirs of seven districts of Saurashtra through 1,115 Km long link pipelines, benefiting 10,22,589 acre land. In order to distribute the water from the water surplus zones to the water scarce zones. The State has interlinked its rivers; Gujarat is the first state in the country to interlink 20 rivers. Saurashtra, North Gujarat and Kutch regions are historically water scarce in which per capita water availability is exceptionally low; these areas are now reaping the benefits of this interlinking scheme. In addition, the Water Resources Department mobilizes other major schemes such as Sagarkhedu Yojana, Hydrology Project, Vanbandhu Yojana, Salinity Ingress Prevention scheme and Flood Protection schemes, with the aim of improving the quality of lives of people from all socio –economic sections, via effective water management plan. The Water Supply Department is the section of the department responsible for providing one of the most vital components

of life to people across the state – clean drinking water. The GWSSB (Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board) is ensuring water supply across the state, in terms of planning and implementing the drinking water supply and sanitation policy, coordinating with the Government of India for implementing development programs such as the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP); and even soliciting international support for water supply and sanitation programs in Gujarat. GWSSB provides drinking water supply to citizens of rural and urban areas of Gujarat by creation of various types of water supply projects like Local Source based individual village water supply projects. Another crucial body created by the Government of Gujarat is Water and Sanitation Management Organization (WASMO). This is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) created by Government of Gujarat to revolutionize the water management in rural areas by working towards drinking water security and habitat improvement. The organization does this by empowering communities to manage their local water sources and village drinking water supply system and services. It enables communities and especially women to

plan, manage and adopt best practices for community water management, through its participatory distribution system, which is a UNO award winning initiative of Gujarat. The formation of local Pani Samitis (water committees) is one of the foremost examples of decentralization of power and encouraging micro – management, which are well known as integral parts of the Gujarat Model. The method, scale and reach of the water management planning that the Government of Gujarat has implemented is commendable and is worth emulating in other water scarce states such as Rajsathan. Not only has it been able to provide water for residential consumption, it has made adequate water available for

Kalpasar project has been initiated to create fresh water reserve in Gulf of Khambhat

industrial and commercial usage. Even as the country debates the feasibility and environmental repercussion of the river linking project, whether on inter or intra basin basis, what is certain is that with careful planning and effective execution, water conservation and utilization can be revolutionized without any great scientific leap. The need is for clear thinking and political will.

February 2015

Governance Today

Policy

States Reluctant in Implementing Police Reforms | AMOD K. KANTH

ndia is a vast country with huge variations not only in topography but also in culture and political beliefs. The federal structure of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constitution gives a lot of leeway to the states to implement policies their way. But sometimes this freedom or autonomy really damages the interests of the people at large. One such issue is the need for reforms in the archaic police system in the country which is still governed by the 1861 Indian Police Act introduced by the British. There are widespread complaints against the Indian police that it is brutal, insensitive and that it bends backwards to please its political masters. In a way, this mindset owes its origin to the circumstances in which

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February 2015

Policy

Indian Police Act was created as a response to the Indian war of independence of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny. The act was meant primarily to crush this mutiny. Unfortunately the Indian police, with some exceptions, has remained stuck in the same mould, mindset and insensitivity as politicians from all hues have refused to implement reforms that would take away their power over this huge, ruthless machine. The exercise to reform the Indian police started in 1977, just after the emergency with the appointment of the National Police Commission headed by Mr. Dharamvira, a prominent and upright civil servant. However, the Janata Dal which had set up the Commission lost power in 1980 and the Congress, which returned to power put the Commission in deep freeze. The story of the incomplete reforms of the police force continued till 1996 when Prakash Singh, a retired IPS officer petitioned the Supreme Court calling for far reaching police reforms. He urged the SC to issue directions to the Government of India to frame a new Police Act on the lines of the model Act drafted by the Commission to ensure that the police is made accountable. He urged the highest court of the country to direct the Central and State Governments to address the most glaring gaps and malpractices in the functioning of the police. The year 2006 could have been glorious for the country if the order of the Supreme Court to implement the Police reforms had been taken seriously by the powers that be, without waiting for the Governments to initiate steps. The famous order of the SC in the Prakash Singh and others V/s Union of India and others on September 22, 2006 asked for compliance before December 31,

2006 and the Cabinet Secretary of the Government of India and the Chief Secretaries of the State Governments/UTs were directed to file affidavits of compliance by January 3, 2007. The order asked the government to broadly implement seven reforms Establishment of State Security Commission- to ensure that the State Governments do not exercise unwarranted influence or pressure on the State police and for laying down the broad policy guidelines so that the State police always act according to the laws of the land and the Constitution of the country Set down a selection procedure- for appointment of State DGP and fix a minimum tenure of office for him/her Fix a minimum tenure- for IG of Police and other officers Separation of investigation from law and order-The investigating police shall be separated from law and order police to ensure speedier investigation, better expertise and improved rapport with the people. Set up a Police Establishment Board at the State level-There shall be a Police Establishment Board in each State which shall decide the transfers, postings, promotions and other service related matters of officers of and below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police. The Establishment Board shall be a departmental body comprising the Director General of Police and four other senior officers of the Department. Set up a Police Complaint Authority at the State and District level-There shall be a Police Complaints Authority at the district level to look into

complaints against police officers of and up to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police. Similarly, there should be another Police Complaints Authority at the State level to look into complaints against officers of the rank of Superintendent of Police and above. The Head of the State Complaints Authority shall be chosen by the State Government out of a panel of names proposed by the Chief Justice or Judge of the High Court nominated by him. Set up a National Security Commission-The Central Governments shall also set up a National Security Commission at the Union level to prepare a panel for being placed before the appropriate Appointing Authority, for selection and placement of the Chiefs of the Central Police Organizations (CPO), who should also be given a minimum tenure of two years. It is January 2015 now and the Supreme Court order remains in the files till date. These innocuous sounding reforms which could have far reaching consequences, have been left hanging by politicians. Not only have States been tardy in implementing the orders of the Supreme Court, many have gone on record to oppose these reforms as being unconstitutional. The opposition has been on such flimsy grounds that they are laughable. For instance, Gujarat and Nagaland pointed out that political interference was minimal and there was no need for Sate Security Commission. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, UP and Nagaland protested that a fixed tenure was demoralizing and unfair to other deserving candidates. Many states argued against the need for a complaints authority because it would be a

February 2015

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Insensitive police force forgets to respect even the national flag

monetary burden on the state. And Andhra Pradesh argued that this would demoralize the police personnel of the state. But as I said there are always exceptions. I was DGP Arunachal Pradesh at the time this order came and on October 26, 2006 I sent my recommendations to the Chief Secretary to implement the order of the Supreme Court. But within days I was removed from my post violating the order for having a fixed tenure in office. The fact is that nobody in power would like to be divested of that power. It applies equally to political masters, bureaucratic masters and senior police officers. The Police reforms if implemented in-toto would turn the police into a people’s police. As of now, the kind of rules that govern the appointments and service conditions of the police are meant to serve the powers that be and it suits everybody, except the police and public. The reforms, if implemented, would have led to people’s policing and community 38

Governance Today

February 2015

policing- something that Prayas has attempted to implement in the last 26 years of its existence. The pioneering role of Prayas in combating human trafficking in the country would not have been possible but for this community policing concept. During late 80s as DCP (Crime) in Delhi, inspired by a landmark Judgement of the Supreme Court (Vishaljeet V/s Union of India) and subsequent requests from Lawyers, Media, and civil societies I conducted a rescue operation in G.B. Road, the redlight areas of Delhi along with the concurrence and participation of the concerned Governmental and non- Governmental agencies for comprehensive solutions to the critical problem of proper care of the ‘neglected children’(under the 1986-Juvenile Justice Act) of the commercial sex workers. Prayas rescued 117 children with the help of social workers, lawyers and policemen and this action drew nationwide attention to the problems of the children who were the most

vulnerable in this long sordid chain. I personally supervised this massive rescue operation in my dual capacity as a police officer and the General Secretary of Prayas. In short, the crucial police reforms which could have transformed the police as a force that guards the interests of people, have largely been missing in the country. While the status quo serves the political interests of high and mighty, it is a great injustice to the general public. An efficient, strong and responsive police force is an important organ of society and unless we create such a police force, we are doing a disservice to the society. Police reforms have been on backburner for just too long. But that is hardly a reason to abandon them. We need a reformed police force, and the sooner it happens, the better. The writer is the General Secretary of Prayas JAC Society and a former IPS officer

Education

Vocational Education In the Spotlight Now!

Sanjay Shivnani

he highly acclaimed modern management thinker and celebrated author Stephen Covey professes that one must ‘begin with the end in mind’. I think this has no better applicability than in the field of education. What is the purpose of education after all? Is it just to gain knowledge for the sake of knowledge or is it to acquire a set of skills and competencies that can help one advance in life, pursue a career of choice and earn a decent livelihood, at the very least, at least!! The debate over vocational versus academic education has been raging across the world and mind you, this is not restricted to under developed economies. A recent higher education event in the USA concluded with wide scale agreement amongst academia, business and government that students graduating from the US education system are not fit for the world of work. So the debate is no more a debate; it is now a challenge. How do

we vocationalise mainstream education? Learned professors and teachers call it as the ‘handson’ education versus ‘minds-on’ education. Probably the first issue to address is the positioning of vocational education; whether it is in the developed countries like UK, USA or Sweden or in developing nations like India, vocational education is usually considered as the poor cousin of academic education. Vocational education is for those who did not make it; these are children of a lesser God. There are others who feel that vocational education is like a ‘bronze’ medal while academic education is the ‘gold’ which students should be vying for. One way to overcome this is to establish the cause and effect linkages of vocational education with employment. Now, in the second decade of the 21st century, with enormous convergence happening in the world of education, there is greater need to shed this baggage of the past and look at vocational education and training in a new light. Handson learning is becoming more accepted. The new generation of tech-savvy young adults are ready to learn new skills and step into new professions that demand practical skills and rely more on hands-on experience. It seems like there is an ‘Arab Spring’ happening in education, with the young job-seekers demanding better vocational education which can directly lead them to jobs. According to OECD Reports February 2015

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Education

and Reviews on Vocational Education and Training, different countries have explored ways and means of adding value to vocational education. Sweden, for example, has forged partnership between training providers and employers. This provides security and stability to the young trainees who get the benefit of one year or two year-long internship or partnership with employers.

Human Resource Development has been actively engaged in promoting vocational education and skill development at different levels. In its Annual Report of 2012-13 (on page 64), it reveals that 23.02 lakh students have enrolled for Post-School Diploma/ PG Diploma courses; while 30.14 lakh students enrolled in AICTE approved Technical Programmes. These figures pale

way to go. Vocational education needs healthy public-private partnership which can add quality and value at every stage of the syllabi roll-out. Moreover young students also need a healthy dose of confidence and self-esteem as they step out into a more demanding labour market. State and national board curricula must be modified to formally account for vocational subjects that inculcate ‘doing’ in

MHRD has been actively engaged in promoting vocational education and skill development at different levels

Sweden, of course, is a highly developed economy with a smaller population but countries like Tunisia, in North Africa, have been fairly successful too in developing this linkage with industry majors. Quite clearly, it shows that where there is stakeholder will, solutions are bound to emerge. In China, for example, there is greater emphasis on ‘institutional leadership’, with teachers (or the vocational educators) themselves getting interned with industry leaders. In India, too, the Ministry of

Governance Today

February 2015

when contrasted with the 203.27 lakh students who enrolled in the Universities and Colleges for the ‘academic’ education we spoke about earlier. Setting up of new polytechnics and strengthening existing polytechnics has been on the governmental agenda for long. In over 287 districts of the country, State and Union Territory governments have set up polytechnics to provide stepping stones for the young adults find gainful employment. These are worthy developments happening in our country, but we still have a long

addition to ‘knowing’. There are several national schemes for apprenticeship and training already in existence which can be revisited and overhauled in the light of best-practices being adopted in developed and developing countries. These can prove to be game-changers as India strives to become a more industrialized economy, with a greater thrust on vocational education and training. The writer is the Business Head & Vice President, Vocational, Pearson India

Grading Students A Step In Right Direction | RAMESH KUMAR RAJA

ith more students m i g rat i n g to various states outside their homes for higher education, it’s a tedious task to evaluate the academic quality of a migrating candidate as each university has its own manner of assessing students. Aplenty of grades, values and marks make objective comparison extremely complex and to get a comprehensive idea about the quality of a student almost next-to-impossible. In this regard, the University Grant Commission’s recent announcement to introduce a uniform grade and assessment system – the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) and Credit Framework for Skill Development (CFSD) – across universities in India from the coming academic

year, comes as a welcome news, the need for which was deeply felt in recent times. The new move – aimed at benefitting lakhs of students and impacting over 400 universities across the country – will ensure seamless mobility of students across institutions and provide wider options for students to choose from. The development comes following a recent meeting between state education ministers and the Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani in New Delhi. The ‘choice-based credit transfer’ system will enable students to opt for courses of their choice, learn at their own pace, undergo additional courses and acquire more than the required credits and adopt an interdisciplinary approach to learning. This system, in all probability, will expose students to more options, even what is unrelated to their chosen

subjects. Under CBCS, students will pursue three types of courses - Foundation, Elective and Core. Students must pursue Core subjects every semester, and can pick Electives from a pool of subjects unrelated to their disciplines. The Foundation courses may be of two kinds - Compulsory and Elective. Compulsory courses, mandatory for all disciplines, help students gain knowledge and they are intended to give a standard academic base to all students, whereas Elective courses are value based. The robust element of the new design is possibly the Foundation courses, as these are likely to increase employability in certain disciplines while inducing a multi-disciplinary perspective in others. For instance, graduates in liberal arts having a level of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skill does increase their chances

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Education

of finding employment. As per CFSD, the credit-based grading system is in keeping with the international methods of assessment of performance. The semester system, along with the CFSD, makes shifting across varsities smooth. According to reports, UGC Chairman Ved Prakash has sent a written communication to all vice-chancellors that says, “In order to expedite the entire process, you may consider setting up of a working group of senior faculty members of the university which can develop a time-bound action plan for the successful implementation of the schemes.” If the reports are to believe, there will be different letters associated to grades for different brackets of scores. For instance, 90.1 to 100 marks will be O, for Outstanding. 80.1 to

there, are converted into grades based on relative grading system. As per Prakash, the UGC has developed a broad template and formulated the guidelines to facilitate the implementation of the two systems. The regulatory body will also set up a facilitation cell to extend necessary assistance to the universities in their transition. A suggestion, in this regard, was also accepted at the state education ministers’ conference to set up a joint working group comprising central and state government nominees to iron out the serious issues in executing the CBCS. While most universities have welcomed the initiative, some have deferred their decision on implementing it with immediate effect from the upcoming academic session owing to depressing reasons. Some vice-

The new system will enable students to opt for courses of their choice, learn at their own pace and undergo additional courses

90 will be A+ for Excellent, 70.1 to 80 will be A for Very Good and so on and so forth. It may be noted that currently most universities follow the numerical system of marking except few institutes which assess students based on different methods of examination, like Medical Council of India (MCI) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The marks, 42

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chancellors of state universities in Madhya Pradesh, reportedly, said they were not in a position to adopt choice-based grading system because of staff crunch. On the other hand, there are some universities which already have enacted the new system. According to Ninge Gowda KN, Registrar (evaluation), Bangalore University, they have implemented both CBCS and

February 2015

HRD Minister Smriti Irani hopes to bring in a fundamental makeover of the higher education system

CFSD from 2014 and will switch to grades from 2015. The UGC’s unique move, in one leap, will bring in a fundamental makeover of the higher education system. The Indian university system, at the moment, happens to be amongst the stiffest in the world and allows no luxury of choice. The amalgamation of subjects at the university level is fixed, one cannot mix science with arts or commerce nor is it promising for students to change their stream half-way through a course. The choices for the students are limited and fixed. Although some private institutions have brought in new combinations and an innovative blend of subjects in recent years, it is yet nowhere near a freewheeling choice as in the western education system. For example, it is even disgusting to contemplate a diverse combination of say, Maths, Music and Economics. It is in such a limited system that the UGC now wants the choice to rest with the student. This can make the system flexible and bring out the best in a student. Besides, innovative

Education

combinations have the potential to bring up falling standards and encourage students to do justice to what they have selected. Although it’s a step in right direction and win-win situation for the student and the university, regulation and standardisation of higher education should have preceded this decision which was taken during the 11th Plan. Varsities across the country follow diverse practices. Since the universities are governed by either Central or State Acts, there is absence of uniformity in admissions, examinations and course content. The same applies to teaching as well as research and is bound to hinder a uniform grading system. Some universities have been following their own grading system for long, while others use the conversion method. Though it is hard to say right now, the execution of this novel idea might not be very seamless. As the UGC instructions are not compulsory on private institutions and it cannot derecognise them for failure to implement the guidelines, where is the uniformity? The variable marking schemes, class sizes and fee structures pose a separate set of challenges. The Centre and states should have, by now, evolved a policy framework for students’ and teachers’ mobility by eliminating major irritants in the education system. Why not implement bigticket higher education reforms that will be structural and ensure quality? Based on the American model, a choice-based credit system might facilitate students’ movement but rigid rules and a limited choice of subjects can be dampeners. Hence, there should be a regulation of higher education itself, before enacting a uniform grading system.

B-School Offers Special Concession to J&K, NE Students Taking a leaf out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special focus on the development of northeastern states and Jammu and Kashmir, Fore School of Management, a New Delhi-based B-school, has announced special concession in tuition fee for the students of these two regions. The special concession amounting to 10 per cent waiver in the tuition fee is extended to the students who join the program in academic year 2015-16 and are domiciled in J&K and the eight NE states - Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. The special privilege is over and above any other scholarship being given to the students. Prof Jitendra K Das, Director, Fore School of Management (formerly Founder Dean of the Noida Campus of IIM Lucknow), said, “Although we, at Fore, have students from different states and regions of the country, the North-East and J&K are still under-represented perhaps, due to a variety of local socio-economic conditions. Fore endeavors to have students from each and every part of India to represent the rich tapestry of diversity within India.” “Extra points are given to students from these regions seeking admission to our PGDM/PGDM-IB courses. The net effect, therefore, is that not only students from these regions get an advantage in the selection process but once having taken admission, they can also avail of the concession in tuition fee,” Das said. “While not calling it CSR, we do feel that Fore needs to contribute in its own small and humble way, to the development of human capital in these regions and integrate them with the social and economic mainstream of India,” Das asserted. It is worth noting that the central government has announced a slew of projects to develop the region, including expansion of rail, air, road, and digital connectivity. More than Rs 50,000 crores has been earmarked for the development in the region in addition to approximately Rs 28,000 crores for development of rail infrastructure. With such increased investment, there is going to be demand for managers who are not only professionally trained but also sensitive to the needs of the region. In this light, the decision of Fore School assumes significance.

February 2015

Governance Today

Health

Super-Specialist Doctor, Multi-Specialty Hospital

Being super-specialized in any particular field is the dream of every youngster and the field of medicine is not an exception. Nurturing oneself to get the speciality in one particular department is not just need of the hour for doctors; it is also gaining high popularity among patients. While medical professionals are going for single specialization, hospitals are evolving as multispecialty centres. 44

Governance Today

February 2015

| EKTA SRIVASTAVA pecialization in medicine is a branch of medical practice. After completing medical schools physicians or surgeons usually further their medical education in a specific specialty of medicine by completing a multiple year residency to become a medical specialist. To a certain extent, medical practitioners have always been specialized. According to Aelius Galenus (Greek philosopher, physician and surgeon) specialization was common among Roman physicians. The particular system of modern medical specialities evolved gradually during the 19th century though informal social recognition of medical specialization evolved before the formal legal system. Today with a vast option for what to choose and what not to, patients when spending out of their pockets are looking not just for a simple medical professional who owns a MBBS or MD degree but they go with the highest degree holders in the particular disease. This predilection in the mind-sets of the patients has not only been compelling resident doctors and physician to go for specialization but also shunned the corner clinics of general physicians which were the most prevalent source of medical care not too long ago.

Health

So, it implies that “GP” and “specialist” are two diametrically opposed alternatives, and that GP is the lessor of the two. If you’re smart, ambitious, passionate and successful you become a specialist. If you can’t get into anything else, or if you want the easy option, you become a GP. It’s seen as a back-up option, not as a worthwhile career in itself. The specialist vs. “just a GP” dichotomy also perpetuates the idea that GP’s are not “experts” in their own right, or that GP’s are sort of amateur doctors who do the easy bits of all the other specialties and then refer on the patients to “specialists,” when things get too complicated for them to handle. However, while we are looking for specialized doctors, the trend in the United States is completely opposite. The country is now short of approximately 9,000 primary care doctors. These are the general internists, family doctors, geriatricians and general paediatricians. These doctors are responsible for diagnosing new illnesses, managing chronic ones, advocating preventive care and protecting wellness. What is alarming is the prediction of health care leaders according to whom the deficit will worsen dramatically over the next one and a half decades. Specialties like general surgery, neurosurgery and emergency medicine will also become critically understaffed; but primary care will be hardest hit, with a shortfall of more than 65,000 doctors during this period.

Whys and Whereofs for Multi-Specialty Hospitals Similarly, there was a time when patients visited nursing homes for better care but today a multi-specialty hospital nurtures a milieu of collaboration among many physicians and different specialties under one roof. It

offers advantages of housing the best clinician talent across specialties on one hand and the best technology and medical care under one roof on the other. Multi-specialty hospitals are superior in delivering higher medical quality and offer both depth and width in the healthcare sector by allowing hospitals to provide a continuum of care. These hospitals have come of age and are capable of delivering medical treatments at par with the best in the world. Now, Indians are not going abroad for treatment but patients from overseas are pouring in as India offers affordable and high quality healthcare. Though capital intensive, the model confers significant advantages in terms of cross referrals, attending to emergencies and offering the

The predilection in the mind-sets of the patients has not only been compelling resident doctors and physician to go for specialization but also shunned the corner clinics of general physicians which were the most prevalent source of medical care not too long ago.

different doctors of different specialties easily. Another advantage is that a doctor from a particular specialty is readily available should a complication arise during the course of treatment of a particular illness. This particularly holds true while treating patients from abroad who would be scared of visiting different hospitals for different complaints. Even understanding the demand for quality healthcare services, the government is encouraging private investments for building medical infrastructure with advanced treatment facilities. Such measures, though, have still not benefited all the people across the country but the process of pursuing corporate hospital chains to set-up facilities in the country is going on. But that poses a unique dilemma to the health policy makers of the country. How does a country where more than two third of population does not have decent primary healthcare available at comfortable proximity, manage to further super specialized doctors and multi speciality hospitals to ensure that the benefits of speciality spills over to those sections of the society too who can not afford to splurge on such specialities. This is crucial for ensuring a system where benefit of knowledge is not privy to rich and mighty.

best clinical talent under one roof, aiding patient ease and comfort. Moreover, as a country we are plagued by several lifestyle disorders which require a multi-disciplinary care. In any multi-specialty hospital, different departments and specialties are located under one roof as a result of which a patient can consult

February 2015

Governance Today

Real Estate

High Hopes There is a sense of enthusiasm in corporate India since the new government has taken charge and the same is being felt by realty sector as well. Developers are dusting off their project plans and are again tapping market for prospective buyers as customer queries have started to ring again. But now the clock is ticking towards 28th February, the budget day. Like every other sector of industry, the real estate sector also has high hopes from the budget.

| RAHUL TRIVEDI

t has been a long time coming. The real estate sector has been looking for revival after many sluggish years. The sector couldn’t derive fruitful results from the festive season also. Though the sector revival was expected right after the general elections in 2014, it never came through. There are many things which sector requires at the moment for the revival. Though the government has already given

Governance Today

February 2015

some relief, they have already slashed down the interest rate by 0.25 percent, for example, but still there is lack of end users. The sector is reeling with the unsold inventories. It is also facing massive trust deficit due to various reasons; one being the operation black ninja by a leading investigative website.

2014 – A Mix Bag Year The year 2014 started with new hopes but the sector wasn’t able to gain the momentum which was required. After

the general elections it was said that the market would get the boost but the spate of new policy measures and announcements over the past few months made by the new government also were not of much help to the market. These policies spelt serious intent of the government about reforms in the real estate sector. The Union Budget this year augmented hopes and aspirations backed by a strong funding of Rs. 4,000 crores for Affordable Housing. In 2014 the Middle Level housing segment, in the price

Real Estate

bracket of Rs. 50 lac to Rs. 1.0 crore did well as compared to the luxury segment, especially in Noida & Greater Noida due to a healthy mix of demand-supply. Again, from the home buyer’s perspective, the extension of tax incentive for housing loans was an attraction for first time home buyers. The decision by the RBI to keep the cash reserve ratio (CRR) unchanged at 4 per cent will help improvement of cash flow in the economy. Within days of assuming power, the government made a bold vision statement of providing “housing for all” by 2022. Other fairly substantive moves included the provision of Rs. 7,060 crore program for establishing 100 smart cities, the notification of norms for launching REIT funding by SEBI, efforts to bring in more flexible modifications to the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill and the easing of FDI norms.

2015 – Budget Holds Key of Revival The common phenomenon with every budget is the hope for the measures which could prove to be beneficial for everyone. The real estate sector is also hoping for few other remedial measures. The sector being a part of country’s continuous growth process deserves better attention from the government. While commenting on the expectations from the budget, Arvinder Singh, MD, Agrante Realty Ltd, says that market is keen and waiting eagerly for the Union Budget 2015 to be presented in February. “We have a very strong belief that the upcoming budget could be a make or break event as this would be first full budget from the new government which has spent good enough time at the centre to plan out things. Hopes are high with the

Finance Minister indicating start of second-generation reforms going forward.” Concurring with him, Ashok Kumar Verma, CEOInternational Operations, REPL said, “One of the sectors that have been severely impacted by the global economic downturn reflected by sinking oil & gold prices has been the Indian real estate sector. In the past 12 to 18 months, the sector has experienced liquidity crunch coupled with slowdown in demand. The Indian Real Estate sector is looking eagerly towards the expected Economic relaxation in the proposed Budget for the FY 2015 – 2016 to give a breather to the current slowdown in the segment.” It is expected that the realty sector will grow at a CAGR of 20 per cent over the next five years and would touch $180 billion by 2020. The sector is looking for better policy and budget reforms to facilitate this growth. Incorporation of land and real estate regulatory bill, provision of putting in place single window clearance system, widening of ECB and granting infrastructure status will further boost the sector. Gaurav Yadav, Director, Uday Homz, a real estate consultancy firm says, “As a sector that contributes significantly to meet one of the basic demands of life, the housing industry has much to

Developments in 2014 Provision of Rs 7,060 crore for developing ‘100 Smart Cities’, as satellite towns of larger cities and modernizing the existing mid-sized cities Allocation to Urban Renewal (infra development) increased from Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 50,000 crore, covering highways, roads, ports, railway lines, manufacturing hubs, dams, canals, irrigation channels, etc. Boost to road construction – Investment of Rs. 37,880 crore in NHAI for construction of National and State Highways. 8,500 kms to be completed this year. Expressways to be set up along new industrial corridors – Rs. 500 crore for project preparation Setting up new airports, inland navigation system, SEZs etc. through Public Private Participation Nevertheless, the real estate has progressed at a gradual pace annually contributing nearly 6.3% to the nations GDP compared to other sectors in terms of growth and contribution to economy. The ripple effect of the slow moving economy was felt in the real estate sector with decline in absorption and sharp upsurge in supply. The only segment which by far remains untouched was between Rs. 50 lacs to Rs.1 Cr. in key metro cities.

February 2015

Governance Today

Real Estate

ask from the Finance Minister in the upcoming Budget. With a view to keeping housing affordable, competitive and buyer-friendly, the real estate sector hopes that the government will chip in with more incentives at the policy level.” Sharing his thoughts on the budget, Prithvi Raj Kasana, MD, Morpheus Group says that the government must focus on the process and ensure smooth operation of the budget session this year so as to pass as many bills as possible as the market sentiment will be determined to a large extent by how this session directs the way. He also hoped that the RBI would continue with the reduction of home loan rates so as to provide the required push for the sector. Echoing the views of Kasana, Verma also expects the reduction in interest rates and says that if nothing else, the reduction in the interest rates would at least improve sentiments of the investors towards the real estate sector. The interest rates preferably should be brought down to single digit. He also said that reduction in CRR will allow flow of more money in the market. He hoped Govt would work closely with the RBI to achieve this objective. Expecting another revival measure, Verma

Governance Today

said that steps should be taken towards a fair and justified Land Acquisition Bill. Further, focus should be laid on implementation of single window system for easy and smooth clearances of projects and approvals. Though Yadav from Uday Homz expects that the government might standardize the rates of taxation levied throughout the country uniformly, which currently differs anywhere from 7-12 per cent. This money in turn are transferred to the buyer under various charges like vat, service tax, stamp duty and registration charges. Today, there is sizable difference between the gross price and the net price of an apartment/flat, reason being the additional charges including parking charges, electricity, society, VAT, service etc. such charges burden home buyers and as such should be attempted to be brought down. With the plan of ‘House to All by 2022’ government has set agenda for affordable housing. Satinder Bhasin, MD, Bhasin Group, also agrees with the affordable housing scheme of the government. He says, “A very prominent reason why people hesitate in buying a property

February 2015

is due to the affordability. Even after borrowing from the banks, the EMIs due to interest become heavy on the pockets. This budget the new government must have this as primary aim to reduce the burden of the buyers by altering taxation structure. This will greatly benefit the sector and more buyers will come in the market.” Keeping sync with most of the other developers Kushagr Ansal, Director, Ansal Housing is also expecting for the interest rates to come down. He said, “This time we are expecting the RBI to start cutting the interest rates possibly after the budget in first quarter which shall give them extra confidence on handling inflation expectations and stability in current environment. There is a greater probability of start of rate cut cycle by RBI in the very first quarter this year which will definitely boost a number of sectors and boost corporate earnings from a medium to long

Real Estate

term perspective. Moreover, government is expected to pay attention on the implementation of key reforms like GST and other bills that would ignite the investment cycle.â&#x20AC;? The sector will also be looking forward for the Infra status to the sector which would go a long way in resolving the issue of funding for projects and reduce the timeline for project completion, thereby helping to cut the overall cost of construction. The Infra status for housing would help make projects more pricecompetitive for the end users and give developers the incentive to push for more sustainable construction, besides taking up affordable housing in a big way. Singh of Agrante Realty also said that real estate sector will greatly benefit from this budget if loan rates are decreased by RBI. This will create a positive sentiments wave in the market which will excel the demand greatly. Other important decisions to look into will be the single window clearance system and land acquisition bill. Similarly, the implementation of the real estate regulatory bill with minor modifications will pave the way for a more attractive and transparent real estate market. Additionally, with developers having to register all projects with the regulatory authority before commencing construction, customers would be able to track the status of every project. Also, the Real Estate segment is looking at a consideration by the Government to signify the sector as an Industry and announce some special package for development. The Government should prioritize the policy on smart cities and also provide some relaxation to people purchasing houses in Affordable segment, may be in

form of waiver on Service Tax. The Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) in India is at a growth and people are just waiting for the right time to invest in the Real Estate sector. Government needs to catalyze this trend. With the initiatives of new government, there is a positive vibe in the realty sector. These policies include providing greater access to funding on the one hand and extending liquidity to the end-users on the other, leading to a balance of demand and supply. The government has also allowed 100 per cent FDI which give a much required boost to infrastructure activities. This will help boost urbanization, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, which have been struggling to develop large projects. Making them smaller and more manageable will attract FDI and expertise in setting up new townships and cities. To ensure that there is a genuine effort to increase affordability, the government had announced some key reductions in the direct tax rates in the interim budget. The tax benefits for consumers and housing

loan borrowers were the main demand from the industry to stimulate the sector. The increase in basic income tax exemption limit from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh will help household savings. Additionally, the limit on home loan interest was raised from Rs. 1.5 lakh to Rs. 2 lakh. Increased savings coupled with increased tax benefit will go a long way in motivating home buyers who have been reeling under the pressure of high inflation and high interest rates. The government has not only tried to boost demand but also supply-side factors, in that, it has clarified on how Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) investments will be taxed. With this, we are on the threshold of initializing REITs once Sebi gives its nod. Innovations like REITs will open channels for both the commercial and infrastructure sectors. All these measures have led to a rise in general confidence among investors, developers and end users. It will create a better environment for growth of real estate sector, backed by a strong economy and consumer/enduser confidence.

February 2015

Governance Today

Special Feature Sports

Rise of Money Power and Decline of Gentleman’s Game | R. RAMACHANDRAN

OO much water has flowed down the Yamuna between the night in April 2008, the first night in Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket, and the news of spot-fixing and betting scandal that surfaced in 2013 with Delhi Police arresting three Rajasthan Royals players—S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan— during a midnight raid in Mumbai. Much has happened since then. The all-powerful N. Srinivasan got himself reelected as president of the Board of Control for Cricket

Governance Today

February 2015

in India (BCCI), though for a brief period, until the Supreme Court intervened. But he had, in the meanwhile, managed to become chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with his push-pull strategy. In fact, Srinivasan was even hoping against hope to seek reelection as BCCI chief but the apex court verdict changed it all, barring him from doing so due to conflict of interest. Indeed, it is a big blow for the Tamil Nadu businessman, who also owns the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL. But the mastermind of the reforms to the ICC, who is known for his fighting qualities in business as well as cricket, may not give up that easily.

Srinivasan, an ardent capitalist in his business life, had made his name by orchestrating hostile takeovers of rival companies in the cement game. And cricket was simply another game for the person who, as the undisputed king of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association for the last 14 years, had been in the BCCI saddle since 2011. He is already contemplating to sell his CSK stakes in order to contest the board elections. He may win or lose, but it will in no way affect the BCCI fortunes or its growing financial clout—BCCI earns around 70 per cent of the ICC revenue—and the sport’s mandarins in India know fully well that without its contribution, world cricket might fade. Take, for example, the cash-

S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were involved in the spot fixing in Indian Premier League

rich IPL with cricketers from all Test-playing nations—sans Pakistan—involved with it. A brainchild of the now-in-exile Lalit Modi, the league flourished even triggering franchisees versus countries debate. Players skipped their country assignments and preferred to commit themselves more to the franchisees because of money. Young cricketers, just in their teens or barely out of it, learnt to hit sixes and pay dirt before getting their stance or techniques right. As a result, the ODIs are pushed into the background with Test cricket, thought not thrown out of the window completely, is left to its ‘devotees’ to relish and follow. At the end of the day, it all boils down to money. Thanks to its revenuegenerating abilities in recent years, playing India is always considered a payday for all member-nations as it helps them sustain their local competitions. The BCCI, too, used this monetary stick-and-carrot policy with a loud and clear message to the individual boards: Toe our line or face withdrawal of ODIs and T20 World Cups. The approach seems to have yielded desired results. After all, the BCCI has gotten

itself in a position where it feels it does not need the support of any of the smaller boards. It has broken away from the traditional sub-continental bond with Sri Lanka and Pakistan that had helped the Indian board gain the ascendancy it enjoys today. Yet the BCCI is clever to have both Cricket Australia (CA) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the two important players, on its side. It helped stifle the few dissenting voices, including from South Africa. Calling the shots all the way, the ICC introduced reforms with the tacit support of CA and ECB. The reforms had its first victim in the FTP (Future Tours Programmes) that gave smaller Test-playing countries a decent agenda. It got scratched and left the ‘Big Three’ teams with untrammeled powers under which they can play a never-ending Australia-EnglandIndia triangular Test series with impunity. The immunity the three enjoy virtually allows complete control over everything, from protecting the income, markets and ICC’s media rights buyers to conducting all ICC tournaments in the ‘Big Three’ nations. Understandably, the ICC passed the resolutions giving the BCCI, CA

and the ECB a greater proportion of the bounty. Accordingly, the full members have gained greater financial recognition on the contribution they have made to the game, particularly in terms of finance. But the real motivation for the ‘Big Three’ from the new funding distribution model is, as cricket revenues grow, they progressively can claim higher share of the money. Obviously, the growing money power in Indian cricket is recognized by one and all, particularly with BCCI overlooking the shoulders of most cricket playing nations. From its point of view, the theory of “land belonging to the tiller” may sound logical, but smacks of autocracy and arrogance. But it is detrimental to the sport in more ways than one. I also fear the time is not far when BCCI will be taking decisions at its whims and fancies with no one to question it. Time was when cricket in India was owned and run by the princely states. No doubt, India has come a long way from when playing a side game for an MCC team was considered the greatest honour for an Indian prince. The success story of India and its cricket should be admired even

February 2015

Governance Today

Special Feature Sports by their rivals. But, intoxicated with power, BCCI is taking on the world without realizing the repercussions. But it must remember that power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best. When you mix power with money, it makes a heady cocktail. That is precisely what has happened in cricket, especially in IPL. But we have heard about match-fixing incidents even before, as early as in the 1990s. Sharjah, the off-shore cricketing venue in the UAE, became infamous when India cricketer Manoj Prabhakar first spilled the beans by saying that he was offered money to underperform in matches. The BCCI appointed Justice Y.V. Chandrachud to inquire into the

in cricket when he deposed before Justice Chandrachud. But the game’s biggest fixing scandal was exposed in 2000 when South Africa captain Hansie Cronje admitted he had accepted money to throw matches. Soon players from other countries, including Pakistan’s Salim Malik, were implicated. Since then there have been sporadic allegations of fixing, including the latest phenomenon of spot-fixing. Again in 2010, the scandal surfaced when three leading Pakistan players were questioned by the Scotland Yard and the ICC suspended them over spot-fixing. The privately-funded Indian Cricket League (ICL), launched in 2007, was allegedly the potential breeding ground and responsible for the current ills in IPL. Though

N Srinivasan, former BCCI President was also named in the IPL 2013 spot fixing saga

issue but nothing came of the probe except a few suggestions that he had made in his report. However, when the then sports minister, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, entrusted the job to the CBI in 2000, its inquiry found substance in those allegations and indicted former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who confessed to have accepted money from bookies to throw matches, along with a couple of other cricketers. Interestingly, Azharuddin had categorically denied match-fixing 52

Governance Today

February 2015

ICL met its own death soon after the commencement of IPL in 2008, the spot-fixing had continued with time in spite of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit keeping a strict vigil. But for the Delhi Police, which unearthed scandals first in 2013 and then the Mumbai Police that exposed the betting links after they arrested Srinivasan’s sonin-law Gurunath Meiyappan and Bollywood actor Vindu Dara Singh, spot-fixings would have continued unabated.

Finding merit and substance in the Justice Mukul Mudgal panel’s report, Justices TS Thakur and FMI Kalifullah, pronounced their verdict last week. In their judgment, the bench told Srinivasan that he cannot contest the next round of board’s elections besides scrapping the controversial constitutional amendment that allowed the BCCI official to have commercial interests in the IPL and the Champions League T20. By the same stroke, the bench also found both Meiyappan and Rajasthan Royals’ co-owner Raj Kundra guilty of betting and manipulating matches. While appointing an independent three-man committee, led by former Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha, the bench empowered it to look into the aspects of the BCCI constitution which were deemed as “problematic” along with deciding on the punishment to Gurunath, Kundra, Royals and Super Kings. The committee has been given six months to conclude its proceedings. The influx of money generated by IPL and the unbridled expansion of cricket in the country seem to have brought with it problems that often accompany bonuses. Unfortunately, the BCCI in its business enterprise has pursued a one-point agenda of accumulating wealth—and wealth alone— forgetting the fact that the sport is not a means to gain profit for the game’s administrators. The leaders of the sport, while seeking more money and power, will do well to remember the words of Mahatma Gandhi, who said: “If means are vitiated, the ends are bound to be vitiated.” The Mahatma had said these words in a different context and for a different reason. But they are apt even in BCCI’s case. The writer is a veteran sports journalist

. … o T g n i d a e L s e u g a e

Super L

Bollywood celebrities, sports icons and a slick marketing campaign, India is mushrooming up with the next big thing in sports through the super leagues of various sports. Football, hockey, kabbadi, badminton, tennis and cricket leagues are promising India a place in the FIFA World Cup or the opportunity to host a tennis event on the scale of a Grand Slam. But these are clearly farfetched and misplaced notions as the question remained, will these private leagues help Indian sports grow?

| EKTA SRIVASTAVA

ndia’s 1.25 billion population today is getting the mighty attention of the sports club owners and organisers, especially its rising middle class and huge numbers of youth, for a windfall in the long term. Not only are they hoping crowds will flock to stadiums, but also buy merchandise and lure more sponsors. Although, In India cricket has always dominated the sports pages in the newspaper and given a special section in the news hour, English Premier League and the football competitions are a major drive behind the growth of satellite TV in foreign land. Following the same road map, Indian billionaires, top cricketers and Bollywood celebrities have stated pumping in money in this money making business and brought us the new entertainment genre filled with glamour, glitz and glory. Ahoy ‘Super Leagues’.

We are Cricket Phobic India is a country where people love to play cricket in every nook and corner of the space and for Indians, cricket is not just a game but a religion that they worship. In such a cricket-obsessed country peddling dreams and gaining attraction for football, tennis and hockey is not a smooth road. With the engagement of so much money, BCCI (the richest cricket body in the world) was/is cashing on this fanaticism by launching

February 2015

Governance Today

Special Feature Sports Indian Premier League, which monopolized the TRP market & boomed with greater success than was expected. Regionalization of Cricket teams and Cricket Stars, stirred the love for cricket even in those who had hitherto been not turning the sport pages in newspapers. The monetary outcome was larger than that for the international matches and the product of game was successful. But the process of the creation of the product had reduced these tournaments to-Business! While the IPL serve as

related issues have emerged where players like that of Sreesanth and few more have been arrested by Delhi Police and Mumbai Police. Now match fixing links have reached to house of team owners and BCCI supremo. So we will have to wait and watch how IPL is affecting Indian cricket moving forward. Super leagues have globally become big facilitators of respective sports. In India too, these leagues are a big step towards making the game more professional and provide a platform for talent. But in the

28. The difference is huge, not to mention the disparity in facilities. Meanwhile, Super leagues are born out of the desire for change because of the pressures of a lifestyle that places premium on time. Watching a five day cricket match that could conceivably end in an honourable draw is seen as a luxury that today’s generation can ill afford. Like page 3 parties, super leagues has given us the newest form of the sport. In the process, it has also engendered a breed of sportsmen who are too focussed on sports entertainment instead

What the super leagues have done, however, is that they have made sportspersons in these relatively unglamorous sports earn decent money.

money bank the questions still remained, will young batsmen now be coached only to play power cricket, without facing upto the technical and mental challenges that the art of batsmanship throws up? With short boundaries and only four overs in a match per bowler, will any young bowler really learn the craft of bowling? And more worryingly, will franchisee sport ‘commodify’ players and reduce their commitment to a ‘nationalist’ ethos, something that has happened to most American sports? In recent days IPL has become Indian Paisa league and betting rackets have emerged where match fixing and spot fixing 54

Governance Today

process, a different, and opposite opinion has emerged according to which, only money will drive the players and they will lose focus with their national teams. Are super leagues all about glitz and glamour sans the glory of the game? Is there a choice between the money and the soul of sports?

Are Leagues Beneficial? The recent Asian Games at Incheon gave us a realistic assessment of Indian sport. India emerged with 11 gold medals, two of them in kabaddi, behind China’s staggering 151, Korea’s 79 and Japan’s 47. Even Kazakhstan, with a population smaller than Kerala’s, claimed

February 2015

of the traits of the game. The business and cinema world was roped in to lend glamour and money, and attract the youth. On offer was an entertainment package of game, song and dance that proved a roaring success in the very first season. Spectators flocked to the venues and these leagues turned even mediocre cricketers into household names.

Challenges Post IPL success, the business of sport has been buzzing like never before, forcing the administrators of other sports like hockey, kabaddi and football to sit up, take notice and emulate the success. And the formula of repeating success of IPL in their

Special Feature Sports respective sports has remained unchanged — a heady mix of business and Bollywood. Cutting-edge coverage from Star Sports saw hitherto lowprofile sports such as kabaddi, football and hockey challenging cricket for prime-time attention. It could not have been imagined in non super league era. The TRP ratings are reportedly encouraging and all appears hunky dory. The players are basking in national attention, signing brand promotion deals and infrastructure is improving. The sponsors and team owners

develop grassroots programmes and academies in the near future.” India’s success at the inaugural T20 World Cup was followed by the launch and success of the IPL. But IPL can hardly be credited for the country’s successful showing in the shortest format of the game. West Indies great Michael Holding put it candidly, “IPL can’t improve anyone’s cricket.” What the super leagues have done, however, is that they have made sportspersons in these relatively unglamorous sports earn decent money. As the

the government and that role remains unsung. For the 2012 London Olympics, the government spent Rs 260 crore on the preparation of sportsmen. I don’t think any corporate would spare that kind of money. Moreover, while it is exciting to play against or watch the likes of a Roger Federer or Del Piero, it is equally true that merely competing with stars past their prime cannot lead to improve skill. For all the success of the ISL, India will struggle to earn a football ranking below 100. Despite the IPL, Indian cricket

have little to complain about. Viewers are happy. But how does this help the sports develop? We l l - k n o w n football commentator Novy Kapadia prefers to be optimistic — “The ongoing ISL has attracted the crowds back to Indian football stadiums; 35,000 in Mumbai and 30,000 in Delhi are impressive figures in cities which do not have fanatical fans. Hopefully these fans, many of them new to Indian football, will continue to support the domestic game when the I-League starts in January next year. Also, Indian players seem to be learning by observing the level of commitment and training of the foreign stars. The eight franchises should seriously

former hockey great Zafar Iqbal said about the contribution of hockey league to the , “It has helped lift the profile of hockey. It keeps the game in the news and some foreign players come and compete with our youngsters. Importantly, hockey players can earn money, too, which was not so when we were playing.” The success of ISL, IPL, HIL, ITL (tennis) or KIL (kabaddi) will not have any impact on India’s progress in the international sports arena. The franchises will pick the best and offer attractive contracts to bolster their respective teams, but will they invest in developing talent at the grassroots level? That responsibility is with

continues to fare poorly overseas. It would be naïve to expect that the IPTL alone will be enough to throw up an Indian tennis Grand Slam winner. Sometimes it is even felt as these leagues faces the same dilemma: what might have started off as a harmless ‘distraction’, threatens to become the staple diet. Across the sports world, there is a clamour for more: after all, this form of slambang games will bring in new audiences, and more revenues. But, on the flip side, it could also lead to a ‘dumbing down’ of the sport severely damaging some of unique elements, on and off the field.

February 2015

Governance Today

Special Feature Sports

Murky World of Doping | PRAVEEN KUMAR KALSAN

he 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi were a great high for India, where it scored a century of medals and finished second behind Australia on the medal tally. Indian athletics team did particularly well where they won 12 medals including two golds. The most incredible memory was of Indian women’s 4X400 re l ay te a m

winning gold. The same golden run was repeated later at 2010 Asian Games. But in July 2011, earth shook for these golden girls. Six athletes of Indian 4X400 relay team tested positive for doping. Ashwini Akkunji, Priyanka Panwar, Tiana Mary Thomas, Jauna Murmu, Sini Jose and Mandeep Kaur tested positive for anabolic steroids. All of them claimed innocence claiming they had consumed ginseng tablets, a permitted substance, which the coach Yuri Ogorodnik – who was sacked after the controversy erupted – had purchased from China because the official supplements at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala were finished. Unfortunately, these tablets were

Lance Armstrong

contaminated and according to the strict WADA rules, the liability lies on the athlete if any banned substance is found inside their body. If the system was working properly, this national doping shame could have been averted. Action should have been taken against those NIS officials who did not sourced new supplements after the stock was over in late 2010. Don Catlin, founder of UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory told Wall Street Journal in 2012 that steriods found in Indian athletes “are old-time doping agents. You don’t see them in the U.S. Anymore.” If the athletes would have been educated about doping issues, they would have cared more about the label and the authentic brand of supplements. Indian weightlifting team has been infamous for being banned twice by the world governing body because of continuous flow of dopers in Indian side. Just days before the 2010 CWG games commenced, four Indian wrestling team probables were dropped from the team after they tested positive for the stimulant

Ashwini Akkunje

Priyanka Pawar

Jauna Murmu

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February 2015

Mandeep Kaur

Sini Jose

Special Feature Sports

NEW WADA CODE (In effect from 01 Jan 2015) • Punishment for first time doping offence has been increased to up to four years from two years. • Athletes need to inform in advance their schedule so that testers can come any time for an out of competition test. Three whereabout failures in 12 months will result in a doping positive. Earlier it was 18 months. • Athletes are prohibited from associating with coaches, team personnel who have been sanctioned for doping violation. • The Samples will now be stored for future testing purposes for 10 years instead of earlier provision of 8 years. • The STATUTE of LIMITATIONS for anti-doping rule violations has increased from 8 years to 10 years. Methylhexaneamine. In 2011, National anti-doping agency tested 51 kabbadi players for the world cup team selection, 19 out of them tested positive. It has been noticed multiple times that Indian athletes were not able to give their best at the international events. Indian sports Legend Milkha Singh famously said that Indian athletes dope in domestic events and when they go to international events, due to the fear of being tested, they compete clean and perform poorly. Doping has historically been rampant in nations which are either isolated and want to show the world their strength or which are developing or poor. Countries like East Germany till 1990, Russia, North Korea fit the first scenario and countries like India, Kenya and other African nations where the awareness about doping is extremely poor and the incentive of few wins or medals can make an athlete’s life. I remember last month seating in Indira Gandhi Velodrome in Delhi, a 16 year old cyclist confiding in me about one of his team-mates, who is even younger, injecting doping substances with the help of team coach before a race and winning

a medal in recently concluded national school games in Ranchi. Doped winners are rewarded and clean losers are left to sulk. Rahul Bhatnagar, director of the National Anti-Doping Agency, told Wall Street Journal in 2012that there is horrific amount of doping in Indian athletes. He claimed nearly 15 per cent of the 60 athletes tested at the national school games - in which children ages 12 to 18 compete- returned positive results for banned substances. The incentive is huge, a win at these games might provide you admission

is a global giant in athletics - tops the list with 68 athletes banned and India – which rarely sees its athletes in finals on world level - is second with 36. Even after such ridiculously high number of doping violations in Indian athletics, IAAF is constrained by finances and has only two Indian athletes – Tintu Luka and Arpinder Singh - under its Registered Testing Pool (RTP) system – where athletes have to submit their whereabouts information for doping test purposes. Clearly the image of India about

A Global Phenomenon On 8th July 1998, Willy Voet, a Belgian soigneur (team assistant) in his early fifties working for a French professional cycling team named Festina, was travelling from Belgium to France. On the Belgium-France border, his fate failed him. In over 30 years of driving, it was the first time he was stopped. Custom officials discovered several hundred grams and capsules of anabolic steroids, Erythropoietin (EPO), syringes and other doping products from his car. He is immediately taken into police custody and within few hours his allegations of systematic doping in cycling teams were reported in the media. Three days later, Festina team, which was the top team in the world at that time, started the Tour de France and distanced itself from Voet. Police alleged systematic doping in the Festina team and arrested its manager and doctor. Cycling was not new to this menace of doping. During a Tour de France stage in 1967, British cyclist Tom Simpson died of heart failure. Doctors said he died because of dehydration and heat exhaustion and amphetamine abuse contributed to his death. In 1980s and early 90s, many cyclists died mysteriously during their sleep. During this period, drugs such as EPO came in market which increased the number of red blood cells which transports oxygen in the body and was not detectable in drug tests. Cycling always faced doping suspicion but Festina scandal was an eye opener and stunned the world over the extent of doping in the sport. Although nearly all the sports face doping problem, but few sports like cycling, athletics, weightlifting and boxing are at greater risk. Doping positives ranging from Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson to American runner Marion Jones, Kenyan marathon runner Rita Jeptoo, American sprinter Tison Gay and Jamaican sprinters Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson are example of doping in athletics. This led to the genesis of WADA – World Anti-Doping Agency – in November 1999. Wada which receives equal contribution from International Olympic Committee and governments all over the world. at a prestigious college. At the senior level, win or medals might provide you government jobs. We need all these things to encourage sports but we must ensure all our youngsters are clean and play in a level playing field. In the list of banned athletes published in Jan 2015 by the IAAF, Russia – which

the doping issues has improved in last few years but there is a long way to go and the efforts of Indian sports administration are still lacking, there is huge requirement of educating our athletes and coaches about doping issues.

February 2015

Governance Today

Mary Kom Sachin Tendulkar

Ronjan Sodhi

Sports Awards: | R. RAMACHANDRAN

here is never a dull moment with sports awards. The list of sportspersons and coaches aspiring to get the Arjuna, Dronacharya and Lifetime Achievement awards is endless. Equally long is the list of grievances and disputes. Year after year, it is the same story with no sensible solution in sight. The Arjuna award, introduced 55 years ago, was intended to recognize deserving sportspersons. But unfortunately, several worthy athletes were overlooked even as the undeserving ones received it through lobbying and active politicking. So much so, the purpose for which the award was instituted got diluted and the Arjuna award lost its sheen. However, the clamor for it has not stopped, thanks to the cash incentive of Rs. 5 lakh and the lifelong free rail travel that accompanies the award. Considering the din the award is creating today, the murmurs

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February 2015

were few and far between in earlier days. Probably, the officialdom also did not envisage a situation like the one that we are facing now. The noises are ever louder these days with athletes playing the blame games and even approaching the law courts seeking justice. The sports ministry and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) have to blame themselves for the present scenario. The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the highest sport award in the country, introduced in the early nineties, and the Padma awards too have become a regular source of controversy, including rejection of the award by some wellmeaning people for whatever reasons. Grapevine has it that there is also a move to launch the Bharat Ratna in sports category. Remember the row it kicked up when Sachin Tendulkar was bestowed with the highest civilian award! But controversies are nothing new. In the early eighties, billiards champion Michael Ferreira declined the Padma Shri because cricketer Sunil Gavaskar

was considered for the Padma Bhushan. Milkha Singh turned down the Arjuna award in 2001 calling it a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;tamashaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; because he felt slighted. In fact, the Padma Shree awardee demanded a bigger and better award than the Arjuna. The Arjuna award had always been mired in controversies since its inception. But nobody would have imagined the athletes raising their pitch for the Khel Ratna in a similar way. In 2002, quarter-miler K.M. Beenamol was chosen for the Khel Ratna ahead of shooter Anjali Bhagwat, who had had a fantastic year and had topped the world cup medalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; chart becoming the champion of champions. She should have been an automatic choice for the award, but was ignored in the first place. She had to make a hue and cry before both were allowed to share it and the cash prize. Similarly, five-time world champion M. C. Mary Kom had to wait until 2009 to get the Khel Ratna after making the right noises. She was jointly conferred the honour with Beijing Olympic medallists Vijender Singh and

Vijender Singh Sushil Kumar

Milkha Singh

Does Merit Count? Sushil Kumar. Shooter Gagan Narang too received the award two years later after threatening to quit the sport on being sidelined. There are innumerable cases where athletes have been completely overlooked for the sports honors. There was this classic but a deserving case of thrower Anil Kumar who was not considered for the Arjuna in spite of the Athletics Federation of India recommending his case many a time. So perturbed was he that he decided to sit on a dharna at the Raj Ghat and announced his intention through a press conference. He was also able to muster strength, in good numbers, as fellow sympathizers joined him at the dharna. It continued for a couple of days before wiser counsels prevailed, forcing him to call it off. His sitin-dharna, adequately publicized in national dailies, did not have any effect. Maybe, some day the Haryana athlete will be considered for both the ‘lifetime achievement’ award and the Arjuna, as they did in the case of Milkha Singh, 40 years after the

award’s inception. Another example that comes to my mind is that of swimmer Sebastian Xavier. He was the fastest swimmer of the country for more than a decade. But, despite the Swimming Federation of India, recommending his name for the Arjuna he was ignored for a few years. He too contemplated a protest of sort, but was dissuaded from doing so by some well-meaning journalists who brought his anguish to the notice of the officials. Sebastian received the award in 2001. But none of these instances or conflicts can beat what discus thrower Krishna Poonia did in 2013. The Commonwealth Games gold medal winner felt she should have been considered for the Khel Ratna ahead of shooter Ronjan Sodhi. In fact, Sodhi should have been honoured much earlier. But aggrieved as she was, Krishna took the case to the media, aired her grievances, mustered support from elite sportspersons and met the then sports minister Jitendra Singh to endorse her case. But what took the cake was her verbal

duel with Anjali Bhagwat, who was a member of the selection panel. Krishna alleged the former Khel Ratna awardee of bias and supporting the cause of a fellow shooter. The diatribe, apart from spoiling the charm of the award, devalued its importance. In the same year a new controversy broke up when, for the first time, an awardee’s name was struck off from the original list after all the panelists and the then SAI DG, Jiji Thomson, had endorsed the selection of 16 candidates. As per the ministry’s guidelines only one person can be selected for the Khel Ratna and 15 for the Arjuna. But the athlete left out of the list was international volleyball player Tom Joseph, from Kerala. Big row erupted with the DG SAI, also from Kerala, refusing to sign the papers even as some Kerala politicians, including chief minister Oommen Chandy, lobbying strongly for the volleyball player. After a string of parleys with his officials, including SAI DG, sports minister Jitendra Singh went along with the panel’s recommendations of

February 2015

Governance Today

Special Feature Sports 15 for the Arjuna and one for the Khel Ratna. The committee’s view was that it simply followed what the amended guidelines prescribed when it comes to selecting a Khel Ratna awardee. “There will only be one award every year to be given to an individual sportsperson. This condition will be relaxed only in exceptional circumstances, such as, winning of an Olympic medal.” However, the Tom Joseph’s issue was simmering until a

in the strictest sense. The rules clearly say that canvassing in any form for the award will render the entry ineligible, worthy of disqualification. But drumming up support begins the moment the athletes come know of the panelists that will sit on judgment. The committee members are given very little time—sometimes selections are done in just one sitting—since the applications are first scrutinized at the SAI level and cases made out. That also explains

clamour for it will automatically come down. Another way out could be an insurance/incentive scheme for ‘’clean’’ athletes. Already implemented in China, the scheme has been under discussion in India since the Athens Olympics. It would call for the sports ministry, SAI, IOA and federations to sit across the table, something they are loath to do at the best of times. Under the plan, the prize money — or a substantial part of it — that

Poor Infra

Sunil Gavaskar K. M. Beenamol

clarification came from the ministry. “This not being an Olympic year, the Government has decided not to increase the number of awards so that the stature of the awards is maintained… The Government has looked into the various news reports and grievances of different sportspersons. It has also consulted the chairpersons of the committees. A separate enquiry has also been conducted by Secretary, Sports. After due consideration, the Government has decided to accept the recommendations of the committees,” said the ministry in a release. The guidelines are firm in content but never adhered to 60

Governance Today

February 2015

Renjith Maheshwary

why boxer Manoj Kumar was ignored because his namesake was under the dope cloud. Definitely, the panelists cannot be arraigned for someone else’s mistake. Triple jumper Renjith Maheshwary’s is yet another fit case that exposes SAI officials’ casual approach in checking the athletes’ antecedents. But what makes Indian athletes take to doping? One main reason, given the financial insecurity of most Indian sportsmen, is the money that comes to those who win medals at top international events. It is but natural for all top athletes to go after the award that carries a huge prize purse and the lifetime free rail travel. Take both out of the award, the

an athlete would get with any international medals would be kept in a sort of provident fund, the payout being made on retirement with the stipulation that the athlete be free of any doping taint. The payout sum being mentioned has been around Rs. 40-50 lakh which is good enough to take care of an athlete’s after-sport-life. A similar scheme has done wonders in China. There is a large carrot held out, but accompanied, typically, by a big stick. This will help promote true talent and save sports from the embarrassing instances that demean the status of the athletes as well as the awards’ stature.

Is Poor Infra the Bane of Indian Sports | R. RAMACHANDRAN

hat is stifling sports talent in India? Is it the poor infrastructure or the lack of it? Or, is it both? Answer to the question depends on the person you ask it or his perception. People are entitled to their opinion, but the real answer lies in what we have achieved over the years, say, since India’s first appearance in Olympics in 1900. Sport is not just about winning, say the experts. But unfortunately for most of us sport, like politics, is a game of numbers. We always tend to weigh things on the scales of medals that our athletes have won in major Games, more specifically on the biggest stage of them all: Olympics! India’s medal count in 30 Olympics is a mere 26—nine gold, six silver and 11 bronze medals, including eight gold medals in hockey, the last of which coming in 1980 Games in Moscow. To this date, shooter Abhinav Bindra is the lone individual gold medal winner. That speaks volumes of our talent pool, with or without proper infrastructure, in a country that is the second most populous and the biggest democracy in the world. Now contrast this with China, which has 473 medals in

just nine Games. This includes a whooping 201 gold medals. Interestingly, India finds itself ranked dead last worldwide in the number of Olympic medals won per capita. Paraguay, Niger and Iraq have done better! India is a land of many talents, but sport isn’t really one of them.

India’s medal count in 30 Olympics is a mere 26—nine gold, six silver and 11 bronze medals, including eight gold medals in hockey, the last of which coming in 1980 Games in Moscow. To this date, shooter Abhinav Bindra is the lone individual gold medal winner.

India, as proud and nationalistic a country as they come, can’t seem to get out of the starting blocks when it comes to the race for Olympic gold. Why should that be, particularly with a potential talent pool of 1.2 billion people? This brings to focus the country’s available sport infrastructure. Frankly speaking, the infrastructure in the country, except for a few major cities, does not match its population.

Even where it is available, they are lying in a state of decay or out of bounds. Take the national capital, for instance. The stadia that came up for the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi and subsequently renovated twice over for the 2002 National Games—the Games were shifted to Hyderabad owing to assembly elections in Delhi— and the 2010 CWG. Millions were spent in refurbishing them, of course with large-scale scams and scandals taking the front seat. In the bargain, the bestconducted Games were put on the backburner. But that is not the issue. The real one is what has happened to these facilities? They are very much there, underutilized and in a state of decay. The tracks of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the showpiece venue which held the opening and closing ceremonies apart from track and field events, are not fit for another major athletics event. The adjacent weightlifting hall, which saw many a leak from rooftop to bathrooms during the Games, is stinking. The Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex, which also has a wrestling hall and a cycling velodrome, has been put to use in more ways than one. There are seminars, political party gatherings or showbiz events held at the venue than

February 2015

Governance Today

Special Feature Sports regular sport meets. At least the wrestling hall has conducted a few events, keeping it alive and kicking. Unlike these, the cycling velodrome is being regularly used, thanks to the academy that the Sports Authority of India (SAI) ventured into with the Cycling Federation of India (CFI). The latter has also held two Asian events in the last two years and these have kept the velodrome in “working” condition. But the truth is that when the CFI took it over to conduct the Asian Cycling Championships, the venue was full of cobwebs and in knee-deep dirt. The CFI had to spend a few lakhs to make the venue eventfriendly. The Talkatora swimming pool, renovated at quite a cost with flawed lifts, etc., has rarely hosted a state event, let alone an international one since 2010. It has a SAI academy running there, but nothing comparable to the cycling one, which also has the blessings of UCI, the international body. Luckily, Dr Karni Singh Shooting range cannot be used for no other purpose because of the dangers involved. Fortunately, top shooters regularly practice at the range. But fewer tournaments are held here because organizers prefer going to places like Hyderabad and Pune, where lodging facilities are good. Another venue in disuse is Delhi Development Authority’s Yamuna Sports Complex, the venue for both table tennis and archery. With the pay-andplay schemes in vogue, the YSC has its utility value but not substantial given the size of the complex, created for both table tennis and archery. The real gain of CWG is the Thyagraj Sports Complex under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. It has been the most sought-after venues in Delhi, hosting national and 62

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international meets on a regular basis. Dr Ambedkar Stadium, in the heart of both New and Old Delhi, is regularly engaged for football tournaments as well as government functions! But the NDMC’s Talkatora Indoor Stadium, which was once a favourite hub for hosting national and international championships, has hardly conducted a sport meet after the CWG boxing events. The lesser you talked is the better about other sport arenas of Delhi—the Chattrasal stadium at

February 2015

Model Town or the neighbouring University Sports Complex. With negligible sport in universities all over the country, particularly in DU, one shouldn’t expect the facilities to be put to good use. In comparison, the Jamia Millia has kept its premises and the ground, where cricket matches are held, in reasonably good conditions. It is anybody’s guess what would be the state of affairs of sport facilities elsewhere in the country. Minus exceptions, the story is more or less the same everywhere. Infrastructure

Special Feature Sports

created in several states in the name of National Games, with the central funding, are mostly in neglect. They are either used for stars night programmes or political meets and the most convincing argument advanced is the money the stadia authorities earn through them. Nobody grudges the money they make through such events. They do need it to maintain the white elephants. But aren’t these meant for a specific purpose? The conduct of sports meets is increasingly becoming problematic with federations and state associations finding it difficult to pay the stadia charges. For a three-day meet, the charges at an indoor stadium could be anything in the rage of Rs. 5-7 lakh, if not more. It all depends on the size of stadium one hires for the meet and facilities needed. Recently, I visited two southern states, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and the union territory of Pondicherry, near Tamil Nadu, to witness the national table tennis events. In the first and the second cases, the organizers had to conduct the championships in two marriage halls, adjacent to each other, because of lack of infrastructure. But in the third, which was held at an indoor stadium, the senior national

championships were the first meet held in 10 years. Kerala, which is hosting the National Games after numerous problems, will have a spread of infrastructure in the state with various districts conducting different disciplines. Try and speak

As a result, talented athletes can’t find support to hone their skill, so they don’t catch the eye of sponsors. And sponsors, without stars to latch onto, continue putting all of their funding into a few cricketers. to the Andhra sportspersons, they are spewing venom over chief minister Chandrababu Naidu for having invested everything in Hyderabad, for the 2002 National Games. Hyderabad was the united Andhra Pradesh’s capital then. Today, Hyderabad belongs to Telangana and Andhra will have to create its own infrastructure, including its capital in the next 10 years. Travel westwards and to Mumbai, you will hardly find a state-owned indoor facility.

With space selling at a premium, the private players are the ones who have indoor, air-conditioned stadium and it could cost the organizers anything between Rs. 35 and Rs. 40 lakh. Fortunately, the SAI stadia in New Delhi don’t cost that much thanks sports ministry’s small mercies. But it is still steep, say the national federations. With very little sponsorships coming their way, they are finding it difficult. Most federations blame it on cricket for all the ills and the corporate sponsors, ever after the mileage, who pump in a huge share on cricket leaving just the breadcrumbs to other disciplines. As a result, talented athletes can’t find support to hone their skill, so they don’t catch the eye of sponsors. And sponsors, without stars to latch onto, continue putting all of their funding into a few cricketers. Another problem is that the government, in the last 68 years since independence, hasn’t considered sports an important focus compared with other pressing needs. Of course, there is money available for sports through a central budget, apart from individual states allocating funds—sports is still a state subject in India—to manage competition in each sport and train athletes. But much of their budget is spent on salaries for bureaucrats, leaving the athletes complain about lack of money for track improvements, coaches, better training and infrastructure. We don’t need white elephants in a few urban centres, but facilities at block, district and state levels where state-run training programmes can focus on churning out finelytuned athletes. Yet, all these will not guarantee medals at the Olympics Games. Only the hard work will. EOM

February 2015

Governance Today

Special Feature Sports

Adding The Oomph Factor

When was the last time when any Indian news channel show the highlights of any sports by just centring on the game and players…

| EKTA SRIVASTAVA

ith the emergence of Indian Premier League and other super leagues and celebrities engagement, sports in India is now firmly in the grip of the ‘celebrity culture’ that is dominating our urban planet. There was a time, when people watched sports because they loved the game, they had their favourites in each and every team whom they loved and admired. But today these sports have new mascots, ones who own the team and players. While the IPL paved way for an amazing fusion of sports and entertainment, with their catchphrase ‘Cricket weds

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February 2015

Entertainment’, Bollywood slowly found their connection with sports. With heavyweight names of entertainment industry owning sports teams, be it Cricket, Football or even Kabaddi, Bollywood has emerged as a big patron of India’s sporting dreams.

‘Leagues wed Entertainment’ Games have just got bigger, and dare we say a wee bit more brazen. Be it Janet Jackson’s ‘tit’illating performance at the Super Bowl, sexy numbers worn poster girls Maria Sharapova and Anna Ivanovic, sizzling dances, stilt walkers and cheerleaders at the IPL, or the high profile fashion shows of the recently concluded Chennai Open, glamour has

proved to be one of the key elements to draw crowds to stadiums. Cheerleaders, film stars, fireworks, event managers, and yes, players in coloured clothing hitting the game: the purists may be alarmed, but the fact is that ‘sports+entertainment’ is finally a recognised industry. And it is raking rich moolah. Even the manner of watching these games have changed. So, if Kolkata Knight Riders has the strength of Sourav Ganguly and larger-than-life presence of Shah Rukh Khan and associates, Mohali has Preity Zinta to lift the spirits, Bangalore has Vijay Mallya and Katrina Kaif to raise the glamour quotient, Mumbai has Hrithik Roshan to add a little bit of

Special Feature Sports

spice, while Delhi has Akshay’s machismo to draw in the crowds. Can Mandira Bedi be far behind? Ever since the actress cohosted Extra Innings with Charu Sharma, she has become a name associated with cricket. While many argued that she diluted the seriousness of the game, nobody could deny that the actress, in her gorgeous saris and noodle-strapped blouses, made the show look beautiful! Finding inspiration and following suit was Chennai girl Lekha Washington, who presented the IPL. Nevertheless, cricket was always the form of mass entertainment and players were brands but they couldn’t quite encash their brand value. Though Kapil Dev did appear on TV in eighties with his famous

tagline“Palmolive Da Jawab Nahin,” and Ravi Shastri and Alan Border appeared flaunting Vimal suiting, they were kind of babes in the wood, when compared with the mega brands that Sachin, Dhoni and now Virat Kohli have become. This mini-revolution which has come in the form of leagues, has changed the face of these games. The way these leagues have been embraced by fans, sponsors and the players, is proof that there was a yearning for change in the rules of the game. In particular, the infrastructure at most of the grounds has significantly improved with the advent of the new league, offering endless opportunity and globalisation of sports with comfortable seating, much-needed floodlights, sparkling outfields, large scoreboards. Going to the games today have actually turned out to be a pleasurable experience

as sponsors’ money is being ploughed back into improving the facilities across stadia. However, the much needed thing today is not to dilute the seriousness of the sports. Sports carry certain enduring traditions and are ultimately about a deep emotional connect between players and fans and not about transient pleasures derived from being part of a three hour extravaganza. Today, it has been seen that focus of camera is more on the glamorous cheerleaders, dancers and tinsel town celebrities instead of players. The highlights of the matches show more celebrities celebration then the sixes, goals and hits. Even sometimes it felt as players are not playing for the game but they are showing their acting talent to bag a role in a big shot director’s movie. In this environment, a pertinent question that begs to be answered is whether sports is getting subsumed by entertainment and what is the future of the actual game in the overall scheme of things. It’s a time and a very hard time to draw a Lakshman rekha, between the ‘real thing’ sports and ‘money making’ sports. Bollywood has always had a predominant influence over the contemporary popular culture, virtually trampling over all else. The sports fraternity needs to take a call on how is it going to be entertaining to audience and fans and become their icons. Do sports stars carry enough charisma and respect earned on field to stay relevant or they need a glam crutch to be remembered by fans? Would it not be a shame for our new czars of the sports to need Shilpa Shettys, Shahrukh Khans and Preity Zintas of the world to enter their dressing rooms and hitch them to stardom?

February 2015

Governance Today

Interview

SC Verdict a Beginning in Cleaning Gentleman’s Game The Supreme Court of India recently delivered a remarkable verdict on the infamous IPL spot-fixing scandal. While the all powerful N Srinivasan has been barred from contesting in the overdue elections of arguably cricket’s most powerful governing body, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), more is yet to come in the next verdict soon. Ramesh Kumar Raja talked to Heena Zuni Pandit, former sports journalist who is known to have played an instrumental role in connecting the dots to bring out the sordid truth behind the sporting extravaganza by helping the Justice Mudgal Committee. Edited excerpts:

ow do you look at the Supreme Court verdict on IPL spot fixing? Did it address all points that have soiled the game in the recent past? I’ll answer the second part of your question first. As far as I know, the Supreme Court had defined a charter within which the Justice Mudgal Committee was supposed to work. This charter was based on the various facts and information that had cropped up during the initial sittings of the committee and various news, hearsay and rumours that were doing the rounds for years. So, the SC charter was technically well defined and has covered a lot of ‘major’ issues in totality. Having said that, since cricket is a ‘gully’ game in India, everybody knows the basics at large hence the chances of corruption going deep down are

Governance Today

February 2015

high. Even a very small action can be (and is) defined as corruption but I am not sure if all that can be cleared at one go. I wish this will turn out to be the first step to clean the game. Regarding my outlook on the verdict, it’s quite satisfying. At least there is a sense of trust now that no one can get away doing anything punishable even if he/ she carries a very high profile what-so-ever. Will it act as deterrent in future to prevent cricket from getting more scandalous? It surely should. When the top bosses have come under the scanner and are waiting to hear the degree of punishment, small fishes would definitely think twice. This can at least ensure the young and upcoming cricketers, seeing the case of Ajeet Chandela don’t get lured away. This sincere hearing and verdict will keep the players away

from bookies. So, a check gate has been put up, courtesy Justice Thakur and Justice Khalifullah. What sort of challenges did you face when the Justice Mudgal Committee was connecting the dots? I am amongst the 99 witnesses who were questioned in this case. Since I had helped in the investigation in whatever way possible, the panel had mentioned me in the report submitted in the court, appreciating and thanking me for the work. Initially, I was not very sure if I should speak or not. A road accident in the past has been timed in such a way that my well-wishers were taken aback. But as a responsible citizen and journalist, my conscious was not allowing me to escape. And to be frank, I had collected so much of information while working on this topic that it was not morally

Interview

correct to keep silent. So, taking permission from family to do this was the problem number one. Then there was a tedious task to recollect everything and re-gather my sources. Going through the ‘tapes’, rewriting the short hand notes, cross checking four-year-old information and updating the same was another problem. The biggest problem was to make my sources agree to help. Since there was no hope at all, they were not interested and not really bothered much. But somehow, I convinced them by saying we should do our bit and have faith in the court. This is probably the first and the last chance so let’s play our role. Obviously none of them wanted to face the police but ultimately they helped a lot. Didn’t you fear of any eventuality since it was going to to be a very high profile case? Did the ‘high profile’ people get feared while doing anything wrong? Did they fear that their actions could have a negative outcome? Then why should I be scared. I was only helping in the investigation. Any personal loss could not have been as immense as the loss of the integrity of the game. Moreover, I feel that when you give some crucial years of your life to something of this sort, fears take a back seat. Here let me explain you that betting, as such, is not a punishable offence in India. And proving a match/or a part of match to be fixed is again very difficult. So, I don’t think that any bookie (who is otherwise a real estate businessmen etc.) will commit a punishable offence to harm any human being. In any case, I am hardly scared of anyone or anything. Now that Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra are in dock for all the wrong reasons, what’s

your take on the issue? The first time I heard about Raj Kundra betting on his own team was in 2011 by a BCCI official, indicating that people knew about his activities. Still the BCCI, IPL, ACSU chose to do nothing. Things got worse. Years later, we had seen his team players behind the bars. So, one can imagine how grave is all this. I got to know of a very hilarious thing about Kundra. He said he didn’t know that betting is illegal and not allowed. The person through whom he was putting bets was out of reach. That was the time when a source from Greece helped me to get through. I gave the details to BB Mishra (the investigating officer) who did the rest that was needed to pin down Kundra. Later, I learned through my sources that Kundra was a defaulter (of few lakhs) to the bookie with whom he was betting. I won’t comment on Gurunath because I don’t know much about his case. Why the name/s of cricketer/s indulged in unfair practice is still not out, because only then the fans will come to know how some cricketers recklessly play with people’s faith in the gentleman’s game? There was a list of 13 individuals. Four names are out. These are the non-players. It makes it clear that the rest of the nine names are of players. Now we don’t know if all of those have been found guilty or cleared. So, I think to minimize the defame factor, the names of the players have still not been discussed. We should wait for the right time. The current verdict by the Supreme Court of India has come as a big hope for all, I think. In the beginning, the court has said that they will deal with it separately, so let’s see what the court has in

mind. Indian cricket will change as and when those names will become public. Tell us about the secret operation carried out against top players. Well, I can’t disclose much but I can tell you that a number of bookies and fixers were contacted. After a lot of chasing around, we sat down and discussed about the evidences and gave everything to BB Mishra who was heading that investigation team. I was trying to meet one of my sources in August last year. He gave me time to meet on Diwali but cancelled at the last moment. Finally, I landed up at his address and convinced him to help. On 28th October 2014, we nailed it. Do you feel the three-member committee constituted by Supreme Court will come out with more revelations in the interest of game? Definitely. Names of other individuals who are found guilty are one thing we all are waiting for. I am looking for if they might come up with some suggestive measures also to make the anticorruption wing of the BCCI work more effectively or something on those line. Was the money being injected from illegal source i.e. hawala? Yes. This is the most common and safest route for such type of transactions and unfortunately, it’s proliferating. What needs to be done to clean cricket from illegal practices? Training of young players, rigorous vigilance, resources in abundance, well thought strategy which looks into the matter from inside and outside to keep a check and implementation of the same. And above all, a strong will is enough to keep the gentlemen’s game so.

February 2015

Governance Today

Special Feature Sports

Empowering Youth Via ‘Sports’ | RAMESH KUMAR RAJA

andeep Kumar, 24, is the son of an auto rickshaw driver. The family of three has a monthly income of Rs. 8,000-10,000. He got selected during a talent hunt in Majnu Ka Tilla, a non-descript colony in north Delhi inhabited by families belonging to disadvantaged section of the society. Since 2009, Sandeep has been representing India in ‘sepak takraw,’ an acrobatic sport played by kicking a rattan ball in the air which is native to Malaysia, in various international tournaments. He also represented India in the 16th and 17th Asian Games held in China and South Korea respectively. Sandeep is not alone. There are a number of rags-to-riches stories being scripted by Stairs, a Delhiheadquartered sports charity, for over a decade or so. It is just not sepak takraw, hockey, cricket,

Governance Today

February 2015

baseball, volleyball, football, khokho, kabbadi etc. are also being promoted by the organisation run by a young sports person Siddhartha Upadhyay who played cricket in the early 1990s, but had to quit due to an injury. He now helps street children develop a habit of playing outdoor games and even make a career out it. Some of his beneficiaries in cricket have risen up to the level of Ranji Trophy, which is not less than any board examination in a cricket-crazy nation. There are nearly 300 centres of Stairs spread across six states, extending its network in remote areas vying for a panIndia presence. More than 1.5 lakh children are enrolled with the organisation, which picks up street talents, trains them, provides them with sports equipment, offers scholarships and provides a platform for them to play at regional, state, national and international level. The

organisation has produced nearly 200 national level players cutting across different categories and tournaments. So far, more than 80 underprivileged youngsters have received scholarships. The sporting NGO has different set of programs for different states. For example, in Delhi it has six games being played at 31 centres under the three programs namely Uflex Khelo Dilli, Uflex Stairs Cricket Scholarship and Stairs Football for Change. Similarly, it has Stairs Khelo Himachal, Stairs Khelo Uttar Pradesh, Stairs Khelo Jharkhand and Stairs Sonbhadra Khelo Mahotsav, to name a few. It is also working for the cause of differently-abled children and has opened one of its kind cricket academy for them – Stairs4ability at Sports Stadium, Ravindra Nagar Dhoos, Padrauna, Kushinagar, UP. ‘Hockey for Growth’ is another initiative by Stairs along with former India

captain Dilip Tirkey to connect Bharat with India. As a part of the program, Stairs recently distributed 100,000 hockey sticks among underprivileged youth across the country. Worth noting, supporting the cause of ‘Sports for Development’, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany recently partnered with Stairs for one of the biggest school football leagues ever in Delhi-NCR region. It may be noted that 35-yearold Upadhyay himself is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for crafting new businesses and strategic initiatives. He has established Mavcomm group of companies that offer various consultancy services. He always had an infectious enthusiasm towards sports that inspired him to start Stairs in 2002. Having spent his formative years in east Delhi’s Shalimar Garden, he initially started honing the skills of underprivileged children from lower middle class areas such as Seelampur, Seemapuri, Dilshad Garden and nearby areas of East Delhi. Soon, he started going to rural and tribal belts close to DelhiNCR and subsequently made it a pan-India affair. Recently, he was honoured by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for his contribution towards development of society through

sports. Walking down the memory lane, Upadhyay recalls, “Stairs is something that grew out of personal passion and experience. It all started at the turn of the century. The trigger was my disgust with the lack of access to playgrounds and facilities among the underprivileged youth. I started visiting nearby slums and areas inhabited by the underprivileged sections of the society to play with the kids. This culminated in the establishment of Stairs to help children have their right to play. The first five years were a period of learning for Stairs and me, as we tried to understand the underprivileged children and youth and break the invisible wall between us and them.” “When I started Stairs, there was little support from government or corporate sector. Sports was not a CSR activity. During that time, not many realized the value of sports. In fact, parents would chide children for playing and considered it a waste of time and energy,” he reminisces. But today, he says, sports is increasingly viewed by the society in general and

young people in particular as a tool to achieve personal and community development objectives. Government and nongovernment agencies, at national as well as international level, are incorporating it in their strategies to address humanitarian and development work, he adds. Although raising funds for infrastructure and equipment are an incessant struggle for a noble cause, the most challenging aspect, for Stairs, has been to get the parents and children to agree to come to the playfield. “You must understand that for a poor family every hand that can earn is an asset, but no pair can have leisure time. Further, the disadvantaged youth are unaware of their own worth. They lack respect for other human beings as well as themselves. They waste their time idling around. Some of them turn anti-social and get involved in undesirable activities like drug or alcohol abuse, gambling etc,” Upadhyay enumerates. The challenge, he says, is to motivate these youngsters to

February 2015

Governance Today

Stairs founder Siddhartha Upadhyay with German Ambassador Michael Steiner

come and start playing. For this, the NGO conducts a field study of the area where it plans to set up a centre. Local community leaders are made an integral part of initiative, who besides being influencers, help in identifying the prospective participants. Stairs, thereafter, first holds counselling and talent identification camps to understand the community. Coaching camps are the next step, which culminates into holding of tournaments where the local youth get a chance to showcase their talent. The NGO later facilitates the selection of talented sportsman into district, state and national level teams. Granting scholarship thus comes in between to promote the deserving athletes. The sporting charity, as a follow up, uses various methodologies such as questionnaires and discussions to get a feedback from camps’ participants. It helps Stairs know the impact of its efforts on the life of these youngsters, 70

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February 2015

how it has aided in their psychological and emotional development, and the impact of sports on their lives. Taking its philanthropic spirit forward, Stairs is now in the process of starting a women empowerment program, wherein the fairer sex from the underprivileged background will be taught self-sustenance and financial independence through sports. Even as Stairs nurtures the talented sportsmen at the bottom of the societal pyramid so that they can use sports as a mean of earning a living and pursue it as a career, what bother Upadhyay are the increasing crowds, rising crime rate, traffic, lack of playing areas, recreational facilities etc. They have all, he complains, contributed to making physical activity and sports a difficult choice for many people. The challenge here is to create sustainable environment which encourages physical activity especially amongst the youngsters, he adds. “We need to promote a love for sports and sportsmanship among our children and youth. It will not only be good for the health of individuals but also for

the nation. The efforts must start at the family level where parents encourage their kids to play with the same vigour as they push them to study. The local community and government, nongovernmental and corporate organisations have to provide financial and manpower support to these efforts. The society must recognize its importance and grant the right to play to every child irrespective of sex, caste, creed or financial status,” the sports enthusiast emphasises. Believe it or not, for a serial entrepreneur, sports is the best tool for social engineering. “When you play a sport, all that matters is your talent. The colour of your skin, religion, caste, and creed cease to matter on the play field. It is this thought process that needs to be implemented even in day-to-day lives. In a world which is marred by religious intolerance and divisions on the basis of class, caste and sex, sports can play a vital role in changing the mindsets of the young people,” he says. Quoting a United Nations report that recognises sports as a powerful tool for social development, Upadhyay says those who play sports experience a high level of interaction with other individuals within and outside their community. “This not only benefits the youngster but also helps in the community’s socio-economic development. Sports participation has a positive effect on reducing the involvement and exposure that the young people might have towards violence and unethical activities. Sports offer these youngsters a positive and healthier alternative to sitting idle,” he signs off.

February 2015

Governance Today

Art & Culture

Wisdom Behind Ancient Arts Odissi danseuse Reela Hota shows the way An art can also be therapeutic and has great healing powers! Meet Reela Hota, a contemporary Odissi dancer, who founded the Rays of Wisdom Society, an organization dedicated to highlighting how art – visual and performing – and vital therapeutic practices in traditional systems of healing can combine to meet lifestyle challenges of today. Daughter of former civil servant Purna Chandra Hota and yoga guru mother Bijoylaxmi Hota, Reela pioneered in making Indian spiritual philosophy such as Yoga, Kundalini and Sanskrit the theme of her performances and is credited for adding a new dimension to the classical dance. In 2013, she created a unique dance fusion on the healing aspect of Sanskrit when she collaborated with Ballet dancers from Bucharest National Opera House in what is the first-time-ever “amalgamation of Western classical and Odissi”. A trend setter, Reela is committed to scientifically establish and propagate the wisdom behind ancient arts and healing to help people live a better quality of lifephysically, mentally, socially and spiritually. In a conversation with Ramesh Kumar Raja, the Odissi danseuse shared her vision about the healing aspects of art and the issues related to it, including governance. Edited excerpts: 72

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February 2015

ow did the idea to promote the “healing through creative arts” come about?

My mother Bijoylaxmi Hota and three generations before her had learnt yoga from the great practitioner, Paramahamsa Swami Satyananda Saraswati. So, yoga and health systems were always an integral part of my life. Ancient societies believe, and rightly so, that the health of an individual is dependent upon the physical, emotional and spiritual environment of which s/he is a member. Art – both visual and performing – enhances spiritual creativity and emotional reparation. Today, creative arts are extensively used in therapy to help a person seek happiness and peace of mind. The spiritual/healing aspect of arts inspired me to educate while entertaining when we were on the drawing board to create International Ancient Arts Festival. We found very similar traditions in the cultures of Turkey, Vietnam, China, Latin America, Africa, Egypt and India. Classical and folk dances of India, the whirling dervishes of Turkey, the Vietnamese ballet etc. are all intrinsically linked to their cultures’ healing systems. Research shows that Latin American drumming is healing, Chinese musical instruments are meditative… Indian classical dance also has yogic elements in it, the list is endless. So, that’s how we arrived at “healing through creative arts across cultures.” How do you define the therapy via arts? Art therapy – sometimes also called as creative arts therapy or expressive arts therapy – encourages people to express

Art & Culture

and understand emotions through artistic expression and through the creative process. At its most successful, art therapy triggers an emotional catharsis. Some of the benefits of arts therapy are as follows: Personal fulfillment: It comes from both the creative and the analytical components of the artistic process. Empowerment: Art therapy can help people visually express emotions and fears that they cannot express through conventional means, and can give them some sense of control over these feelings. Relaxation and stress relief: Chronic stress can be harmful to both mind and body. Stress can weaken and damage the immune system, can cause insomnia and depression, and can trigger circulatory problems (like high blood pressure and irregular heartbeats). When used alone or in combination with other relaxation techniques such as guided imagery, art therapy can effectively relieve stress. Symptom relief and physical rehabilitation: Art therapy can also help patients cope with pain. This therapy can promote physiological healing when patients identify and work through anger, resentment, and other emotional stressors. It is often prescribed to accompany pain control therapy for chronically and terminally ill patients How do you think governmental endorsement can promoting your cause? Most definitely. Cultural Vitality is one of the four pillars, others being Economic Viability, Environmental Responsibility and Social Equity, that form any cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s planning framework. In every country, it is the government that enunciates and implements cultural policies. The economic bottom line should not be considered the sole indicator of good governance. Social, environmental and cultural factors are acknowledged as having equal weight in determining policy. How do you look at the present situation and future direction of our

In every country, it is the government that enunciates and implements cultural policies. The economic bottom line should not be considered the sole indicator of good governance. Social, environmental and cultural factors are acknowledged as having equal weight in determining policy. classical arts? There is a growing interest for good quality performances. We have to find a way to increase demand to such an extent that audiences are willing to pay to watch a concert. As for future, I feel it is very bright. The combination of Indian artistry and depth of music, rhythm and movement, along with the exposure to western

sophistication of presentation, will make Indian classical arts the most-soughtafter art form along with its already popular cuisine, tourist hot spots and arts and crafts.

What should be done to increase the charm of classical arts beyond classroom and auditoriums? Artists have to be more glamorous in their physical appearance. The depth of artistry must be combined with sophisticated presentation and demeanor, and that will get the pulse of the international audiences. Tell us something about the International Ancient Arts Festival being organized by you for the last couple of years. The healing powers of ancient arts is validated through scientific research and left brain activity like dance and music works as therapy to help people balance right brain activity which creates stress, and address urban lifestyle challenges. Hence, the International Ancient Arts Festival is aimed at highlighting how music, dance and vital therapeutic practices in traditional systems of healing can combine to meet lifestyle

challenges of today. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a unique festival-cumsymposium organized in collaboration with Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). These are like long-weekend festivals and include events ranging from Ramlila, classical dances, Qawwali, foreign dances, fusions and even puppetry and folk dances. We are committed to scientifically establish and propagate the wisdom behind ancient arts and healing to help people live a better quality of lifephysically, mentally, socially and spiritually.

February 2015

Governance Today

You Either Become an Ascetic or a NonBeliever Watching Them! | AMITABH SRIVASTAVA

aving worked with a girl’s care home for three months has left me with a sense of catharsis that nothing else can match. It is very easy to talk of juvenile children and ask for severe punishment to punish them. But watching some of these despised, neglected and rescued girls, some of whom are victims of broken homes and trafficking trying to change themselves is an experience that leaves you either an ascetic or a non-believer. The chances of the second option are the more common. How can the Gods be so cruel to the most delicate and vulnerable of his own creation? Is it their fault if their parents have been constantly fighting and throwing things at each other? Are they to blame if their disturbed childhood makes them school drop outs? And finally, if there is an allegedly ALMIGHTY benevolent God why did he create parents who are willing to sell their own children to touts so they could live a few years more. But if one is willing to open one’s eyes to observe how these children are attempting to cope with the trauma of being stigmatized for being abusive, violent and throwing tantrums and forced to live in reform homes where they need permission from the Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) to meet their own parents and going to court on every fixed

Governance Today

February 2015

day, one can only Bless the Lord for creating them as human beings who have certainly a ‘God’s particle’ in them. Changing publicly is not easy, certainly not for girls who have not been given lessons in modesty, soft talk or a graceful walk. They have been put into such homes by well-meaning NGOs after being rescued by Police teams accompanied by members of the NGO. All they have by way of inspiration are lessons given by over worked and under paid social workers who are surprisingly, taking their task as a God sent mission. These are the motivators y who inspire these unwanted members of civil society to improve themselves by reading books, taking up a vocation and learn crafts that could ultimately get them jobs or if not, get them settled in life by way of a proper, legal marriage. This transformation is not easy most of the times. Giving up old habits is much more difficult than laying down arms by hardened dacoits. Here the demons are inside and chances of relapsing are always waiting at an unexpected corner. But the miracle is that most of these girls come out stronger after this public scrutiny (the least offensive disruption of their right to privacy and right to live with dignity). For many the change is very slow because the temptation to return to their former abusive

and violent self is ingrained in their psyche to pull them back. I can say this from personal experience that many of these rescued girls have, within a period of six months, changed into responsible human beings handling the entire office work and even outside office with exceptional perfection and competence. They can operate the computers, internet services, printers and can fetch documents and files faster than the normal staff whether from the computers or from the cupboards. I have seen these children of a cruel God, if there is any such Entity, excel in whatever task they are given. Needless to say, they put in all their energy in the task given to them whether it is cultural programs, sports or even cooking. First, they have nothing to lose if they fail- they are already labeled as the scums of society. Anything will be better than their present status. S e c o n d l y, they are unconsciously always at war with the so-called normal girls of their age to prove that they are one up, given a fair competition. In fact after witness some of their talent in dancing and singing at a program before a huge audience in a stadium I was wondering why they are not in reality shows on television. But will they get that chance?

February 2015

Governance Today

February 2015