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Word for Thought: Real v/s Unreal
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Wednesday, 12 March 2014
A Walk Through ‘Chor Gali’
9th October 2013
A long narrow pathway with bricks of walls raised on either sides. Amid the 15 ft wall and trees that canopied us, a sense of darkness and still silence loomed around the place . As we walked into the lane, the crisp noise of leaves crushing beneath our foot gave it all an eerie feeling. And a little further into the dark alley on a Sunday afternoon,we realised that our footing wasn’t firm as the stone slabs that made the passage was shaky. Nevertheless we decided to walk it up until I looked back to see something and gasped for breath…I was motionless for a minute.
A long narrow pathway with bricks of walls raised on either sides. Amid the 15 ft wall and trees that canopied us, a sense of darkness and still silence loomed around the place . As we walked into the lane, the crisp noise of leaves crushing beneath our foot gave it all an eerie feeling. And a little further into the dark alley on a Sunday afternoon,we realised that our footing wasn’t firm as the stone slabs that made the passage was shaky. Nevertheless we decided to walk it up until I looked back to see something and gasped for breath…I was motionless for a minute.
In stead of visiting the popular places in Delhi ,I set out to visit the
North campus of Delhi University. A huge campus indeed, I was surprised
to see the place was abuzz with students even on a Sunday. A few had
come to watch a movie in a talkies called Amba, while a few others
enjoyed licking kulfi from the local kulfi wala. The melting Kulfi
reminded me of how torrid the weather in Delhi can get. So wondering
where to head to my friend and i took a stroll through the campus until
we came across this place called the Chor Gali ( a lane which thieves
used to escape).We walked into the lane until I looked back to see
something and gasped for breath. I was motionless for a minute as I
could not see the point where we started nor our destination. The
ambiguity of the place and the fear that engulfed our minds was a
thrilling one. After a 7 minute long walk of uncertainty, we finally
reached the other end. Wiping the sweat off our forehead we took a sigh
of relief and laughed it out.
An Example Worthy to Replicate
4th March 2013
A day begins with a hot coffee and a newspaper. But you don’t
want images of garbage piles ‘adorning’ the front page of the paper. You
snug off tagging Bangalore as the garbage city. But wait…there was a
similar instance 18 years back in Gujarat. The city was Surat.
Historically, Surat City was known for its filthiness, a city “floating on sewage water”. Today, it has transformed in to a city with zero-garbage roads, micro-level waste management and responsible private contractors of garbage disposal. It is now the cleanest city of Gujarat.
Surat, 18 years back, was a mirror image of what Bangalore is today. Poor sanitation in Surat had led to the outbreak of a deadly plague claiming many lives. Subsequent to the plague outbreak, the immediate step taken by Surat Municipal Corporation was to prioritize health and clean sanitation and today Surat stands clean after shedding off the stigma of a filthy tag it was once associated with.
What led to the change?
Government’s Role:
As an attempt to erode the tag it had earned, a massive clean-up process was initiated by the government. Their first step in the strategy was to clean up the existing garbage mess which involved cleaning of roads at night. The city was divided in to six zones to facilitate a better monitoring of their plan strategy. The next step was to search for private garbage contractors for waste management as well as its transport. From here the solid waste management department would collect, segregate and recycle the organic waste to compost. Along with this, the government revamped the whole administration for solid waste management. Finance and functionaries were well monitored in all the 52 wards of the city. A “Public Health Mapping” was an initiative that was launched by the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) that maps the health condition, leaking drains, drinking water, sanitation and major diseases’ outbreaks.
Public Participation
The citizens of Surat played an active role in helping to clean by abiding the laws enforced on them. They decided to collectively give their best to keep the city clean as they would be the beneficiary or otherwise depending on the state. A penalty of Rs. 50 for littering was imposed by the Municipal Act of Gujarat and this was welcomed by the citizens. Also citizens conveyed their problems through grievance redressal cards by which their garbage related complaints were assured to be solved within 24 hours.
For a growing city like Surat, increase in population and urban development were certainly few challenges towards maintaining cleanliness. But participatory citizens along with a responsible administration worked wonders in transforming a dirty city to one of the cleanest in India.
Can Bangalore replicate the same?
Although Bangalore populace is much bigger than small cities such as Surat, efficient implementation can lead to success. Responsive public, immediate and strategic plan to manage waste and prioritizing public health will sow some hope of change in the citizens of Bangalore.
.
Surat then and now
Surat in 1994 Surat in 2012
Historically, Surat City was known for its filthiness, a city “floating on sewage water”. Today, it has transformed in to a city with zero-garbage roads, micro-level waste management and responsible private contractors of garbage disposal. It is now the cleanest city of Gujarat.
Surat, 18 years back, was a mirror image of what Bangalore is today. Poor sanitation in Surat had led to the outbreak of a deadly plague claiming many lives. Subsequent to the plague outbreak, the immediate step taken by Surat Municipal Corporation was to prioritize health and clean sanitation and today Surat stands clean after shedding off the stigma of a filthy tag it was once associated with.
What led to the change?
Government’s Role:
As an attempt to erode the tag it had earned, a massive clean-up process was initiated by the government. Their first step in the strategy was to clean up the existing garbage mess which involved cleaning of roads at night. The city was divided in to six zones to facilitate a better monitoring of their plan strategy. The next step was to search for private garbage contractors for waste management as well as its transport. From here the solid waste management department would collect, segregate and recycle the organic waste to compost. Along with this, the government revamped the whole administration for solid waste management. Finance and functionaries were well monitored in all the 52 wards of the city. A “Public Health Mapping” was an initiative that was launched by the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) that maps the health condition, leaking drains, drinking water, sanitation and major diseases’ outbreaks.
Public Participation
The citizens of Surat played an active role in helping to clean by abiding the laws enforced on them. They decided to collectively give their best to keep the city clean as they would be the beneficiary or otherwise depending on the state. A penalty of Rs. 50 for littering was imposed by the Municipal Act of Gujarat and this was welcomed by the citizens. Also citizens conveyed their problems through grievance redressal cards by which their garbage related complaints were assured to be solved within 24 hours.
For a growing city like Surat, increase in population and urban development were certainly few challenges towards maintaining cleanliness. But participatory citizens along with a responsible administration worked wonders in transforming a dirty city to one of the cleanest in India.
Can Bangalore replicate the same?
Although Bangalore populace is much bigger than small cities such as Surat, efficient implementation can lead to success. Responsive public, immediate and strategic plan to manage waste and prioritizing public health will sow some hope of change in the citizens of Bangalore.
.
Surat then and now
Surat in 1994 Surat in 2012
A Revered tradition- Cultural Festivities Galore at ‘Kadalekai Parishe’
4th March 2013
An interesting tale behind this fair will make your visit worthwhile. Farmers who sell their yield here believe that in the past on every full moon day a bull would rage into their fields and destroy all the crops. In a bid to stop this, the farmers offered their first crop every year to Lord Basava. A few years later, Kempe Gowda dedicated a temple to Dodda Basava on top of Basavanagudi mound in 1537 which is the present day Bull Temple. Since then the tradition of offering the first yield of groundnuts has been followed. This belief which began five centuries ago has now transformed into a tradition for the people of Basavanagudi today.
A walk through the fair
Over 200 farmers from places near Bangalore flock to the temples to sell their annual harvest. The fair kicks off with the first offering of the harvest to Lord Basava. The temple is lit up with 1000 lamps followed by a pooja to commence the two day fair. A variety of groundnuts from roasted, boiled, spiced, jaggery coated, fried or raw are on offer.
Eateries adorn all corners of the venue. Delectable bhajjis and other fried items water many a mouth. Sliced fruits, puffed rice, boiled beans, cucumber and sugar candy add to the list of refreshments. Petty shops that sell artistic flower pots, traditional toys, house articles, ceramic and earthen articles grab visitors’ attention. As one walks through the place munching on a variety of groundnuts, one experiences the vibrancy and beauty of celebrating this festival that is based on an age-old folklore. Currently under the ownership of Department of Muzrai and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, this fair brings along the true spirit of festivity in Bangalore.
The fair is said to continue for another two days until Thursday, December 13th 2012. For those looking for a uniquely Bangalorean experience, Kadalekai Parishe is not to be missed.
The Groundnut Fair is back again this winter. Adorning the streets of
Bull temple Road in Basavangudi, this fair brings along the grandeur of
a tale celebrated every year. A delight to visitors and a ritual to
farmers, this place offers a variety of groundnuts to binge on.
An interesting tale behind this fair will make your visit worthwhile. Farmers who sell their yield here believe that in the past on every full moon day a bull would rage into their fields and destroy all the crops. In a bid to stop this, the farmers offered their first crop every year to Lord Basava. A few years later, Kempe Gowda dedicated a temple to Dodda Basava on top of Basavanagudi mound in 1537 which is the present day Bull Temple. Since then the tradition of offering the first yield of groundnuts has been followed. This belief which began five centuries ago has now transformed into a tradition for the people of Basavanagudi today.
A walk through the fair
Over 200 farmers from places near Bangalore flock to the temples to sell their annual harvest. The fair kicks off with the first offering of the harvest to Lord Basava. The temple is lit up with 1000 lamps followed by a pooja to commence the two day fair. A variety of groundnuts from roasted, boiled, spiced, jaggery coated, fried or raw are on offer.
Eateries adorn all corners of the venue. Delectable bhajjis and other fried items water many a mouth. Sliced fruits, puffed rice, boiled beans, cucumber and sugar candy add to the list of refreshments. Petty shops that sell artistic flower pots, traditional toys, house articles, ceramic and earthen articles grab visitors’ attention. As one walks through the place munching on a variety of groundnuts, one experiences the vibrancy and beauty of celebrating this festival that is based on an age-old folklore. Currently under the ownership of Department of Muzrai and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, this fair brings along the true spirit of festivity in Bangalore.
The fair is said to continue for another two days until Thursday, December 13th 2012. For those looking for a uniquely Bangalorean experience, Kadalekai Parishe is not to be missed.
All about the Right Stroke
4th March 2013
Depictions might not adhere to any limits. This is what comes
across the cartoons made by Aseem Trivedi, who shot to overnight ‘fame’
due to the Sedition Act slapped on him by the Bombay High Court.
His cartoons were eccentric in many ways that drew adverse reactions
by the judiciary. Among few of his cartoons, the Indian Parliament was
drawn as a toilet seat; Ajmal Kasab was seen to be relieving himself on
the constitution of India; the lions of Ashok pillar were replaced by
fierce wolves and perhaps the worst of all, India personified as a woman
was to be attacked by personified forms of corruption. Corruption can
be portrayed in various ways. Trivedi chose a way that was aimed to
shock as well as to provoke. And many of his cartoons were used for
India Against Corruption campaign. Corruption took a centre stage in
many of his cartoons as the bad man. The cardinal phrase - Satyameva Jayathementioned in the bottom of the emblem was rephrased as Brashtaachaar Jayathe! (Long
live the corruption!). A critic who seeks to reprimand can use subtle,
direct or indirect methods to reach to the target. But, provocative
criticisms are unlikely to have long-term impact and instead they create
instantaneous ripples, likely to disappear like a bubble.
These cartoons drew immense public attention. Such expressions of creativity often get characterized as boundless vents of energy whenever such issues come up. The same followed when Aseem Trivedi was charged of Sedition Act and of dishonouring the national emblem. The arrest undoubtedly brought in a lot of strong protests from media fraternity forcing the government to release Trivedi, following which he was released after 5 days of remand.
These cartoons drew immense public attention. Such expressions of creativity often get characterized as boundless vents of energy whenever such issues come up. The same followed when Aseem Trivedi was charged of Sedition Act and of dishonouring the national emblem. The arrest undoubtedly brought in a lot of strong protests from media fraternity forcing the government to release Trivedi, following which he was released after 5 days of remand.
Aseem Trivedi, a young 25 year-old lad, is from Kanpur and started
cartooning for campaigns in support of the India Against Corruption
movement. Enthusiastic to drive people of the country to battle against
corruption, Trivedi used sketching as a means to vent out his rage on
burning issues of the country. Audacious and unrelenting, Aseem Trivedi
certainly did not budge when the arrest came his way and refused to
apply for bail insisting the withdrawal of sedition charges against him.
The rage and furore that spread after his arrest knew no boundaries as
every media establishment voiced their protests bagged by the support of
team Anna members.
This, on the face, seems like the subject-matter of freedom of speech
envisaged in the Indian Constitution in article 19 (1) that has been
doing frequent rounds in India. There are also some similar instances to
recall. The memory of the arrested college professor, Ambikesh
Mahapatra in Kolkota, for sharing a cartoon on Mamata Banerjee has still
not faded. Despite Ms. Banerjee denying the charges, neither the arrest
nor the marred reputation of the professor can be recoiled. Another
accused in the list of recent sedition charges was the civil rights
activist Binayak Sen who was made to face lifetime imprisonment by
Chattisgarh High court for apparently supporting Maoists against the
state government in 2010 and was later granted bail by Supreme Court.
This topic has raised few questions across borders with all hue and cries on the discrepancies regarding freedom of expression. The very essence of cartoons that envisage satire or hyperbole seek to voice the opinion of the artist. A French magazine that scoffed at Islam has invited widespread protests and hostility in the eastern countries. The cartoon showed Prophet Mohammed as a scary bearded man who imposed certain restrictions on the entire community with a quote that said “100 lashes, if you’re not dying of laughter.”
Now the question is where to draw a line on expressing such opinions through creativity. What needs to be reflected is whether freedom of speech justifies itself even if it is allowed to ridicule others’ sentiments?
Trivedi defends his stand as a will to express and portray the way he perceives. It cannot be denied that this affects the symbols in turn the identity of the nation. This does not negate the fact that sedition charges were justified. Nor does it equate his disrespect to national symbols with inhumane acts that draw sedition charges. However, an image or a piece of art accessible in public domain has to be restrained in a way it does not distort national symbols.
Does this mean that there have not been cartoons that are critical in our country? There are eminent cartoonists whose sketches are par excellence. India is proud of great cartoonists such as R. K. Laxman who rightfully bend their sketches and still make an impact. Unlike their expressions of art, Aseem’s art seems extremely bold and discordant and also strikes a hard blow and disrespect to the nation and its insignia as a whole.
Corruption can be conveyed through a pen or a play or a sketch or an ode to the nation. But the nation should be respected in all its integrity while being critical. After all, criticism is for improving something or someone rather than their blatant dismissal.
This topic has raised few questions across borders with all hue and cries on the discrepancies regarding freedom of expression. The very essence of cartoons that envisage satire or hyperbole seek to voice the opinion of the artist. A French magazine that scoffed at Islam has invited widespread protests and hostility in the eastern countries. The cartoon showed Prophet Mohammed as a scary bearded man who imposed certain restrictions on the entire community with a quote that said “100 lashes, if you’re not dying of laughter.”
Now the question is where to draw a line on expressing such opinions through creativity. What needs to be reflected is whether freedom of speech justifies itself even if it is allowed to ridicule others’ sentiments?
Trivedi defends his stand as a will to express and portray the way he perceives. It cannot be denied that this affects the symbols in turn the identity of the nation. This does not negate the fact that sedition charges were justified. Nor does it equate his disrespect to national symbols with inhumane acts that draw sedition charges. However, an image or a piece of art accessible in public domain has to be restrained in a way it does not distort national symbols.
Does this mean that there have not been cartoons that are critical in our country? There are eminent cartoonists whose sketches are par excellence. India is proud of great cartoonists such as R. K. Laxman who rightfully bend their sketches and still make an impact. Unlike their expressions of art, Aseem’s art seems extremely bold and discordant and also strikes a hard blow and disrespect to the nation and its insignia as a whole.
Corruption can be conveyed through a pen or a play or a sketch or an ode to the nation. But the nation should be respected in all its integrity while being critical. After all, criticism is for improving something or someone rather than their blatant dismissal.
Dynamics of Corruption and Economic Progress
4th March 2013
Nature of Corruption
Corruption is as old a political system as politics, in the way that the abuse of power is as old as power itself. While mentioning its effects, it was equated to cancer by the judicial body our country.
This cancerous menace emerged during the Licence Raj period because of the procedural opacity and multi-level procedures that existed at the time. It has now spread to all systems of the country, even in the form of retail corruption. Corruption fits any size and shows up in all kinds of situation. Corruption can reveal itself through a bus conductor pocketing small change or an agent waiting outside an office looking to extort from those willing to bribe. Moreover, corruption has made its presence grow through multi-crore scams, threatening our country’s economic stability.
Extortion, money-laundering, distortion, bribery and fraud are some of the variants of corruption rampant enough to tamper the growth of the country. KPMG, one among the world’s largest service auditors made an in-depth study on corruption – Bribery and Corruption Survey on India (2011). This study highlights the observations made in World Bank’s Doing Business Report (2010). This projects that almost 60-80 % of building projects that function as Public-Private Partnerships are corrupt.
‘No Bribe No Work’ is the present day principle that is gripping the people, pervading all levels of the system. A concept that was just an option during the Licence Raj now accounts for big scams amounting to crores of rupees.
Although a clear connection cannot be established between economic prosperity and decline in corruption, there are studies to support the idea that corruption can favour economic growth. Theorists Nathaniel H. Leff (1964) and Samuel P. Huntington (1968) in their models discuss how the concept of “Speed Money” (bribe) would actually overpower weak government institutions that delay the process and instead find a way to scale up the ladder. This, by helping eliminate bureaucratic rigidities and catering to maintain better efficiency in institutions is what Pranab Bardhan, an academician, observes in his extensive analysis on corruption and economic growth.
Major Scams in India
Some major scams of the early 90’s broke out while our economy witnessed a high GDP growth. There were scams such as the Harshad Mehta scam, who was found to have allegedly misappropriated an amount worth Rs.5,000 crores in the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in 1992. This was a year after the Indian economy opened its gates to international markets. In the Telgi scam (2006), duplicate stamp papers were forged and sold to banks and other institutions, in which misappropriation was estimated to be over Rs.20000 crores. Likewise, the Satyam Computer Services scandal was a corporate scam in 2009 in which the company’s accounts had been falsified. Embezzlement in the bidding for various franchisees was witnessed in IPL scam in 2010, when IPL had its highest television viewing.
All these establish the fact that more money infused into the economy and capital market would increase the possibility of newer versions of corruption to break out. Telgi scam, Satyam scam and IPL scam stand as cases in point to this fact.
Considering the growth scale of Indian economy, Indian GDP reached 9.2% in 2006. The years following this witnessed major corruption exposés such as the 2G scam (2009), Common Wealth Games scam (2011), Adarsh Society scam (2011) and the Coalgate scam (2012). Apart from this, ‘black money’ that is stashed outside India amounts to almost 40% of our GDP, as per the Swiss Banks’ estimate (according to the Global Financial Integrity report). According to the Finance Ministry’s White Paper issued on black money, black money could stem from bribery by those holding public office – such as by grant of business, leakages from government social spending programmes, speed money to circumvent or fast-track procedures, black marketing of price-controlled services and altering land-use to regularize unauthorized construction.
Corruption Dampening the Indian Image in the Global Market
The integration of Indian economy into the global economy is likely to get arrested if corruption continues to persist rampantly. Corruption plays on the mind of the investor who seeks to have a fair deal with the host country. If the host exhibits signs of uncertainty, lack of transparency and red-tapism, investors may not trust the market. This is likely to dishearten Foreign Direct Investors (FDI) as well as Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) that venture into our economy. Hence, there might be meagre chances of expanding our economy and raise the growth bar.
Corruption and its impact undoubtedly surmount every system, affecting the culture, administration, polity and functionaries on a large scale. Going by the tentative growth structure in the country, financial regulators need to formulate vigilant measures to curb any scope of corruption to exist in the country.
Corruption is as old a political system as politics, in the way that the abuse of power is as old as power itself. While mentioning its effects, it was equated to cancer by the judicial body our country.
This cancerous menace emerged during the Licence Raj period because of the procedural opacity and multi-level procedures that existed at the time. It has now spread to all systems of the country, even in the form of retail corruption. Corruption fits any size and shows up in all kinds of situation. Corruption can reveal itself through a bus conductor pocketing small change or an agent waiting outside an office looking to extort from those willing to bribe. Moreover, corruption has made its presence grow through multi-crore scams, threatening our country’s economic stability.
Extortion, money-laundering, distortion, bribery and fraud are some of the variants of corruption rampant enough to tamper the growth of the country. KPMG, one among the world’s largest service auditors made an in-depth study on corruption – Bribery and Corruption Survey on India (2011). This study highlights the observations made in World Bank’s Doing Business Report (2010). This projects that almost 60-80 % of building projects that function as Public-Private Partnerships are corrupt.
‘No Bribe No Work’ is the present day principle that is gripping the people, pervading all levels of the system. A concept that was just an option during the Licence Raj now accounts for big scams amounting to crores of rupees.
Although a clear connection cannot be established between economic prosperity and decline in corruption, there are studies to support the idea that corruption can favour economic growth. Theorists Nathaniel H. Leff (1964) and Samuel P. Huntington (1968) in their models discuss how the concept of “Speed Money” (bribe) would actually overpower weak government institutions that delay the process and instead find a way to scale up the ladder. This, by helping eliminate bureaucratic rigidities and catering to maintain better efficiency in institutions is what Pranab Bardhan, an academician, observes in his extensive analysis on corruption and economic growth.
Major Scams in India
Some major scams of the early 90’s broke out while our economy witnessed a high GDP growth. There were scams such as the Harshad Mehta scam, who was found to have allegedly misappropriated an amount worth Rs.5,000 crores in the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in 1992. This was a year after the Indian economy opened its gates to international markets. In the Telgi scam (2006), duplicate stamp papers were forged and sold to banks and other institutions, in which misappropriation was estimated to be over Rs.20000 crores. Likewise, the Satyam Computer Services scandal was a corporate scam in 2009 in which the company’s accounts had been falsified. Embezzlement in the bidding for various franchisees was witnessed in IPL scam in 2010, when IPL had its highest television viewing.
All these establish the fact that more money infused into the economy and capital market would increase the possibility of newer versions of corruption to break out. Telgi scam, Satyam scam and IPL scam stand as cases in point to this fact.
Considering the growth scale of Indian economy, Indian GDP reached 9.2% in 2006. The years following this witnessed major corruption exposés such as the 2G scam (2009), Common Wealth Games scam (2011), Adarsh Society scam (2011) and the Coalgate scam (2012). Apart from this, ‘black money’ that is stashed outside India amounts to almost 40% of our GDP, as per the Swiss Banks’ estimate (according to the Global Financial Integrity report). According to the Finance Ministry’s White Paper issued on black money, black money could stem from bribery by those holding public office – such as by grant of business, leakages from government social spending programmes, speed money to circumvent or fast-track procedures, black marketing of price-controlled services and altering land-use to regularize unauthorized construction.
Corruption Dampening the Indian Image in the Global Market
The integration of Indian economy into the global economy is likely to get arrested if corruption continues to persist rampantly. Corruption plays on the mind of the investor who seeks to have a fair deal with the host country. If the host exhibits signs of uncertainty, lack of transparency and red-tapism, investors may not trust the market. This is likely to dishearten Foreign Direct Investors (FDI) as well as Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) that venture into our economy. Hence, there might be meagre chances of expanding our economy and raise the growth bar.
Corruption and its impact undoubtedly surmount every system, affecting the culture, administration, polity and functionaries on a large scale. Going by the tentative growth structure in the country, financial regulators need to formulate vigilant measures to curb any scope of corruption to exist in the country.
A Step Towards Better Governance
9th October 2013
Long unending queues, piles of forms gathering dust, files
waiting for approval, officials taking a nap, citizens made to run from
pillar to post – such imageries are usually witnessed in most public
offices in India. India undoubtedly is booming as one of the fastest
growing economies but is this growth reflected even internally?
Governance
Governance involves both state and non-state players that seek to offer equitable services to its citizens. India has a long history in governance. Many ancient literary sources envisage governance as a righteous set of governing activities including the ancient epic, Mahabharata. Governance that caters to its people when required is a challenge for any country. And open data and transparency is one such way to tackle this challenge.
Open data challenges
Open data governance is one that maintains clarity, accountability and transparency that promises to offer time-bound delivery of services to its citizens. But the picture in India is slightly complex with regard to maintaining an open data of public records. A democratic country like ours calls for maintaining accountability as well as sustainability for delivering good governance to its citizens. This has been a challenge to India ever since independence. For a country with over two centuries of colonial rule, independently formulating the administrative mechanism of a country was indeed a challenge. But over the years, government policies and administrative structures have witnessed refinement. But with regard to offering stable and reliable services that reflects the true identity of good governance, the country has not done much progress.
Current state of public governance
An efficient administration always attempts to upgrade the quality of service delivery to the citizens. This kind of responsive administration offers its citizens the right to freely participate in public affairs with a guaranteed sense of liberty. Contrary to this is the scenario in India where lies a widespread absence of accountability in offering public services on time. The services are certainly enlisted in their charters but seldom do they promise to deliver it to citizens. And even if these services exist, the price to obtain these is through bribery. When money for a service becomes imperative, then accountability of public funds is bound to get embezzled. This leaves no choice for citizens to avail any service thereby depriving the scope of good governance. Retail corruption precisely blows hard on a common man that cuts out the basic right of a citizen to avail a service without a bribe.
The endeavour of refining the administration has been taken up by many initiatives that envisage open data system through the use of technology. There are civil service organisations also acting as agents of change that co-ordinate with government to guarantee better governance. Ipaidabribe is one such forum that helps aid the government in maintaining an open data through crowd sourcing of data and records from public. Over the years, as a measure to tackle the challenge of maintaining an open data by public authorities systematically, the central and state governments have come up with programmes that benefit the citizens. Few government-run programmes incorporate a two-scale idea behind their scheme that offers time-bound delivery of services and also maintains a track of public records. E-governance is one such solution that warranties clarity and systematizes the process to benefit public at large. Projects such as CARDComputer-Aided Administration of Registration Department in Andhra Pradesh; Bhoomi in Karnataka; Mahiti Shakti in Gujarat; Mitra in Rajasthan and many such e-governance projects that seek to maintain a clean record reflects an evident progress by state government in administration.
Sakala in Karnataka
Corruption no doubt pervades every public forum in our country. A systematic approach to maintain open data seems to be the only viable route to control this menace, if not erode it. At least at the level of a delivering time-bound service, transparent data definitely helps. To ensure this, the Karnataka state government started a new scheme under the Karnataka Guarantee of Services to Citizens Act (Sakala) in April 2012.
Sakala that literally means ‘in good time’ is a citizen charter programme that ensures timely delivery of basic services to citizens. This scheme started on a pilot basis in four taluks now covers 11 department and 151 services under its forte. Their main motto remains – “to deliver services within a stipulated time”.
Departments under Sakala Act:
This scheme not only checks time-bound delivery of service but also levies penalty and fines for delay in delivery. A Fine of Rs 20/- is imposed on the official per day for delay up to a maximum of Rs. 500/- . Citizens need not worry about having to pay bribes as they will be given a 15 digit number along with the application which will reflect the updated status of service. Also the fine will be paid as compensation to the citizen who applies. This scheme also offers the benefit of checking the online status of the application as well.
What are the promises of Sakala?
Accessibility: The scheme offers great scope for citizens to access information regarding the service online. It mentions the department, the kind of service, the official in charge to deliver the service, the applied charges, the process and the time taken for the applied service. Therefore, this provides a clarity on the responsible personnel and the exact procedure involved and hence proving to be user-friendly to citizens as they will to able to access this.
Transparent by its mechanism- The entire process flow is mentioned online. If the service is not delivered by a stipulated time, then the citizens can post a complaint, which will impose a fine on the concerned official to pay a fine. All data about the fees and process is open and transparent to the citizens.
Accountability (Grievance Mechanism) – the officials in charge are accountable to the service that they are appointed to deliver. The citizens will be timely updated on the status ensuring that their application is duly forwarded to the concerned official. In case the official fails to deliver or answer other queries that need to be addressed, citizens can post it on the grievance section. These will be considered and worked upon by grievance addressing officials.
Wide scope - this provides clarity and is user friendly by nature. Since all procedures and applications are available easily to the citizens, the scheme has greater chance of being accepted and widely spoken about. The scheme is proving to be beneficial and citizen friendly for all.
Sakala can act as a tool to strain corruption out of the system especially with regard to public services and its open data. But there are certain short comings in this scheme too. The token system of putting a service on hold can be one of the impediments to this scheme. It is an illegal form of confirming the service for a price between the citizen and the officials through a piece of token. If this is one inadequacy, then others include citizens’ attitude of refusing to pay a bribe, lack of co-operation from the part of citizens, unwillingness to post complaints and also corrupt tactics used by officials.
How successful is it?
Just few months of its launch, the scheme received one crore application forms from the citizens across the state. A recent press release mentions the success of the scheme as observed by representatives from Odisha and Bangladesh, standing as a testimony of open governance. Although this scheme proved to be a success in many parts of the state, a few sceptical thoughts was raised about its objectivity in benefitting citizens. Also the existence of a token system and a cynical mind set towards such an initiative is perhaps perceived with a benefit of doubt by citizens. But on a fair note, the scheme has indeed benefited a lot in the state and hence seeks to eliminate the existing shortcomings and to realize the true spirit of open governance.
Governance
Governance involves both state and non-state players that seek to offer equitable services to its citizens. India has a long history in governance. Many ancient literary sources envisage governance as a righteous set of governing activities including the ancient epic, Mahabharata. Governance that caters to its people when required is a challenge for any country. And open data and transparency is one such way to tackle this challenge.
Open data challenges
Open data governance is one that maintains clarity, accountability and transparency that promises to offer time-bound delivery of services to its citizens. But the picture in India is slightly complex with regard to maintaining an open data of public records. A democratic country like ours calls for maintaining accountability as well as sustainability for delivering good governance to its citizens. This has been a challenge to India ever since independence. For a country with over two centuries of colonial rule, independently formulating the administrative mechanism of a country was indeed a challenge. But over the years, government policies and administrative structures have witnessed refinement. But with regard to offering stable and reliable services that reflects the true identity of good governance, the country has not done much progress.
Current state of public governance
An efficient administration always attempts to upgrade the quality of service delivery to the citizens. This kind of responsive administration offers its citizens the right to freely participate in public affairs with a guaranteed sense of liberty. Contrary to this is the scenario in India where lies a widespread absence of accountability in offering public services on time. The services are certainly enlisted in their charters but seldom do they promise to deliver it to citizens. And even if these services exist, the price to obtain these is through bribery. When money for a service becomes imperative, then accountability of public funds is bound to get embezzled. This leaves no choice for citizens to avail any service thereby depriving the scope of good governance. Retail corruption precisely blows hard on a common man that cuts out the basic right of a citizen to avail a service without a bribe.
The endeavour of refining the administration has been taken up by many initiatives that envisage open data system through the use of technology. There are civil service organisations also acting as agents of change that co-ordinate with government to guarantee better governance. Ipaidabribe is one such forum that helps aid the government in maintaining an open data through crowd sourcing of data and records from public. Over the years, as a measure to tackle the challenge of maintaining an open data by public authorities systematically, the central and state governments have come up with programmes that benefit the citizens. Few government-run programmes incorporate a two-scale idea behind their scheme that offers time-bound delivery of services and also maintains a track of public records. E-governance is one such solution that warranties clarity and systematizes the process to benefit public at large. Projects such as CARDComputer-Aided Administration of Registration Department in Andhra Pradesh; Bhoomi in Karnataka; Mahiti Shakti in Gujarat; Mitra in Rajasthan and many such e-governance projects that seek to maintain a clean record reflects an evident progress by state government in administration.
Sakala in Karnataka
Corruption no doubt pervades every public forum in our country. A systematic approach to maintain open data seems to be the only viable route to control this menace, if not erode it. At least at the level of a delivering time-bound service, transparent data definitely helps. To ensure this, the Karnataka state government started a new scheme under the Karnataka Guarantee of Services to Citizens Act (Sakala) in April 2012.
Sakala that literally means ‘in good time’ is a citizen charter programme that ensures timely delivery of basic services to citizens. This scheme started on a pilot basis in four taluks now covers 11 department and 151 services under its forte. Their main motto remains – “to deliver services within a stipulated time”.
Departments under Sakala Act:
- Commercial Taxes Department
- Education Department
- Food And Civil Supplies
- Health And Family Welfare
- Home Department
- Labor Department
- Revenue Department
- Rural Development And Panchayat Raj
- Transport Department
- Urban Development
- Women And Child Welfare
This scheme not only checks time-bound delivery of service but also levies penalty and fines for delay in delivery. A Fine of Rs 20/- is imposed on the official per day for delay up to a maximum of Rs. 500/- . Citizens need not worry about having to pay bribes as they will be given a 15 digit number along with the application which will reflect the updated status of service. Also the fine will be paid as compensation to the citizen who applies. This scheme also offers the benefit of checking the online status of the application as well.
What are the promises of Sakala?
Accessibility: The scheme offers great scope for citizens to access information regarding the service online. It mentions the department, the kind of service, the official in charge to deliver the service, the applied charges, the process and the time taken for the applied service. Therefore, this provides a clarity on the responsible personnel and the exact procedure involved and hence proving to be user-friendly to citizens as they will to able to access this.
Transparent by its mechanism- The entire process flow is mentioned online. If the service is not delivered by a stipulated time, then the citizens can post a complaint, which will impose a fine on the concerned official to pay a fine. All data about the fees and process is open and transparent to the citizens.
Accountability (Grievance Mechanism) – the officials in charge are accountable to the service that they are appointed to deliver. The citizens will be timely updated on the status ensuring that their application is duly forwarded to the concerned official. In case the official fails to deliver or answer other queries that need to be addressed, citizens can post it on the grievance section. These will be considered and worked upon by grievance addressing officials.
Wide scope - this provides clarity and is user friendly by nature. Since all procedures and applications are available easily to the citizens, the scheme has greater chance of being accepted and widely spoken about. The scheme is proving to be beneficial and citizen friendly for all.
Sakala can act as a tool to strain corruption out of the system especially with regard to public services and its open data. But there are certain short comings in this scheme too. The token system of putting a service on hold can be one of the impediments to this scheme. It is an illegal form of confirming the service for a price between the citizen and the officials through a piece of token. If this is one inadequacy, then others include citizens’ attitude of refusing to pay a bribe, lack of co-operation from the part of citizens, unwillingness to post complaints and also corrupt tactics used by officials.
How successful is it?
Just few months of its launch, the scheme received one crore application forms from the citizens across the state. A recent press release mentions the success of the scheme as observed by representatives from Odisha and Bangladesh, standing as a testimony of open governance. Although this scheme proved to be a success in many parts of the state, a few sceptical thoughts was raised about its objectivity in benefitting citizens. Also the existence of a token system and a cynical mind set towards such an initiative is perhaps perceived with a benefit of doubt by citizens. But on a fair note, the scheme has indeed benefited a lot in the state and hence seeks to eliminate the existing shortcomings and to realize the true spirit of open governance.
The Pillar that supports the Community
17th June 2013
A comfortable easy chair to recline, with hands clutching a
newspaper and a searing cup of coffee beside waiting to be sipped; this
is the perfect post-retirement image that one would wish for. It is
that phase in life when one wonders what next, wanting to experiment and
explore themselves to the fullest. Anand Sirur, an admired citizen in
Malleshwaram questioned the same a few years after his retirement.
Anand Sirur feels proud to be a part of a meaningful retired life. After having served for an American oil company, he like most of friends, spent leisure-time playing golf along with his old buddies. Although enthusiastic about civic issues in the city, Anand was not involved with any platform that was working on such issues. It was only when he came across Malleshwaram Swabhimana Initiative six years back that he could voice out his suggestions and concerns about his locality. Currently, the president of Mallesharam Swabbhimana Initiative, Sirur is an active citizen in Malleshwaram.
Long-known to be a serene residential area, Malleshwaram has now turned into a nightmare for people who reside here. One of the oldest residential areas in the city, Malleshwaram has seen a major transformation over a span of few years. The lush green foliage that canopied tranquil lanes of Malleshwaram has now been replaced with the clamour and clatter of vehicles. Adding to the woes of residents are the garbage disposal issues along with infuriating traffic that is making their way into peaceful residential lanes.
Anand Sirur, a resident of Malleshwaram for the past 42 years, feels that his locality is slowly degenerating amidst these problems. Residents of Malleshwaram simply look forward to a better area than hoping for the redeemed charm. Anand Sirur is one among them who has wished likewise and says “When I joined MSI, I thought it could be an effective platform to bring change that I wanted to”.
He was first drawn to a common issue faced in cities, the problem of congestion, space and insensitivity faced by elderly on roads. He noticed these 12 years back. Before he could suggest a solution of making pedestrian-zones for senior citizens, the process got scuttled by few authorities in power.
The magnanimity of the problems have increased over the years affecting the lifestyle of many is what Sirur says. Traffic being the biggest issue has been a cause of concern to many as pedestrians can’t walk on roads. Neither skywalk nor an underpass can be a solution is what Sirur believes. “The entire purpose gets defeated as old people and disabled individuals cannot climb nor get down the stairs.”
An association of 200 members led by Anand has contributed in a lot of ways to the residents of Malleshwaram. Issues with regard to garbage management, traffic, footpath and others have been actively worked upon.
The biggest challenge was the resistance from all corners to run the initiative. Despite the challenge, Sirur and his team has managed to resolve many issues bothering Malleshwaram. One such issue is the Sankey road widening plan that was dropped under the pressure of MSI. The area also manages effective garbage disposal techniques initiated by MSI members.
Taking the lead, Sirur has managed to set an example for many in the
area. But what he stresses is people’s participation to make this
initiative more effective and beneficial. He says that “Citizens should
make an effort to understand the problems that crop up over a period of
time. Each one should know what is affecting their well-being.”
Envisioning a better Malleshwaram to live in, Sirur calls for more
support and responsibility on the part of citizens.
Anand Sirur feels proud to be a part of a meaningful retired life. After having served for an American oil company, he like most of friends, spent leisure-time playing golf along with his old buddies. Although enthusiastic about civic issues in the city, Anand was not involved with any platform that was working on such issues. It was only when he came across Malleshwaram Swabhimana Initiative six years back that he could voice out his suggestions and concerns about his locality. Currently, the president of Mallesharam Swabbhimana Initiative, Sirur is an active citizen in Malleshwaram.
Long-known to be a serene residential area, Malleshwaram has now turned into a nightmare for people who reside here. One of the oldest residential areas in the city, Malleshwaram has seen a major transformation over a span of few years. The lush green foliage that canopied tranquil lanes of Malleshwaram has now been replaced with the clamour and clatter of vehicles. Adding to the woes of residents are the garbage disposal issues along with infuriating traffic that is making their way into peaceful residential lanes.
Anand Sirur, a resident of Malleshwaram for the past 42 years, feels that his locality is slowly degenerating amidst these problems. Residents of Malleshwaram simply look forward to a better area than hoping for the redeemed charm. Anand Sirur is one among them who has wished likewise and says “When I joined MSI, I thought it could be an effective platform to bring change that I wanted to”.
He was first drawn to a common issue faced in cities, the problem of congestion, space and insensitivity faced by elderly on roads. He noticed these 12 years back. Before he could suggest a solution of making pedestrian-zones for senior citizens, the process got scuttled by few authorities in power.
The magnanimity of the problems have increased over the years affecting the lifestyle of many is what Sirur says. Traffic being the biggest issue has been a cause of concern to many as pedestrians can’t walk on roads. Neither skywalk nor an underpass can be a solution is what Sirur believes. “The entire purpose gets defeated as old people and disabled individuals cannot climb nor get down the stairs.”
An association of 200 members led by Anand has contributed in a lot of ways to the residents of Malleshwaram. Issues with regard to garbage management, traffic, footpath and others have been actively worked upon.
The biggest challenge was the resistance from all corners to run the initiative. Despite the challenge, Sirur and his team has managed to resolve many issues bothering Malleshwaram. One such issue is the Sankey road widening plan that was dropped under the pressure of MSI. The area also manages effective garbage disposal techniques initiated by MSI members.
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