setting the

pointoutnews.com september 2014
Vol-1 Issue-8
50
i n s i d e
PICTURE ABHI
BAKI HAI:
Ashish Chauhan
MODI
SETTING THE
TONE
1
RNI NO: DELENG/2014/55786
Point
Out
2
september 2014
Point
Out
pointoutnews.com SEPTEMBER 2014
VOL-1 ISSUE-8
50
I N S I D E
cover story
MODI SETTING THE TONE
Modi surely knows the burden of expectations he is carrying along and hence he started
with measured steps after assuming office to limit his cabinet council to a small group
and have a bureaucracy that would be efficient and decisive. Though 100 days is...
P 10
PICTURE ABHI
BAKI HAI:
ASHISH CHAUHAN
MODI
SETTING THE
TONE
1
RNI NO: DELENG/2014/55786
FRUITS OF LOOKING EAST
Must read
Test Drive
P 46
Forecast
P 50
Health
P 52
Book Review
P 56
Art and Culture
P 58
Spiritual Touch
P 66
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VILLAGE
ROOTS
P 24
MSME : LIFE
LINE OF
ECONOMY
MARY KOM :
THE REAL LIFE
STORY P 62
P 18
PICTURE ABHI
BAKI HAI:
Ashish Chauhan
cinema
ALIYAGENIUS OF
THE YEAR
P 36
P 65
Point
Out
Your Voice
‘
ƒƒUMA BHARATI
The Government
has set in motion
its plan for
interlinking of
rivers with a target of
establishing 30 links
in the next 10 years.
The river-interlinking
plan has been designed
keeping in mind the climate and aqua life
of rivers. Rivers interlinking will help in
controlling floods and drought. We want
to make project Ganga a role model for
all other river development projects in
India and our aim is to make Ganga, a
pollution-free, clean river in the next
three years and work is being done at a
fast pace to achieve the target.
‘
ƒƒSIDHARTH BIRLA
Pradhan
Mantri
Jan
Dhan Yojana
launch
has
brought into focus
the
subject
of
financial inclusion
in a manner not
conceptualized
before. The positive spin-off effects
of extending financial services to
the masses are multifold and would
clearly impact the overall development
trajectory of the nation. The key
distinction from earlier designs is
the introduction of a combination of
savings, loans and insurance products.
This would ensure most base needs of
beneficiaries are taken care of. Linking
financial literacy and direct cash
transfer with this program ensures
demand inducement and sustainability
of this model.
‘
ƒƒDR HARSH VARDHAN
The
National
Health
Assurance
Mission
is
a priority for the
Government. Every
Indian
should
have
access
to
4
september 2014
conservation and efficiency is the only
way forward, and we have to mould our
thinking on these lines, and adopt the
technology in a befitting manner.
‘
ƒƒSHEKHAR KAPUR
knowledge and information on issues
such as preventable diseases; assurance
on availability of essential drugs and
assurance on a package of diagnostics
which are essential. A committee of
experts has been working on this and a
concrete programme is being put in place
for the same. Health insurance will be a
component of health assurance for all.
India lags behind in providing healthcare
services to its people despite being a
signatory to the “Health for All by 2000”
initiative. The time has now come to take
concrete action with all stakeholders
getting together to push in one direction.
‘
ƒƒDHARMENDRA PRADHAN
By adopting the
energy efficient
equipment and
techniques,
we can save valuable
money, much needed
for
the
nation’s
development
and
providing
basic
amenities to the rural masses. Crude
oil worth about Rs 6 lakh crore is
imported annually, and if the energy
efficient techniques could bring down the
consumption by even 10%, it will usher in a
big change. Indian culture and civilization
have always encouraged the spirit of well
being of all, and it is our duty that we
act as trustees for the future generation,
and use the resources sagely. He said that
My slogan 'Hum,
Tum, Paani –
Ek
Kahaani',
implying that in
our lives everything
revolves
around
water and all our life
stories are linked to
water. Today glaciers
are retreating, resulting in flooding
of rivers during monsoon and drying
up of the rivers in other seasons. The
situation, if not controlled now, would
lead to permanent drying up of rivers and
displacing population around the region
which is being supported by such water
sources. This could lead to social disorder.
There is sufficient water for India's
consumption, and the technology and
means to conserve it but what is lacking is
the will to achieve the goal.
‘
ƒƒNAINA LAL KIDWAI
Inadequate
access
to
freshwater is one
of the biggest
limiting factors in the
development process
of any country. India
is facing serious
and persistent water
resource crisis. The simultaneous effects
of agricultural growth, industrialization
and urbanization coupled with declining
surface and groundwater quantity,
intra and interstate water disputes, and
inefficiencies in water use practices
are some of the crucial problems
faced by India's water sector. Effective
water resources management must
be underpinned by knowledge and
understanding of the availability of the
resource itself, the uses to which water it is
put and the challenges facing the users of
water at all levels of stakeholders. This can
be done by creating mass awareness on the
measures that can be taken to address the
challenges affecting every living being.
Point of View
CAN MODI GET OVER
VOTE-BANK
I
ndia as a nation has a large potential with an ever swelling talent pool of youth waiting
ready to give wings to their dreams and bring about a transformation. However,
the potential have remained captive or on papers only due to the polity and votebank politics that has eaten up meritocracy and bred nepotism and mediocrity. While
it is easy to blame politicians, the fact is vote-bank politics has turned out to be India’s
biggest bane.
Take for example Indian Railways, an organization that boasts of one of the largest
railway networks in the world carrying daily a population bigger than the population of
Australia. Headed by a veteran and shrewd politician under UPA I Lalu Prasad Yadav,
railways mastered the art to come up with jugglery of numbers. To keep a section happy,
railways operated at costs that were not in sync with times. Fare hike was spiked and
new figures conjured up to show railways was progressing and on way to be world’s best.
A trick that became the order of time as UPA 2 could not muster courage to undo it
under successive railway ministers from Congress to Trinamool. Projects were diverted
on regional bias and trains run on unproductive sectors. In a bid to appease a section
and keep passenger fares static, railways ended up compromising on safety, services
and modernization. So much so that its contemporaries have leapfrogged and regular
hike in freight fares to cross-subsidize operations, railways lost a substantial amount of
freight movement to road and air cargo. Trinamool’s Dinesh Trivedi who took over the
ministry, albeit for a short time, was the only person in UPA rule who understood the
rot and tried to rationalize passenger fares, but he poor man lost his job.
Likewise, vote-bank politics is an albatross stalling India’s take off. After coming to
power on great expectations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet must
understand that this is a vote for change and more than a vote for BJP or RSS it is a vote
for Modi and against Congress. So, Prime Minister must ensure that he is able to take
the challenge and bring about a change. Delivery is the key here and he has to keep in
mind the fact that people’s patience also wear out soon. He has to bring about a change,
a tangible change. Though 100 days is no time to judge performance of any government,
Modi has made some positive beginnings by making the bureaucracy accountable and
responsive. Officials and Union ministers are regularly visiting their offices and putting
in hard work as the Prime Minister has set the pace. Moreover, most ministries have a
task, now. A action-plan for future. Hope this would bring about some tangible changes
that would make life of common man easy. Can he get over vote-bank politics, only
time would tell.
Dr. Shiv Kumar Rai
Editor-in-Chief
5
Point
Out
ƒƒArun Jaitley @arunjaitley
ƒƒAmit Shah @AmitShahOffice
ƒƒKiran Bedi @thekiranbedi
Our jawans are
fully prepared
to respond to
any ceasefire
violations by
Pakistan.
By working
hard again
, BJP will
achieve 2/3rd
majority
in 2017
Uttar Pradesh
assembly polls
Will b a unique
experience
for school
children to
hear their own
@PMOIndia on
Sept 5th,Teachers'
Day. Most fondly recall च।च।
Nehru days!!
ƒƒSmriti Z Irani @smritiirani
Proud of the
achievements
of team IIT
Project
Sandhi,
a science
& heritage
initiative and;sustaining and
developing habitat initiative.
ƒƒAnandiben Patel @anandibenpatel
Guj & Japan have
long-standing
relationship.
Inaugurated
Japanese
TOTO
group’s biggest
Ceramics Sanitary Ware
production plant in South
Asia
ƒƒGulzar @GulzarPoetry
naap ke, waqt
bhara jaata
hai, har ret
ghadi mein
ik taraf
khaali ho jab
phir se ulat dete
hain usko umr jab khatm
ho....
6
TWITTERATI
september 2014
ƒƒFarhan Akhtar @FarOutAkhtar
Stand up for
something, even
if it means
standing alone.
Remember, the
one with the
strongest wings has
the courage to fly solo.
ƒƒdigvijaya singh @digvijaya_28
How we can
improve
Teachers
status in
Society ?
Nation wanted
to know what
were PM's views on these
issues not how long he would
be a PM !
ƒƒChetan Bhagat @chetan_bhagat
I'll tell you what is
stupid. Keeping
an expensive
President's
office with
no real
powers in a
parliamentary democracy.
ƒƒPRIYANKA @priyankachopra
Mixed emotions r so
confusing.. Long day..full
of nerves and
bundles of
thoughts.Even
my feet r not
carrying me to
my bed...miss u
dad..
ƒƒSubramanian Swamy @Swamy39
Met the Delhi Police
Commissioner and
raised the issue
of Sunanda
murder. Soon
will meet HM.
Then SIT.
ƒƒSadhguru@SadhguruJV
Without
discrimination
by caste,
religion,
gender, or
race, we want
to offer a
spiritual process
to every human being on the
planet.
7
Point
Out
NATIONAL PANORAMA
BJP-SHIV SENA ALLIANCE ROCKED
In the run up to assembly elections in
Maharashtra, dispute over seat sharing
and chief ministership row have rocked
the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance. So much so,
that some senior state BJP leaders said
they want to call the Sena bluff and want
the party should go alone in the polls. Well,
BJP high command is taking stock of the
situation but Uddhav Thackeray has already
made matters worse by throwing his hat in
the ring for the post of chief minister and demanding 119 seats in the state.
On the eve of national Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah’s maiden visit
to Mumbai ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, tension was palpable between
the saffron allies. State BJP chief Devendra Fadnavis skipped an event he was meant
to attend with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. Shiv Sena had already set the tone
by publicly criticising the BJP in an editorial in party newspaper Saamna. However,
Saamna pointed to problems within the alliance. It criticised the BJP for supporting
the call for a separate Vidarbha, which the Shiv Sena has always opposed. “Whether
it is the BJP or anyone else, we will not allow anyone to fulfil their dream of dividing
Maharashtra,” the editorial said.
Keeping the alliance on track is a big challenge for Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit
Shah for if they rock the boat by walking out of the alliance it would hurt prospects
of both BJP and Sena badly. The combine was projected to get to power in polls
but in case the saffron parties decide to part way it would make the state contest a
quadrangular one between NCP, Congress, BJP and Sena. Congress-NCP combine is
likely to benefit from the split in saffron ranks.
Congress-NCP alliance is also under strain over failure of both partners to agree on
seat sharing. NCP has made it evident that it would not mind contesting the assembly
elections on its own. Sharad Pawar is said to be wary of carrying the baggage of
UPA-2 scams and non-performance to the state polls. Maharashtra Congress chief
Manikrao Thakre said they had put the ball in NCP's court and said Pawar's party is yet
to give a "positive response" to the former's proposal for seat-sharing.
WATER SPORT
PROJECT IN
MIRAMAR BEACH
GOA
The Union Minister of State for
Tourism and Culture (Independent
charge ) Shripad Naik has said
that the Central Government gives
more thrust on strengthening
infrastructure for tourism to make
India as tourism hub in the world
and therefore has decided to develop
various ports through which cruise
tourism can be enhanced. Naik
stated this at a function of laying of
foundation stone for New Passenger
Terminal Building at Mormugao Port
Trust Vasco. Naik further speaking
said that the Central Government
realizing the touristic potential of
state and has agreed and Sanctioned
developmental projects like Hotel
Management Institute at Farmagudi,
Water sport project at Miramar and
IIT center, AIMS center, convention
center etc. He assured his full
cooperation for the development of
tourism in Goa.
ANDHRA PRADSH IT REVOLUTION
After bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh,
India's second-largest information
technology hub Hyderabad, now
became part of Telangana state. N
Chandrababu Naidu government
will unleash an IT revolution across
Andhra
Pradesh.
Information
Technology
Minister
Palle
Raghunath Reddy said, “We will
develop IT sector in all the regions
of Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabad will
continue as joint capital of both the
states for 10 years and after that it
will fully become part and parcel of
Telangana state. IT minister said the
8
september 2014
Andhra government has envisaged
three missions for the development
of IT, hardware and electronics in the
state.”
Andhra Pradesh has become the first
state where cabinet meetings are
paperless and all ministers use ipads,
notes. Last fortnight state ministers
were invited for the cabinet meeting
with briefs about their departments
but not on papers but on their tabs.
Well, the move has envinced interest
among the Narendra Modi led-NDA
government at the Centre that is also
looking into the details.
NEW POWER
POLICY ON CARDS
Uttarakhand government is working on a new power
policy which will encourage local entrepreneurship
in the power sector and hand over maintenance of
micro and small hydel projects to the gram sabhas,
Chief Minister Harish Rawat said. Directives have
been issued to the power department to draft a
policy which encourages involvement of locals in
the power sector, especially in micro and small
hydro- electricity projects ranging from 2 mw to
25 mw, Rawat told reporters. Under the proposed
policy, Gram Sabhas will be entrusted with the
responsibility of maintaining hydel projects
with a capacity of producing 2MW of power. To
encourage local entrepreneurship in the power
sector, the new policy will seek to give priority
to locals in allotment of micro and small hydel
projects through competitive bidding, the Chief
Minister who also holds charge of the power
department said. Entrepreneurs in the plains
will have the freedom to use 25% of the power
produced by their projects in the manner they deem
fit while those in the hills will have the liberty to
use 50% of the power produced by them, he said.
Chief minister also announced that a five-member
resource mobilisation committee headed by former
chief secretary Indu Kumar Pandey has been
constituted to explore ways for optimum utilisation
of the state's resources. A three-month timeframe
has been given to the panel to submit its report on
resource mobilisation which may be extended to
six months. Rebutting BJP MP Ramesh Pokhariyal
Nishank's charge of poor arrangements on Nanda
Devi Raj Jat yatra route, Rawat without naming him
said it was no mean achievement that thousands of
people participated in a pilgrimage which passes
through locations situated at a height of 16,700
ft above the sea level. "It is a unique feat which is
bound to impress anyone who hears about it in the
country and abroad," he said.
9
MADHYA PRADESH LEADING THE PACK
Madhya Pradesh outpaced all the major states to top the economic
growth charts with a scorching 11 per cent growth in 2013-14 - a
year when India recorded its second successive year of sub-5 per
cent growth in the gross domestic product. What is noteworthy
is that high growth in Madhya Pradesh has happened despite the
state’s industrial growth slipping to a new low during the year. Led
by largely an agricultural boost and expansion by the services sector,
Madhya Pradesh’s surge to the top has forced Bihar - which had been
topping the growth charts in the last few years - to the third spot, with
Uttarakhand moving up to second place.
According to CSO data, Madhya Pradesh’s gross state domestic
product (GSDP) registered a double-digit growth of 11.08 per cent at
constant prices, up from 9.9 per cent in 2012-13. In March 2014, its
GSDP stood at Rs 2,38,530 crore. The state has been showing a strong
growth of above nine per cent since 2009-10, most of it on account of
a high growth in the agriculture and allied sector, supplemented by a
modest growth in the services sector.
CM TAKESS LOKSAMVAD SETU TO
MEET PEOPLE
As a part of the ongoing ‘Loksamvad Setu’
drive, one such programme was organised
in Dhari taluka of Amreli district of Gujarat,
where Chief Minister. Anandiben Patel
directly addressed pubic grievances and
resolved more than 170 issues on the spot.
During this programme Patel stressed on
achieving the goal of 100% in-house toilet
facility in every home. She appealed the
women to take up the responsibility of this
movement and spread awareness about
the same. She said that the news of more
and more women pledging for 100% toilet
facility depicts the success of Loksamvad
Setu initiatives.
VIKRAM VARSITY VC ATTACKED
In a re-run of late Prof HS Sabhrawal case of 2006, workers of saffron
outfits the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal allegedly ransacked
office of Vikram University vice-chancellor Jawahar Lal Kaul and also
misbehaved with him after he made a plea to help flood-hit Kashmiri
students studying at the university. Kaul was taken ill in the commotion
and was rushed to the hospital. It may be recalled that Professor H
S Sabharwal died of cardiac arrest in Ujjain after he was allegedly
manhandled by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) workers in
August 2006.
Meanwhile, after a 48-hour delay, Ujjain police arrested a dozen
hooligans for ransacking VC’s office. The saffron workers were
protesting against Kaul's statement that people in Madhya Pradesh
should waive-off rent of Kashmiri students studying in the state due
to the flood situation in that state. However, Kaul's statement angered
saffron workers who questioned why people like him did not issue
similar statements when floods hit Uttarakhand and Gujarat states, the
police official said.
Point
Out
10
september 2014
COVER STORY
MODI
SETTING THE TONE
Modi surely knows the burden of expectations he is
carrying along and hence he started with measured
steps after assuming office to limit his cabinet
council to a small group and have a bureaucracy that
would be efficient and decisive. Though 100 days is
too little a time to judge anyone’s performance, leave
apart Prime Minister’s working but the fact is Modi
has no luxury of time. At least he has to show some
tangible results sooner than expected.
11
Point
Out
»»point out team
N
arendra Modi came to power
on great expectations after the
electorate endured a near nonfunctional UPA 2 government,
especially in its second half that hit
common man with prices of essential
commodities hitting the sky, job
generation down and corruption eating
into available resources and schemes.
The thumping majority BJP-led NDA
received from across the country clearly
suggested that the nation voted for a
change, a change not just in government
or the Prime Minister and his council of
ministers but a change in governance.
Simply speaking people want a
government that is functional, efficient
and not static, where policies are
people-friendly and benefits reach out
to the targeted rather than ending up
in the coffers of select high and mighty.
A government, whose policies provide
equal opportunity for survival and
growth to a landless farmer or labrourer
in the remotest part of the country
to the biggest businessman settled in
India’s metro.
A daunting task easier said than
to achieve, given the limited time,
vast landscape and rich cultural and
linguistic diversity of India.
12
september 2014
COVER STORY
The thumping majority BJP-led NDA received from across the country
clearly suggested that the nation voted for a change, a change not just in
government or the Prime Minister and his council of ministers but a change
in governance. Simply speaking people want a government that is functional,
efficient and not static, where policies are people-friendly and benefits
reach out to the targeted rather than ending up in the coffers of select high
and mighty. A government, whose policies provide equal opportunity for
survival and growth to a landless farmer or labrourer in the remotest part of
the country to the biggest businessman settled in India’s metro.
But it was Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, who as the leading BJP
campaigner went around re-kindling
hopes of a billion or more people. Now,
he has to live up to their reputation and
cannot falter. Moreover, though he has
five years to deliver his promises and
bring about a radical change who better
than him would know that people’s
memory is short and they want a quick
fix to some of their problems.
Modi surely knows the burden of
expectations he is carrying along and
hence he started with measured steps
after assuming office to limit his cabinet
council to a small group and have a
bureaucracy that would be efficient and
decisive. Though 100 days is too little
a time to judge anyone’s performance,
leave apart Prime Minister’s working but
the fact is Modi has no luxury of time.
At least he has to show some tangible
results sooner than expected.
Realising this he made a reasonable
beginning. His decision to keep a
lean cabinet and to club all similar
functioning ministries makes sense to
cut down time and improve delivery.
Likewise, despite Opposition rants
about the bureaucracy becoming
powerful, the fact that officials have
been shaken from lethargy and forced
to work at a brisk pace augurs well for
the future. If the government and its
policies have to succeed, bureaucracy
needs to be empowered and motivated.
He has set the pace and tone of working
by reaching office early in the morning
and continuing to work late forcing
ministers and babus to follow.
Likewise, with one of his early decisions
to do away with all 21 group of ministers
(GoM) and 9 empowered group of
ministers (EGoM), Modi has shed the
UPA baggage that often ended holding
up projects rather than ensuring smooth
facilitation.
Some of the initiatives Modi government
took in the last 100 days are as follows-
LOOKING AROUND IN
NEIGHBOURHOOD
Like former Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee, who once famously said in
Lahore, "We can change history but
not geography. We can change our
friends but not our neighbours,” the
fact remains India will have to live
with its neighbours. To ensure peace
and prosperity in the region countries
13
To make a new beginning Modi seized the initiative by inviting heads
of SAARC nations for his swearing-in. Moreover, government’s
efforts have been to bridge the trust deficit and take along
neighbouring countries of Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
and Maldives. Prime Minister has made successful visits to Bhutan
and Nepal and is expected to visit Sri Lanka while foreign minister
Sushma Swaraj has went around Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in a bid
to improve ties and push development.
in neighbourhood needs to have
confidence and faith in each other. To
make a new beginning Modi seized
the initiative by inviting heads of
SAARC nations for his swearing-in.
Moreover, government’s efforts have
been to bridge the trust deficit and
take along neighbouring countries of
Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
and Maldives. Prime Minister has
made successful visits to Bhutan and
Nepal and is expected to visit Sri
Lanka while foreign minister Sushma
Swaraj has went around Bangladesh
and Sri Lanka in a bid to improve ties
and push development. His policy to
use Japanese technology to upgrade
skills and shortcomings India and a
successful visit to Japan has set the
tone for a new and challenging foreign
policy change.
On Pakistan, government has shown
some assertiveness by calling off Foreign
Secretary –level talks after Pakistan
High Commissioner to India spoke to
Kashmiri separatists ahead of the talks.
Point
Out
DECISIVE GOVERNMENT
Has abolished the 30 group of ministers
(GoM) to ensure efficient working and
empowering ministries to push and
decide on development agendas. A strict
austerity measure is being followed
whereby foreign travel by ministers and
babus are under check and so are all new
purchases exceeding beyond Rs 1 lakh.
TACKLING BLACK MONEY
A special investigation team headed
by Justice (retired) MB Shah to
unearth black money has been set up.
SIT has prepared a comprehensive
action plan, including creation of
14
september 2014
COVER STORY
To improve efficiency and safety,
get better trains and to cut
down travel time the government
decided to hike FDI cap in
railways to 100%. A bullet train
on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad
route has been proposed.
an institutional structure that could
enable India to fight the battle against
black money.
UNION, RAILWAY BUDGET
Union Budget presented by Finance
Minister failed to bring out any
major transformation but since the
first quarter of the financial year had
already passed and interim allocations
were already made before the budget
was presented hardly gave him space
to maneuver. One will have to wait
for his second budget for clarity.
Railway budget for a change promised
a lot with minister Sadanand Gowda
hitting at some of ills plaguing the
organization. To improve efficiency
and safety, get better trains and to
cut down travel time the government
decided to hike FDI cap in railways to
Infrastructure, a sector neglected
in the last 10 years under the
Congress-led UPA rule is all set to
benefit in Modi rule. Government has
attracted large-scale investments
in infrastructural sector by reviving
the Special Economic Zone (SEZ),
streamlining the Public Private
Partnership (PPP) models and
creating Infrastructural Investment
Trusts (InvITs).
100%. A bullet train on the MumbaiAhmedabad route has been proposed.
INFRASTRUCTURAL
DEVELOPMENT
Infrastructure, a sector neglected in the
last 10 years under the Congress-led UPA
rule is all set to benefit in Modi rule.
Government has attracted large-scale
investments in infrastructural sector by
reviving the Special Economic Zone (SEZ),
streamlining the Public Private Partnership
(PPP) models and creating Infrastructural
Investment Trusts (InvITs). Work for the
ambitious Diamond Quadrilateral rail
network — connecting major metros
across the country — is in the full swing.
Government has laid the groundwork for
its ambitious ‘100 smart cities’ project.
To develop infrastructure in rural areas,
the Government has launched Syama
Prasad Mookerjee Rurban Mission and
Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana.
The Government is also working on
strengthening and modernising the border
infrastructure.
SACKING OF GOVERNORS
Not deviating from the tradition of a
shake-up at Raj Bhawans whenever a
new dispensation is in power at the
Centre, Modi government too did its
bid. Some governors have been shunted
out and others transferred.
FINANCIAL INCLUSION
Named Pradhan Mantri Jan Dha Yojna,
this scheme aims to provide banking
facility to every Indian. This will help
people to get benefits of direct transfer
without have to go through middlemen
or making rounds of offices.
15
Point
Out
WHAT
COVER STORY
THEY SAY ?
ƒƒSonia Gandhi, AICC president
Have prices fallen?
“People will give a reply
to whether prices (of
essential commodities)
have gone down or
not,”.
ƒƒAnand Sharma, Congress leader
Modi is a dream
merchant, who came to
power by selling false
hopes. “Mr Modi sold
false dreams, that cannot
be realised. He promised
all things to all people.
Rahul Gandhi did not do it. He did not give
false assurances and refused to be a dream
merchant. Rahul is sincere and hence he did
not do all this,”
promotion of a work culture nurtured by
distrust and fear.
ƒƒ
People are not at all happy
with the BJP Government
at the Centre for not
fulfilling the promises
made during the Lok
Sabha polls, particularly
on controlling the rising
prices of essential commodities. Earlier, the
people were forced to listen to achche din
aanewale hain (good days are coming. And
they were made to believe it.
ƒƒMulayam Singh Yadav, SP chief
Always note, the BJP
and Narendra Modi are
experts in making tall but
false promises and lying.
ƒƒSitaram Yechury, CPI(M) leader
Koi lauta de mere beete
huye din, this famous
song of Kishore Kumar
is being hummed
on the streets by the
people after 100 days
of Narendra Modi
government. The 100
days story of this government has proved
to be disappointing, characterized by
non-fulfillment of promises, undermining
of institutions, the compromising of
administration and governance and
16
september 2014
Tariq Anwar, Lok Sabha MP and
NCP General Secretary
ƒƒ
Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool
Congress chief
Acche din nehi, ronek
a din aa gaya. The
BJP government has
committed no less than
100 mistakes in 100
days. They have sold
the country in 100 days.
Out of 100 days, 90 days have been spent in
foreign trips. He is beating his own drums.
We don't believe in publicity but he is more
into that kind of thing. One thing should be
remembered that this is India and you have
to move with everyone
ƒƒSiddharth Birla, president FICCI
Modi’s Independence
Day speech was a
clear enough signal
to investors - both
domestic and global
- to make India a
global manufacturing
and export hub. We
are now confident the 'Make in India' and
'Made in India' vision will be supported by
the requisite policy and implementation of
measures to enhance the competitiveness of
our manufacturing sector.
ƒƒ
Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of
Tata Sons
Modi has a track
record of being a doer.
What he's done in
Gujarat is for everyone
to see. He has a huge
task nevertheless in
turning around the
economy to growthoriented, rather than control-oriented one.
We'll have to give him a little more time. I am
very hopeful he will turn things around.
17
Point
Out
COVER STORY
PICTURE ABHI
BAKI HAI
»»ASHISH CHAUHAN
I
t was evident from the beginning that
the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is
going to break many conventions to
do what is right for the country. Even
at the time of his swearing in ceremony,
he invited heads of the neighbouring
countries. It was unprecedented and
was opposed by many within his party
and also from various heads of states.
18
september 2014
However, he had realised that if we
need a well functioning democracy and
prosperous high growth economy, we
need to have good relations with our
neighbours.
It is important to take a review of progress
every now and then for any activity.
More importantly for a government
that promised change and from which
expectations are very high.
A society used to waiting for a miracle
cure for all ills is a difficult customer to
service for any government. Moreover,
the myriad channels of formal and
informal communications have made the
environment heavy with expectations.
Therefore taking a stock of achievements
after 100 days of the government is not
an easy task. The question to ask is what could a government possibly do in
100 days? and compare to that what the
government has actually done?
In the first few months of its regime,
government can make its priorities
clear either through announcements
or by policy initiatives or both. The
new government seems to have made
its priorities clear especially with the
budget and more importantly during the
Independent Day address of the Prime
Minister.
Given the pronouncements and
subsequent policy and executive actions
including Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojna,
the new government is trying to take up
some extremely ambitious but achievable
projects in a time bound manner.
The opening up of banking sector to entire
population is a welcome step. However
the scale of execution has been mind
boggling. In a single day, on September
28, on the launch day of Prime Minister's
Jan Dean scheme, more than 1.5 crore
bank accounts were opened. The target of
achieving xx crore accounts is expected
to be completed in 5 months instead of
6 months as originally planned. On its
own, the scheme looks huge. However
when you look at it as a part of the larger
framework of providing direct subsidies
and help to poor in urban and rural areas,
you start admiring the way the breath
taking vision of reaching out to every
Indian - especially poor and helpless
Indian directly - has been worked out in a
step by step manner.
This approach of breaking down each
large, seemingly humongous activity in to
various sub-activities and work towards
meticulously achieving them to arrive at
the end goal seems to be the hall mark of
Narendra Modi as an administrator. He
achieves what he sets out to do however
arduous the tasks. He did it in Gujarat for
more than a decade. He will do it in India.
The new government therefore looks to
come out with many such schemes one
after another.
One more interesting facet of
management is project management
group. A project management group
seems to have been set up to monitor
projects above Rs 1,000 crore anywhere in
India. A portal has been set up on which
all projects are managed. Everyone can
see what is happening to their project’s
approvals through Center and state-level
agencies.
Automation of work and transparency
has been even enhanced by taking it to
different state-level agencies as well as
the central agencies. As a part of this
framework, the environment ministry
launched its own portal to track the
progress of applications submitted to
it. All the various portals are getting
integrated. Even states are cooperating
not only in projects of more than Rs
1,000 crore monitoring but also are in the
process of setting up their own portals to
monitor Rs 100 to Rs 1000 crore worth
projects. The states are also setting up
their own project monitoring groups.
These projects are not only public sector
projects but also private sector projects.
In future one can expect many such
groups tracking implementation of many
of the development and private activities.
It's a work man like framework taken
from private sector for achieving results
and modified for Government to act as
a catalyst and a service provider. Initial
success of this framework will give a huge
boost to making India the easiest place to
do business rather than one of the most
difficult places to do business. Getting
the dream of make in India can be easily
fulfilled if we are able to implement the
projects. Currently the pmg is monitoring
19
In the first few months of its regime, government can make its
priorities clear either through announcements or by policy initiatives
or both. The new government seems to have made its priorities
clear especially with the budget and more importantly during the
Independent Day address of the Prime Minister.
more than Rs 6 lakh crore of projects.
Announcement to dismantle Planning
Commission, seen as the architect of
India’s growth and development and
setting up a new framework to monitor
the policies and their implementation
will go a long way in establishing a parity
between center and states in a federal
democracy. We need to wait and watch
the final contours of the new mechanism
and organisation structure being put in
place going forward in this regard.
Swacch Bharat is another ambitious
project that has been announced. I am
sure with the same meticulous planing
and execution framework in a step by
step way, India will be able to achieve
availability of toilets in almost all
households in near future.
Getting different countries like Japan,
China, UK, US, Singapore to invest in
different parts and different projects in
India is expected to be another game
changer. Frequent visit of PM To foreign
shores is perhaps due to the same to
convince the government's and business
community in these countries to take
India as an important destinations to
produce the goods and Services. Foreign
investments upto 49% in defence and
liberalisation of foreign investment in
several sectors including insurance etc
are giving indications of fast moving
policy directions.
Creating 30 crore new jobs in next 20
years in India is the most important
project India has. All the efforts are being
put in place to accelerate and enhance
job creation in near future and sustain it.
Notwithstanding the high expectations
raised by media, Indian public seems to
be in a mood to wait and give him a lot
more time to perform.
There are several other projects and
changes in the way. The big bang
announcements which the western
educated audience is looking for ‎may
not happen in the same way they expect.
However even more ambitious, even
larger, more important to India projects
will be undertaken and executed within
time and cost. That is the promise and
that is what will be delivered.
We have seen a trailer in 100 days. That is
sufficient to convince me to say 'picture to
abhi baki hai mere dost'.
»»(The author is MD & CEO of BSE LTD.
He has over 22 years of experience
in Financial Markets and technology.
Ashish holds a B. Tech in Mechanical
Engineering from IIT Bombay and
PGDM from IIM Calcutta)
Point
Out
COVER STORY
STRENGTHENING
THE DEFENCE
The signals have been strong and positive, witness this
statement from Modi: “This Government is not just about
promises.” Suiting action to words he has made some
noteworthy visits, to the new Indian aircraft carrier
Vikramaditya, to Leh where he addressed army units
on the Line of Actual Control and to Mumbai where he
flagged off the first Kolkata class destroyer.
20
september 2014
21
Point
Out
»»SURYA GANGADHARAN
O
n the surface, there’s nothing to
suggest the Modi Government
is taking defence lightly. The
signals have been strong
and positive, witness this statement
from Modi: “This Government is not
just about promises.” Suiting action to
words he has made some noteworthy
visits, to the new Indian aircraft carrier
Vikramaditya, to Leh where he addressed
22
september 2014
COVER STORY
Efforts to correct the poor material state are underway but
will take time given the policy and procurement paralysis of
the last decade. The import bill may not see an immediate
decline since Indian industry, whether in the public or
private sector, lacks state of art technology that would
enable India to go it alone in military manufacture.
The import bill may not see an immediate decline since Indian
industry, whether in the public or private sector, lacks state of
art technology that would enable India to go it alone in military
manufacture.
army units on the Line of Actual Control
and to Mumbai where he flagged off the
first Kolkata class destroyer.
His Finance Minister Arun Jaitley doesn’t
appear to have let the demands of the first
affect his handling of the other portfolio,
Defence. In policy terms he has fixed
49% as the limit for FDI with options
for higher levels in the case of state of
art technology. Private industry could be
finally getting its due: The tender for 197
light utility helicopters was scrapped and
will be re-tendered with private Indian
23
firms getting first shot at it. A Rs 25,000
crore tender for amphibious warfare
vessels will go to private yards L&T, ABG
and Pipavav. He has also cleared the
decks for the navy to go in for maritime
helicopters where Sikorsky is the likely
frontrunner.
But beyond the nuts and bolts of
procurement there are other serious
issues that the government needs to
address, says Commodore Uday Bhaskar,
well known naval and strategic analyst:
“The challenge lies in implementing new
policies in the Ministry of Defence and
addressing the many imbalances that
were inherited from the UPA.
“The spectrum of issues that need urgent
attention,” he says, “range from the poor
material state of all three armed forces,
particularly the shrinking ammunition
stocks of the army, and a burgeoning
import bill with no credible alternative
to frayed civil-military relations and the
disturbing perception of a decline in
moral fibre of the military.”
Efforts to correct the poor material state
are underway but will take time given
the policy and procurement paralysis of
the last decade. The import bill may not
see an immediate decline since Indian
industry, whether in the public or private
sector, lacks state of art technology that
would enable India to go it alone in
military manufacture.
There are however, several projects
underway that currently show promise:
The DRDO is developing a new 155mm
towed artillery gun; a hybrid self
propelled gun called Catapult is now
at an advanced stage of trials; Indian
shipyards have orders totaling over 40
ships of all kinds; the Project 75I line of
indigenous submarines will now be done
at home with a foreign OEM; the LCA
Tejas continues to move ahead although
the Mark-I variant will not fulfill the
IAF’s requirements (but the Mark-II
variant is expected to meet the IAF’s
benchmarks). Tatas has developed an
infantry combat vehicle in collaboration
with a foreign OEM that could meet the
army’s requirements.
The real slog may lie elsewhere: The
moral fibre of the military is under
strain. Rumours and leaks hinted at a
concerted effort by former navy chiefs to
derail Admiral DK Joshi and ensure his
replacement by someone else favoured
because of his “community connections”.
Fingers have been pointed at the former
army chief for some questionable
appointments to key commands. The
officer-jawan relationship is not as
healthy as it should be.
Other issues relate to the Defence
Ministry, which needs a full time
minister. There is a problem here in that
years of being in the Opposition has left
the BJP with limited “bench strength”.
But not all are convinced about that.
"I am not convinced that there is a talent
crunch," said Pratap Bhanu Mehta,
president of the New Delhi-based Centre
for Policy Research. "The question is
whether the government is looking for
something more than talent. Does the
question of loyalty come in, as in, do you
want to avoid people who could turn out
to be a little more independent? This is
what seems to be happening across the
board."
Then there’s the ticklish issue of
transforming the Defence Ministry to
enable it to take on the role where it
provides strategic direction to the men
in uniform. It means integrating the
forces with the MoD vis a vis the current
situation where the Armed Forces are
outside the MoD. Making this happen in
a manner whereby the MoD rises to fulfill
its proper role is easier said than done.
Are India’s politicians and bureaucracy
ready for a Chief of Defence Staff? Will
the nation’s national security get the
attention and priority it deserves? Mr
Modi’s actions will be keenly watched.
Point
Out
BY INVITE
MSME : LIFE LINE OF
ECONOMY
If we take a look globally, MSME density is the highest in
Brunei, Indonesia and Paraguay (as per research figures in
2010-2011) with economies having higher per capita GDP
witnessing more formalized MSME structures and support per
1000 people, Thereby business density having a positive
correlation with per capita income.
»»MEENAKSHI LEKHI
W
hen making economic
choices, would you choose
to expand the tax base from
6% to a much larger number,
create enterprise and jobs worth several
crores and ensure financial credit reaches
serious industry? Or would you support
status quo?
As we get into a phase of development,
whether political or economics, but the
choice to support and aid development is
one that determines our actions – and one
of the most crucial industries or sectors
that comes into the picture are Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprise. They are
the lifeline of any economy that is looking
at well-rounded, fast paced and holistic
development as it ushers in new growth
targets and a new dawn.
As per the MSME Development Act of
2006, MSME’s in India were identifiable
solely on initial investment – with different
figures for services and manufacturing. A
micro enterprise is defined as one with an
initial investment of under 25 lacs INR for
24
september 2014
manufacturing and under 10 lacs INR for
services. A small enterprise is one with an
investment between 25 lacs and 5 crores
specifically for manufacturing while a
medium enterprise is between 5 and 10
crores. If we take a look globally, MSME
density is the highest in Brunei, Indonesia
and Paraguay (as per research figures
in 2010-2011) with economies having
higher per capita GDP witnessing more
formalized MSME structures and support
per 1000 people, Thereby business density
having a positive correlation with per
capita income.
New Definitions
To create conditions where MSMEs in
India come up to world standards of
efficacy and get the necessary support,
definitions must be looked into going
ahead. Unlike the Indian framework,
EU identifies MSMEs based on turnover
with a check on number of employees.
In such a scenario, an interesting statistic
in the European Union is that 99% of
all enterprise are MSME’s, with the
absolute count at over 20 million. As per
EU standards, micro enterprises have
under 10 employees and upto 16 crore
Euro turnover, small have less than 50
employees with an increased turnover
of under 80 crores Euro and the number
becomes 250 employees and upto 344
crores in the case of Medium Sized.
One look at our neighbour China and
their MSMEs drive 80% of all employment
within the country. India’s statistics on
this are in the gray area with only 6% of
Indians as pan card holders, 3% as tax
paying and a large unregistered set-up
where basics such as electricity, microcredit and research support cannot make
it to the micro and small enterprises.
Catalog – for best interest of Govt
and MSME
A catalog is essential from the government’s
point of view to create a database that
may then be intelligently studied with
appropriate changes put forward in the
best manner. As per a business article
dated 3rd June 2014, India has one of the
highest number of ‘Shadow Companies’
- organizations which are not registered
with any government department – and
at 127 shadow companies for 1 registered
company, that number is fairly alarming.
In Germany, every enterprise - MSME or
large – has to register itself before start of
operations declaring type of business, no
of employees, total assets and total sales for
the year, going ahead and compulsorily,
year on year. This data, then needs to
be activated, to understand partnership
companies as well as create opportunities
for loan, support and CSR.
Technology and Credit
Another recommendation is technological
upgradation, to make the MSME Indian
website more approachable, with an ease
of understanding. Presently, classification
and other such details are presented in a
manner complex to even a highly qualified
person and moreover, the absence of
regional language interpretations online
acts as a deterrent especially for micro
and small enterprise. With 22 Indian
languages, a target and timeline must be
set out to reach out to all via translations
– intelligent translations.
The 2006 Act also provisioned that the
advisory committee look into level of
employment, class of enterprise and
international standard linkages. Within
25
the domestic context, upgradation,
enhanced competitiveness and the
possibility of promoting or diffusing
entrepreneurship in such enterprises was
also to be looked into. A catalog would
be an enabling scenario to help reach out
to such enterprises and understand the
nature of support required. A research
paper on MSME in 2010 by World Bank
and International Finance Corporation
indicated that key obstacles to MSMEs
were access to finance at appropriate
times, corruption, inadequately educated
workforce and competitive practices from
the informal/unregistered enterprise.
Skill Building and the Budget’s
provision for Skill India
Towards the same, Skill Building will not
only provide the necessary trained labour
force to MSME, but also build skill within
the youth our country – one of the highest
demographics going into this decade. In
Germany, for example, about 5,00,000
companies are involved to give practical
training to over 30 lac personnel. China has
500,000 Skill Training Centres. with70%
are in Rural China and an estimated 600
lac apprentices at any given time across
urban and rural. In sharp contrast at
home, we had only 5500 centres in 2007
and even the provision to double them
would leave us gapingly short. In parallel,
bringing the Apprentice Act up to date as
well as seriously working on increasing
the no of Apprentices from 2.6 lacs to a
considerable figures are short-run targets
and the creation of Skill India must create
tangible deadlines towards the same.
In India we only have 11,000 ITI’s & ITC’s
and under the previous political regime, we
only had 5,500 centres. While the number
has doubled in the past 7 years, it is still
quite low and also requires corresponding
changes in the Apprentice Act.
Considering the intrinsic nature of
MSME’s to economic development, the
focus on micro and small enterprise is
essential especially with the point of view
of encouraging entrepreneurship in both
the rural and urban context. With the
new government in the centre, the mood
is optimistic that changes will be put
into place and in the necessary areas of
supportive rather than restrictive policies,
youth encouragement (also via setting
up a fund for start-ups) and better credit
and financing mechanisms. And then the
onus will rest upon the youth and such
MSMEs to create self-reliant conditions,
innovative enterprise and best responses
to positive policies.
»»(The author is the Member of parliament
in Lok Sabha from New Delhi & National
Spokesperson of the BJP)
Point
Out
India Japan
FRUITS OF LOOKING EAST
“The personal bonhomie between Modi and Abe is a larger
signal to China about the Delhi-Tokyo potential. Japan’s
commitment to invest $35 bn over five years in India may
even spark a competition with China to India’s benefit.”
26
september 2014
»»SURYA GANGADHARAN
W
as the prime minister eating
shredded dhokla from
a bowl using chopsticks
during his recent visit to
Japan? Or was it some other Gujarati
delicacy? The question remained
unanswered but Modi’s preference for
Gujarati vegetarian fare is well known.
The Japanese on the other hand, are
known to eat anything that moves!
More to the point, what did Narendra
Modi’s visit to Japan achieve? “In
geopolitical terms it has considerable
relevance,” says Dr Swaran Singh, Japan
scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University
and a visiting scholar at Hiroshima
University. “The personal bonhomie
between Modi and Abe is a larger
signal to China about the Delhi-Tokyo
potential. Japan’s commitment to invest
$35 bn over five years in India may
even spark a competition with China to
India’s benefit.”
But looking at the fine print, it’s clear
that India and Japan have a long way
to go. As a senior MEA diplomat
put it: “The figure of $35 bn is great
for headlines but we were expecting
something much more given the scale
of our requirements.”
Much of the Japanese investment is
in soft areas: the Shinkansen or bullet
trains, health sector, city modernization,
cleaning of the Ganga and skills
development.
In the “hard strategic sectors” the
Japanese proved cautious and unyielding.
An agreement on cooperation in the
nuclear sector remains unfinished with
both sides committed to continuing
the negotiations. This is a setback as
Japanese industry supplies many of the
special steels and materials that go into
the construction of nuclear reactors.
So if India wishes to operationalise the
nuclear agreements with France (Areva)
and the US (Westinghouse), Japan’s
cooperation is crucial.
Tokyo has muted its insistence on India
signing the Nuclear Non-proliferation
Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty. But it wants India to agree to a
moratorium on paper (and is not willing
to accept the indirect formulation
that saw the India-US nuclear deal go
through). Indian diplomats say Modi
was hopeful his personal chemistry
with Abe and a spoken commitment
27
DEFINING MOMENT IN OUR
RELATIONSHIP : FICCI
C
ommenting on the visit of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Japan, Sidharth Birla, President,
FICCI said “This visit marks a defining moment in our relationship and will be registered in history as one that significantly elevated the level of engagement between India and Japan across
areas. The agreements that have been signed and the understanding achieved under the guidance
and leadership of Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister
Abe will bring the two countries closer in both strategic and
economic spheres.” We are particularly enthused about the
launch of the Japan India Investment Promotion Partnership
under which the two sides have agreed to double the flow
of FDI into India and the number of Japanese companies
over the next five years. FICCI firmly believes that we must
encourage greater export oriented FDI from Japan into India
and this visit of PM has laid the groundwork for the same.
Japan has committed to realise total financial flows of close
to 3.5 trillion Yen into India over the next five years in projects that would form the building blocks of India’s growth
such as smart cities, transport systems, clean energy, skill development and food processing”, added
Sidharth Birla. Besides economic and strategic connects, the two sides have also laid great emphasis
on promoting people to people contact. Promoting tourism, youth exchanges, educational collaboration
and cultural exchanges are integral to the growth of our relationship and our leaders have expressed their
determination to further enhance the same”, he added.
Point
Out
India Japan
Modi and Abe’s personal chemistry helps lay the ground in Washington when
Modi visits. It also sends signals to China ahead of President Xi Jinping’s
visit and expect Modi to underscore the “personal equation” when Xi lands in
Ahmedabad on the first leg of his India tour.
from him would see things through but
clearly, there’s work to be done in that
area.
On the US-2i amphibious aircraft, Modi
insisted on co-production, which the
Japanese are yet to accept. There’s also
a point being made internally within
the Indian Navy, that when the Japanese
use few numbers of these admittedly
expensive aircraft, should India jump in
(in fact in 2007, the navy had issued an
RFP for amphibians and seven bidders
28
september 2014
responded but the nothing came of
that).
Dr Swaran Singh believes that Modi
sees himself as being around for at least
10 years, giving himself enough time
to lay the ground for a breakthrough
maybe later in his first term or even
in the second. In fact, Modi, and Abe
(also China’s President Xi Jinping
and Australia’s Tony Abbott) are seen
as powerful nationalist leaders, pro
business in outlook, determined to do
what is necessary for their nations to get
ahead.
Modi and Abe’s personal chemistry
helps lay the ground in Washington
when Modi visits. It also sends signals
to China ahead of President Xi Jinping’s
visit and expect Modi to underscore the
“personal equation” when Xi lands in
Ahmedabad on the first leg of his India
tour. Maybe then dhokla diplomacy will
come into its own.
29
Point
Out
foreign affairs
LOOKING EAST,
HOLDING FIRM ON THE WEST
30
september 2014
The east is definitely figuring larger in the Indian strategic
calculus but this has been the case since 2009 when then
defence minister AK Antony issued a formal directive to
the armed forces to prepare for a two front war in their
planning and doctrines. The directive was driven by the
deepening nexus between Pakistan and China, the transfer
of nuclear weapons and technologies to Islamabad and
the concern that Beijing might open a front in the event of
another round of India Pak hostilities.
»»SURYA GANGADHARAN
A
senior Indian journalist invited to
a Track Two seminar featuring a
familiar cross section of the media
and pundits from both sides of the
Radcliffe Line, was jolted by the intensity
of the Pakistani reaction when he observed
that India’s strategic focus increasingly, was
China. In his own words …”the Pakistanis
who included some retired military men,
rather absurdly, rejected my view; to me it
appeared as though they felt betrayed…”
31
The incident underscores the widely
held perception here that Pakistan’s army
“needs India” if only to ensure its continued
relevance at home. But let’s examine the
larger issue: Is there indeed an Indian
“strategic pivot” taking place, from the west
to the east?
The east is definitely figuring larger in the
Indian strategic calculus but this has been
the case since 2009 when then defence
minister AK Antony issued a formal
directive to the armed forces to prepare
for a two front war in their planning and
doctrines. The directive was driven by the
deepening nexus between Pakistan and
China, the transfer of nuclear weapons and
technologies to Islamabad and the concern
that Beijing might open a front in the event
of another round of India Pak hostilities.
“The last has never happened,” admits Prof
Srikant Kondapalli head of China Studies
at Jawaharlal Nehru University. “It did not
happen in 1971 nor during the Kargil war
in 1999. But China’s strategic intentions
remain unclear, its military infrastructure
along the Line of Actual Control extensive
with a reported five airbases, long range
missiles backed up by nearly 60,000 km of
strategic highways and a fast developing
railway network.”
There’s a lot else happening in the seas
around India’s littoral, he warns, and while
much of this is driven by China’s hunger
for energy, the danger of a “strategic noose”
around India cannot be ignored.
It explains the Indian decision to set up a
new corps headquartered in Panagarh, West
Bengal and fast track a massive highway
running within 100 km of the Line of Actual
Control. Don’t miss the appointment of
former army chief Gen VK Singh who will
drive infrastructure modernization in the
sensitive eastern frontier; also Ladakh MP
Kiran Rijiju who has already signaled his
intention to settle people along the LAC in
his home region ; diplomatically the prime
minister has reached out to Japan with the
implicit warning that if Pakistan is China’s
“all weather ally”, Japan could be the same
for India.
As a senior Indian diplomat put it: “If
China can take on the US, Vietnam, the
Philippines and others simultaneously, we
should be able to do the same. But it will take
Point
Out
foreign affairs
An Indian response will be driven by the understanding that
no major attack on India can take place without the Pakistan
army’s sanction, it cannot come from the civilian establishment.
Domestic compulsions may force the army to ratchet up tensions
with India. This could also serve the dual purpose of forcing the
elected civilian government to bow to the army’s wishes.
some time to arrive at a balance because at
this point, we do not pose a military threat
to China. The 5000 km Agni-5 strategic
missile is not yet operational and we have
barely begun addressing infrastructural
deficiencies.”
Some of the above issues are absent
on our western frontier. But there has
also been a growing appreciation of the
multidimensional nature of the threat
from Pakistan. “The most obvious,”
notes Sushant Sareen of the Vivekananda
32
september 2014
International Foundation, “is the Pakistani
propensity for ceasefire violations, whether
to keep the Indians unsettled or push in
infiltrators. No one rules out another Kargil
because it can be ruled out only at our
peril. May be Pakistan will rejig the terror
machinery and reignite it, we cannot ignore
the Pakistani army’s motivations.”
Then what happens if a major terror strike
happens in India? Going by 26/11, the
Pakistani army probably believes India
will do nothing, but that may not be the
case under the Modi administration,
believes Sareen. An Indian response will be
driven by the understanding that no major
attack on India can take place without the
Pakistan army’s sanction, it cannot come
from the civilian establishment. Domestic
compulsions may force the army to ratchet
up tensions with India. This could also
serve the dual purpose of forcing the elected
civilian government to bow to the army’s
wishes.
Will the army remove the elected civilian
government of Nawaz Sharif? Sareen says:
“It doesn’t take much to throw out a civil
government, one army chief and two trucks
but I believe that time is now past. The army
would prefer to muddy the waters not jump
in. It would like the ‘pot to simmer’ not boil
over.” he says.
Pakistan may no longer pose a conventional
threat to India but its asymmetric strategies
and instruments (including nuclear
blackmail) leave India with no option but to
retain its present force structures while also
building its sinews on the east.
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33
Narendra Modi’s
visit to Japan
Phir bhi
dil hai
Hindustaani
34
september 2014
GALL
GALLERY
GALLERY
GALLE
GALLARY
Point
Point
Out
Out
1
2
GALL
GALL
ALLERY
GALLERY
GALLERY
GALLARY
ERY
3
4
35
Point
Out
VILLAGE ROOTS
SWACHCH BHARAT
More than six decades after independence, and after spending nearly
US $4 billion on the Total Sanitation Campaign between 1999 and 2010,
more than 600 million Indians do not have access to a toilet either at
home or in their communities, Census 2011 found.
»»AARTI
M
ore than six decades after
independence, and after spending
nearly US $4 billion on the Total
Sanitation Campaign between 1999
and 2010, more than 600 million Indians do
not have access to a toilet either at home or in
their communities, Census 2011 found.
This bare statistics is what has forced Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to review Nirmal
Bharat Abhiyan introduced by UPA II in
2012. During his Independence Day address
to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort,
Prime Minister Modi announced that within
one year, every school in the country will have
a toilet and there will be separate toilets for
girl students. He also asked parliamentarians
to use members of parliament local area
36
september 2014
development scheme (MPLADS) funds
to build toilets. He also reiterated his
commitment to building a Swachch Bharat
(clean India) by the 150th birth anniversary
of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019.
The new government has announced that
rural households without sanitation facilities
will get Rs.15,000 each, up from Rs.10,000,
for constructing toilets, and schools
Rs.54,000, an increase from Rs.35,000.
Community sanitary complexes will receive
Rs.6 lakh (instead of Rs.2 lakh) and
anganwadis (child care centres) will get
Rs.20,000 (from Rs.8,000).
Claiming the scheme didn’t work well
under the previous United Progressive
Alliance (UPA) government, the new
regime has decided to delink its toilet
construction programme from the rural
jobs guarantee scheme
THE REALITY
Despite 64 years of rural development,
60 percent of India`s rural population
defecate in the open, either due to lack
of toilets, lack of their operation and
maintenance due to absence of water or
inappropriate technology and with no
scientific mode of digesting the waste,
leading to rural men questioning the
usefulness of toilets.
Only 32 percent of rural families in 2011
(as per census figures) and 40 percent
(National Sample Survey Organisation
figures of 2013) have rural toilets.
From over 12 million toilets to be built
annually prior to 2011-12, the figure has come
down to below five million per year now.
States have also carried out a baseline
survey in 2012-13, from which it is
clear that out of the 171.9 million rural
households in the country, about 111.1
million households do not have latrines.
The fact that 88.4 million are eligible for
the incentives, toilets have not been built.
More than 20 million families who were
given subsidy and financial incentive
under the programme do not have
functional toilets today.
A Unicef-supported study in Odisha
revealed that 50% of households surveyed
knew that water contamination causes
diseases. However, 64% of them continued
to draw water from storage vessels by
inserting a hand. Although 92% considered
washing hands to be important for personal
hygiene, only 29% households had soap or
ash kept at the washing area.
About 56% associated health problems
with open defecation, but nearly 36% didn't
think it important enough to build a toilet
at home. Some years ago, the panchayat in
Waki Bu village of Maharashtra's Buldhana
district resolved that no certificate or ration
shop supply would be given to a family that
didn't construct atoilet. It worked along
with volunteers making predawn dawns
by shining torches and blowing whistles to
expose those defecating in the open.
37
HEALTH BENEFITS
A
new study on large-scale rural sanitation programmes in India highlights
challenges in achieving sufficient access to toilets and reduction in open defecation
to yield significant health benefits for young children.
Investigators, led by an Indian-origin researcher, conducted a cluster randomised
controlled trial in 80 rural villages in Madhya Pradesh to measure the effect of India's Total
Sanitation campaign (an initiative to increase access to improved sanitation throughout
rural India) on household latrine availability, defecation behaviours and child health.
A total of 5,209 children aged under 5 years and 3,039 households were involved in the
study led by Sumeet Patil from the School of Public Health, University of California at
Berkeley, and the Network for Engineering and Economics Research and Management in
Mumbai.
The researchers found that the campaign intervention increased the percentage of
households in a village with improved sanitation facilities by an average of 19 percent.
In the intervention villages, an average of 41 per cent of households had improved latrines
compared to 22 per cent of households in the control villages. The intervention also
decreased the proportion of adults who self-reported the practice of open defecation from
84 per cent to 73 percent.
Point
Out
VILLAGE ROOTS
IMPACT
In response to the direct appeal from the prime minister, some corporate houses are
coming forward to participate in the `Swacch Bharat Abhiyan` through the corporate
social responsibility (CSR) route.
Tata Consultancy Services
One of the largest software services
companies, TCS was the first one to
proclaim its commitment towards
financing hygienic sanitation facilities for
girls. The company has announced that it
has pledged Rs 100 crore to build toilets
in about 10,000 schools.
‘We firmly believe that achieving the
mission of providing hygienic sanitation
for girl students will have a tangible
impact on the level of education
achievement and development of India's
next generation,’ TCS CEO and Managing
Director N Chandrasekaran said.
Bharti Foundation
Another Rs 100 crore commitment came
from Bharti Foundation, the CSR arm of
Bharti Enterprises. The Foundation in a
media release said that over the next three
years it would be constructing toilets for
every rural household in Ludhiana District
lacking such facilities. In addition to rural
household sanitation, the Satya Bharti
Abhiyan will also invest in improving
sanitation facilities in government
schools in rural Ludhiana by building new
toilets for girls.
‘It is our commitment that no single
household or school in rural Ludhiana
will be without a toilet by the end of this
tenure,’ said Bharti Foundation Chairman
Sunil Bharti Mittal, who happens to hail
from Ludhiana. Bharti Foundation CoChairman Rakesh Bharti Mittal assured
that he would be personally monitoring
the progress of the project.
L&T Public Charitable Trust
L&T Public Charitable Trust, the CSR
arm of Larsen & Toubro group, has
unveiled plans to build 5,000 toilets.
Group Executive Chairman AM Naik
announced a major CSR initiative that
would add traction to the Swachh Bharat
Abhiyan programme. The company’s
38
september 2014
statement read that the investments from
L&T Public Charitable Trust would cover
water supply and distribution, sanitation
facilities, healthcare and skills training.
Vedanta
Vedanta Hindustan Zinc has joined
hands with the Rajasthan government to
construct toilets for 20,000 households
in Rajasthan. Initially, these toilets will
be constructed in the three panchayat
samities of Bhilwara and Chittorgarh
districts. With a CSR fund of about Rs
25 crore, the project will be completed in
three years. Hindustan Zinc has already
constructed nearly 1,750 toilets in
collaboration with DRDA-Total Sanitation
Project.
Sulabh International
NGO Sulabh International recently
handed over 108 low-cost toilets to
villagers at Katra Sadatganj in Badaun
and adopted the hamlet as model village
for a nationwide ‘Toilets for Every House’
campaign. The sanitation drive was
launched in the wake of alleged gangrape
andmurder of two sisters in Katra in
May. The NGO said the campaign was
in furtherance of women’s right to safe
toilets and it plans to make the village free
of open defecation in phases with 300
more Sulabh toilets in the pipeline.
Defence Research and
Development Organisation
Speaking at a function at Defence
Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) research centre in Hyderabad,
Union Urban Development Minister
Venkaiah Naidu put the spotlight on the
DRDO-developed bio-toilets (called biodigesters) that have been set up for the
army in certain areas. Naidu noted that
the toilets could be replicated for the
civilian population as well, saying, ‘The
The Ministry for Drinking Water and
Sanitation has prepared a Cabinet note
for enhancement of monetary support
for building different categories of rural
toilets in the country. Under the new
proposal, rural households without
sanitation will get Rs 15,000 each for
constructing toilets, while schools will
get Rs 54,000 for the same.
prime minister has already declared
that under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan,
India should become Swachh Bharat
by 2019. For that, you need to provide
a toilet to each household in rural and
urban areas. This bio-toilet is something
that is affordable and nature-friendly.’
Human Resources Ministry
Addressing a conference for state
education secretaries in New Delhi,
Human Resources Minister Smriti Irani
directed departments to ‘prepare an
action plan for construction of toilets in
all government schools so that the goal
set by the prime minister for providing
all these schools with toilets within one
year becomes a reality.’ The minister
said that states should meet the target
by July 2015.
Ministry for Drinking Water and
Sanitation
The Ministry for Drinking Water and
Sanitation has prepared a Cabinet note
for enhancement of monetary support
for building different categories of rural
toilets in the country. Under the new
proposal, rural households without
sanitation will get Rs 15,000 each for
constructing toilets, while schools will
get Rs 54,000 for the same.
LIJJAT PAPAD:
SUCCESS MANTRA
FROM RS 80 TO 80 CRORE SET UP
»»AARTI
A
business model started on a
borrowed Rs 80 in 1959 by
seven women has today grown
into a brand with over 43,000
members and a multi-crore cooperative
empowering women, across India. This
is the story of Sri Mahila Griha Udyog
Lijjat Papad.It is one on those success
ventures of India that is being talked
about and studied across various top
business schools.
It all began on March 15, 1959, where
in a majority of women inhabitants of
an old residential building in Girgaum
(a thickly populated area of South
Bombay), were busy attending their
usual domestic chores. A few of them,
seven to be exact gathered on the terrace
of the building and started a small
inconspicuous function. The function
ended shortly, the result - production of
4 packets of Papads and a firm resolves
to continue production. This pioneer
batch of seven women had set the ball
rolling.
As the days went by, additions to this
initial group of 7 was ever-increasing.
The institution began to grow. Early
days were not easy and institution had
39
The faith and patience of the members were put to test on several occasion
- they had no money and started on a borrowed sum of Rs 80. With quality
consciousness as the principle that guided production, Lijjat grew to be the
flourishing and successful organisation that it is today.
its trials and tribulation. The faith and
patience of the members were put to
test on several occasion - they had no
money and started on a borrowed sum
of Rs 80.
Self-reliance was the policy and no
monetary help was to be sought (not
even voluntarily offered donations). So
work started on commercial footing.
With quality consciousness as the
principle that guided production, Lijjat
grew to be the flourishing and successful
organisation that it is today.
Shri Mahila Griha Udyog has diversified
its various activities. Besides it's world
famous papads it also currently has a
Flour Division at Vashi (Mumbai)
where flour is milled from Udad Dal
Point
Out
and Moong Dal, a Masala Division
at Cottongreen (alongwith a Quality
Control Laboratory) at the same place
where different kinds of spice powders
like Turmeric, Chillies, Coriander
and ready mix masala and like Garam
Masala, Tea Masala, Pav Bhaji Masala,
Punjabi Chole Masala etc. are prepared
and packed in consumer packs, a
printing division also at the same place.
Lijjat Advertising Division at Bandra
(Mumbai), Chapati Divisions at
Bandra, Wadala, Mulund & Kandivali,
A Polypropylene set-up at KashiMira Road and detergent powder and
cakes manufacturing unit at Pune
(Sanaswadi).
The institution has adopted the concept
of business from the very beginning. All
its dealings are carried out on a sound
and pragmatic footing - Production of
quality goods and at reasonable prices.
It has never and nor will it in the future,
accept any charity, donation, gift or
grant from any quarter. On the contrary,
the member sisters donate collectively
for good causes from time to time
according to their capacity.
Besides the concept of business, the
institution along with all it's member
40
september 2014
SUCCESS MANTRA
POWER BRAND
l Lijjat Papad has been chosen as a Power Brand 2010-2011 by the Indian
Consumer and received the Award on 4th February 2011 in New Delhi by
our President Smt. Swati R. Paradkar.
l The Economic Times Award given to the Institution for Corporate
Excellence "Business Woman Of the Year" on 6th September 2002
l At the National Convention on "Rural Industrialisation", held by Khadi
& Village Industries Commission along with Ministry of Agro and Rural
Industries at New Delhi on 14th March 2003, Institution recevied the "Best
Village Industry Institution" award from Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Atal
Bihari Vajpayee.
l Received "Brand Equity Award" at the hands of Hon'ble President of India
Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
sisters have adopted the concept of
mutual family affection, concern and
trust. All affairs of the institution are
dealt in a manner similar to that of
a family carrying out its own daily
household chores.
But the most important concept
adopted by the institution is the
concept of devotion. For the member
sisters, employees and well wishers,
the institution is never merely a place
to earn one's livelihood - It is a place
of worship to devote one's energy not
for his or her own benefits but for the
benefit of all. In this institution work
is worship. The institution is open for
everybody who has faith in its basis
concepts.
41
Point
Out
IN FOCUS PSUs
5 STATES CLAIM HALF OF PSUS INVESTMENT;
MAHARASHTRA AT TOP: ASSOCHAM
»»BUSINESS BUREAU
M
aharashtra, Andhra Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu, Odisha and
Uttar Pradesh were the major
investment destinations for
the Central Public Sector Enterprises
(CPSEs) claiming 50 per cent of their
total investment of Rs 5.5 lakh crore
between 2008-09 ad 2012-13.
Maharashtra alone claimed 20 percent
in the total gross block, followed
by Andhra Pradesh (8.4 percent),
Tamil Nadu (8.1 percent), Odisha
(6.7 percent) and Uttar Pradesh (6.2
percent).
The investment would have been much
more with improved employment
generation had there not been delays
in execution and implementation of the
new projects, the ASSOCHAM study
said.
There were altogether 582 projects
under implementation in the central
sector as on June, 2013. Out of these,
311 projects reported a time over run
ranging from one month to 240 months
which could have had a negative impact
on employment.
“Investment is a function of the
state of economy, historical base
of the concerned CPSE, industrial
environment and the push factor of
the states besides priorities of the
Central Government. Despite talks of
autonomy, the public sector investment
decisions are influenced by several
factors other than pure commercial
considerations,”
ASSOCHAM
Secretary General D S Rawat said.
Besides the top five states receiving the
maximum of CPSE investment, other
42
september 2014
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh were the
major investment destinations for the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs)
claiming 50 per cent of their total investment of Rs 5.5 lakh crore between 200809 ad 2012-13. Maharashtra alone claimed 20 percent in the total gross block,
followed by Andhra Pradesh (8.4 percent), Tamil Nadu (8.1 percent), Odisha (6.7
percent) and Uttar Pradesh (6.2 percent).
major beneficiaries included West
Bengal (5.3 percent), Chhattisgarh
(4.8 percent), Assam (3.9 percent),
Madhya Pradesh (3.8 percent), and
Himachal Pradesh (3.4 percent), adds
the ASSOCHAM paper.
Interestingly, those which are at the
bottom of the investment destinations
include some of the developed states
like Gujarat, Karnakata and Haryana.
The bottom states in terms of CPSE
investments are: Bihar (3.2 percent),
Gujarat (2.8 percent), Karnataka (2.5
percent), Jharkhand (1.9 percent),
Kerala (1.5 percent), Rajasthan (1.1
percent), Jammu & Kashmir (1.1
percent), Arunachal Pradesh (0.9
percent), Uttaranchal (0.8 percent),
Punjab (0.7 percent) and Haryana (0.6
percent), highlights its paper.
“The CPSEs investment growth rate
was recorded at 9.05 percent in 201213 on year on year basis as compared to
13.42 percent in 2011-12, 9.48 percent
in 2010-11 and 15.52 percent in 200910”, adds the paper.
To be fair to them, the CPSEs managed
to rake in a smart growth in net profit
despite difficult years in the global and
domestic economy. Overall net profit of
all 229 CPSEs during 2012-13 stood at
Rs. 1.15 lakh crore compared to Rs. 0.98
lakh crore during 2011-12 showing an
increase of 17.36 percent.
NTPC TO PAY TOTAL DIVIDEND OF
RS. 5.75 PER SHARE
T
he new Government's vision of
providing power 24X7 to each
household translates into robust
growth opportunities amid challenges for the sector. The decision to put
coal, power and renewable energy under
one Minister also results in an integrated
energy approach, strong focus on tapping all the possible sources also opens
up new business opportunities for your
Company said Dr. Arup Roy Choudhury,
CMD NTPC addressing the shareholders
at the 38th Annual General Meeting of
the Company held in New Delhi. All the
functional and Independent Directors of
the company were present with him on
the occasion.
Speaking about performance of the
company he said that during year the
Company crossed 43,000 MW capacity
and the current installed capacity is 43,128
MW. 1,835 MW new capacity was added
during the financial year 2013-14. NTPC
ARUP ROY CHOUDHURY
CMD NTPC
has awarded work for 4,150 MW capacity
and exceeded the capex target of Rs.
20,200 crore during the year.
He informed that the capex of the
company has been increasing steadily
since 2011-12 with an exceptional and
unprecedented feat of exceeding targets by
about 7.5% in 2013-14. The adjusted profit
increased by 16.44% reaching Rs. 10,562
crore and the total income increased by
8.5% reaching Rs. 74,708 crore. During the
AGM shareholders gave consent for a total
dividend of Rs. 5.75 per share for the year.
Regarding the growth of the sector he
said India currently has one of the lowest
annual per capita power consumption
of 917.18 kwh in the world which is the
lowest among BRICS nations. Demand,
supply and consumption trends will be
the key to the growth of the sector. He
said I am confident that the future will
see growth in the economy, fuelling more
demand for power.
ONGC BOARD APPROVES INVESTMENT
OF RS. 5,219 CRORE
O
NGC will be investing Rs. 5219
crore towards Daman Development project to enhance production of Natural Gas and Condensate in its Tapti Daman Block in Arabian
Sea. The investment decision has been
approved by the ONGC Board in its 260th
Meeting here today. The project is located
about 90-100 Km from Daman coast and
includes additional development of C-24
field and monetization of B-12 marginal
fields (B-12-11, B-12-13 and B-12-15).
The production is expected by July
2016 with peak production rate of 8.35
MMSCMD of gas and 9,286 barrels of
condensate per day. The cumulative
production till 2034-35 is pegged at 27.67
43
Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) of gas and
5.01 Million Cubic Meters (MMm3) of
condensate. The gas and condensate will
be evacuated to Hazira through Tapti
Process facilities of Tapti-JV.
The project envisages installation of seven
Well Head Platforms, one riser Platform
with associated pipelines and drilling
of 28 wells. The project is scheduled for
completion by pre-monsoon 2019.
Coming close on the heels of the Mumbai
High South Redevelopment project
(Phase-3) approved in the last Board
meeting earlier this month for Rs. 5,813
crore, this approval flags the oil major’s
aggressive investment posture to ramp up
production from the Western Offshore.
Point
Out
ƒƒVL Joshi is secretary, Ministry of
Drinking Water
Senior IAS officer Vijay Laxmi Joshi has
been appointed as Secretary in Ministry
of Drinking Water and Sanitation. Joshi,
a 1980 batch IAS officer of Gujarat
cadre, is presently working as Secretary,
Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
She will take over the charge from
Pankaj Jain, a 1978 batch IAS officer of
Jammu and Kashmir cadre, who retires
on September 30, said an official order
issued by the Department of Personnel
and Training (DoPT).
Joshi has been appointed as Officer on
Special Duty in the Ministry of Drinking
Water and Sanitation in the rank and
pay of Secretary with immediate effect,
it said.
ƒƒAruna Sundararajan Administrator,
USOF, DoT
Aruna Sundararajan, a 1982 batch
IAS officer of Kerala cadre, has been
appointed as Administrator, Universal
Service
obligation
Fund
under
Department of Telecommunications.
She is presently serving in her cadre
state.
Her batchmate Neeraj Kumar Gupta
44
september 2014
Govt Watch Movers & Shakers
has been appointed as Secretary, Board
for Reconstruction of Public Sector
Enterprises under Department of Public
Enterprises. Gupta is presently serving
in his cadre state, Uttar Pradesh.
ƒƒTapan Ray appointed Additional
Secy, IT
In another appointment, Tapan Ray has
been appointed as Additional Secretary
in Department of Electronics and
Information Technology. Ray, a 1982
batch IAS officer, is serving in his cadre
Gujarat.
ƒƒSinha is Additional Secy, Higher
Education
to head committee
ƒƒRamanujam
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
has
set up a Committee to be headed by
R Ramanujam to review, identify and
recommend amendment in obsolete
laws to further smoothen and simplify the
governance. A 1979 batch IAS officer of
Madhya Pradesh cadre Ramanujam is
presently Secretary to Prime Minister.
ƒƒPushpendra Rajput appointed as
Director, Steel in GoI
Pushpendra Rajput has been appointed
as Director in the Ministry of Steel in
Government of India. He is a 1999 batch
IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh.
Amarjeet Sinha, a 1983 batch IAS officer
of Bihar cadre, has been appointed as
Additional Secretary in Department of
Higher Education. Sinha is presently
serving in his cadre.
Singh is new Secretary Steel
ƒ ƒRakesh
Rakesh Singh has been appointed new
is CEO, FSSAI
ƒ ƒMalik
Yudhvir Singh Malik has been appointed
ƒƒAshok Lavasa is new Secretary
as Chief Executive Officer, Food
Safety and Standards Authority of
India, Department of Health and Family
Welfare. Malik is presently serving in his
cadre state, Haryana.
Secretary Steel in the Government of
India. He is 1978 batch IAS officer of
Punjab cadre.
Forests and Environment
Secretary Civil Aviation Ashok Lavasa
has been moved as Secretary Forests
and Environment. He is 1980 batch IAS
officer of Haryana cadre.
45
Point
Out
TEST DRIVE
THE NEW STYLISH SEDAN ‘ZEST’
»»BUSINESS BUREAU
Key Highlights:
»»The Zest base variant in petrol
T
ata Motors announced the
commercial launch of the Zest, the all
new, sub-four metre compact sedan
with a start price of Rs. 4.64 Lakhs,
ex-showroom, New Delhi, for the petrol
Revotron 1.2T model and Rs. 5.64 Lakhs,
ex-showroom, New Delhi, as the start price
for the diesel variant. Zest from Tata Motors,
clearly showcases the three key vectors
of DesigNext, DriveNext and ConnectNext
to deliver best-in-class performance with
unparalleled driving pleasure in a spacious,
dynamic, comfortable and stylish sedan. The
company also launched an industry first
service offering with the 333 Confidence.
This unique programme offers best-in-class
46
september 2014
warranty of 3 years or 1 lakhs Kms (whichever
is earlier), an Annual Maintenance Contract
(AMC) of 3 years/ 45000 kms (whichever is
earlier) and a free 24X7 Roadside Assistance
service for 3 years. With this, Tata Motors
is offering its customers high reliability,
reduced cost of ownership and great resale
value for the Zest.
starts at Rs.4.64 Lakhs and the
base variant, in Diesel starts at
Rs. 5.64 Lakhs, ex-showroom,
New Delhi
»»Zest comes loaded with 29
segment leading features
Available
in four trims in Petrol
»»
and five trims in Diesel
»»Range will come in six exciting
colours
»»On sale in over 470 Tata Motors
passenger vehicle sales outlets
Technology-enabled
dealerships
»»
Ranjit Yadav,
President Passenger
Vehicles Business
Unit, Tata Motors
"We at Tata Motors
are delighted to
launch the much-awaited Zest. It has
been engineered for global customers,
by global teams across India, UK, Italy
and Korea to offer a car that matches
refinement with performance - from the
engine, to suspension & braking, the
NVH or premium materials. All this has
brought elegance to life in this segment.
With 29 segment-first features, Zest
from Tata Motors is the first all-new
vehicle in the Horizonext journey with
our commitment to bringing disruptive
innovation to this segment of car-buyers.
Both the petrol and diesel versions come
with their unique segment-firsts and we
are confident it will delight our consumers
with its design, driving pleasure and great
connectivity features."
with new retail identity for
enhanced purchase experience
Introducing
333 Confidence, an
»»
industry first service offering
Riding on Tata Motors DNA of being spacious
and safe, a greater attention to detail towards
the vehicle's interiors is another defining
factor of the Zest's design. The Zest will come
with the Revotron 1.2T, the first engine from
the new family of gasoline engines from Tata
Motors and will be India's first Turbocharged
Multi-point Fuel Injection (MPFi) Petrol
engine. It has been developed in conjunction
with global consultancies and suppliers to
deliver world-class performance in
terms of power, torque and efficiency.
47
COMPACT, SPORTY AND
PROGRESSIVE AUDI A3
T
he leading luxury car manufacturer,
announced the launch of the Audi A3 Sedan.
“The launch of the Audi A3 Sedan, the
first compact luxury sedan in India, is yet
another first from Audi. In line with our customercentric approach, we decided to launch the sedan
version of the Audi A3 which is a segment up from
the compact luxury hatchback. Sporty, stylish and
path-breaking, the Audi A3 Sedan showcases Audi’s
‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ in every single aspect,
especially in the areas of design, ultra-lightweight technology, efficient drivetrains, high-end
multimedia and infotainment systems. We are confident that the Audi A3 Sedan is the right
product at the right time and will set new benchmarks,” said Joe King, Head, Audi India.
»»Audi A3, win the prestigious ‘World Car of the Year 2014’
»»Powerful and efficient Petrol (40TFSI) & Diesel (35TDI) engines
»»Best in class fuel efficiency figure of 20.38 kmpl
»»Accelerates 0 to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds (40TFSI) and 8.6 seconds (35TDI)
»»Prices start at INR 22,95,000/- ex-showroom Delhi
Audi A3 Sedan has a distinctive, coupé-like design, together with the dynamic shoulder line,
distinctive wider wheel arches, striking side sill and the much narrower rear lights, the Audi
A3 Sedan exudes sportiness from every angle.
The Audi model range includes the Audi A3, Audi A4, Audi A6, Audi A7 Sportback, new Audi
A8L, Audi Q3 S, Audi Q3, Audi Q5, Audi Q7, Audi S4, Audi S6, Audi RS 5 Coupé, Audi RS
7 Sportback, Audi TT Coupé, the super sports car Audi R8, Audi R8 Spyder and the Audi
R8 V10 plus available across the country: in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar,
Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi Central, Delhi South, Delhi West, Goa, Gurgaon,
Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kanpur, Karnal, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mangalore,
Mumbai South, Mumbai West, Nagpur, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Noida, Pune, Raipur, Surat,
Udaipur, Vadodara and Visakhapatnam.
Point
Out
GADGETS
SAMSUNG: ‘WORLD GREATEST
SCREEN’ ON A TAB
»»BIPIN
S
amsung has come up with their
new series of Tab. Samsung
Galaxy tab S, claiming ‘world
greatest screen’ on a tab. Tab
S is slim and light in weight and has a
screen with the ratio 16:10 almost as a
widescreen T.V. it’s also having AMOLED
technology and Side sync quality but it is
only effective if you’re having Samsung
Smartphone. Having 7900 mAh battery
life saves your time by charging again
and again like other Samsung phones.
It comes with:
n 10.5 and 8.4 inch screen
n Multi window
n Bluetooth 4.0 & GPS
n 16 to 32 GB memory
n 8Mp camera & 2.1 mp front
n Android 4.4.2 kitkat
n 11 ac wifi
n Resolution 280 PPi
n 1.9 GHz & four 1.3 GHz core processor
APPS
FREE FILE MANAGER
FOR NOKIA
N
okia has come up with the modern way to manage
your file system using copy, move and rename
features and also supports bulk operations, share and
open with. It also helps you to pick more folders to
manage your PC. I
Features
n Browse files and folders
n Core file operations: copy, move, rename and delete for files
and folders
n Bulk operations
n Create new folders and open with
n Share support to and from other apps
n It is available in English (United States) and 3 other languages.
48
september 2014
SONY SELFIE
CAMERA
Features
n 180 degree tilt
n 19.2mbps sensor &
23mm quivilant f/2
wide range angle
prime lens
n LED flash on the top
n 3.3 type OLED screen
with approx 1,299k
dots
n Beauty effects:
n Skin toning
n Skin Smoothing,
n Eye Widening,
n Face Slimming,
n Shine Removal
n Can create self timer
by tapping their
finger
n Available in: violet,
pink, green and
white.
UNIVERSAL
REMOTE CONTROL
U
niversal Remote Control for TV, can easily make turn your
Android smart phone or tablet into a Universal remote
control for all tvs. It is easy to set up and the operation
is simply the same as the real TV control remote. The
difference between "Control Remote for TV Universal" and other
applications of this style is that it is compatible with almost all
TV manufacturer and all models and it is truly easily to use.
.Connect your smartphone pr tablet through your wifi (for
better download speed)
This app is not currently compatible with all TVs on the
market, if it does not work, please be patient and report us
your TV Model and we will try to update our app to increase
our compatibility. We will welcome any feedback and is
appreciated as well.
49
Point
Out
ARIES: (22nd March- 21st April)
Professionally this is an excellent time for you to indulge into fresh projects and
expand your business. You will witness subtle positive changes in your
money matters during this phase of your life. Avoid any transitions in
matters of heart. Also outings and journeys along with your loved one
might create further anxieties in life during his month. You shall come
across a number of opportunities as the month comes to its close.
LUCKY COLOUR: Green.
TAURUS: (22nd April - 21st May)
Professionally, you will witness a lot of positive changes in life. You shall
contemplate your past achievements and work towards future ones.
This is the time to explore new opportunities and indulge into fresh
projects. Financial matters will be tough to handle as situations and
circumstances might not be as favourable as expected. A woman with
excellent PR skills might be a cause of stress in matters of heart. A dominating
elderly man will be very demanding by the end of the month.
LUCKY COLOUR: Deep blue.
GEMINI: (22nd May- 21st June)
This is the month when wisdom and patient attitude will sail you through your
obstacles that you might have to face in life. Avoid any new financial
dealings in this month as it might not give you expected results. In
matters of heart, you might have to deal resistance from a man who
has a practical outlook in life. Professionally, there will be issues that
would need a calm and patient approach. Subtle property related problems at the
work front might arise during this week. Doing charity and service to humankind
creates abundance of good fortune in life as the month progresses.
LUCKY COLOUR: Green
CANCER: (22nd June - 21st July)
Matters of heart shall be romantically inclined and you will feel blessed by
the way situations turn up for you during this phase of your life.
Journeys and outings along with your loved one shall be pleasant
and successful. Professionally, growth patterns emerge bringing you
laurels and appreciations from your colleagues and contemporaries.
Financially too this will be an excellent time for you to explore new opportunities
and make fresh investments. However, there will be subtle anxieties that you
might have to face as the month comes to its end.
LUCKY COLOUR: Red.
LEO: (22nd July - 21st August)
Financial dealings need better communications and flexible approach to
achieve desired success. There are possibilities of a joint investment
not giving due returns. Professionally, one needs to be more
proactive and decision oriented. Any form of carelessness can cause
you further anxieties in this front as well. The cards guide you to
avoid any professional or personal outings or journeys in this phase of your
life. However, this is just a very transient phase which shall ease out by the
month end.
LUCKY COLOUR: Peach.
VIRGO: (22nd August- 21st September)
Professionally, you will witness a lot of positive changes in life. Good news
follows at the work front and any targets are achieved in time. Matters
of heart might be a bit disappointing. You might feel ignored or left out
on certain issues related to your love life. A balanced outlook towards
your finances creates further growth opportunities in this front. You
might think about shifting to a better place or buy a new property as the month
comes to its close.
LUCKY COLOUR: Green.
TAROT FORECAST
»»Nandita Pandey
LIBRA: (22nd September- 21st October)
Professionally, projects bring in huge returns and rewards as the month
progresses. This is an excellent time for you to expand your base.
Projects done in partnerships shall be favourable and positive. Sudden
problems might arise related to your investments. There are property
issues or renovation that might turn out to be more expensive that your
desired budget. A youngster might be a cause of a lot of attention in life. News
related to matters of heart will be disappointing. Your partner might also be very
demanding in this phase of your life in matters related to heart. Slow and subtle
changes take place as the month comes to its end.
LUCKY COLOUR: Soft Pink.
SCORPIO: (22nd October- 21st November)
You are being blessed and guided by a fatherly figure in money related matters during
this month. This is a progressive month as far as your investments are
concerned. Professionally you will come across a lot of new acquaintances
and networking of any kinds will boost your professional growth
possibilities. Any outings in matters of heart are best avoided in this phase
of your life. The cards advice you against any journeys or outings during month end.
LUCKY COLOUR: White
SAGGITARIUS: (22nd November- 21st December)
Good news in professional area will be growth oriented and shall be rewarding.
A youngster who has a dynamic personality with a go getting attitude
helps you in your endeavours in the work front. Friends and family
support you in your monetary endeavours the whole month through.
Matters of heart whoever, might turn out to be very demanding and
you might feel that you are being misunderstood or ignored in love life. A woman
with a practical mindset helps you in your endeavours by the end of the month.
LUCKY COLOUR: Orange.
CAPRICORN: (22nd December- 21st January)
Professionally there will be issues that might need to be dealt with carefully. Applying
enough wisdom and patience towards issues related to your projects will help
you sail through them easily and effortlessly. A junior in your office might
be very demanding in this phase of your life. Your attention will be diverted
towards a motherly figure which might affect your love life adversely. Financial
expenses are on the higher side due to a youngster being over demanding. A little bit of
risks in life helps you in overcoming your anxieties by the end of the month.
LUCKY COLOUR: Dark Green
AQUARIUS: (22nd January- 21st February)
Matters of heart shall be extremely pleasant and enjoyable. Blessings from the
elders and high above and also celebrations at home front create a
positive aura all around you. Wedding celebrations for some of you
is a strong likeability as the month progresses. Professionally, there
are two or more projects that might create insecurities in life. Finances
need a lot of effort and focused attitude from your end in order to get you desired
results. The cards guide you to keep a check on your emotional outbursts as the
month comes to its end.
LUCKY COLOUR: White.
PISCES: (22nd February- 21st March)
Professionally, this is a good time for you as most of your projects gets completed
in time. You will relax and enjoy the fruits of your hard work in this
month. Financial investments shall give you results and yet there will be
a feeling of sadness as few obligations have to still be fulfilled. Matters
of heart indicate soft and subtle romance in life. Having a diplomatic
and patient attitude saves you from a lot of troubles by the end of the month.
LUCKY COLOUR: Green/ Yellow.
(Nandita Pandey is an internationally renowned and acclaimed Astro Vaastu Tarot Consultant, Spiritual healer and Past Life Regression Therapist based at Delhi. Email soch.333@gmail.com )
50
september 2014
touching every aspect of the nation
51
Point
Out
health
VEGETARIAN DIET IN DIABETES
India is facing an “Epidemic” of diet-related non-communication
diseases including obesity and related comorbidition. The prevalence of
diabetes, specifically Type 2 Diabetes has also seen a magnificent
rise in both rural as well as urban India. Type 2 diabetes mellitus
accounts for approximately 95% of all diabetes and is associated with
severe complications.
»» PROF. ANOOP MISRA & DR SWATI
BHARDWAJ
T
he metabolism of Indians is
inherently abnormal, conducive
to development of diabetes and
cholesterol disorders. Simple shift
52
september 2014
in diets, choosing low glycemic index foods
with high fibre and omega-3 fatty acids,
could tilt metabolism in such a manner
that blood sugar and cholesterol get
metabolized more efficiently. The message
of this article for every Indian, starting
from childhood, correct diets and physical
activity should be at the top of daily agenda.
India is facing an “Epidemic” of diet-related
non-communication diseases including
obesity and related comorbidition. The
prevalence of diabetes, specifically Type
2 Diabetes has also seen a magnificent
rise in both rural as well as urban India.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus accounts for
approximately 95% of all diabetes and is
associated with severe complications like
nephropathy (damage to the kidneys),
neuropathy (damage to the nerves)
retinopathy (damage to the retina of the
eyes), stroke(blockage in the blood vessel
of the brain) and coronary heart diseases
(CHD; blockage/hardening of the arteries).
These complications not only reduce
quality of life for those affected but also lay
an economic burden on the individual as
well as the nation.
Nutrition has known to play an important
role in the prevention of Type 2 Diabetes,
managing existing diabetes (type1, type
2 and gestational diabetes) as well as in
preventing or reducing the progression
of diabetes-related complications. There
have been several nutritional approaches
suggested for prevention and management
of diabetes. Since consumption of red-meat
has been found to be strongly associated
with higher risk of developing diabetes,
a higher risk of developing diabetes, a
vegetarian diet with increased intake of
fruits and vegetable, decreased levels of
total, saturated and trans fats may help in
preventing diabetes as well as achieving
good glycemic control. Displacement
of saturated fat and increased intake of
fibre have been seen as general reasons
for increasing fruit and vegetable
consumption. Further, increased fibre
intake may improve glycemic control
diabetes. Vegetarianism is the practice of
abstaining from consumption of meat,
red meat, poultry and seafood. It may also
include abstention from by-products of
animal slaughter, such as animal-derived
rennet and gelatin. There are several type
of vegetarianism, which exclude or include
various foods.
Indian population is going through a phase
of dietary transition; leaving the traditional
diets, people have now started opting for
commercially available packaged foods
or quick home-made foods. These snacks
often regarded as ‘‘comfort foods’’ are
quickly prepared or are easily available
commercially and include fried foods
that are high in energy and fats (saturated
and trans fats) but low in nutrients. The
increase in the intake of energy dense foods
together with low levels of physical activity
level is leading to increased incidence of
obesity and other related lifestyle diseases
like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular
disease and the metabolic syndrome.
Sedentary habits, especially watching TV,
are associated with significantly higher
risks for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Given the current dietary patterns
of Indians and increasingprevalence
of lifestyle diseases like diabetes,
cardiovasculardiseases, etc., it is important
to generate awareness through awareness
programs to spreadhealthy messages
on good nutrition and good health for
theprevention of obesity and diabetes.
These shall not only promote good health,
but shall also help inthe prevention of noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes,
53
A balanced vegetarian diet with
emphasis on plat foods such as
fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
legumes and nuts, can easily meet
the nutritional recommendations
and may have a number of benefits
over a meat-based diet for the
prevention and management
of diabetes and its related
complications.
controls blood sugar levels), resistance to
insulin action, or a combination of both.
Prolonged untreated diabetes leads to
severe complications. The complications of
diabetes are:
»» Damage to the kidneys (Diabetic
nephropathy)
»» Damage to the nerves (Diabetic
neuropathy)
Damage
to the retina of the
»»
eyes (Diabetic retinopathy)
»» Coronary Heart Diseases (CHD;
Blockage/ hardening of the
arteries)
»» Stroke (blockage in the blood
vessel of the brain)
heartproblems, and other related diseases.
On the long run, suchprograms shall act
to reduce the burden on economic growth
ofthe nation.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most
common non-communicable diseases
(NCDs) globally. Over the past 30 years, the
status of diabetes has changed from being
known as a mild disorder of the elderly to
one of the major causes of morbidity and
mortality affecting the youth and middle
aged people. It is the fourth or fifth leading
cause of death in most high-income
countries and there is substantial evidence
that it is epidemic in many economically
developing and newly industrialized
countries.
A balanced vegetarian diet with emphasis
on plat foods such as fruits, vegetables,
whole grains, legumes and nuts, can easily
meet the nutritional recommendations
and may have a number of benefits over
a meat-based diet for the prevention and
management of diabetes and its related
complications.
Diabetes represents a group of chronic
metabolic disorder characterized by
abnormally high blood sugar levels
(hyperglycemia) caused by decreased
insulin secretion (a hormone secreted
by pancreas, which metabolizes glucose;
»»(Dr. Anoop Misra is Chairman, Fortis-CDOC Centre of Excellence for Diabetes,
Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology &
Dr. Swati Bhardwaj is Head, Nutrition and
Fatty Acid Research, National Diabetes,
Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation )
Point
Out
spOrTS
FOOTBALL FEVER IN INDIA
Indian Super League is all set to
make some positive growth in Indian
Football. Social media sentiment
for the tournament is very positive
- with fans eagerly awaiting the
start of the tournament and football
action in India!
54
september 2014
»»RANJITH
H
ero Indian Super League, the
most anxiously awaited football
extravaganza in the country,
unveiled its’ official emblem in a
grand fanfare event, thus presenting India
with its very own first ever, high-profile
footballing competition. Indian Super
League is all set to make some positive
growth in Indian Football.The Leaguehas
‘Let’s football’ – the League’s official line is an apt fit to its ambition in
connecting with today’s youth and creating interest in millions to play the
sport professionally. The emblem with hexagons combined to form a football
symbolises collaboration of passion, energy and enthusiasm among its
stakeholders.
also launched its official TV campaign
titled 'C'mon India, Let's football', kickstarting an extensive marketing campaign
in the run-up to the football tournament's
inaugural game on October 12. Social
media sentiment for the tournament is
very positive - with fans eagerly awaiting
the start of the tournament and football
action in India!As a show of strength
behind the Hero Indian Super League,Mrs.
55
Nita Ambani, Founding Chairperson,
Football Sports Development led the eight
League Partners to a pledge – committing
to the League’s vision in bring a footballing
revolution across the country.
Joining her on stage were Sachin Tendulkar
(Kerala Blaster FC), Ranbir Kapoor
(TeamMumbai),
AbhishekBachchan
(Team Chennai), Samir Manchanda
(Delhi Dynamos), John Abrahim
(NorthEast United), KapilWadhawan (FC
Pune City), VarunDhawan (FC Goa) and
Utsav Parekh (Atletico de Kolkata) along
with Sanjay Gupta, COO, Star India and
Praful Patel, President AIFF.
‘Let’s football’ – the League’s official line
is an apt fit to its ambition in connecting
with today’s youth and creating interest in
millions to play the sport professionally.
The emblem with hexagons combined to
form a football symbolises collaboration of
passion, energy and enthusiasm among its
stakeholders. Colours chosen to represent
the League convey the values and emotions,
with red signifying the energy, passion
and action, while blue exudes confidence,
trust and responsibility; both seamlessly
combining to represent the League’s values.
Speaking on the occasion, Mrs Nita Ambani
said, “It’s a momentous day for us as we set
ourselves in building a grand coalition
among all stakeholders to develop football
in the country and take it to its deserving
space in the Indian sports.ISL hope to act
as a foundation in creating an eco-system to
nurture talent and make our own national
football heroes, through its ambitious
grassroots development programme.
“It’s a beginning of a long journey and
today we have taken baby steps. I am
happy to have equally enthusiastic League
Partners’, committed to the League’s vision.”
Commenting on the official launch of the
league, Sanjay Gupta, COO, Star India,
said, “Football is much more than a sport.
It is an international phenomenon. And
yet, India as a country has not joined this
global community. Which is why, today
marks a historic turning point for the
future of football in this country. With the
launch of the Hero Indian Super League
we take our first steps to join the world
community. This I believe is the birth of a
footballing nation.
“We plan to attract and nurture the best of
Indian talent to play with marquee players
selected from 20 countries, spanning 5
continents. What you will experience is
a world-class spectacle – in stadia, on
television, on your mobile screen and
across all digital devices,” further added
Mr. Gupta
Andy Knee, VP, Football at IMG: “We
are delighted to mark the official launch
of the Hero Indian Super League. The
potential for football in India is truly
immense, and the ambition for the League
is to spark a revolution for the game in this
great country—to encourage tens, even
hundreds of millions of Indians to start
playing, following and watching the sport.”
“Certainly, the world of football has
started to take notice. Since the League
first became known, IMG has received
expressions of interest and support from
players, managers and administrators at
the highest levels. The global game wants
India as a major footballing power,” further
added Mr. Knee.
Scheduled for kick off on 12thOctober
2014, the Hero Indian Super League will see
some of the greatest players in action from
the world of football.The league is already
generating a lot of buzz and has struck the
right cord with most of its team owners
being the youth icons and renowned faces
globally. The Hero Indian Super League
will be telecast internationally and may
just mark the beginning of the new era in
Indian Football.
Point
Out
BOOK REVIEW
POLITICS TRUMPS ECONOMICS:
THE INTERFACE OF
ECONOMICS AND POLITICS IN
CONTEMPORARY INDIA
A
n India a globally impressive talent pool co-exists with the
highest incidence of poverty in the world. The engaged citizen
is aware of this situation, wants to know how it has come to
be, and what can be done to improve it. That the country’s
full potential is not being realized to make for a dynamic economy and
acceptable living conditions for her people points to something beyond
economics being at play. And this is the ever-present politics.
In this volume, edited by Bimal Jalan and Pulapre Balakrishnan, twelve
professionals illuminate the interface between politics and economics in the
country, illustrating in the process how their interaction will determine the
path that India will take. Among the subjects discussed are the implications
of the emergence of coalition governments as the norm, the rise of civic
activism, the tension between identity politics and development, and
the nature of the discourse on the informal sector. The essays also offer
possible solutions to end corruption in administration, and identify the
strategic factors in achieving inclusive growth.
ƒƒBy Bimal Jalan and Pulapre
Balakrishnan
ƒƒPublisher : Rupa Publication
ƒƒPrice: Rs 500
With contributions from Meghnad Desai, Dipankar Gupta, Poonam Gupta,
Ashima Goyal, Ravi Kanbur, Sunil Mani, T.T. Ram Mohan, Deepak Mohanty,
Samuel Paul and M. Govinda Rao, Politics Trumps Economics is an
incisive comment on how politics can influence the outcome of the most
well-intentioned of economic policies.
Author Bio:
Dr Bimal Jalan was Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1997 to
2003 and a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha during 2003–2009.
Earlier he was Finance Secretary and Chairman of Economic Advisory
Council to the Prime Minister. He epresented India on the Boards of IMF
and World Bank. His recent books include The Future of India: Politics,
Economics and Governance;India’s Politics: A View from the Backbench;
and Emerging India: Economics, Politics & Reforms.
Dr Pulapre Balakrishnan is Professor, Centre for Development Studies,
Thiruvananthapuram. He is the author of Pricing and Inflation in India and
Economic Growth in India: History and Prospect. He has served as Country
Economist for Ukraine at the World Bank and has been a Senior Fellow of
the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. He has been a recipient of the
Malcolm Adiseshiah Award for Distinguished Contribution to Development
Studies (2014).
56
september 2014
ƒƒSub title: A Memoir
ƒƒAuthor: Naseeruddin Shah
ƒƒPrice: Rs. 699
ƒƒPublication-Penguin
And Then One Day
A
nd Then One Day tells a compelling tale,
written with rare honesty and consummate
elegance, leavened with tongue-in-cheek
humour. There are moving portraits of family
members, darkly funny accounts of his school days, and
vivid cameos of directors and actors he has worked with,
among them Ebrahim Alkazi, Shyam Benegal, Girish
Karnad, Om Puri and Shabana Azmi. The accounts of his
struggle to earn a living through acting, his experiments
with the craft, his love affairs, his early marriage, his
successes and failures are narrated with remarkable
frankness and objective self-assessment. Brimming with
delightful anecdotes as well as poignant, often painful
revelations, this book is a tour de force, destined to
become a classic of the genre.
Author Bio:
Naseeruddin Shah has been an actor in films since 1975,
and an actor–director–teacher in theatre almost as long,
having played the lead in over two hundred feature films
and more than sixty professional theatre productions,
both in India and abroad. A first-time writer, he is
passionate about playing and watching tennis, cricket
and movies, in that order. The recipient of numerous
awards which he neither treasures nor cares to mention,
he lives in Mumbai with his wife, Ratna, their three
children and a cat.
57
ƒƒAuthor- S.B. Pillay
ƒƒPrice-Rs.995
ƒƒPublication-Rupa
THE COMPLETE
MAHABHARATA VOLUME
6: DRONA PARVA
T
he Mahabharata of Veda Vyasa is the longest recorded epic of the world.
With almost 100,000 verses, it is many times as long as the Iliad and
the Odyssey combined and has deeply influenced every aspect of the
Indian ethos for some 4,000 years. The main theme is the Great War
on Kurukshetra, but the epic teems with smaller stories, and other stories within
these, all woven together with a genius that confounds comparison. As its heart, it
contains Krishna’s immortal Bhagavad-Gita, the Song of God.
The Mahabharata embodies the ancient and sacred Indian tradition, in all its
earthy and spiritual immensity. Famously, ‘What is found here may be found
elsewhere. What is not found here will not be found elsewhere.’ Many believe this
most magnificent epic to be the greatest story ever told. Yet, the only full Indian
translation of the Mahabharata into English is the 19th century one by Kisari Mohan
Ganguli. More than a hundred years have passed since Ganguli accomplished his
task, and the language he used is now sadly archaic. This new 12 volume series
retells the great epic, line by line, in fresh, easily readable English prose. With it, we
hope to bring the Mahabharata alive again, for the contemporary and future reader.
Author Bio:
Born in 1951, S.B. Pillay is a retired Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer.
He was educated at St Xavier’s High School (Delhi), Loyola College (Kolkata), and
received his master’s degree from Loyola College in Chennai. He went on to study
Law at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai.
During an illustrious career in the IA&AS, he worked all over India and abroad, as
well, and has a deep insight of Indian life. He was director general of the NAAA in
Shimla and retired as additional deputy CAG in 2011. He has always been an avid
reader and is the author of several comic and satirical pieces.
Point
Out
ART & CULTURE
CREATOR
OF THE
MOHAN VEENA
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt has attracted international attention by his successful
indianisation of the western Hawaiian guitar with his perfect assimilation of
sitar, sarod & veena techniques, by giving it a evolutionary design & shape and by
adding 14 more strings helping him to establish the instrument MOHAN VEENA to
unbelievable heights.
C
reator of the MOHAN VEENA
and the winner of the GRAMMY
AWARD, Vishwa Mohan has
mesmerized the world with his
pristine pure, delicate yet fiery music. It
is due to Vishwa's maiden mega effort
58
september 2014
that he rechristened guitar as MOHAN
VEENA, his genius creation and has
established it at the top most level in the
mainstream of Indian Classical Music
scenario, thereby proving the essence of
his name VISHWA (meaning the world)
and MOHAN (meaning charmer) and
indeed , a world charmer he is.
Being the foremost disciple of Pt. Ravi
Shankar, Vishwa Mohan belongs to that
elite body of musicians which traces its
origin to the Moughal emperor Akbar's
court musician TANSEN and his guru
the Hindu Mystic Swami Haridas.
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt has attracted
international attention by his successful
indianisation of the western Hawaiian
guitar with his perfect assimilation
of sitar, sarod & veena techniques,
by giving it a evolutionary design &
shape and by adding 14 more strings
helping him to establish the instrument
MOHAN VEENA to unbelievable
heights. With blinding speed and
faultless legato, Bhatt is undoubtedly
one of the most expressive, versatile
and greatest slide player s in the world.
Being a powerhouse performer,
Vishwa's electrifying performance
always
captivates the audience whether in
the United States of America, Europe,
Gulf countries or his motherland India.
Vishwa Mohan has become the cultural
ambassador of India by carrying
the Herculean task of glorifying and
popularizing Indian culture and music
throughout the world.
Outstanding features of Bhatt's baaj
(style) are his natural ability to play
the 'Tantrakari Ang' and incorporate
the 'Gayaki Ang' on Mohan Veena
which is the greatest advantage of this
instrument over traditional Indian
instrument like sitar, sarod and
veena. It was no surprise that Vishwa
Mohan with his sheer virtuosity and
limitless supply of melodies won the
highest music award of the world, the
GRAMMY AWARD IN 1994 along
with Ry Cooder for their World Music
Album, 'A MEETING BY THE RIVER'
enhancing his celebrity status not
only as a star performer but also as an
improviser and a soulful composer.
Vishwa Mohan has performed
extensively in the USA, USSR, Canada,
the Great Britain, Germany, Spain,
France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium,
Scotland, Switzerland, Denmark, then
scaling the Gulf of Dubai, Al-Sharjah,
Bahrain, Muscat, Abu Dhabi etc. and
throughout India.
to a piece of wood added to the side
of the neck. The melody strings are on
what we would consider the treble side
of the neck, and the drone strings are
on the bass side. The drone strings are
lower in height than the melody strings
to allow for unrestricted playing of
the melody strings. The sympathetic
strings run underneath the melody and
drone strings to yet another level in the
bridge. The instrument has a carved
spruced top, mahogany back and sides,
a mahogany neck, and a flat, fretless,
rosewood fingerboard.
The Mohan Veena is under tremendous
tension; the total strings pull to be in
excess of 500 pounds. It is due to this
high tension the tone tuns incredible
with the sympathetic ringing out and
strengthening each note played. This is
a loud instrument made to cut through
with low amplification
Apart from being a star
performer , Vishwa is a
master collaborator too and
with his highly inventive
nature, he did a historic
jugalbandi with a Chinese
Ehru player Jei Bing
Chang and Vishwa has
become the first ever Indian
to strike a jugalbandi with
a Chinese artist. Vishwa
has also combined
with ace American
Dobro guitar
player Jerry
Mohan Veena
Indian stringed instruments have
undergone many changes throughout
history . Many western musical
instruments like violin, harmonium,
mandolin, archtop guitar and electric
guitar have come to be accepted in
Indian classical music. Vishwa Mohan
Bhatt developed and named this hybrid
slide guitar and has been added to the
list of Indian classical instrument.
The Mohan Veena is a highly modified
concord archtop, which Bhatt plays
lap-style. It has 19 strings: three melody
strings and four three drone strings
coming out of the peg heads, and 12
sympathetic strong to tuners mounted
59
Douglas, with the
American country music Taj Mahal
and a rare combination with the
Arabian Oudh player Simon Shaheen .
All these recordings have been released
in U.S.A. & Europe and are setting new
sales records. ‘Tabula Rasa’ an album
with Bela Flek, the most regarded Banjo
player, & Chinese Erhu Jei Bing Chang
was nominated for the Grammy award
in 1997.
Composing has been in his nature
too. He has come in this arena by
composing "Music for Relaxation" for
Music Today. This album is creating
new records all over the world. "Megh
Dootam" a Sanskrit epic poem has been
composed and recorded for the first
time by Vishwa, and top-notch Indian
film singers like Kavita Krishnamoorty
and A. Hariharan have sung his
compositions.
To top it all he has recently
recorded a project for the
ace film director MANI
RATNAM ‘s Hindi
-Tamil
bilingual
film the famous
music
director
A.R.RAHAM.
Point
Out
Point
Out
lls
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to olders
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no utions fr
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m eek sol
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a
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ou also to s
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&
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s
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t
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nation
d
e
A c us but
r
c
the
e
of
th
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r
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ect
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p
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a
w
as
y
r
salute
eve
that touches
A magazine
60
september 2014
D E
S I
I N
BER
poin
toutn
ews
.com
EM
SEPT
2014
UE-8
1 ISS
VOL-
50
ABHI
URE
PICT HAI:
AN
BAKI H CHAUH
IS
H
AS
MEOTTIDNGITHE
S
TONE
1
61
786
14/55
NG/20
: DELE
RNI NO
Point
Out
MARY KOM : THE REAL LIFE STORY
T
his month's release, Omung Kumar's
MARY KOM is one such film which
is a biopic on one of India's most
illustrious sports personalities, Mary Kom,
who, despite all her hardships, put our
country on the international map with
her achievements. The film goes on
to show the real life story of this
sports star, which not many are
aware of. The film serves as an
eye opener not just on the fact that
India can produce international
'gold medal winning' boxers, but
also that Manipur is very much
a part of India! The movie is less
about the sport ‘Boxing’ and more
about the sports person. The film is
important in that it makes a worthy
hero out of a woman boxer who
struggled against the odds.
Reality films are getting popular these
days and there are many filmmakers
out there who have and are waiting
in wings to try their hand at making
movies based on the real life
stories of iconic personalities. A
few examples (read 'testimony')
in the past have been films like
BOSE: THE FORGOTTEN HERO,
GURU, GANDHI MY FATHER,
THE LEGEND OF BHAGAT
SINGH, PAAN SINGH TOMAR and
not forgetting the controversial
film THE DIRTY PICTURE.
Interestingly, films on sports
personalities are picking up with
CHAK DE INDIA and more recently
BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG winnings the
audience's heart.
The irony of the film is that, while it starts
off with a pregnant Mary Kom (Priyanka),
who later goes on to 'deliver' a performance
of a lifetime. Mary and her ever-so-supportive
husband OnlerKom (DarshanKumaar) fight
against all odds in a curfew stricken Manipur
to ensure the safe delivery of Mary. Hereon,
the viewers are subjected to a series of
flashback events which lead to the making
of the star pugilist 'Mary Kom'. Delving into
her upbringing, the film explores her past
that includes her father's strict opposition
to boxing during her childhood and Mary's
62
september 2014
undying spirit and love for the sport.
Omung does a great job of building up the
climax with heart wrenching scenes where
Mary chooses to box over spending a
blissful life with her family. Post her opting
to box, Mary accidentally lands up at the
boxing training academy of her coach Narjit
Singh (Sunil Thapa), who, after seeing her
persistence, teaches her that 'the world maybe
round for everyone, but her world should
be the shape of the boxing ring, a Square'!
Mary's talent for the sport combined with her
coach's training form a deadly unbeatable
lethal combo who go on to win international
competitions galore.
However, things come to standstill when
Mary marries OnlerKom, despite her coach's
firm opposition, and Mary's subsequent
pregnancy, and her delivering twin children,
thus bidding adieu to her long cherished
game of boxing, something which her coach
had always feared for. Resigned to live the
life of a commoner finding it difficult to
survive with two kids, Mary applies for a job,
but the job she gets is that of a 'hawaldaar',
something that slaps her from within. Unable
to continue with a mundane existence, Mary
vows to make a comeback in the ring, this
time round, minus the support of her coach, a
63
decision which proves wrong in the long run.
Now, after serious losses in the ring, the
absence of her coach and the unbending
politics of the boxing federation, Mary faces
an uphill task. Will she manage to convince
her coach to train her again and will she
manage to overcome the boxing federation
forms the rest of the film. Omung Kumar
certainly deserves an ovation for having
shown the guts to make a biopic on Mary
Kom, something which will surely go down
in the history of exemplary biopics on Indian
celluloid. He has managed to achieve the task
of making Priyanka refrain from imitating the
real Mary Kom, at the same time managed
to show her inimitable love for the sports
and her spirit to fight against all odds. The
film definitely serves as an eye opener to all
those who were ignorant about Mary and her
contributions to the sports arena.
As far as the performances are concerned,
it is indeed Priyanka Chopra who steals the
show. She does total justice to this author
backed role. One just cannot but miss the
transformation of 'Marte Chun Chun Kong'
to MC Mary Kom and also the scene when
she confronts the boxing federations' chief.
When you have a role that's tailor made for the
heroine, it leaves us with no doubt about the
screen space for the hero. But, in this film, it's
the 'hero' DarshanKumaar, who exhibits good
screen presence and holds his ground firm,
despite Priyanka's towering performances.
Full marks go to Sunil Thapa, who shows his
emotional, professional and rational sides
with equal ease. He is exactly what the highly
ranked coaches are made up of. Same applies
to the couple playing Mary's parents. The
rest of the cast help the film to move forward
without any glitches or flaws.
The music of the film (ShashiSuman, Shivam)
is just not upto the mark, but its shortcoming is
overshadowed by the film's background score
(Rohit Kulkarni) and the film's crisp editing
by the man himself Sanjay LeelaBhansali,
who also is the producer of the film.
Brownie points go to SaiwynQuadras for his
screenplay and story, Karan Singh RathoreRamendraVashishth for their dialogue and
dialect. The film's cinematography by Keiko
Nakahara is totally at par with costume
designer IshaMantry.
On the whole, MARY KOM is definitely
worth a watch and entertaining but most of
the audience have compared the movie with
“BhagMilkaBhag” and thinks that it should
have aspired to be more. The icing on the
cake is that the film has been made tax free,
something that should help the film in pulling
the audiences to the theatres, besides the
word of mouth. Go for it.
CINEMA
TWITTERATIS
AGGRESSIVE OVER
RAM GOPALVERMA
case has been filed against Filmmaker
Ram GopalVerma for hurting the religious
A
sentiments of Hindus by insulting Lord
Ganesh through his series of tweets. In the
midst of his objectionable tweets, he even
mocked the practice of Ganesh Chaturthi
and tweeted, ""Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.
May this day, August 29, bring happiness to
everybody so that there will be no problems
from August 30." His tweets seemto project
his inner frustration and failure in life. The
filmmaker was booked under four sections
of the Indian Penal Code – sections 153 A
(promoting enmity between different groups),
504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke
breach of peace), 505 (statements conducing
to public mischief), and 298 (hurting religious
feelings). A group of Ganesha devotees burnt
Ramu's effigy in his home-town Hyderabad.
However, Ramu has considerable support
within the Telugu film industry, unlike the
Mumbai film industry which has completely
disowned Ramu and dissociated itself from his
controversial antics. As the twitteratis started
to get aggressive over his ungodly tweets,
Ram GopalVarma tried to defend himself
and apologized for hurting the sentiments of
people, "All tweets I put on Ganesha were in
my usual manner but unintended by me to
hurt anyone's sentiments...but if they did I
sincerely apologize", he tweeted. A filmmaker
who has earlier directed a film for RGV says,
"Ramuji is isolating himself from everyone.
This time he has gone too far and is unlikely
to get any support fromBollywood. People are
disgusted by his gimmicks." Meanwhile, back
in Mumbai, the law enforcement is geared up to
protect RGV's home.So far, Ramu has not had
a visit from any cops, nor has he received any
summons to present himself in a police station.
He is not the least shaken or nervous."
Point
Out
CINEMA
MOVIES CLASHING IN 2014
Creature 3D
(Horror)
Vikram Bhatt
BVG Films
Bipasha Basu, Imran Abbas
64
september 2014
E 12TH Sep
Finding Fanny
Ugly (Drama/Thriller)
AnuragKhasyap
DARR Motion Pictures Phantom Films
Rahul Bhatt, Ronit Roy
(Comedy/Drama)
Homi Adajania, Maddock Films
Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia,
Pankaj Kapur, Deepika Padukone, Arjun
Kapoor (15 crore)
UTV Motion Pictures & Anil Kapoor
Films Company Sonam Kapoor, Fawad Afzal Khan
Creature 3D (Horror)
Vikram Bhatt
BVG Films
Bipasha Basu, Imran Abbas
E 2nd October
Bang Bang (Action/Comedy)
E 19th Sep
Dawaat-e-ishq
Haider
(Comedy/Drama)
Habib Faisal, Yash Raj films
Aditya Roy Kapur, Parineeti Chopra,
Anupam Kher
Khoobsurat(Romance/comedy)
Shashanka Ghosh
Siddharth Anand
Fox Stars Studio
Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif
Vishal Bhardwaj
DramaVB Pictures
Tabu, Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor
E 7th Nov
Action Jackson
(Comedy)
Prabhu Deva
ALIYA-GENIUS OF THE YEAR
W
hen Alia came on the show ‘Koffe with Karan’ ,she gave us
quite a shocker concerning her general knowledge. When
asked who the President of India is, Alia promptly replied
with PrithvirajChavan.In the fourth season of the show , When Karan
asked Pariniti and Alia the full form of BJP, Parineeti promptly replied
with BhartiyaJanta Party, while Alia did nothing else but sheepishly
smile at Karan. She has been popular on social media apps like What’s
App for her Dumbo jokes.
65
Baba films
Ajay Devgan, Sonakshi Sinha
The Shaukeens
(Comedy)
Abhishek Sharma Grazing Goat Pictures
Akshay Kumar, AnupamKher, Annu
Kapoor
E 19th December
P.K (Comedy/Drama)
RajKumarHirani
Vinod Chopra Films,
Rajkumar Hirani Films,
UTV Motion Pictures
Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sushant
Singh Rajput
Welcome Back (Comedy)
Anees Bazmee
Base Industries Group
John Abraham, Nana Patekar, Anil
Kapoor, PareshRawal, ShrutiHaasan
Recently a new viral video title : Genius Of The Year, created by funny
portal AIB and directed by ShakunBatra of Ek Main AurEkTu fame,
announces that Bollywood's Gen-Next glam brigade has grown up
and is gradually learning to take jokes on them.The video seems to
project her as a brainy babe.
“So, after the ‘Alia Bhatt jokes’ thing… I decided to fix my brain!”
Alia posted on Twitter along with a YouTube link to the video. A
brief description of the video uploaded by comedy collective AIM,
reads: “What did Alia Bhatt do after the internet turned her into the
butt of all jokes? A documentary crew found out…”. It has taken the
virtual world by storm and has received more than 20 lakh hits in less
than two days.Alia's fans have applauded the actress' guts to come
on screen to narrate her journey "From DolceGabbana to smart like
Shabana". In the video, she is seen talking about how “hurt” she was
when instead of searching for “Alia Bhatt hot pics” on Google, people
started looking for “Alia Bhatt jokes.”The Bhatt family, including Alia's
dad and film-maker Mahesh Bhatt, joins in to read out an SMS joke:
"Alia Bhatt thinks the national animal is Tiger Shroff". "The new crop
of actors is a far more chilled out lot, who enjoy and connect with
the online crowd," adds Bhatt, profusely applauding Batra for making
the film in a shoe-string budget.At the gym, she reads newspapers,
her diet is “three portions of newspapers in the morning” and she is
instructed to “skip Page 3.” She is made to brush up her knowledge
via music and lands on Koffee with Karan again, stunning the host
Karan with her answers.
The video has brought to light Alia’s sportsmen spirit and has
her trending on social media with this video. All the stars have
applauded her sense of humour and AIM has gained much
recognition.
Alia has definitely proved she is not just beauty with an
”enlarged brain”, she has the attitude to be one of the
coolest leading actresses of all time.
Point
Out
SPIRITUAL TOUCH
IT IS THE YOUTH WHO WILL
TRANSFORM THIS NATION
»»SWAMI VIVEKANAND
My hope of the future lies in the youth
of character- intelligent, renouncing all
for the service of others, and obedientwho can sacrifice their lives in working
out my ideas and thereby do good to
themselves and the country at large.
M
y faith is in the younger
generation,
the
modern
generation, out of them will
come my workers. They will
work out the whole problem, like lions. I
have formulated the idea and have given
my life to it. If I do not achieve success,
some better one will come after me to work
it out, and I shall be content to struggle.
Where are the men? That is the question.
Young men, my hope is in you. Will you
respond to the call of your nation? Each
one of you has a glorious future if you
dare believe me. Have a tremendous faith
in yourselves, like the faith I had when I
was a child, and which I am working out
now. Have that faith, each one of you, in
yourself-that eternal power is lodged in
every soul- and you will revive the whole
of India. Ay, we will then go to every
country under the sun, and our ideas will
before long be a component of the many
forces that are working to make up every
nation in the world. We must enter into the
life of every race in India and abroad; shall
have to work to bring this about. Now for
that, I want young men. “It is the young,
the strong, and healthy, of sharp intellect
that will reach the Lord” , say the Vedas.
My hope of the future lies in the youth of
character- intelligent, renouncing all for
the service of others, and obedient- who
can sacrifice their lives in working out my
ideas and thereby do good to themselves
66
september 2014
and the country at large. Otherwise, boys
of the common run are coming in groups
and will come. Dullness is written on their
faces- their hearts are devoid of energy,
their bodies feeble and unfit for work, and
minds devoid of courage. What work will
be done by these? If I get ten or twelve boys
with the faith of Nachiketa, I can turn the
thoughts and pursuits of this country in a
new channel.
Among those who appear to me to be
good caliber, some have bound themselves
by matrimony; some have sold themselves
for the acquisition of worldly name, fame,
or wealth; while some are of feeble bodies.
The rest, who form the majority, are unable
to receive any high idea. You are no doubt
fit to receive my high ideas, but you are
not able to work them out in the practical
field. For these reasons sometimes and
anguish comes into the mind, and I think
that taking this human body, I could not
do much work through untowardness of
fortune. Of course, I have not yet wholly
given up hope, for, by the will of God, from
among these very boys may arise in time
great heroes of action and spirituality who
will in future work out my ideas.
67
Point
Out
68
september 2014