Long term impact of ''Balakot Strike", "Main bhi Chowkidar" campaign & '"Änti Satellite missile" test on Indian psyche

Dear bloggers....On perusal of various incidences occurred in India recently such as Balakot strike, main bhi chowkidar campaign and Anti-satellite missile testing, I strongly feel that these incidences will impact the long term psychology of Indian people.
     India was slaved  by foreign people for more than thousand years. It has badly impacted the psychology of Indian common masses. How  the mis- rule of  Britain has adversely affected every part of life is not hidden to every one such as Introduction of English in Indian education system has permanently affected the millions of children living in rural areas as English has spoiled their power to think innovatively as their minds are busy in translating their mother tongue to English. Several examples can be given on this pattern which indicates the adverse effect of slavery on long term basis. It has impacted the will power,morale and confidence of common masses.
    Now, the incidence such as Balakot strike by Indian Air force has led to the upliftment of confidence of common masses in their capability to defend their home. This feeling of confidence is a biggest gain of this incidence. Such successful action strengthen the morale of forces also.
   Further, the political movement of BJP "'Main bhi Chowkidar" has been misinterpreted by numerous people on the ground that PM is advocating to be Chowkidar in literal sense. I think such people are understanding it in a wrong way and in literal sense only. They have not gone deep in to the spirit behind such political movement. I think the main spirit behind this political movement is to unite the common masses of this country by being vigilant and attentive to their rights and duties. If everyone become attentive to their rights and duties, any wrong action/corruption/non performance/looting/rules violation etc by anyone will be identified easily. Wrong doers will be fearful and punished. Merely by making law will not eliminate corruption or ensure right and timely action on any thing. A public participation will definitely ensure such things. We have seen success of Swach Bharat mission in some areas just because every one became attentive on cleanliness. Now common attentive citizen is raising alarm on person who is throwing garbage on common places.Therefore,I believe that such slogan is raising the common conscience of people.
     Other than this, the test like Änti-satellite missile "' or Moon mission or Nuclear tests uplift the overall confidence of country. One can visualize easily that by sending man on moon by USA has grossly uplifted the scientific temper of school going children and students of USA. Similarly such scientific successful testing gives enough confidence to student to pursue science related courses in higher studies which will further boost the supply of quality scientist/teachers/PHDs and research papers.
 India is at cross road where We can afford such action to defend our mother land, to raise confidence and enhancement of scientific temper of Indian citizens. It takes full century to take out people from slave mentality once some country has been ruled by foreigners. So,I am very happy to see such indigenous movement in this country which will be  helpful for making India a developed Nation....keep on blogging.     

From Reel to Real Life, Challenges Faced by Women in Police Are Manifold

We are likely to be assessed less competent and less suitable for high level positions. We are likely to be sexually harassed by superiors and colleagues and held responsible for it.

Women in police. A recent phenomenon in a centuries old organisation with a colonial history and a strongly masculine work culture. It continues to be known as the police force. And being a force, it places a premium on machismo and valor more than on service.

Ask a child, how a police officer is. You are likely to hear some or all of these phrases: a prominent moustache, serious and grim expression, loud and coarse voice, tall and muscular, aggressive body language, one who doesn’t listen, but orders. A stereotypical image reinforced by popular media.

How many police officers fit this description? How many women in police fit this description? Can they? Should they? How are the women going to navigate through this system? And in turn, how would they be altering or modifying this system, if at all?

Women have the biological and sociological responsibility of bearing children. They also disproportionately shoulder the burden of the care economy, particularly in a traditional and patriarchal society like India. Their view of work, family and work-family balance is different from that of men.

The women in police, the few that there are, are either accused of hyper-masculinity, acting and behaving like their stereotypical male counterparts to prove themselves to be equally worthy; or of hyper-femininity, exaggerating the proverbial feminine weakness for short-term benefits.

These hypotheses must be tested in the context of the everyday lived realities of the women in uniform. This should be followed by an objective assessment of the extent to which the police force has attempted to understand and accommodate such realities.

A film on women police officers

To be able to look at things from the perspective of women in police, their stories need to be told. Just as the Netflix film Soni (2018) does. It takes us through the worldview of two women: Soni, a police sub-inspector and Kalpana, an officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS). While we see them at work and get an opportunity to contrast their working style with that of their male counterparts, we also get a peek into their personal lives.

How do they look at policing issues like crime, its prevention and investigation? What kind of relationship do women leaders in police have with a set of police officers who report to them? How do they strive to achieve the professional-personal life balance, the responsibility of which is also thrust upon them being women?

What kind of sexual harassment do they face from people inside and outside the police force? I have deliberately not called it ‘casual sexism’ or ‘teasing’ or ‘taunting’, as these terms would rob it of its gravity as an offense.

In Soni, like in real life, the women in police respond to sexual harassment typically by means of certain conditioned responses. By remaining silent, ignoring it, smiling, laughing it off or normalising it.

But are there any possible alternatives? Atypical responses to typical situations?

Soni, after whom the film is named, is transferred to a Dial 100 call centre as a “punishment posting”. She is the film’s angry young woman. One may argue that she has poor control over anger, using excessive force and refusing to mend her ways. While this has been an integral part of police sub-culture for centuries, it is seen in the film as an alternative response of a woman in police to sexual harassment that she faces while discharging her official duty. Breaking all stereotypes, she is fearless. She charges on the goons when they do not respond favourably to her bonafide orders. She even engages in a fist fight with three goons at once.

One scene strongly resonated with me: “He had occupied the ladies toilet, he was found consuming drugs and he was the one who misbehaved with me (read misbehaved as sexually harassed) and I am the one who is being asked questions.”

On one hand, this scene reflects the police’s victim blaming attitude, typically exhibited in cases of violence against women. On the other, it highlights that often in the eyes of the citizen, a woman police officer is first a woman and then a police officer.

How does this effect her personal life? It appears that her long working hours and the passion for her profession makes her partner insecure about their relationship. Despite constant nudging from an elderly female neighbour, Soni stays firm that she doesn’t need the crutches of the presence of a man in her life. At least not this one, who is unable to figure out what he wants from his own life. The man, on the other hand, is convinced that his presence in her life is necessary, for her safety and protection.

Kalpana’s tale

In contrast, the calm and young Kalpana smiles her way through the overt and covert harassment from her husband’s mother and sister over her late night shifts, not being present at family functions and not having a child. Her husband (also an IPS officer), is equally guilty of these. Yet, she is the only target.

In her profession, she is a meticulous follower of rules and procedures. She is an officer with high emotional intelligence. Remaining calm under situations of grave provocation, she is empathetic and a good listener who is highly motivated and self-aware. She is also sensitive, especially to victims of crime.

Her leadership style is people oriented. Though there are no right or wrong leadership styles, she is criticised and branded ‘too emotional’ by her husband, a service senior.

“You have chosen to be an IPS, behave like one. Four years into the service, do I need to tell you this?” he says. Despite her husband being critical of her personal engagement with subordinates, Kalpana has a meaningful relationship with Soni. They share passion, anger and frustration, though they express it differently.

The professional and personal lives of the husband and wife – engaged in the same service and the same state – are too intricately intertwined. Her every action at work comes to his knowledge. There is discussion. And the inevitable disagreement. They are different personalities and different officers. Is it fair that he expects Kalpana to be the officer that he is? As his wife, is she bound to take professional decisions from his perspective?

Feeling judged, snubbed, humiliated, she finally checks him, “Why are you raising your voice at me?” But she remains calm and persistent.

This character is nuanced and deep and the audience witnesses the resolve of this woman police officer become firmer with each passing scene. She is in the becoming, a police officer first, and then a woman. Her authentic self relies on her conviction, not merely on rules and procedures. It also evokes an alternative response to the sexism and misogyny she faces: courage, dedication and moral turpitude.

A Soni and Kalpana in each one of us

There is a Soni and a Kalpana in each one of us, the women in police. From reel to real life, challenges are multifarious. Once we remove our uniform, we are just another woman. As likely to face sexual harassment on the streets and in public transport. As likely as any other woman to be asked for dowry, subjected to domestic violence, to be the primary care givers and the lesser partners in marriage. To be expected to sacrifice career opportunities to make way for our partner’s career progression. And yet, highly likely to be harassed and judged professionally ‘non- serious’ or ‘non-ambitious’ for seeking maternity and childcare leave.

When in uniform, we are more likely to be discussed for our manner of walking, talking, laughing, dressing and marital status, rather than professional competence. We are likely to be complimented as ‘Well done boys!’. We are likely to be interrupted more often in meetings as compared to our male counterparts. Likely to be assessed less competent and considered less suitable for positions with a high level of responsibility and challenge. We are likely to be sexually harassed by superiors and colleagues and to be held responsible for it.

As women in police, do we stand by other women in police? Especially those in so called subordinate positions? Though cutting across hierarchy, we have certain experiences in common. Like Kalpana and Soni.

Taking another example from the film, a woman sub-inspector on duty at a Dial 100 Call Center  is responsible for receiving phone calls from complainants, recording the complaint and transferring it to the officer concerned for action. When faced with unwarranted and undesirable personal questions from a caller, she simply laughs it off. Scoffing, she says, every day one or two such people call. This is normalisation of sexual harassment.

Has there been a strong organisational response to this menace spread across all call centers? Despite civil as well as criminal legislation and evidence available in the form of call recordings, it continues. Leading to the vicious cycle of non-reporting and non-action, perpetuating the culture of silence.

For women in police to perform to their full potential, it would take sustained increase in their strength, meaningful networking within themselves and an institutionalised support system in the current social realities. Then, they will be the women that they are, the police officers that they are. It will allow them to be their authentic selves, agents of change. To achieve. To lead. To serve the people....Keep on Blogging....

(Alankrita Singh is an IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre. Views expressed are strictly personal and do not reflect the views of the service or the organisation she belongs to)

Source:- thewire.in 

Is the Indian media being subdued on raising questions against NDA government?

Hello everyone...I am perturbed by discussion on several electronic media channels on the allegation against the present government that if they raise any legitimate question against establishment,their voice is being subdued or they are being castigated as Ánti-Nationals''...Is it true? let us analyze.
     Free press is very important for any flourishing democracy.It is considered as fourth pillar of democracy. In our country there are roughly more than 20000 news papers and magazines registered with government catering audience from English,Hindi and several vernaculars. Similarly, there are more than 900 news TV channels in the country. Apart from it, there are numerous websites,news apps etc. Can any channel claims that Government is hitting them hard on airing or telecasting negative reports on government? I don't think so.Is there any blackout of TV reporting in recent times? Is there any major IT,ED or CBI raid against the owners of these channels or media houses in recent times ?...Is there any crackdown on social media groups or online news platforms for raising voice against government? I don't think so or I have not noticed. If government want to suppress the media of any form, it is very easy for the government to do. Therefore, it appears that such allegations are not true. There have been some incidences that during some debates or panel discussions, somebody or spokesperson of ruling party might say that someone is anti national..but that does not mean that every dissent voice is being suppressed. In fact,I have observed that the Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi is one of the most criticized and abused PM in the history of this Country. It might be due to his strong style of functioning. His every action or speech is being criticized by opposition parties and media. Even then,PM never tried to suppress any media on this count. Though, PM has replied very strongly against some people but he also has right to reply. Therefore, allegation of suppressing media by government seems not correct. We are one of the most open and free society where everybody has the right to express their opinion. It is true that sometime government has taken tough stand on some anti national elements who are playing with the security of this country,but that is required also. One can't hold country on ransom in the name of freedom of speech. Media should formulate some Do's and Dont's for their members and it should be followed by every one. Media has important role to play in the democracy. Their role to provide correct information to the citizen of the country is very significant. They should stick to that. But sometimes, in the greed of TRP, media cross the boundary and leveled as national or anti national. It is their internal problem, it should be sorted out by the media itself. Government can't do anything about it. Media should generate their revenue based on the content and other methods. They should not depend on government support or some unhealthy and non transparent finance. If they are able to function transparently, there is no need to fear.They must be fearless and oppose any sort of arm twisting techniques of incumbent government if there is any. This will happen only when the media is self dependent financially.....keep on blogging...   

An open letter to Indian political parties who are raising doubts on Air force strike in Pakistan

Dear opposition political parties of India
         I along with millions of Indians who are witnessing past few days events and the way you are raising doubts on the capability of Indian Air force is shocking and very sad. We are sad not because you are raising questions but We are sad about the timings and the manner in which all of you are raising doubts. It is very clear after three forces have briefed media on the operations that Air force successfully targeted the intended target in Balakot and two other places deep inside Pakistan. It was further vindicated by press briefing by Air Chief Marshal. After this briefing, where is the iota of doubt? have you lost the faith in Indian forces capability. This is not rocket science. Even a person of average intelligence can understand that number of casualty cant be told exactly for simple reasons that target was in enemy country, strike was made by Air. One cant go and check or count the numbers at ground. It can only be gathered through interception of electronic conversation in enemy country or by intelligence agencies. CNN-IBN network has already released one audio tape purportedly belongs to brother of Masood Azhar talking about the damage caused by Indian Air strike. Further, the same channel has released some hand written crypted message released by JeM organization which talks about the movement of its leaders to safe places after Air Strike. These circumstantial evidences show the veracity of Air strike. If there was no strike then Why Pakistan countered it immediately is not a rocket science to understand.

    We are sad to see your desperation due to fear of loosing election in these circumstances when NDA has taken a moral lead by taking tough decisions for national interest. Election is not every thing. National security should be accorded priority over anything else. Without safe Nation one can't imagine politics or political parties. You must understand the implication of your doubt on morale of Indian forces.Your doubt will definitely make the enemy country happy as they will show your doubts to their intelligentsia to please them. You should think before speaking anything against Indian forces.
     It is right that valour is shown by Indian forces and no one should take political mileage. But it is also correct that political leadership does matter in these circumstances.When there was parliament attack or Mumbai attack, such action would have been taken by the incumbent government but they prefer not to. But this time, if incumbent government took tough decision to give go ahead to Indian forces to take action then why all of you are uncomfortable? Is it due to fear of loosing election? Rather making illogical noises, you should come out with some logical narrative which Indians can forced to ponder. If you continue to raise such illogical questions, Indian people will no more tolerate you. Therefor please be careful.

     Besides, somebody has praised Pakistan PM to such an extent that he asked for a Nobel Peace prize for him. I want to ask this man that is he really think that Mr Imran deserves peace prize for releasing our pilot. You must understand that Pakistan didn't have any choice under Geneva convention to no to release him once Pakistan admitted about his arrest as POW. Pakistan should have released him with in 8 days. So what is great work Pakistan PM did?. If at all Pakistan want peace with India, they should stop cross border terrorism and crosss border shelling which is hurting civilian population in valley. Pakistan should also take human approach in Baluchistan where issue of gross human rights violation and cruelty by Pakistan Militray is being reported by International Media.
     In this era of tensed situation at border, I wish that better sense and wisdom will prevail among political parties and they will behave in a way so that enemy country would not mis-use it in their favour.World is watching us. We should prove that for us Nation is First and politics come later.
     Jai Hind....keep on blogging....     

A Budget of hope presented by Mr Goyal

Dear blogger...extremely sorry for not updating the blog for long due to hectic schedule and change of priorities in life.Hope all of you are enjoying the dawn of year 2019 with hope and energy.

     In this line,Honb FM of India has presented the interim budget for remaining period of 2019 till the new government comes in to power. FM and PM termed it as budget of hope and aspirations for new and vibrant India. Of course, numerous provisions such as Income assistance to farmers,pension scheme to workers in un-organized sector,income tax rebate up to five lakh taxable income etc will benefit millions of people with extra disposable income in their hands. India is a vast country with huge chasm between one corner to other corner and between one sector to other sector. It needs long term policies,vision and stability in government approach. The present government tried to do all possible things on these fronts. However, the position of farmers is not improving significantly due to uncertain market condition. Although government has increased the MSP for roughly 20 crops but its implementation on the field is far from expectations. This needs some correction and alternative thinking. The problem of farm sector is multi fold. Government needs to provide real time information to farmers regarding cropping acreage of a particular crop across the country so that farmers can take informed decisions regarding the crop they should plant. It will reduce the overproduction issue and thus low price in the market for e.g. if farmer of western Uttar pradesh comes to know that potato has already been planted by farmers of Punjab,Karnataka,west Bengal,Gujarat etc in thousand of hectares then at least he will have the option to not to grow potato in his or her field for the current season. This might save him for crash of prices. Other then this direct benefit transfers in to bank account is a good step and it should cover all type of government subvention to reduce the chance of corruption and pilferage of government money. I hope that this year's interim budget will bring hope to millions of people of India...keep on blogging..   

Time release study 2018 released by Chairperson,Central Board of Indirect taxes & Customs(CBIC) at Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House(JNCH),Mumbai

Time Release Studies (TRS) 2018, just completed by an internal team of JNCH, was unveiled today by Ms Vanaja N. Sarna, Chairman, CBEC at a function at Nhava Sheva. Annual Time Release Studies (TRS) for year 2018 were conducted by Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House (JNCH), under directions and guidance from Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).

These studies assess the impact of measures introduced from time to time. Reduction in the transactions cost and time of moving goods across the border has been key areas in the Government’s initiative on the Ease of Doing Business. Based on guidelines laid down by the World Customs Organization, these studies measure the average time taken for the release of cargo from the time of arrival of goods (represented by the entry inwards of a vessel) till the time of an “out of charge” order by Customs and help monitor the trend in its behavior over a period of time.

The study has used data pertaining to 14,757 bills of entry (we had started with 14973 but excluded 216 bills of entry) filed between 1-7 January 2018 whose movement was tracked for one month. The study shows that the overall average release time for imports has improved significantly from 181.34 hours in January 2017 to 144.18 hours this year with about two-third of the consignments being released in less than this time.

As many as 29% of the consignments were cleared within the target of 72 hours set for sea cargo under the National Trade Facilitation Action Plan.For the first time, the study has sliced time release data across several dimensions such as the category of importer – whether an Authorized Economic Operator or not; the mode of delivery i.e. Direct Port Delivery and delivery from a Container Freight Station; facilitated vs. non-facilitated Bill of entry;  advance filed bills of entry vs. those filed after the arrival of goods and finally those requiring intervention by Participating Government Agencies such as FSSAI, Drug Controller, Textiles Committee and those not subjected to such intervention.

Generally speaking, the study concluded that release time decreased progressively with the adoption of each successive measure targeted at reduction of release time by an importer or consignment. Thus, the sharpest decline was observed in cases where the importer holding AEO status filed a bill of entry in advance, the bill of entry was facilitated and the importer took direct port delivery of the consignment. In a side study of auto-components imported from South Korea, the study clocked an average release time of only 58 hours for consignments fulfilling these criteria. This finding strongly vindicates the policy measures introduced by the Government to prune the release time of import cargo. Barring the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau the release time in cases requiring intervention by any of the six Participating Government Agencies in the Single Window project was found to be higher than the overall average of 144 hours.

In a first, TRS 2018 also looked at the release time of export cargo and found the average (excluding domestic transport time) to be 84 hours.

Apart from reflecting on the time-efficiency of operations of all the agencies and stakeholders involved in the clearance of import and export cargo at the border, TRS 2018 arouses wide interest in the context of the ‘Ease of Doing Business Survey and Trading Across Borders’ ranking assigned by the World Bank. While the report shows a very sharp improvement over the data released after the ‘Trading Across Borders survey of 2017’ for imports, the average release time for exports matches the results of that survey quite closely. The findings of the World Bank survey which is perception based are expected to converge with TRS results which are based on data collated from the computer systems of customs, port terminals, PGAs etc over a period of time as trade facilitation reforms acquire wider coverage and depth.

The study has also assessed the impact of certain statutory and administrative changes on nudge the trade towards prompt filing of bills of entry and thereafter payment of duty.

One of the positive side effects of TRS 2018 has been better ownership of trade facilitation measures and the importance of time sensitivity internally within the Customs formations and other stakeholders.

Source:-Indian Express

My experiment and experience with Running....physical fitness Mantra No 2

Hello everyone...It is a second article in that series where I want to share my experiences with all of you. No water break, No washroom break, No selfie break,No shoe lace tightening break,no stretching break and no music support today...Feeling awesome...

Completed 10 km run today..Since I did couple of leg strengthening exercise yesterday ,there was no pain in my calf muscles today..In the beginning, I gave direction to my mind that today no water break ..Surprisingly ,mind followed that direction as a faithful servant..seems ,Running is a great self learning more than any other exercise ..Human body has infinite potential and strength..There is a need to rightly channelize the energy. Today I felt that running before sunrise is good. In the last round of today's run, mind started throwing some irrational logic but I visualize the protagonist of Hollywood movie 'Forest Gump'.(a great movie for runners)..His smiling face in the movie gave me enough motivation to complete today's task..stay fit...Keep on Blogging

My experiment and experience with Running....physical fitness Mantra No 1

Hello Everyone, sorry for unable to update the blog frequently due to various other engagements in office and outside. I am starting a new column on physical fitness specially focusing on Running.I feel that in the era of polluted and adulterated food, there is a strong need that each one of us should remain healthy. To remain healthy and fit, one must take some sports or follow some physical exercise routine.Here, I will try to share my experiences during long running, its various aspects and various challenges being faced by me. I will also share the methodology through which I tried to overcome these challenges. I hope, my experiences will help some of you while facing similar challenges.

        I tried to realize my dream run for 21 Km. It was an effort towards actual half marathon event being organised on 29th October at Colaba,Mumbai. This event is being organised by Mumbai Customs.
Just to share with you all about the mental turbulence and obstacles created by my mind during last two rounds of 21 km. I have a luxury of lake side track of 2.6km in Navi Mumbai. When I started, my calf muscles start paining. It usually happens frequently whenever I run due to weak muscles probably. I tried to divert my mind from this pain. After two rounds, the pain vanished. Then I rain 15 km comfortably. The last two rounds were a big challenge thrown not by my body muscles but my mental block/fear. In second last round, my mind start giving logic to stop for some time,take rest,go to washroom for 2 minute,take break and stretch,etc etc...Since I was one of few who were running in park , my mind was giving numerous logic.But, I gave tough direction to mind that at any cost I need to complete 21 km today irrespective of logic u give.. Somehow, I completed 17.5km...Then came the moment of going for last round.My mind re bounced with some silly logic such as please  stop and take selfie, drink water,etc..At one point, mind start abusing me that you are  a fool..you should not put too much pressure on your legs, this last round will hamper your chance to participate in final event as your legs will break today, etc etc...At this critical juncture, I started visualizing Mr Usain bolt run and chanting of 1,2,1...An informal drill I learnt at NPA, Hyderabad. Finally, I was able to complete the dream run for 21 km. Yesterday, I learnt a lesson that long running is a mind game although we need basic strength in body. It is all about firm determination and overcoming on your mind and silly excuses generated by mind at that moment. At last,it gives immense satisfaction and confidence. I remember the time where I was unable to run even 2 km but today I can proudly say that I can run for 21 km. Dreaming to run full marathon in time to come.
You can participate in the upcoming half marathon on 29th OCt,2017 at Mumbai...keep on blogging...

What is happening here? BRAID CHOPPING Episode....

Dear blog readers, I am disturbed by the news about " Choti CUT/braid chopping" in various northern states. It is reported that the first incidence was reported from Rajasthan and then it went viral to Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

     Only  females have been affected from it. It appears that it is a handiwork of some unsocial elements. The reason behind this conclusion is that these incidences are reported from rural areas only. Secondly, such incidences are reported in night only baring one female who is reporting that incidence happened in day time . The first casualty related to this incidence is from Agra which again raised question mark on the maturity of our society as well as failure of our education system. The major reason behind the spread of such incidence is the technology itself. Is not it a contradiction/oxymoron?
          "The bizarre incidents have left the villagers in panic mode. Most women claimed to have fallen unconscious when their braids were chopped off leading to the villagers blaming godmen, ghosts, witches and “cat-like” creatures." reported by online news services ' the quint'
     As per the latest study, the tele-density in India has been increased by many fold. The top ten states reported tele-density around 65 which appears quite high. The tele-density is directly correlated with increased coverage of Internet which in-turn relates to spread of social media. Social media such as WhatsApp is one of the major reason behind the spread of myriads of circulation of unverified information.
    This is the crude example of misuse of social media and technology. It is quite unfortunate that in 21st century, one 62 year old widow female with very low vision was killed by people just on the misconception that she is a "DAYAN" and reason behind "CHOTI CUT/braid chopping".
     
      Online news magazine 'The quint'  reports ,"The woman was in extreme trauma and still terrified. She was admitted to a private hospital and discharged last evening, he said. Another incident was reported in Malhaka village. Aseena had fallen unconscious and when she woke up she found her hair had been chopped off".

     It is a humble request to every netizen to be responsible . They should not re-circulate such messages on social media. The affected females should be given proper medical counselling.  Government should also be alert to stop such unverified messages on social media. Keep on blogging.   

Withering bureaucracy under PM Mr Narendra Modi ???

Dear readers, I am posting here an article published in an online version of The Week here with my comments at the end of this article. Readers are requested to offer their commenst.

    "when he assumed office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit the ground running with the clarion “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.” He had primed himself to this during his high-octane election campaign. And within four days he set 10 ‘governance priorities’: (i) remove hurdles in economic growth and containing inflation, (ii) put education, energy and water on fast track, (iii) reform infrastructure sector for attracting investments and make India a global manufacturing hub, (iv) provide a proactive, people-oriented government and governance putting people at the centre of development process, (v) ensure time-bound implementation of policy, (vi) maintain consistency in policy, (vii) promote transparency by adopting e-auctioning in government tenders and works, (viii) improve inter-ministerial co-ordination and clubbing of ministries where needed, (ix) build confidence in the bureaucracy and (x) empower and provide freedom to the bureaucracy and incentive to innovate.

Given India’s administrative system, priorities 'ix' and 'x' would drive the entire exercise and the speed and sincerity with which these priorities were to be implemented depended on IAS bureaucrats occupying key positions in the Centre and the states and the innovative way they conceive and deliver governance. Question was whether the IAS is equipped—mentally and intellectually—to be independent and innovative. Originally it was a command oriented, revenue collecting administrative machinery which hardly called for any innovation.

Due to a process of evolution and democratic/developmental compulsions, it has been under pressure to become an instrument of participatory, flexible, multi-sectored public service, spanning government, corporate and civil society. And this new concept of public service is characterised by change and dynamism more than status quo and constancy. But IAS had not responded to this ‘change and dynamism’ at the cutting-edge of administration where it was most needed. Modi was expected to remedy this and help civil servants to reinvent themselves to become a fearless, independent, honest and efficient entity.

On this Nripendra Misra, principal secretary to the prime minister brought some hope when he stated, “Mr. Modi does three things: he guarantees stability in tenure for as many as four to five years for competent officers, offers tremendous freedom to innovate and deliver, and takes personal ownership of all decisions.”

But in the last three years, decision-making has become individualistic, politics polarised, and governance straitjacketed with civil services reverting back to command-oriented culture. Despite cacophony of slogans and noises, reforms have not touched civil services and basic governance. Only two things seem to have happened—the strange apparition of IAS probationers starting their field training from the top (assistant secretaries to Government of India at Delhi instead of assistant commissioner/collector in a far-off district) and steeply reducing the role of IAS at the decision-making level of joint secretaries in Central government departments and replacing them with personnel from other services.

For the first time, over 30 per cent of joint secretaries in Central government are from services outside IAS. It is getting worse as would be seen from the recent appointment of joint secretaries. Out of 21 officers, only seven (one-third) are from IAS and the rest are from Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS) and other Central Services. Another disturbing trend is that several IAS joint secretaries have sought and obtained premature repatriation to their respective state cadres and very few empanelled IAS officers are seeking deputation to the Centre.

Equally disturbing is the empanelment of secretaries wherein even the limited practices and conventions evolved over a period of time to reduce arbitrariness was thrown to the wind and there was complete overhaul of the way assessments were made. This led to almost 35 per cent of the officers, who were due to be empanelled, being left out for no rhyme or reason. The new process was supposed to be merit-based with the confidential report (CR) dossier being loaded with diverse inputs drawn from a variety of sources. No one knows what these inputs were. There are no explanations as to why some people have been left out or what criteria have been followed, what kind of inputs were obtained to make the assessment or where they were obtained from. There was also no redress for an officer who felt unfairly treated. Introducing such uncertainty in career advancement at the end of a career is not just inexplicable, it is whimsical and arbitrary in the extreme.

To quote Amitabha Pande, a former civil servant: “For the bureaucracy, a clear statement is being made. The authority of the prime minister and the prime minister's office (PMO) is absolute and no one else matters. The sphere of a minister and a secretary is that which the PMO decides, and while suggestions and initiatives are welcome, such initiatives will be subject to the close watch of Big Brother. Access to the top will be filtered through the chosen few and decisions taken by the chosen few may or may not be based on prior consultation. Officers will have to live with uncertainty regarding their future, which could be bright if they read the signals right but bleak if they get it wrong.”

All these seem to be part of an orchestrated move to ease-out the IAS from the Central government and bring in ‘experts with domain knowledge’. In their support, proponents of this move are quoting the observations of Chairman of the Seventh Pay Commission Justice A.K. Mathur and its Member Rathin Roy: “Senior management and administrative positions in government have evolved considerably and are growing more technical, requiring specific domain knowledge.”

But they need to answer one moot question: In the Indian context what is the needed ‘domain expertise’ for those who run the government? Is it corporate-pandering and pushing predatory ‘development’ models thrust by rich ‘movers and shakers’? Or is it basic grassroots governance delivered through effective and just governments that could uplift the miserable millions. If it is the former, the IAS is certainly dispensable. Not so, if it is the latter.

Due to the herculean efforts put in by Sardar Vallabbhai Patel, IAS was established to "give a fair and just administration to the country and manage it on an even keel". The expectation was that the liberal educational background and sharp intellect of the IAS entrants, valuable village/grassroots experience they gain, their wide contacts with the public and political leadership right from the stage of their first posting, and their variegated exposure in different assignments will be a boon for people-centered policy making, conceiving and designing development-cum-welfare projects/programmes and their effective and expeditious implementation. None of these except the education and intellect can be claimed by the members of the Central Services who begin and end their careers in cities and towns with hardly any contact with the people or their elected representatives. They have no grassroots experience and can be manipulated by carpetbaggers!

By promoting this governance model, Modi is erasing what his icon Sardar Patel built. This has brought in a sense of foreboding in the bureaucracy and civil servants are no longer sure of themselves. In pursuit of personal hegemony and corporate agenda India’s most potent instrument of governance—civil services—is being run to the ground. This does not augur well for the country’s future."

Source:-http://www.theweek.in/news/india/narendra-modi-withering-bureaucracy.html(Writer is former Army & IAS officer)

Neutralviews:-  The writer of this blog differs from the opinion of  the above views by ex Army & IAS officer. He may have expressed the opinion as an IAS officer but the time and reality has changed. It is the failure of IAS which led this country to such a situation. Had they been completely meritorious, fearless, non -corrupt and impartial, things would have been different. There have been several examples where huge corruption related allegations have been made and proved against IAS officers.There have been incidences where even senior IAS officers found acting in partial manner. They are even crawling in-front of petty politicians just to manage their plum postings. Therefore, blaming PM for withering IAS and promoting other services officers and lateral entry at Joint Secretary level is not correct. UPSC conducts  single exam to recruit for various Grp A positions. At the time of recruitment, every body is equal having difference of marks ranging from 1 to 100. Subsequently, it is IAS who created a partial system to not to give enough exposures to other services except them-self. Had Central Services officers been given enough exposure to all types of administrative wings, this logic of specialization would not have arrived. Therefore, in the era of globalization and digital economic world where physical boundaries have lost their relevance, merit only should be the criteria for administrative positions be it private or government. Mr Nilekani did wonderful thing being head of UIDA. The specialist organisation like ISRO did wonders. This is the right time that IAS hegemony should be removed and everyone with proven merit should be given opportunity to work in the progressive march of this great nation....keep on blogging..    

The polygamy myth about Muslim community...a must read article by all

A news headline that grabbed my attention recently was from the neighbouring Pakistan about three men who among them have fathered nearly 100 children making their modest contribution to Pakistan’s skyrocketing population, which is being counted for the first time in 19 years. Allah, they say, will provide for them, a standard reply of most Muslims in Pakistan.

Fortunately in India, religion is not a factor for high birth rate among Muslims. Nor is the birth rate comparable in the two countries. While in Pakistan it is 3.7, in Indian Muslims it is 2.4 ( national average 2.3) (2016 World Population Data). It is clear that the prevalence of family planning among them is the lowest of all communities but that is because they are at the bottom of the ladder in education, economic status and the access to health services – the main determinants of fertility behaviour. That can be analyzed in a separate article. Here I examine if religion is the contributor to high birth rate. This is a subject which is characterized by mass ignorance and it is time someone explodes the myths.

At the centre of the debate is the belief that Islam encourages polygamy which leads to a spurt in population growth. The reality is that though Islam does permit polygamy but it is subject to not one but two conditions – that they are orphans and will be treated with absolute equality.

“And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you , two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one”. ( Al Nisa:4.3)

The polygamists conveniently miss both the conditions. This is the only verse in the Quran that refers to polygamy and that too in the context of fair treatment of orphan girls. The emphasis of the Holy Quran is very clearly on monogamy.

Is polygamy widely prevalent among Muslims? The only report on the subject is that of the Committee on the Status of Women in India, 1974, which revealed that polygamy was not exclusive to Muslims but was prevalent among all communities of India: tribals (15.2), Buddhists (9.7), Jains (6.7) and Hindus (5.8). Muslims were, in fact, found least polygamous(5.7).

Polygamy is not even statistically possible in India as the number of women per 1000 men is only 940. Experts have opined that polygamy cannot lead to high birth rate, since the number of polygamous men, small though they are, would leave an equal number of men unmarried. It is also observed that second wife of a man has lesser number of children than the first/only wife. A study showed that the average number of children from the second wife of Muslims was only 1.78 as compared to 4.67 from the first wife.

Polygamy apart, what does Shariah say about family planning?

Quran and Hadith are replete with verses and traditions supportive of the concept of family planning. It is extremely important to note that nowhere has the Quran prohibited family planning! There are only interpretations, whether for or against.

Anti-family planning interpretation is based on the following concepts: Tawakkul (Reliance on Allah), Qadr (Predestination), and Rizq (Provision).

“Do not kill your children (for fear of poverty); We make provisions for you, and for them too.” (Sura 6:152 and 17:31). “And Allah has made for you, your mates from yourselves and made for you, out of them, children and grandchildren.” (Sura 16:72). “Your wives are as tilth unto you, so, approach your tilth how you wish” (Sura 2:223)

Pro-family planning interpretations, on the contrary, are many more and these are based on: Tranquility of conjugal life, emphasis on ease, injunction about breast feeding (that delays conception and promotes spacing), preference for quality over numbers, and permission for Al Azl (withdrawal method), etc.

Foe me the clinching verse of the Quran is: “Let those who find not the wherewithal for marriage, keep themselves chaste, UNTIL Allah gives them means out of His grace”. (Sura 24:33). This is amplified by the Prophet: “O young men! Those of you who can support a wife and household should marry. For, marriage keeps you from looking with lust at women and preserves you from promiscuity. But those who cannot, should take to fasting, which is a means of tempering sexual desires”. (Bukhari).

Then there is Hadees that refers to restricting the size of the family. Abu Sa’ad, a companion of the Prophet, reported, ‘A man came to the Prophet to ask about the practice of al-azl ( withdrawal) with his mate. He added “I do not like her to get pregnant and I am a man who wants what other men want. But the Jews claim that al-azl (withdrawal) is minor infanticide.” The Prophet strongly dismissed this contention saying “The Jew lied, the Jew lied.” (Authenticated by Abu Dawoud, lbn Hanbal and al-Tahawi).

Please note that the first is the Quranic injunction, the second is the elaboration of the same by the Prophet and the third describes the method of birth control. I consider this a complete prescription for family planning. This interpretation is strongly reinforced by the following narrative based on Quranic versus and traditions of the Prophet.

Islam is a Religion for Ease. This is what the Quran says: “Allah desires for you ease (yusr); He desires not hardship (usr) for you”.(Sura 2:185). “No soul shall impose (upon it) a duty but to its capacity; neither shall a mother be made to suffer injury on account of her child, nor shall he to whom the child is born (be made to suffer) on account of his child”. (Sura 2:223). And know that your wealth and your children are a persecution (or trial) (Fitna). (Sura 8:28 and 64:15).

And the Hadees amplifies it. “The most gruelling trial is to have plenty of children with no adequate means”. (al-Hakim). “A multitude of children is one of the two poverties (or cases of penury), while a small number is one of the two cases of ease”. (Musnad al- Shahab).

Importantly, even the Purpose of Marriage is conjugal tranquility.

“It is He who created you from a single soul (nafs) and therefrom did make his mate, that he might dwell in tranquility with her.” (Sura 7:189). “And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your hearts.” [Sura 30:21)

Islam is a Religion for Quality. “How oft, by Allah’s will, has a small force vanquished a numerous force”. (Sura 2:249). “Allah has given you victory in many battles; but on the day of Hunayn, when you exalted in your multitude, it availed you naught. And the earth, vast as it is, became tight for you, then you turned back in retreat.” (Sura 18:46)

The prophet is emphatic about quality. “The right of a child on his parent is to be given good breeding and good name”. (al-Baihaqi). “To leave your heirs rich is better than leaving them dependent upon people’s charity.”( al Bukhari)

Quran also prescribes the right of children to breastfeeding which not only ensures their health but also helps child spacing. “And mothers shall suckle their children two full years to complete breast-feeding” (Sura 2:233) and (Sura 31:14)

Islam’s emphasis on gender equality is also important. There are numerous Hadees on this. “Men and women are equal halves.” (Abu Dawoud). “Do not hate having daughters, for they are the comforting dears.” (al-Tabarani). “It is a woman’s blessing to have a girl as her first child.” ( Mardaweih )

It is well known that many Indians, driven by the cultural/traditional son preference, continue to have children ending up with a large family. Islam enjoins gender equality. Fortunately,Indian Muslims have less discrimination against the girl child and least female foetus abortion. This explains the marked improvement in their female gender ratio.

The opinion of the great Imams:

Based on their understanding of the Islamic law, the opinion of the great Imams is supportive of family planning. Interpreting verse 4:3 of the Holy Quran, Imam Shafei opined that more children should not be produced if they cannot be properly supported. Imam Raghib, interpreting 17:31 verse of Quran, says that it is not only the physical killing of children which is prohibited in Islam, but also spiritually and intellectually. The denial of access to education, for example, amounts to killing them intellectually. “Those few (qalil)”, records a Hadith, “who are virtuous are superior to those many who are undesirable”. It implies that the number of children should be restricted to the capacity of parents to make them virtuous. Imam Ghazzali, a sufi of great eminence, mentions a tradition from the Prophet: Smallness of a family (qillat al’ayal) is a facility (yusur) and its largeness (kathrat) results in faqr (indigence, poverty).

A plethora of opinions of contemporary Ulama and fatwas strongly support family planning. For example, Sheikh Sayyid Sabiq (Saudi Arabia, 1968) opined, “The use of contraception is allowed, especially if the husband already has a large family, if he cannot bring up his children correctly, if his wife is weak or sick or has repeated pregnancies, or if the husband is poor.” 

There is no verse in the Quran forbidding the wife or husband to practise family planning. I, for one, do not feel that Islam interdicts family planning to ward off hardship in Muslim married life”. ( Haji Nasiruddin Latif, Indonesia, 1974).

“Family Planning in Islam starts with the choice of the wife and places a great emphasis on raising children physically, educationally and spiritually, that is why quality is favoured over quantity.” (Sheikh Abdel Aziz, Jordan, 1985). Several Hadiths listed by Imam Ghazzali underline benefits of ‘Azl’: (1) preservation of wife’s beauty and charm; (2) protection of her health and life; (3) shielding her from hardship (kathrat al-haral) on account of child birth; and (4) keeping away financial hardship from the family.

Sheikh Mahmoud Shaltout, Great Imam of Al-Azhar in his fatwa of 1959 “strongly endorsed the use of contraceptives on an individual basis for health, social or economic reasons.” Under certain conditions contraception becomes mandatory, he added. Fatwa of Advisory Council on Religious Matters (Turkey, 1960) allowed contraception with the wife’s consent and even without wife’s consent in case of war, turmoil or conditions where bringing up children becomes difficult.

Opinion of Indian ulama is on the same lines:

Allama Shah Zaid Abul Hassan Farooqi, Delhi.

All the four Imams regard Azl as permissible. However, in one Hadith, a condition has been prescribed that it should be done only with the wife’s consent. Ibn Abidin, Tahtawi and Abus Saud opine that even a woman has the right to shut off the mouth of her uterus without the permission of the husband to avoid pregnancy.

Anti-pregnancy pills and medicines are also permissible.

When permissibility of Azl is proven, the use of other comparable measures (like condom, etc.) stands automatically endorsed. (Maulana Masood Ahmad Qasmi, Nazim-e-Deeniyat, Aligarh Muslim University). “Preventing conception temporarily which does not lead to permanently impairing the capability is legal. The use of loop (IUDs) and Nirodh (condom) is equivalent to the practice of Azl.”(Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, Sadar Mudarris, Dar-ul-Uloom, Sabeel-ul-Islam, Hyderabad).

To prevent short space between children which will make them naturally weak, use of temporary contraceptive methods like loop (IUD), Nirodh (condom), medicine or ointment is valid. (Maulana Jamil Ahmed Naziri, Jamia Arabia, Ahya-ul-uloom, Mubarakpur, Azamgarh).

“If there is a valid reason or disease because of which a woman cannot bear the hardship of pregnancy, in such a situation, Shariat allows temporary birth control measures.” (Mufti Zafir-ud-din Miftahi, Mufti, Darul-Uloom, Deoband)

“It is thus amply clear that Islam is fully supportive of the temporary methods of family planning. However, sterilisation or irreversible methods are disallowed by almost all sections of the Ulama though some Ulama have a positive interpretation about sterilisation too.

Prof Abder Rahim Omran (1992) of the most respected Islamic University, Al Azhar, observes, “It is a wonder to the thinkers of today that Islam should give so much (importance) to child spacing and family planning so early in human history, and in the absence of compelling population pressures,“

The above analysis should cause a rethink among those who think that Islam is opposed to family planning. On the contrary, it should be understood that Islam is indeed the originator of the concept. It is true that Muslims are most backward in family planning practices but the reason lies in their socio- economic backwardness, not their religion. Literacy, income and better delivery of health services hold the key to planning of family size. The future of the country and all its constituent communities lies in the quality of upbringing of the children, with education as the key strategy.

Source:- The writer is former Chief Election Commissioner of India. The views are personal. A longer version of this article is available on www.indianexpress.com