Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Bengaluru : Citizen’s aspirations and vision for Bengaluru!


Commute 
Activate local Rail with AC Chair Car coaches on existing railway lines across the City with an SPV. Divert national railways on outer/other Rly stations. Revisit the planned metro rail & flyovers along local train routes.

Start mini-buses as feeders to Volvo/Metro/Local train routes. 

Use googlemap live feeds and optimize BMTC service network every quarter. 

Allow BTIS App track buses on GPS, for commuters can align step-out time, than waiting clueless at bus-stops.

Start MLC parking along ring roads, for people to drop pvt. vehicles and pick the buses/metro.

Water 
Bring Cauvery water pipeline drinking water supply in IT corridors like Whitefield (as water table is already below 1k feet, costing Rs.1k per month per family).

Notify Property ID /PID for all lakes & low lying area and forbid constructions in buffer zones.

Food
Integrate farmers with eNAM and AgMarkNet for fair price on produce in Bangalore market.

Home
Move all real-estate transactions on just 3 numbers – the UID (aadhaar) of buyer & seller and the PID of property, with all certified documents hosted on digital lockers processed over electronic work-flow, to eliminate the forged paper, undue time/processes and unrealistic prices.

Pavement TenderSure:
Extend tendersure pavements in Whitefield to salvage the Bangalore’s image for investors and improving living conditions, greenery in this area.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Chinese string of pearls around India’s neck!

The 25yrs of economic liberalization, coupled with impressive build-up of Infrastructure has propelled Chinese economy into the league of advanced developed nations. The Chinese have consistently developed their urban & trade centers, transport & energy, agriculture & defense infrastructure into world class assets in this period. The peaceful rise of China has already started making its presence felt in high tables of world trade & finances, strategic defense parleys and elsewhere

The India’s rise as a distant fourth largest economy however, has been frustratingly slow & cumbersome. The Chinese have aggressively started building relations with member countries of Indian subcontinent by means of trade, investments & defense supplies. China has already to an extent reduced Indian influence within SAARC itself, and has replaced India as members’ largest neighbor next door. A string of pearls, as Chinese call it!

The Chinese have helped Pakistan on International diplomatic fronts, Strategic defense infrastructure & trade ports. The new pro-China, Maoist Govt in Nepal has slowly reduced Indian influence in Army, Religious shrines, & trade The Chinese companies are part of Roads & Power projects along the Indian border! The pro-India Hasina govt in Bangladesh is some respite. The Myanmar oil fields are now in portfolio of Chinese oil majors. Clandestine shield to Military Govt in international forums over human rights & democracy has aligned Burma towards China. The Sri Lankan army managed to rout LTTE with supply of heavy Military hardware & financial assistance from China, hitherto blocked elsewhere, under Indian influence. The frequent intrusions into the India’ Northern borders & Indian Ocean by Chinese military has strained Indo-China relations. The Chinese have been quite unhesitant in projecting their newly acquired strength on various International fora. Be it submarine gaffe with US warships, blocking Indo-US nuke deal at IAEA, blocking UN sanctions on Pak based terror groups like JuD, to smoothened relations with Japan, Korea & Taiwan and now significant clout in mitigating world recession are all indications of the Rise of China as counter to USA towards a bipolar world!

The yawning Indian ruling establishment is yet to action any thought-thorough coherent imprints on the world canvas. The fractured mandate, non-developmental local politics, absence of leadership & resulting handicapped Central Govt without will & commitment have left India into a crumbling power surrounded by failed states. What India needs is a revolution in space of Energy, Defense, Transport & Agriculture to gain its deserving stature at world high-table.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Terror screams - “Transformational CHANGE awaits India”

The Terror in Delhi, Varanasi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Srinagar, Guwahati and now once again in Mumbai has yet again exposed our soft underbelly and regional impotence.

It is actually NOT the spirit of Mumbai, but the very socio-economic compulsions which forces one to resume work and earn his bread. Probably we have assimilated the "Sab Chalta Hai" mindset in virtually every damn thing we come across.

The National Security Council, hosts Joint Committee of Intelligence (JIC), which analyzes data across intelligence agencies, the Crisis Management Group that actions in emergencies, has failed to live up to people’s expectations along with CCS (Cabinet).

Clearly three major areas of improvement are: Intelligence gathering & sharing, Training & Equipment and Coordination. Will NIA stand up to its expectations? Could CBI with more powers have delivered? Can we ever define Credible Minimum Deterrence & Cost against terrorist strikes?

To nip it in the bud, we need to – one, prevent local support & two brace-up ourselves quickly to deal with any threat conclusively. Therefore,

Utilize ‘Right to Education’, ensure EVERY child, including those in schools run by religious institutions, receive compulsory Education with Science, Maths, English and IT in curriculum up to Class-X. Then every unemployed receives some useful self-employment oriented training through ITIs etc. Can’t we have Right to employment leading to Right to Food? These efforts must be supplemented with heavy doses of Reforms in Police, Administration, Judiciary, Land, Elected Bodies and Delivery Platforms of Public services, leveraging our ICT capability, to effectively stem public grievances, which inspire them to lend ear to extremist camps.

We need to strengthen our technological infrastructure, utilizing our ICT and Aero-Space capabilities in the areas of surveillance, intelligence and actioning against all forms of terror – Financial, NBC triad (nuke & biochemical attack), Guerrilla strikes from Air, Water or Land. I believe we can teach them lesson for every sin. Can Aero-space capabilities be utilised for potent retaliation (read AntiSatellite missiles & Aero-space defense stations)? Why don’t we just take a leaf out of cold war lessons? 'Sanitise' our neighbourhood using combination of - Our soft power, Democratic value systems, augmented Economic prosperity and Defense capabilities while 'managing' political factions in enemy camp simultaneously ? It’s like 360 engagement using Geopolitical, Economic & Military and Socio-cultural strengths as force multipliers!

What we also need is - Integrating various Govt. dept. with seamlessly integrated IT platform to share info, act upon & deliver services for the people and fix the accountability. How about publishing all reports & recommendations made by various committee & commissions across ministries with file noting & status on web portal open to citizens under RTI? Can Election Commission, or CVC or even an NGO, initiate maintaining Report card for each elected body & individual on its portal just like manifesto ie publishing Work-plan and Actual achievements as part of model code of conduct for Peoples’ Representation! ? Can this bring the much awaited Renaissance in our society? How can you as a citizen catalyze TOTAL change?

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Right to Information- Online

Getting Information from from Govt is now a click away, RTI is now Online !
Please visit:
http://righttoinformation.gov.in/
http://www.parivartan.com/what_to_ask.asp
http://www.pgportal.gov.in/index.html

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Revitalising Human Resource Development in India

I suggest following action points:

There is need for a universal regulator in HRD merging functions of NCERT, UGC, AICTE, NAAC, DOEACC, CBSE, ICMR, ICAR, NKC etc into one umbrella entity – HRD Commission. We should then have HRD policy framework to allow corporates as players in HRD.

Categorizing/ grading all colleges in all streams across the country in 3 categories (A, B, & C) based on a comprehensive evaluation matrix. Derecognize colleges for failing to maintain credible minimum standards and publishing them over site.

Setting-up National Curriculum Council within UGC to regularly frame Model Curriculum for B & C categories of Colleges across the country. The system should facilitate Research & Innovation in grade-A, Competence & capability in grade-B, and credible minimum Capability to meet industry expectations on deliverables (in relevant streams) from students for grade-C Colleges.

Institutionalizing setup of a National Assessment Test for Undergraduates & Graduates on the lines of Graduate Aptitude Test Examination (GATE) (or broaden the GATE horizon), National Eligibility Test (NET), in all valid academic streams defined in UGC/ AICTE. The students may have max. 3 attempts starting from their 2nd last yr. of academic session. Scoring a pre-specified percentile score (depending upon College category/ grade) should be a pre-requisite for obtaining degree.

Institutionalizing all top two colleges in Medical Sciences, Polytechnic, Management, Pure/Applied-Sciences, Law, Economics, Agriculture in all states as National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institutes of Polytechnic (NIP), National Institutes of Management (NIM), National Institutes of Science (NISc), National Institutes of Law (NIL), National Institutes of Economics & Statistics (NIE&S), National Institutes of Agriculture respectively, on the lines of NITs in Technology.

Institutionalizing the Academia-Industry Interface digital platform using the National Assessment Test as one of the filtering mechanism providing all students a level playing field in Placements.

Bringing fair representation of students from all major streams using reservation in College/ University level Elections. Stricter Regulation of the entire process with stringent enforcement of revamped “Model Code of Conduct”.

Rationalizing the fee structure using “cost-plus” approach for all Colleges with the mechanism of Universal access of Super-Cheap Education Loans facilities for all socially/ economically underprivileged students.

Standardizing duration in all Undergraduate Courses as 4 yr programme, except Medical sciences (with 5 yrs). Standardize all post-graduate Courses as 3 yr programmes. Standardizing a min of 6-12 months compulsory industrial training / research project for all courses across streams.

Standardizing the nomenclatures of all degree courses and their adherence across Universities. Eg: All Management Course as “MBA (Specialisation)” rather than “Master of (specialisation)”.

Rather than erecting new institutions of excellence, we must disseminate greater autonomy/ flexibility, resources & funds for existing Universities/ Institutions striving for International level of Quality. All Category-A Colleges should have 1000 intake in their flagship programmes.

Setup of One-Stop Portal for all Quality Digital Libraries/ Resources for students across streams. Satellite / Internet fed broadcasting of Lectures/ Superior Course Materials using EDUSAT.

Bringing all Schools / Colleges including those run by trusts/ Religious Institutions under Umbrella Organizations for better management & implementation of Central/ State Govt. Policies & Resources. Eg: KVS for Kendriya Vidyalayas.

Kashmir: Way Forward

The separatist movements in Kashmir have shaped-up from decades of non-developmental politics of our “democratic governance”. The lack of opportunities, daily hardships & sufferings of family members misguides youth towards external opportunist leaders, who whip-up their emotions to gain political ground and claim themselves as “voice of Kashmir”. We assume time to heal wounds & keep procrastinating conclusive action with never-ending dialogues. We have long standing border & other issues with almost all our neighbours, not just with China & Pak. The Indian leadership should no longer avoid but face it & take decisive steps towards time bound conclusion & lasting solution.

The separate flag, special Rights, land holding, assembly tenure etc appeased under Article-370, akin to autonomy, have barely integrated Kashmir with democratic Indian Union, instead has counter-productively isolated the valley. Further, two decades of militancy ensured skewed demographics with ethnic cleansing of pundits. What an irony for India, while it has to stem militancy in Kashmir, it has to also bring other freedom fighters like Maoist in Nepal, Tamils in Lanka, Taliban in Afgan & Lamas in Tibet on table for an inclusive democracy.

We managed to weed-out separatist sentiments in Punjab and somewhat curbed tribals & naxalites in other parts of the country. Probably we can not administer same prescription in Kashmir. It definitely calls for different approach. Let us not try to contain but engage Kashmiri youth with enhanced opportunities of education, employment and cohesively connect them with rest of the main land people. We have to address both, the grievances & aspirations of the people in the state.

Let’s come up with a Special Environment Zone Act on the lines of SEZs. The notified geographical area underneath should carefully allow Business houses to deal directly with locals for land lease and start business which suits & knits-well with the Himalayan fabric like tourism & horticulture with huge tax breaks & infrastructural support. We need to quickly build strategically important rail-roads deep into valley hinterland for better connectivity & security. Once we eliminate isolation of troubled areas with “facilitated business activities & connectivity with main land”, we can substantially meet aspiration of locals. Let’s flood the news & entertainment media – print/ FM radio/ television in valley with national players. At the same time, we should also carefully educate them with the Indian democratic value systems, institutions, Rights & facilities they enjoy by being integral part of India in the event of possibly inevitable plebiscite. All political parties at the same time should also adhere to nationalism- 'Politics stops at the LoC fence'. Strategically improved rail-road and entertainment media connectivity, exposure to world outside valley, am sure will bring fresh breeze in the Paradise.

Let’s go all out and connect Kashmir with the rest of India like never before. Let the inherent policy vacuum not stumble and paralyse us anymore. A strong India with its economic properity, credible military power and strong development political will can easily take-on any challenge.