YES, MODI'S GOVERNMENT CAN!
B.S.Raghavan
The manner in which President Franklin Delano Roosevelt turned back the menacingly advancing tide of economic Depression in the 1930s by putting in place radical policy measures within the first 100 days of his assuming charge has made that number all over the globe a magic bench mark for every government that gets a new start under a new leader .The idea is to implement, within that period, proposals that would so capture the people's imagination as to give the government a flying start and generate enough momentum to last until the end of its tenure leading to greater achievements.In this respect, the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, starts off with two unparallelled advantages: One, he has the majority necessary to make for a stable Government and the leeway and leverage to put into effect whatever policies he considers to be essential for the good of the nation. And the other, an impressive mastery of the art of communication distinguished by clarity of thinking, cogency and elegance of expression, convincing exposition and emphasis on purposeful and time-bound action.
As a life-long student and practitioner of management and public administration, as one who has observed a number of leaders in politics and corporates in action in India and abroad, and as one who has been closely following Modi's campaign from September 2013, I can say that he is the best that has happened to India after Independence. This may look like extravagant praise, but, in my view, highly deserved.
Modi has asked for suggestions for the next 100 days and he must have already been flooded with them from every quarter. From what we by now know of Modi's proactive personality, we can be sure that he would have drawn up for himself a menu of measures to be executed in the immediate, short, medium and long terms. There is so much distrust and unwillingness to lend credence to whatever any government or politician says that Modi has an uphill task ahead. Indeed, he has to demonstrate the ability of his Government to take a quantum leap, almost tantamount to setting the
To this end, I want to put forth five propositions which, I think, are doable, and which would make a dramatic impact:
Doing a Nixon for solving India-China border dispute.
The vista stretching before
The very sight of their standing forth on the world stage with unity of purpose and single-minded pursuit of common goals will usher in a new golden era of peace, progress and prosperity for the entire world.
Thus, a benevolent, all-powerful genie is waiting to be released from the bottle, but is being held back for one reason alone: The unresolved border issue between both countries. It is no use pretending that groups of officials, going by whatever high-sounding appellations, will ever be able to untangle the tangled skein of the India-China border which had been ill-defined, un-demarcated and disputed from as early as the 19th century.
No amount of time spent on study of maps, delving into treaties, dissecting of minutes of discussions, or poring over proceedings of conferences will be of help in establishing or demolishing with finality whatever claims are made.
Beyond a scintilla of doubt, there can be no definitive solution without give-and-take on either side. The formula that has the best chance of success is accepting the status quo in the western and northern sectors, and taking the McMahon Line as the basis for delineating the boundary on the east without prejudice to its legitimacy or otherwise.
This also broadly corresponds to the ‘Heixiazi’ formula (used to settle the Sino-Russian border) advocated by Professor Zhou Shixin of the
No negotiations at the official level, even if carried on till eternity, will ever dare to grasp what essentially is a political nettle. The agreement has to be at the level of the two Prime Ministers.
The President/Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of
In this, Modi has before him the example of Richard Nixon who just upped and landed in
Action based on evidence in Arun Shourie's article of 1999
In an article Annexation through technicalities written in 1999, Arun Shourie had enumerated a number of instances, beginning from illegalities committed in the issue of Indian citizenship to Sonia Gandhi, to misappropriation of thousands of crores of rupees worth of real estate in New Delhi and illegitimate channelling of humongous grants from the Consolidated Fund of India to various Foundations and institutions set up in the names of descendents of Jawaharlal Nehru. The evidence is so clinching and specific that it can pass muster judicially even as it is, and taking action on it in the course of a month or so is eminently feasible.
Bringing back black money from abroad
One cannot be sure of bringing back black money by the SIT route. Even assuming the terrain to be familiar to the two retired Supreme Court judges and their ability to keep the investigation on a tight rein, there is the rather discomforting fact that all the rest of the 11 members of the Team are officials who are precisely those who were handling the responsibility in the past. The public perception is that the investigative and enforcement agencies were hamstrung under the UPA regime in going the whole hog against the culprits. They may be inhibited in participating in the present effort in a full-blooded manner for the reason that any suggestion they make or way out they mention will invite the question why they did not act on those very lines earlier in the previous regime. That apart, for all the monitoring by SC and pressure by the Government, it is the tendency of such bodies headed by retired people to keep on asking extensions repeatedly, with the Government/SC handicapped in verifying the need for them.
The best course will be to appoint Subramaniam Swamy, Ram Jethmalani and Arun Shourie as the Roving Ambassadors Extraordinary and Envoys Pleniptentiary with the Government's full authority to approach highest levels -- heads of state/government -- of countries which are suspected to be havens of black money, and call upon them to hand over all the information they possess. Those Governments thus approached will hesitate to trifle with the new Indian Government, considering its stunning mandate and the certainty of its being in the saddle for the next five years.
Subramaniam Swamy has already publicly asserted in a TV Debate that bringing the entire black money back in six months is absolutely possible and that any failure to do so will invite the fury of the people. People cannot be blamed for their cynicism, for Vajpayee's Government too roared into power vowing to unearth black money in six months!
Electoral Reforms
Elections constitute the fount of democracy, and it is imperative to maintain their purity and integrity as they determine the strength and quality of performance of every other democratic institution. Regrettably, over the years, criminalisation of politics has assumed grave proportions and those with serious criminal charges against them are being nominated as candidates or even appointed to councils of ministers in alarmingly large numbers. The phenomenon of law-breakers becoming law-makers by resorting to money-cum- muscle power mocks at all claims of
The Government has been sitting over a number of proposals sent by the Election Commission from time to time to amend the laws pertaining to the conduct of elections and nomination of candidates with a view to remedying the situation. Indeed, any improvements effected in the system have been the result of the Supreme Court handing down strongly worded rulings when its intervention was sought by the civil society bringing to its notice egregious violations of canons of propriety and probity.
Narendra Modi will electrify the whole country by communicating the Government's approval to the pending proposals of the Election Commission, after holding, if necessary, a joint consultation on any issues needing clarification. This can be done within a month.
Eviction of politicos, their relations and hangers-on unauthorisedly occupying government accommodation
Not only have freebooters and parasites been unauthorisedly clinging for years like leeches to palatial government accommodation once allotted to them, but have run into hundreds of crores of rupees of arrears of rents and charges for the use of electricity, water and so on. The whole rotten mess can be cleaned up within a matter of weeks if only Narendra Modi gives the signal.
Related to this is the whole rigmarole of MPs' perks and concessions which go counter to the spirit of the noble proclamation in the President's Address about the Government being dedicated to the poor. One hopes Modi, with his ears to the ground, will realise how revolting the people find the sight of MPs clamouring for, and loading themselves with, freebies at enormous cost to the public exchequer.
There it is, Mr.Prime Minister, the five-fold path through which your Government can sky-rocket to fame!
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India’s ‘Modi’fied Governance
Within four days of taking office 10 priorities, 100 day agenda, no FDI in retail but 100% in Defence! This is what is called ‘hitting the ground running’ and ‘firing from all cylinders’-true style of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as brought out during the campaign. The 10 priorities are:
Priorities (9) and (10) would drive the entire exercise and the speed and sincerity with which the ‘governance model’ is to be implemented depends on bureaucrats occupying key positions in Centre and the States. But in the past few years these officials have been resorting to ‘strategic inaction’ to avoid the risk of being mired in Court cases, CAG audit, CVC scrutiny, CBI investigations and RTI queries (4 Cs and 1 R) because of controversial decisions taken by their political masters. Asked as to how this would be addressed Nripendra Misra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister drew attention to Modi’s leadership style in Gujarat: “Mr. Modi does three things: he guarantees stability in tenure for as many as four to five years for competent officers, offers tremendous freedom to innovate and deliver, and takes personal ownership of all decisions.”
Gujarat governance style is indeed admirable. But this is not so of most states some of whom adopt the innovation-killing command model wherein senior civil servants are mere cogs in the wheel. Further, replicating Gujarat Model at the centre and removing the 4 Cs and 1 R apprehensions of senior bureaucrats would be very difficult if certain basic issues are not addressed.
Most important among them is the question whether the IAS is equipped today-mentally and intellectually-to be independent and innovative. Originally it was a command oriented, revenue collecting administrative machinery which hardly called for any innovation. Due to a process of evolution and democratic/developmental compulsions it has been under pressure to become an instrument of participatory, flexible, multi-sectored public service spanning government, corporate and civil society. And this new concept of public service is characterised by change and dynamism more than status quo and constancy. Even the very rationale for its creation has undergone transformation because the very paradigm of governance is changing.
The Central and State governments, manned by members of the IAS were designed for a workforce that is fast losing its relevance. Built around 35-year career with one way in right after college and one way out at retirement, it is a place for employees who care more about long-term static security than short-term dynamic achievement. When young, educated and bright Indians are asked to picture themselves in public service careers, they see dull and dead-end jobs ruled by security and seniority, not performance. The civil service system in India has virtually stood still for the past over six decades, but the culture of work has changed dramatically, in no small part due to demands of accelerated economic development, entrepreneurial upsurge and global competition.
Governments in India are not configured to offer the work young and bright Indians want. Beset by functional inefficiencies, political and financial scandals and debilitating corruption governments have failed to articulate a clear vision of how to recruit and motivate a work force with performance and efficiency as guiding mantras. Government departments and agencies are struggling with the mediocre personnel they have, let alone imagining a new public service in which expertise moves seamlessly among the government, private and nonprofit sectors. Government is losing the talent war on two fronts. Its personnel system is slow in hiring, useless in firing, overly permissive in promoting, out of touch with performance and penurious in training. Sending batches of officials to ivy-league universities in USA is a remedy worse than the disease!
Government's hierarchies are so thickened by needless layers that departments and agencies cannot provide the kind of work that today's talented youth expects. Anyone who thinks that the huge pay increase by Sixth Pay Commission has turned the tide in drawing talent should think again. All things being equal, pay might pull the occasional bright candidate toward government. But all things are not equal. Governments are usually so far behind the private and nonprofit sectors in offering challenging work, professional atmosphere and a conducive ambience. Nevertheless there is competition-by-volume for entry into Civil Services and all posts invariably get filled up. This is largely due to power-perk hunting and the safety and security of a Government job where mediocrity prevails.
Governments at all levels have neglected the career development process for decades, allowing departments and agencies to ignore the steady calcification of career paths and erosion of learning opportunities. Remedies could include a flatter, leaner, more agile government; well defined career paths; stable tenures coupled with dynamic rotational assignments and performance related promotions. In short if the ‘Modi’fied governance model is to be effectively implemented IAS should transform itself into a ‘new public service’ responsive to the democratic and developmental imperatives of India.
Even if IAS Officers adopt the ‘new public service’ mantra they will not be able to deliver the governance Modi wants. Because, in all Central Ministries they are surrounded by a vast hidden workforce of legislators, rent-seekers, party activists, contractors and hangers-on who work side-by-side with IAS officials. Most of these busybodies clothe themselves with designations of OSD, private secretary, personal secretary, constituency manager etc., self-appoint themselves and even print ‘visiting cards’ with the Ashoka Chakra to flaunt their ‘rank and status’. Some of them even impersonate and resort to blackmailing.
These touts, fakes and frauds first distance the public and the civil servants from the Minister. Then it is all wheeling and dealing and everything, including meeting the Minister comes at a price. Even IAS Officers are forced to go through them if they are to interact with the Minister, who most of the time is either ‘busy, on tour or simply not available’. This is the root cause for the all-pervading corruption and misgovernance that marked the downfall of UPA government. But despite the Modi takeover this rot is still subsisting and lecherous characters have already surrounded the new Ministers!
Prime Minister Modi, while seriously looking at the rejuvenation of civil services should root out the menace of touts, fakes and frauds in the Ministries if he wants to build confidence in the bureaucracy and provide freedom and incentive for them to innovate and deliver. The sooner it is done the better if India’s ‘Modi’fied governance is to take off!
Within four days of taking office 10 priorities, 100 day agenda, no FDI in retail but 100% in Defence! This is what is called ‘hitting the ground running’ and ‘firing from all cylinders’-true style of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as brought out during the campaign. The 10 priorities are:
1. To remove hurdles in economic growth and containing inflation.
2. To put education, energy and water on fast track.
3. To reform infrastructure sector for attracting investments and make India a global manufacturing hub.
4. To provide a proactive, people-oriented government and governance putting people at the center of development process.
5. To ensure time-bound implementation of policy.
6. To maintain consistency in policy.
7. To promote transparency by adopting e-auctioning in government tenders and works.
8. To improve inter-ministerial co-ordination and clubbing of ministries where needed.
9. To build confidence in the bureaucracy.
10. To empower and provide freedom to the bureaucracy and incentive to innovate.
The ‘Modi’fied governance model as laid out in BJP’s manifesto would be people centric, policy driven, time bound delivery with minimum government and maximum governance. It would also reform the current governance system and make the government agencies accountable to the citizens. Priorities (9) and (10) would drive the entire exercise and the speed and sincerity with which the ‘governance model’ is to be implemented depends on bureaucrats occupying key positions in Centre and the States. But in the past few years these officials have been resorting to ‘strategic inaction’ to avoid the risk of being mired in Court cases, CAG audit, CVC scrutiny, CBI investigations and RTI queries (4 Cs and 1 R) because of controversial decisions taken by their political masters. Asked as to how this would be addressed Nripendra Misra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister drew attention to Modi’s leadership style in Gujarat: “Mr. Modi does three things: he guarantees stability in tenure for as many as four to five years for competent officers, offers tremendous freedom to innovate and deliver, and takes personal ownership of all decisions.”
Gujarat governance style is indeed admirable. But this is not so of most states some of whom adopt the innovation-killing command model wherein senior civil servants are mere cogs in the wheel. Further, replicating Gujarat Model at the centre and removing the 4 Cs and 1 R apprehensions of senior bureaucrats would be very difficult if certain basic issues are not addressed.
Most important among them is the question whether the IAS is equipped today-mentally and intellectually-to be independent and innovative. Originally it was a command oriented, revenue collecting administrative machinery which hardly called for any innovation. Due to a process of evolution and democratic/developmental compulsions it has been under pressure to become an instrument of participatory, flexible, multi-sectored public service spanning government, corporate and civil society. And this new concept of public service is characterised by change and dynamism more than status quo and constancy. Even the very rationale for its creation has undergone transformation because the very paradigm of governance is changing.
The Central and State governments, manned by members of the IAS were designed for a workforce that is fast losing its relevance. Built around 35-year career with one way in right after college and one way out at retirement, it is a place for employees who care more about long-term static security than short-term dynamic achievement. When young, educated and bright Indians are asked to picture themselves in public service careers, they see dull and dead-end jobs ruled by security and seniority, not performance. The civil service system in India has virtually stood still for the past over six decades, but the culture of work has changed dramatically, in no small part due to demands of accelerated economic development, entrepreneurial upsurge and global competition.
Governments in India are not configured to offer the work young and bright Indians want. Beset by functional inefficiencies, political and financial scandals and debilitating corruption governments have failed to articulate a clear vision of how to recruit and motivate a work force with performance and efficiency as guiding mantras. Government departments and agencies are struggling with the mediocre personnel they have, let alone imagining a new public service in which expertise moves seamlessly among the government, private and nonprofit sectors. Government is losing the talent war on two fronts. Its personnel system is slow in hiring, useless in firing, overly permissive in promoting, out of touch with performance and penurious in training. Sending batches of officials to ivy-league universities in USA is a remedy worse than the disease!
Government's hierarchies are so thickened by needless layers that departments and agencies cannot provide the kind of work that today's talented youth expects. Anyone who thinks that the huge pay increase by Sixth Pay Commission has turned the tide in drawing talent should think again. All things being equal, pay might pull the occasional bright candidate toward government. But all things are not equal. Governments are usually so far behind the private and nonprofit sectors in offering challenging work, professional atmosphere and a conducive ambience. Nevertheless there is competition-by-volume for entry into Civil Services and all posts invariably get filled up. This is largely due to power-perk hunting and the safety and security of a Government job where mediocrity prevails.
Governments at all levels have neglected the career development process for decades, allowing departments and agencies to ignore the steady calcification of career paths and erosion of learning opportunities. Remedies could include a flatter, leaner, more agile government; well defined career paths; stable tenures coupled with dynamic rotational assignments and performance related promotions. In short if the ‘Modi’fied governance model is to be effectively implemented IAS should transform itself into a ‘new public service’ responsive to the democratic and developmental imperatives of India.
Even if IAS Officers adopt the ‘new public service’ mantra they will not be able to deliver the governance Modi wants. Because, in all Central Ministries they are surrounded by a vast hidden workforce of legislators, rent-seekers, party activists, contractors and hangers-on who work side-by-side with IAS officials. Most of these busybodies clothe themselves with designations of OSD, private secretary, personal secretary, constituency manager etc., self-appoint themselves and even print ‘visiting cards’ with the Ashoka Chakra to flaunt their ‘rank and status’. Some of them even impersonate and resort to blackmailing.
These touts, fakes and frauds first distance the public and the civil servants from the Minister. Then it is all wheeling and dealing and everything, including meeting the Minister comes at a price. Even IAS Officers are forced to go through them if they are to interact with the Minister, who most of the time is either ‘busy, on tour or simply not available’. This is the root cause for the all-pervading corruption and misgovernance that marked the downfall of UPA government. But despite the Modi takeover this rot is still subsisting and lecherous characters have already surrounded the new Ministers!
Prime Minister Modi, while seriously looking at the rejuvenation of civil services should root out the menace of touts, fakes and frauds in the Ministries if he wants to build confidence in the bureaucracy and provide freedom and incentive for them to innovate and deliver. The sooner it is done the better if India’s ‘Modi’fied governance is to take off!