Whispers Forum

DEBATE (1)
I reckon that an infusion of highly qualified specialists is required to meet the desired objectives in the Government. Induction of Joint Secretaries from non-AIS on lateral entry mode into Government will help the country in taking right decision instead of monotonous regularities.
Sunil Kumar
“ Good Governance : The Mission Impossible in India ”
The Good Governance Day is celebrated every year in India on December 25 to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The day was established by the Union Government in 2014 to honour him by fostering awareness about the importance of Accountability in government .But, impressions are out-of-sync with ground realities.It sounds all very fine. But, due to lack of political will, persistent manipulation of pliant bureaucracy and deep nexus with builders-criminals mafia, this will remain a pipe dream in India for years to come. Caught in a Chakravyuh. A vicious circle. Wheels within wheels. Let us analyse further and have a closer look.
Pursuing Good governance will always remain a weak link in our search for equity, economic upliftment and political stability in the country. Corruption is India’s enemy number One. All pervasive, impacting all departments of life including Judiciary. Ironically, The CBI and the CVC have been wasting considerable time in seeking prosecution sanctions from competent authorities in respect of delinquent civil servants of the level of Joint Secretaries and above. But, without success.
As per the latest media report, the CVC and the CBI are awaiting sanctions for prosecuting 79 corrupt central government officers including an IAS officer, for over four months from different oganisations. Of these, nine cased are pending with the Ministry of Personnel, the nodal department for anti-corruption matters besides eight pending with UP government. Further, four cases involving 13 bankers are pending with the State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Corporation Bank and IDBI. Besides these, three cases involving corrupt officers are pending with Union territories, two each with the ministries of Defence, Food and Supply, Health and Family Welfare and Urban Development, among others.
As per prescribed rules, sanction for prosecution has to be decided within four-month time. The above cases are pending sanction of prosecution for more than four months. Shameful indeed.
What message is sought to be conveyed to the public-at-large.
Why are the Centre and State governments averse to granting prosecution sanctions for punishing the delinquent civil servants ?. Reasons are not far to seek.Fear of letting the political class exposed.
Worse still, the administrative ministries pay little or no attention to complaints received by them. Actionable complaints are being abruptly closed without carrying out verification. While,the potentially corrupt officers are getting protected, the innocents are being harassed.
Several departmental CVOs are under cloud. The CVC is a toothless tiger, eager to be over-ruled by the departmental heads.Sadly, while the bad governance is the norm in India, good governance is a rarity.
Whom to blame for the prevalent mess? Obviously, the outcome of cumulative failures of successive political dispensations during the past seventy years. To put it more bluntly, the laidback and opportunistic bureaucracy in collusion with the political Executive.
Public institutions with large public interfaces, fail to perform public duties and manage public funds honestly. Decision-making is slow; implementation still slower. Consultation with stake-holders is absent. Public needs receive tertiary importance. Accountability is altogether missing.
Against this backdrop, one wonders, how far hiring professionals from the private sector into government stream ( by way of lateral entry) will provide solutions to all ills ?
Let us carry out the reality-check to the notion of Good governance in the country in term of certain essential elements.
Transparency : People can question the authorities,only when there is transparency. it should be for the welfare of the people. There should not be any hidden motives of the govt. Transparency means that the criteria, process of decision-making are all kept in the public domain for scrutiny and questioning by the public. Right To Information Act set the stage for transparency in the functioning of the government and its various agencies. Access to information from a public agency is now the statutory right of every citizen. The general complaint is that the system of government in India is so impervious that ordinary people do not have idea about how decisions are taken and how public funds are utilized. The RTI Act is a window for greater transparency about the manner of functioning of public agencies. But, it faces road blocks. For instance, the political parties and the Judiciary are exempted from sharing information with the inquisitive public under the Act.
Honesty and Integrity : The Government is expected to be be honest and ethical in its functioning.Only an honest and hard working Government can bring about Good governance.
Responsiveness: Public servants should heed to the complaints and feedback of the governed in a timely responsive manner. Delay of justice is as good as denial of justice.
Equity and Inclusiveness: This is to ensure that all members of society without discrimination from the grass root levels are taken into consideration in policy formulation. Everybody should be included in Society and nobody should be alienated from it.
Accessibility: The public servants should be accessible to the public. This keeps them attached to grassroots and their problems. It helps in getting feedback from the aggrieved about unethical practices prevailing in the services providing departments.
Effectiveness and Efficiency: More efficient and effective ,the system of governance, easier it would be for the public to participate in the government - steered schemes.
Accountability : Public servants must be held accountable for their wrong actions and misconducts. In all government bodies, vertical accountability is the norm. Answerability to the designated boss in the departmental hierarchy has to be ensured. All government systems and agencies have elaborate practices and procedures for such upward reporting in performance of designated tasks within the time and available budget resources . Besides the upward vertical accountability, all government agencies have systems of horizontal accountability to ensure checks and balances.Every one is under watch by the peers and even subordinates.
Rule of Law : Good Governance must ensure equality among the citizens and Rule of Law to the Authority. The doctrine of “ Be you ever so high, the Law is always above you “, is the rule. Every one is subservient to Law.
Welfare of minorities: The public servants are required to strive for the protection and betterment of minorities along with the majority.
Women empowerment : Policies must be formulated to ensure empowerment of women
Environment friendly : Environment is an area that is impossible to ignore due to recent calamities across the world attributed to climate change.
Decentalization : This is imperative in the effective implementation of policies.
E- governance: This is considered extremely important for good governance by bringing transparency into the system.
To conclude, compliance of the above requirement is considered the sine qua non for ensuring Good governance and human rights in a liberal democracy like India.
The governance movement will encounter several roadblocks. Poor governance is being increasingly regarded as the root causes of all corrupt practices in society. Every liberal democracy is wasting national exchequer on a massive scale for mitigating corrupt practices. But, the outcome has been elusive. Introducing the concept of Integrity Pacts in public contracting is an innovative step that has started giving dividends. Giving excessive discretionary powers in the hands of official machinery especially at the lower echelons needs drastic curtailment. Their misuse is playing havoc with the aggrieved public that visit government offices, agencies, local bodies, police, lower judiciary etc for redressal of grievances.
All attributed to absence of transparency and accountability. The system is flawed and deficient. I wish the new Government –in- power after the general elections 2019 or a new avtaar of present dispensation, address these concerns on priority for improving the quality of life of Indian citizens.
A K Saxena ( A former civil servant)

DEBATE (1)
Lateral entry in the services will cause frustration among the merit holders.
Pukhraj Maroo (Ex IAS).
DEBATE (2)
I feel instead of taking 9 specialists from the Private Sector on 3 year contract, the best choice would have been to borrow the talent from Academic pool of universities, well experienced of 10 years specialization with a Ph. D degree on deputation basis, so that if do not deliver, they can be sent back. Appointing from the Private Sector leads to conflict of interest and may be security threat too. There is a possibility that these private sector people may not like to continue after three years. Having industry experience plus these three years Government experience will all make them competent for UN/IMF/WB/ADB etc. They have come only to add glory to their profile.
Harish Kumar

DEBATE (1)
Lateral entry in Civil Services will lead to clash of ego. Government will have another problem.
G Subramaniam
Your site should remain apolitical
I have been observing that some articles /comments which are political in nature are being published on your site. I think that your site should remain absolutely neutral and apolitical and discourage publishing any comment/s which are political in nature or criticising / lauding any particular political dispensation. You can imagine that if your site also gets politically aligned / identified with a particular dispensation, then the repercussions may not be favourable when the other dispensation is in power. You are into business of providing news / information on postings / transfers for so many years, therefore you should try to stick to your old USP.
Sanjay Jain

Are we not chowkidar of our house? Our property? Our cattle? Our crops? Our children? Isn’t the king a chowkidar of his kingdom? When the people fail to act 24x7 chowkidar, the chor/thieves strike with vengeance and dexterity. Itihas gavah hai, we lost our freedom in the past because we failed to perform our duty of citizen chowkidars. The European countries did not hesitate to inflict two world wars on the world as their primary objective was to watch their national interest or do their duty of chowkidar to their nation first before thinking of nobler ideas like peace or non-violence. They will not hesitate to do so again if their national interest so demands. They will not sit idle like a pahredar controlling only access & exit. The chowkidar keeps a watchful eye on everybody while the pahredar guards the door only. History is an impressive narrative of kings who disguised themselves only to perform their watchmen duty during the night. The felicity of the English language is clearer than Hindi since it has many synonyms for the word watch: oversight, vigil, survey, monitor etc. In Hindi, the word chowkidar carries a certain degree of contempt like the word “neech” used by a prominent English educated Congressman. Though, the cultural nuance is that it is a sign of extreme humility when a dignitary calls himself a chowkidar or a person holding a low rank! Just try to understand the nuance when a prime minister calls himself a chowkidar of the nation, people or assets of the nation. Only arrogant, empty-headed hate spouting persons deride such a person for calling himself a chowkidar. It includes a variety of chor or thieves, whose livelihood is the profession of chori or theft of the properties of others, including intellectual properties and Trade Related Intellectual Assets. But a chowkidar alone is the protector of lives and property of the people. The chowkidars of the democracy are required to watch the plunderers equipped to steal the result of the Lok Sabha Election 2019. Long Live The Nation’s Chowkidars! Long Live The People’s Chowkidars! Long Live The Democracy’s Chowkidars!
M L Gupta
IAS officer working in both govt & pvt sector
What about conflict of interest evident in such an arrangement ?
Subba Rao

Now that AAP has decided against the alliance with congress, AAP has already gifted 3 sets for BJP even before the poll. Now there is no point in talking that they are against BJP.
Pankaj Kumar
A ploy by the lootyen"s group!
Who is this Namit Verma and wherefrom did he get this news, not seen by others! Seems like a ploy by the lootyen"s group! just like the letter by retired armed forces, which turns out to be a fraud and sham. It is also intriguing that a bunch of retired bureaucrats have written to the President criticising the EC. Earlier the more or less similar bunch had been writing against the intolerance etc. They were of course very content with the tukde tukde gang , as it was an expression of FOE! The government should not only treat this letter with the contempt it deserves, and throw it in the dustbin, but should also enquire into the antecedents of each of these individuals. This will reveal how many of them have amassed fortune disproportionate to their income, how many connived and acted actively or passively in the corrupt activities of the previous government, and how many grovelled before the corrupt ministers for plum postings Their conscience were not stirred during the anti Sikh riots of 1984, or the massive corruption of the previous government! Most of them were beneficiaries of largesse and thought themselves to be entitled to government benefits for enter life. Their dreams shattered, they are suffering from impotent rage. This is possibly their last attempt to ingratiate themselves before their former masters so that they can again be entitled to the comforts of Government patronage, should their former masters somehow come back to power!
S Chatterjee
Ms Gargi Kaul is an excellent choice !
Ms Gargi Kaul is an outstanding officer and an excellent choice for the assignment. There is no doubt that she will fully live up to the very high standards of competence, uprightness and probity in this assignment too.
Surinder Paul

The imbecile takeover of the political system is destroying the country. The goal of according equal rights and empowering unthinking, undisciplined riff-raff in the name of democracy and human rights, despite their envy and vengeful motivations, despite their refusal to acknowledge any duties, even embracing their incapacity to perform any duties, is a high ideal: this is indeed necessary and laudable; it is also the beginning of every downward spiral in the history of human civilization. Vacuous leadership across the political spectrum guarantees the onset of the dark ages. Let us strive to somehow avoid the disaster which threatens to engulf our beloved country and civilization.
Namit Verma

Leaks about double printing in VVPAT machines with eyewash fast-fading-thermal-printing for viewer verification and auxiliary printing on reverse of slip by fixing algorithm has unnerved the Modi-BJP government. It is flabbergasted now that it knows that VVPAT fixing details are out and this new mechanism is too obtuse to escape detection if others know about it. The fair election without EVMs has the BJP top brass hitting panic buttons, not very wisely. Significantly, targeting senior Congress leaders whom the US is uncomfortable with, as that party emerges as the obvious beneficiary to harness the forthcoming demonetisation sting-ops and EVM-VVPAT Exposes and the anti-Modi juggernaut which is snowballing into a landslide anti-BJP verdict, is aimed at empowering a Manmohan-type stooge PM choice and boxing Rahul Gandhi in the midst of Uncle Sam's men.
Namit Verma
First time, Rivals using same slogan
First time in Indian elections, both the parties are campaigning using the same slogan.
"Congress ko vote doge, to Rahul PM banega !!"
JS

If congress does not align with AAP for general election 2019, it is sure that BJP is going to get all the seven seats in Delhi. As on date, there are chances of AAP getting atleast one or two seats if it contests alone. And the Congress will get "nil: seats. in Delhi. Therefore, it is better for congress to align with AAP; because this will not only be face saving for them, but certainly AAP and Congress will get all the 7 seats in Delhi. If congress is adamant and go alone, it means they are interested in indirectly help BJP against AAP.
Rahul

This is the dirtiest election one is seeing in this country. Lies, abuses, manipulation, twisting facts, using agencies under control to frame charges against opponents, jumping from one party to another to and fro, winning over the strong candidates on your side (latest example is president of Nishad party who became M.P on SP ticket from Gorakhpur in a bypoll now moving to BJP). Nobody seems to have any ideology. The only factor that weighs is 'who is the winning side ?' or if denied ticket by his party then move to the other side. Money is playing a big role in these elections. Buying winnable candidates is one strategy. Or get those who are popular with the public. So actors, sportsmen, singers, dancers are much in demand. They are interested only in numbers. The character of the person does not matter. Even donkey bhi chalega if people are willing to vote for him. Are we electing people who will occupy the benches of our august Lok Sabha and make laws and debate on policies which affect 125 crores persons in this country or are we going to set up a playground for cricketers, wrestlers or shooters or studio for film shootings or a stage for singers , dancers or comedians .it will be a house full of party hoppers. Those sitting on the opposition benches in the dissolved house will be on the ruling side and vice versa. Disgusting !.It is really a mockery of Democracy. Only the wildest can win in this no holds barred match.
Aarti Khosla
Do we want more Taxes ?
The choice before us all today is :- Low Tax Economy - BJP ; High Tax Economy - Congress !! The Congress think tank economists have clearly stated Middle Class India will be taxed more to fund NYAY scheme ! All of us have a clear idea now of Vision of each party on our future ! Do we want more TAXES ? Vote accordingly !
Devindra

The Congress President's Office and it's team of inexperienced apolitical under bosses browbeating the party organization and hell bent on changing Congress ideals and culture by fiat, are adopting Modi-Shah-BJP style of politics to promote their loyalists over the heads to decent and committed Congressmen and Congresswomen.
Not only will the lightweight candidates representing such a political dispensation lose; more significantly, this political strategy (or the lack of it) orchestrating an overnight change of the face and image of the Congress Party in these troubled and testing times, will destroy the Indian National Congress.
One does not challenge Modi by becoming so weak that we need multiple crutches of alliances in every state, this only strengthens Modi's case of being the only constant star in the Indian political firmament. Alliances certainly admit an absence of commitment, possibly also a lack of conviction, such constructs do not inspire the voter's faith.
The sole reason for the existence of the Congress is to serve higher ideals with courage of conviction: deviations are unacceptable, as the history at political hustings has been repeatedly proving.
The Congress Party was meant to serve the Indian nation as subsequently enshrined in our national constitution. Any and all betrayal of this duty destroys both the Congress and the Indian nation by parts.
The maverick Modi-Shah-BJP experiment has done us a great favour, forcing us to introspect and contemplate the choices before us.
Any and all Congress leaderships which fails to understand, endorse and serve the ideals and convictions enshrined in the original Congress Constitution shall fail; those who dare to try to subvert these ideals shall be destroyed by their own contradictions, such is the mystic foundation of the Indian National Congress.
Namit Verma
Even Modi can also lose !
You are too ambitious to say that Rahul will lose. Indian voters mind cannot be predicted so easily. I sense that even Modi can also lose from Varanasi in an unexpected way then what will you do.
Pankaj Kumar

Election time is when the political parties promise the moon. Their think tanks, geniuses of unique species, invent highly impressive schemes to seduce the voters. It is welcome. At least, once in five years these self- perpetuating species of democracy’s creation, think of the welfare of the voter. They visit temples, churches, mosques and all kinds of religious places to propitiate the Almighty, whom their atheism kept rejecting the whole life. God, like the voter, is pleased with even such a small gesture! But whether it will make the first-time voter happy is for them to understand. Around 1.5 crore young voters will be exercising their vote in the hope that their future is genuinely bright. But they do not know that the future can be bright only for one: the politician or the voter. A majority of these voters will be eligible for their first job in July 2019. Can any Politician assure them jobs in July 2019? If not, then their future is dark. They will be joining the other 1.5 Crore youths of the earlier election whose future is their present and both are destined to sail in the same boat! Why? This question no political party, its thinkers and international geniuses has even tried to examine, not to talk of answer. One possible reason is that we are producing inadequately skilled graduates- a large majority is language & maths challenged. It is like building a palace structure without foundations. Employers demand skilled workforce and the unskilled workforce demands employment. Exploiting the mismatch is the political fraternity and their manifesto. We are watching Journey To The Mars film in the making!
M L Gupta