POLITICAL DIARY

New Delhi, 12 April 2008

OBCs Join Study Quota

HOW DO WE SPELL MERIT?

By Poonam I Kaushish

Ever wonder why the champions of Reservation Raj, our politicos don’t ever talk about reserving 50 per cent seats in Parliament and the State Legislatures for the SCs, STs and OBCs? Why stop at that. How about having at least 27 per cent reserved ministerial posts? The answer? Our netagan simply don’t want to slice their cake. After all, politics is all about conning the electorate, skimming their votes with ‘feel good’ populism and sound bites. Failing to realize that a time may come when the move could boomerang.

Clearly, the landmark judgment by the Five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balkrishna, upholding 27 per cent quota for other backward classes (OBCs) in Central Government institutions of higher education has done a fine balancing act between the anti-reservation lobby and the pro-reservation politicos by playing both ends against the middle. Leaving both disgruntled.

Our caste crazy netagan who have built their career edifice by practising Backward politics, are livid that the “creamy layer” among the OBCs (their brood, children of  judges, Class I and II babus et al and those earning Rs 2.5 lakh annually) have been excluded from deriving the benefits of such reservation. Three judges were also against extending the benefits of reservation beyond graduation level. If this interpretation stays, the OBCs will not get reservation in either the IIMs, AIIMS or in other postgraduate courses. Justified Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, “if the creamy layer is included it would be unreasonable, discriminatory or arbitrary, resulting in reverse discrimination.”

The verdict has knocked the bottom of the time-worn system of having purely all caste-based quotas. One, because it went against the tenets of Article 15(1) (prohibits discrimination on the ground of caste…) of the Constitution Two, the Court felt that unless the creamy layer (forwards among the Backward Classes) was excluded from the caste group, there could not be a proper identification of the socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC) based on poverty which need to be economically and socially uplifted.

Three, for the caste-fixated politicos the verdict is totally out-of-sync with their greed for power. Specially when they can reap a political windfall of over 70 per cent votes via reservation. See how they are all busy finding ways to get the creamy layer included by raising the income limit and getting post graduate institutions included. Never mind if it pushes India back by a century.

True, the Apex Court needs to be lauded for it’s affirmation of the principle of positive discrimination in favour of the SEBCs while rejecting that social backwardness was a direct function of one’s caste status. As also calling for a review of the OBC quota list every five years.

However, the anti-reservation lobby led by the Youth for Equality is very unhappy.  Whatever happened to merit and excellence? When does justice supercede competence? What about the Prime Minister’s much-touted Knowledge Commission? Questionably, is reservation an end in itself? Has any objective study been done to find out whether those provided reservation have gained or continued to lose? How does it better the lot of the ‘deprived’ if a few persons get educated or get jobs?

Look at the grim truth. Fifty per cent of the reserved seats of the IITs remain vacant (even the much lower entry marks were not secured by the students). Worse, after completing a Preparatory Course, many students continue to be unprepared for the intense competition and 'grading on a curve' that they are thrown into. And 25 per cent of those who joined were forced to quit as they were unable to complete the four-year course even in six years!  A recent survey points that 23.5 per cent college seats are already with the OBC's on merit. Why then the need for reservations? 

Not only that. The Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of SC & ST (1995-2000) noted that in Delhi University between 50 per cent of the under-grad SC seats and 66 per cent ST remained unfilled. As per the University Grants Commission, 1.2 lakh reserved category seats remain vacant at the higher education levels and 40 per cent of reserved category teaching staff posts remain unoccupied. It stands to reason why increase the reserved seats if they go wasted? Is this good use of the taxpayer's money?

Since higher education is costly, who will foot the reserved students’ tuition fees? Specially against the backdrop that nearly Rs 450 billion is spent on professional courses, including medical, dental and engineering. According to an academician, over 85,000 seats remained vacant in the engineering stream during 2003-04 in DU. And, in Karnataka alone, 400 seats in dental colleges remained unfilled.

Less said the better about the teaching staff. Are our politicians aware that over 500 vacancies exist in the reserved teachers’ quota for colleges simply because no candidate could pass the Merit Eligibility Test.? In Karnataka, at least four Government colleges don’t have 60 per cent of the required staff because they failed the eligibility test. Instead of going into the cause, the Centre is now thinking of changing the MET itself to help unsuccessful teachers meet the eligibility. With future teachers such as these, God help our education. 

At the same time, none has given a thought to the demoralising impact on the psyche of the qualified individuals denied admission to these colleges. What happens to them? Where do they head?  In fact, the verdict in one sense seems to concur with the views of the anti-reservationists. It has raised questions on the effectiveness of such a policy for bringing equality in the society. Specially, as even after six decades of a reservation policy thanks to caste politics the objectives have not been achieved.

As it stands today, there is no deletion in the list of OBCs, instead it goes on increasing. Thus raising a doubt whether anyone is truly interested in removing the inequality? All seem to have forgotten that the Father of the Constitution, Babasaheb Ambedkar wanted to do away with the quota policy after ten years. Needless to say, this Mandal II has reignited the merit vs. quota debate. Once implemented, the new policy would take the overall reservation in the Central Government-funded higher education institutions to 49.5 per cent from the current 22.5 (for SC and ST students).

Post liberalization and in the environs of an increasingly competitive global village, the thirst for education has gone up by over 10-15 per cent. In Bihar alone, educational institutions have opened in every mohalla and gali. But is reservation the answer for bridging the gap between the demand and supply for education? Given the onslaught of expanding students and a shrinking education pie.

No, most certainly not. The danger in imposing arbitrary quotas on admissions to educational institutions is three-fold. One, academic standards would suffer as institutions would no longer be able to admit the highest-scoring students. Two, it would be difficult to attract and retain good faculty, who is likely to get frustrated with a poor standard of students. Three, any deterioration in the quality of education which reflects in short-changing Brand India could jeopardize our remarkable story of economic growth.

Importantly, the Government needs to develop new and innovative ways of providing basic primary education for the backward classes to enable them to compete on an equal footing for merit-based admission to universities. By trying to play catch-up at the college level and cramming down of quotas on education institutions is like putting the cart before the horse.

Look at the absurdity. A recent survey by an NGO showed only 52 per cent students were attending schools in Bihar and 60 per cent in Rajasthan, UP, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. Also, 44 per cent children in public schools in Std II to V couldn’t read simple paragraphs. Nearly five per cent couldn’t do two-digit subtraction sums and in Std VI to VII 40 per cent were unable to handle simple division problems. None know whether the UPA’s flagship, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is actually resulting in kids getting better education.

True, the Government’s fundamental mission is to provide education for all and uplift the poor and backward classes. However, it needs to remember that the system of caste-based quotas has become divisive and self-defeating.  Reservations are no answer to improving the lot of the OBCs. It will only further divide our people on caste lines and increase the divide between the haves and have-nots. As Ambedkar said, “If you want different societies to come together, I think it is time that we decide that the use of the word ‘caste’ be banned.” Else reconcile to becoming a nation of mediocrity! --- INFA

(Copyright India News & Feature Alliance)         

POLITICAL DIARY

New Delhi, 5 April 2008

Babudom Gets A Hike

WHAT ABOUT EXIT POLICY?

By Poonam I Kaushish

It is raining big bucks in New Delhi’s political Wonderland. A cursory glance would have Alice exclaim, “Who needs rabbits. Bureaucrats will do!” And over the last fortnight we have been witness to a grand show. The farmer loan waiver razzmatazz has made way for the Babu bonanza. Working on a perfect give and take. Pay hike in return for vote. 

How else should one react to the Sixth Pay Commission’s report earmarking an over three-fold increase in the salaries and allowances for Government employees across the board for both civilian and defence personnel. All with retrospective affect beginning January 2006. No matter that when implemented, this is expected to cause an additional annual encumbrance of Rs 20,000 crore, Rs 12,500 crore this year alone. All in the aam aadmi’s khaata.

There is no gainsaying that there is a genuine case to increase the salaries of Government employees, but shouldn’t it be linked to better performance and productivity? The present hike doesn't seem to be have any realistic link to performance. Is it justifiable? Honestly speaking, absolutely not. Specially against the backdrop that the bureaucracy today works on Andrew Jackson's famous dictum "let the victors have the spoils." Bluntly, they have become a law onto themselves. Resulting in no accountability, no fear of being fired, and hence it’s the biggest pay packet for non-productive work, coupled with the arrogance that they are indispensable.

Most civil servants, according to popular belief, neither take initiative nor have any commitment to the service of the people. They are more than happy to be on the right side of their political masters. This helps, at least some of them, to get promoted more rapidly than their performance and seniority justify. Some even succeed in bagging political offices by obliging the right politician through thick and thin. Top slots in the administration are now filled in accordance with the whims and fancies of the political master, contrary to the established norms in regard to appointments and tenure in leading civil services.

Large-scale shuffles and reshuffles of the bureaucracy with every change of the political master have become overtly common. Feelings are gaining ground that political closeness and personal loyalty to powerful political superiors is more rewarding than mere seniority or merit. Instead of the right man for the right job being the criteria, there is invariably a wrong man for the right job for wrong reasons! Bringing it to such a pass that caste, corruption, political connections and administrative lacunae are the factors that count when it comes to promotions. Consequently, most babus have little interest in taking any initiatives and are willing to make self and boss-serving compromises with the fundamentals of administration.

Remember, some time back the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh abjectly confessed: “I am disgusted with the system”, when it was discovered that even Cabinet decisions had remained where they were taken --- on paper. Perhaps, the file-pushers had to apply their heads to arrive at an agreed conclusion as to who should push the file. And on who’s orders? The Cabinet, their Minister or the political mai baap?

That apart, corruption is synonymous with babudom. Be it when applying for a telephone connection, ration card, driver’s license, passport et al. Nothing moves till palms have been greased for an average Indian. If one doesn’t have the paisa then one must be thick skinned and have no self respect. Babudom thrives on holding one to ransom and at the mercy of their whims and fancies. From the TC in the railways, to the Traffic cop, there’s no questioning them.

One recent study by the Center for Media Studies, New Delhi, on corruption in urban services reveals that "nearly half of those who avail the services of the most frequently-visited public departments of Government in the country have had first hand experience of greasing palms at least once". It is this pervasiveness that has forced many to charge that bureaucrats have "created such a steel frame around them that even the might of the State can't dismantle it".

Between 1996 and 2000, the CBI and the Central Vigilance Commission investigated 13,265 individuals for corruption. And, between 1998 and 2001, the CBI registered 2,256 cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Of these 41 were from administrative departments, four were from the police and 23 from the revenue department.

Think. Although India has more than 19 million State and federal Government employees, about 20,000-odd federal officers control the collection and disbursement of over $71 billion of federal revenues every year. Of these, 6,000 senior administrative officers and an equal number of revenue officers dictate the flow of funds throughout the country.

Even if a handful of these officials were to allow 10 percent leakage in revenue, it would cost the Government $7 billion. And, assuming corrupt officials get a cut of just 10 per cent, the Indian bureaucracy gets over $700 million a year - the amount of money that the Central Bureau of Investigation estimates is spent towards greasing the palms of Indian bureaucrats. Asserted an “honest corrupt babu,” “If greedy Indian businessmen can evade taxes, influence policies and make money through devious means, why should not the Government officer who moves their files get a share of the booty?”

Tragically today corruption has become a low risk, high-profit area. Wherein the bureaucracy is the third angle of the triangular neta-babu-business axis which has perpetuated a vulturistic culture of the winner takes all. The modus operandi has been perfected to the last, deliberate scarcity of goods and services, red tapeism and delay, lack of transparency (no matter Right To Information Act), the cushion of a babu is  innocent till proven guilty and last but not least the bhaichara and biradari which bind the corrupt together.

What kind of a system of governance then lies ahead of us? A clue can be found in a survey of probationers at the National Academy of Administration. It states that only 32 per cent of the new recruits condemn corruption in the civil services. Only five per cent believe in harsh measures to reduce corruption. Another 45 per cent believe that they are above the law.

What next? Clearly, the Government must downsize. From the Secretary down to the chaprasi. Non-performing government officers would be forcibly retired at the end of 20 years service. Alternatively, if need be, ruthlessly dump the deadwood and irrelevant baggage. Besides, organizational competence and productivity should be commensurate with a pay hike in salaries, perks and promotions as in the private sector. An exit policy of hire and fire is paramount if we desire an accountable, trustworthy and honest bureaucracy.

Most important, they should be made more accountable. The private sector is less corrupt because it has more accountability. We need is a law, which will provide for confiscation of all ill-gotten wealth without any delays and hesitations. Once the message goes down the rank and file that all ill-gotten wealth will be confiscated, then the burden of proof will be on the bureaucrat to prove that he got it legitimately. Ditto with the politician and the industrialist.

Will the bureaucracy have the courage to correct itself and overcome red tape? One way is to internalize the zero tolerance principle and the "sunset principle" as in the US. Under this method, justification for any governmental activity is all the time under scrutiny so that no acts of misdemeanour take place.

True, the country can boast of a Government of the people and a Government by the people. The moot point is: Can India look forward to a Government for the people? Will our steel frame continue to rot and rust and revel in mediocrity?

The writing is on the wall. We are reaching a point of no return. If the Indian bureaucracy does not change its sense of values, it will become increasingly irrelevant. It may exist by the sheer force of Newton's First Law of inertia but it will not be playing a role which would make it a meaningful part of the governance. It is the responsibility of the bureaucracy to see that the government functions for the people Will babudom rise to the occasion? Or will it be remembered as the conversion of human energy into solid waste! ---- INFA

(Copyright India News & Feature Alliance)

Defence Notes

New Delhi, 15 April 2008

Exodus From Armed Forces

REVISE SIXTH PAY COMMISSION

By Dr. P.K. Vasudeva

A fresh and potentially crippling round of exodus has hit the Armed forces, already facing severe manpower crunch. There is a shortage of about 35,000 personnel in the Forces. In the Army alone there is a shortage of 11,153 officers, Navy 1,403 officers and the IAF is short of 1,368 officers.

The disappointment with the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, has forced dozens of officers to seek premature release from service and a large number of them are planning to leave for greener pastures outside. The pay package of a Major to Brigadier has gone up by just 13-15 per cent. A horde of Lieutenant Colonels and Colonels are therefore queuing up to quit soon.

Defence Minister A K Antony has assured the Service chiefs that he will push for corrections in the pay panel report to meet the aspirations of the soldiers, who will be getting less than that of a peon of the civil services. But such a situation could have been avoided in the first place. For much before the decision to appoint a Sixth Pay Commission was taken by the Centre, the three Services’ chiefs had placed before it the need to appoint a separate Pay Commission for defence services. 

Their stance was that no member of the Armed forces was included in the Pay commissions even though the Forces comprised 40 per cent of the Central Government employees. Moreover, the civilians were unable to comprehend the tough service conditions, ground realities and military ethos which need to be taken into account while working out the pay and allowances. Worse, the panel couldn’t   appreciate the promotion structure, wherein a Brigadier was given more pension than a Major-General and scrapped the running pay board, which had partially compensated for limited promotions.  

It needs to be noted that all major democracies have a separate pay commission for the Armed forces. Even the UK, whose administrative pattern was followed by India post-Independence, has since then set up a separate pay commission for its soldiers. But in our case, it was the Third Pay Commission, which for the first time, was entrusted the task of determining the pay and allowances of defence services. The panel, like in the case of civilian employees, wanted to hear the case directly from the Armed forces. But, the Ministry of Defence turned down the offer on grounds that the requirements of discipline did not permit such an approach.

Further, the pay commission was not required to go into the issue of service conditions of defence personnel, but was to take them as "given". Unbelievable as it may appear, the "untenable and preposterous" stance of the ministry was accepted by the commission. The panel, perhaps on MoD’s projections of the case, found service in the military advantageous and remained oblivious of the travails of a career in the Armed forces.

Though the Armed forces constitute nearly 40 per cent of the Central government employees and its officers the largest officer cadre among the Central services, the Fifth Pay Commission’s report, which ran into 2168 pages, had  a mere 50 pages pertaining to the Armed forces. The commission had a staff of 145 officers to assist it, which included those from the postal services, Border Security Force, Indian Forest Service, etc, but it declined to include a member of the Armed forces. The committee of secretaries constituted to review the recommendations of the pay commission included an officer from the Indian Police Service, but none from defence forces.

In the Sixth Pay Commission, the Government rejected the plea to have a retired defence officer. The move clearly dismayed officers at the three Services’ HQ for they had, for the first time, put up a united front before the Government. However, the Union Finance Ministry and the Pay Commission were not convinced with the logic given.  

The Armed forces had also warned that a career in the Services had become unattractive. There were about 14,000 vacancies in the officers' cadre and an equal number in the technical cadre of the three Services. Since 2001, over 100 officers of the rank of Brigadier and above had left the Services for better careers elsewhere. But the Government and the pay panel were unmoved by this reasoning. Even a request by Antony to review its earlier stand was turned down.

The report submitted by the three Services jointly was based on a study carried out by the College of Defence Management (CDM), Secunderabad, at the behest of the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS). A group comprising 12 CDM officers from the three Services, headed by a brigadier made a presentation in May last about the model, which talks about a "military compensation" to Antony.

At the end, the Sixth Pay Commission has recommended up to a two-fold increase in the salaries of defence personnel that would include a military service pay of up to Rs 6,000 a month for officers and Rs 1,000 for other ranks and grade pay, apart from suggesting their direct entry into Central para-military forces on account of ‘rigours of military life’. As for the three Defence forces’ chiefs, they will be drawing Rs 90,000 per month, equivalent to the Cabinet Secretary post under the new pay structure.  

The report, to be implemented with retrospect effect from January 1, 2006, has recommended payment of arrears in two phases. However, the panel made it clear that the Government needn’t pay any arrears for the military service pay (MSP). In the officers’ category, it has recommended a pay scale of Rs 15,600-Rs 39,100 for Lieutenant, along with a grade pay of Rs 5,400 and MSP of Rs 6,000 a month. Accordingly, the total revised monthly pay of Lieutenant, Sub-Lieutenant or Flying Officer will be Rs 25,760 to Rs 28,890.Major-General/Rear Admiral/Air Vice Marshal have been put in the pay scale of Rs 39,200-Rs 67,000 besides a grade pay of Rs 9,000, but without any MSP. They will be getting a monthly salary of Rs 52,280-Rs 54,480 as per the revised pay scales.

Other perks like flying bounty, submarine allowance, field area, and counter insurgency allowances have been recommended to be doubled. However, the Pay Commission has rejected “hardship allowance, skill allowance, super specialist allowance, UAV crew allowance and service incentive allowance”. For personnel below officer rank, the commission has recommended as entry-level salary of Rs 10,670 (from Rs 5000-7000) up to a maximum of Rs 24,950, including the special allowances.

By introducing just two pay bands for officers, the Pay Commission has also attempted to de-link the salary drawn from the rank. The salary will now depend more on the years of service rather than the seniority of officers. While the exact salaries will depend on factors such as years of service, applicable allowances and technical skills, financial experts at the Ministry of Defence say that the in-hand salary would go up by 40 per cent in most of the cases.

However, the three Service chiefs in a meeting with Antony have sought a 40-60 per cent hike for Armed forces personnel over and above the Pay Commission's recommendations. Though there has been no official comment on the submissions made, it is understood that the Service chiefs suggested that a separate pay commission for the Armed forces should supplement the report.

Their argument: the forces were dismayed over the recommendations of Justice Srikrishna report and that it had come at a time when all the three Services were facing shortage of key middle-rung officers. Worse, the shortage has been compounded by Armed forces’ training institutions reporting shortfalls for the first time in getting recruits! Warning enough for amends.  ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

Spotlight

New Delhi, 9 March 2007

MODERN FORMS OF SLAVERY FLOURISH

NEW DELHI, April 10 (INFA): The United Nations may have observed the International Day for the commemoration of the 200^th anniversary last month of abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, slavery of the different kind continues globally.

Modern forms of slavery like human trafficking, forced prostitution, child soldiers, forced and bounded labour and the use of children in the international drug trade are still flourishing today, according to the United Nations Newsletter.

The slavery-like practices, as the UN describes them, are continuing largely as a result of discrimination, social exclusion and vulnerability exacerbated by poverty.

It is estimated that 300,000 children are currently being exploited as child soldiers in as many as 30 areas of conflict around the world. Many of the kidnapped girls who are made into child soldiers are also forced into sexual slavery.

The International Organization for Migration estimates that annually 700,000 women, girls, men and boys are being trafficked across borders away from their homes and families and into slavery.

The International Labour Organisation reports that there are 191 million economically active children between 5 and 14 years of age.  Nearly 40 per cent of these ---74 million children---engage in ‘hazardous work’.

Linked to trafficking is the commercial sexual exploitation of children from which 1 million children, mainly girls, are forced into prostitution every year.  These girls are sold for sex or used in child pornography in both the developed and developing world.

It is emphasized by the UN that all should work to address the root causes of slavery, to provide assistance and protection to its victims and to ensure that there is no impunity for those who perpetuate the practice.

Through learning about the history of slavery and the slave trade and the collective triumphs and battles that brought about its demise we can seek to overcome the many pervasive forms of slavery that still exist today. ---INFA

LEGAL AID FOR SLUM DWELLERS

HYDERABAD, April 10 (INFA): Legal Services Authority of Hyderabad Civil Courts would soon set up legal aid clinics in the city slums to make legal services freely available to slum-dwellers.

Permanent legal aid clinics would extend legal advice and other kind of allied services to the poor free of cost.

This gesture has come in the wake of a recent decision by the Andhra Pradesh Legal Services Authority to provide free legal services to the poor at their doorstep. The clinics would be run by competent judicial officers.---INFA