Democracy means decentralisation of powers

It is unfortunate that even in the offices and institutions of Indian democracy, the powers and decision-making initiatives of authorities - both among elected and permanent executives have not been decentralised yet satisfactorily even after 68 years of independence from the British. It is certainly against the will of freedom fighters and the common man in the street. Any amount of justification to prove  the contrary will not hold good in the days to come. People can hardly be fooled forever.

The job of a Station House Officer (sub inspector / inspector of a police station) is done by the Superintendent of Police (the police chief of a district / county). The duty of a district police chief is performed by the chief of state police. Similarly the function of a Tahsildar is expected to be ensured by the district collector ( the civil / administrative head of a county). We painfully make a note of the fact that the collector's work is executed by the head of a state government (chief minister). Initiative of the concerned officials is no more visible with the result the welfare of the citizen is no longer the responsibility of the said person and the general public suffers in the end.

A platoon of officers and the staff are on the enrolment but in times of emergency the requisite relief and remedy are not forthcoming on time and in adequate measure. The educated and the elite in public service remain silent spectators to what is going on in the system of administration.  Survival and promotion of self interest alone have become the main motto of the entire government machinery. The biggest price paid by the Chennai citizens in recent floods during the first week of December, 2015 due to indecision or delayed decision or over-centralisation of powers at the apex level of state administration is the latest and costliest example. 

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Beauty

      

Beautiful thought on beauty comes only in late sixties

Can any one define beauty easily in absolute terms?

Can it be defined sans basing the same on an object

Beautiful look comes from a pleasant object in front.

Beauty is a thing which one beholds front and forth

But for beauty, poets and artists lose essence of life

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they rightly say

Beautiful object is a source of attraction for all ever

Beauty may be seen in an infant of human or animal

Beauty attains progress as the object grows in stages

Beauty of a female is definitely a better picture to see

Beauty of a woman mesmerises even a saint in sleep

Taste of an individual on the job increases with beauty

Waist of a female figure is neatly chiselled by sculptor

Haste of a human being hurts one on the false identity

Tartlet to starlet everyone knows the value of beauty! 

Dr.P.Raghavan,

Raipur (India)

26-04-15

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Role of MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly in Tamil Nadu)

R.K. nagar is the constituency of Ms J.Jayalalitha, the CM of Tamil Nadu. The residents have complained that their areas ( V.O.C.Nagar) are flooded with sewage mixed with rain water for more than a month, but no action has been taken by the authorities. Hence a protest on the main highway forcing the police force to intervene. 

Sorry state of affairs. Despite the grievance expressed several times, no action! Residents are crying for help while their representative in the state Assembly has no time  to extend help in times of emergency. What will happen in other constituencies?

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Cumbum farmers record bumper paddy yield

 Early onset of monsoon, timely release of water from Periyar Dam for irrigation and adoption of modern agriculture practices, including the System of Rice Intensification have helped farmers in Cumbum valley get a bumper yield in the first cropping season (Kuruvai) this year. 

Highest yield in Theni district of Tamil Nadu State was 10072 Kgs per hectare as reported by Joint Director of Agriculture department. Farmers are happy, the traders have made on-the-spot procurement minimising the post-harvest loss. 

It is quite heartening to note that the Farmers are quite progressive in this area in using machines for transplantation, weeding, spraying fertilisers and harvesting.

One would wish the farmers all over the country follow this example. Sooner the better!

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ASSOCHAM Study:

Considering deficit in rainfall for 2015-16 pulse production in India might decline and decrease to 17 million tonnes (against 17.2 million tonnes in 1014-15), a total of 10.1 million tonnes of pulses might have to be imported. 

For per capita consumption of 21.8 (against 20.8 in 2011-12) kgs and monthly per capita consumption expenditure of Rs 158.8 (against Rs. 96.00 in 2011-12) the total consumption demand would be around 27.1 million tonnes in 2015-16. Hence the expected demand for imports to that extent.

Any planning done and remedial measures undertaken by the Maratha leader Mr Sharad Pawar as Union Agriculture Minister  during UPA regime under the economist PM Dr. Manmohan Singh? Not visible and notable by the way!

What is the guarantee that the present establishment at Delhi would ensure dramatic steps for the better in the days to come? No one knows really, I say!

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ASSOCHAM Study:

Considering deficit in rainfall for 2015-16 pulse production in India might decline and decrease to 17 million tonnes (against 17.2 million tonnes in 1014-15), a total of 10.1 million tonnes of pulses might have to be imported. 

For per capita consumption of 21.8 (against 20.8 in 2011-12) kgs and monthly per capita consumption expenditure of Rs 158.8 (against Rs. 96.00 in 2011-12) the total consumption demand would be around 27.1 million tonnes in 2015-16. Hence the expected demand for imports to that extent.

Any planning done and remedial measures undertaken by the Maratha leader Mr Sharad Pawar as Union Agriculture Minister  during UPA regime under the economist PM Dr. Manmohan Singh? Not visible and notable by the way!

What is the guarantee that the present establishment at Delhi would ensure dramatic steps for the better in the days to come? No one knows really, I say!

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Nobel Lessons

To really improve its welfare policy, India needs improved data and accountability - look at the winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize for economics, Angus Deaton, who has had a long professional association with India. And various lessons from his work are quite relevant to Indian public policy today, for example the lesson about measurement being the key to enforcing accountability. Deaton was a pioneer in devising ways to measure consumption, which led to a better understanding of poverty and ways to fight it. India, unfortunately, falls short when it comes to measurement.

For an India audience, the Nobel is a welcome development as his work has been of particular relevance to our challenges. We spend over Rs 3 trillion annually on subsidies and welfare measurers but make slow progress in poverty reduction, with almost a third of the population still poor. India’s fight against poverty, however, has benefitted from Deaton’s body of work and will continue to gain from his relentless drive to understand the way things work.

As a matter of fact India is a land of opportunity and the source of inspiration to scholars and economists to fathom more and more  and come to findings that could fetch awards and prizes.