My Columns: Without Fear and Favour

Is Delhi government concerned about the rising air pollution in the state? By  Deepak Parvatiyar June 9, 2015 Rate this post To begin with, let’s focus on the two main green bodies operating from Delhi. Central Pollution Control Board It is the seat of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) since 1974 which is “entrusted” with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. It not just advises the Central Government on how to prevent and control water and air pollution and improve the quality of air, but also lays down standards for the quality of air and water in consultation with the respective state governments. In the national capital, it even has a dedicated station to monitor the air quality at the busy ITO Intersection in New Delhi as part of its overall objective to determine the present air quality status and trends, control and regulate pollution from industries and other source, and to provide backgro...

Can Bihar Assembly Elections Help Congress Recover? By  Deepak Parvatiyar June 6, 2015 5.00 / 5  (100.00%)  1 vote Rahul Gandhi’s silence over the agrarian crisis in Bihar is cryptic considering that the issue of farmers’ suicides was high on his agenda after his return from the nearly two-month sabbatical. In less than a month, at least three suicide cases have been reported in Bihar- a state that goes to polls later this year- but astoundingly, Rahul is yet to react to them! Despite media reports of his likely visit to the earthquake-hit state in May, the Congress vice-president did not show up at all. Rahul’s silence does speak much of his present dilemma- to be (with the ruling Janata Dal (United)- Rashtriya Janata Dal alliance) or not to be (and go all alone at the hustings in the state)! How Did Congress Make Way for Regional Parties in Bihar? As it is, political commentators have already written off the Congress in Bihar. The reasons ...

One year of Telangana government By  Deepak Parvatiyar June 4, 2015 5.00/5 (100.00%) 1 vote Although longstanding agitation paved the way for creation of new states and in the last fifteen years, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Telanagana were carved out of the respective bigger states –Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, the logic behind creation of these smaller states was that smaller states could be better managed and governed. (Of them, Telangana is the youngest and 29th state, which turned one on 2nd June this year, while the other three were created way back in 2000). Over the years, this logic has been defied as the governments of even these smaller states rather preferred to indulge into politicking than governance all these years. Consider that Jharkhand never even got a stable government that could last its term during the last fifteen years! (However, both Chhattisgarh and Uttarkhand did enjoy stable governments). ...

The PMs that have brought a wave of change in India By  Deepak Parvatiyar June 2, 2015 Rate this post It is remarkable that Narendra Modi – the fifteenth person to assume the office of the Prime Minister of India – has avoided references to the country’s first prime minister late Jawaharlal Nehru in his public utterances. Ever since becoming the prime minister, Modi mentioned Nehru only twice – on his 125th Birthday on 14th November last year, and thereafter on his death anniversary on 27th May this year. His tributes to Nehru were, if one may say so, cosmetic, rather a routine affair and could be judged by the content of his tweets which on both the occasions were remarkably the same. Consider them: “Today we mark the 125th birth anniversary of our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. My tributes to him. We remember Pandit Nehru’s efforts during the freedom struggle and his role as the first Prime Minister of India,” PM Modi tweeted from Brisbane...

Make in India Initiative: Are We on the Right Track? By  Deepak Parvatiyar May 30, 2015 5.00 / 5  (100.00%)  1 vote On 15 August 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given a clarion call – ‘Make in India’ – to the entire world from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort in New Delhi. The concept caught the imagination of the world for various reasons including the following: a) Skilled workforce – India’s 500-million labour force includes English-speaking skilled workers. b) Low labour costs – A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study showed that average labour compensation (including pay, benefits, social insurance, and taxes) in India’s organised manufacturing sector increased only marginally from $0.68 an hour in 1999 to $1.50 an hour currently. In comparison, the average compensation in China’s manufacturing sector has risen by 20 percent year-on-year in the same period to $3Make in India Initiative: an hour. Already, top technology...

Corruption and Inflation – Where India Stands on Completion of One Year of BJP Government By  Deepak Parvatiyar May 28, 2015 Rate this post A message recently went viral on internet – if a mug has to be chained in a public toilet for fear that it may get stolen, how can one expect corruption to be curbed? How true!  In spite of all those sermons on corruption, the fact remains that no one has ever eliminated corrupt practices and only the benchmark of corruption changes from time to time. Transparency International – the global coalition against corruption – says “corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain…” Obviously, this “abuse” of power has much larger connotation and could not be confined only to corrupt actions but even corrupt thoughts and vested designs. You may also like to read Analysis of year of Modi Government Has Modi Government Merely Repackaged former UPA-government’s key schemes? In Indian context, where ...