Energizing Rural India

Even today 65 per cent of India resides and works in villages. Hence it is of primary importance that rural economy and infrastructure be revived and upgraded, which will not only stop immigration to urban ghettos but also infuse new energy in the economy. Some of the suggestions are listed below.

Quality Life in villages

• Panchayats to be recognised as third tier of government and be given necessary administrative and fiscal powers. 
• Remove interference of district bureaucracy in functioning of Panchayats. 
• C&AG audit of Panchayat funds. 
• Every village of 2000 households or a cluster of same to have 
o At least one Nursery, one 10 + 2 School, one Arts and Science College and one ITI. These to be managed by local Panchayat with central and state fiscal grants. 
o One Primary Health Center with at least one Male and one female doctor with Para-medic staff and Ambulance. 
o One veterinary doctor with one assistant. 
o Village to buy electricity from Electricity Distribution Companies and be responsible for sale to consumer. Same model to apply to water supply. 
o Watch and ward functions of the police by under Panchayat. 
o Regular Bus service to the nearest town. 
o Community Center with an open air auditorium, one meeting hall, One Library with plinth area of at least 5000 square feet and e-kiosk open 24x7. 
o One stadium with facilities of 400 meter athletic track and separate hockey and football grounds. 
o To achieve economy and integration, the school, ITI, College, Community Center and Stadium can be located in one complex. 
• Upgrade traditional skills like weaving, glass-making, traditional arts and crafts and provide market access by linking these with tourist circuits. 
• Develop Rural-tourism based on home-stays to provide a quality week-end getaway to urban population at affordable cost. 
• Open small businesses like call-centers in rural areas. 

• Link rural produce like grains and milk with markets

Flourishing Agriculture

• All land records be placed on-line and be updated every six months. 
• Concept of State Pre-eminence on Ownership of Land is negated forever. Respect Land Rights of Farmer as much as the Property Rights of an Urban dweller. 
• Create national water grid by linking rivers. 
• Involve agriculture scientists in educating farmers about appropriate crop pattern based on local conditions. 
• Boost research in high yield crops. 
• Revive existing water bodies. 
• Create new water bodies through NEREGA. 
• Create collectively owned Cold Storage and Grain Silos in villages. 
• Remove Administrated Price Mechanism and give freedom to farmer to dispose-off his produce at most remunerative prices. 
• Dairy and fisheries in cooperative model be encouraged. 
• Establish supply chain from milch-animal to milk plant and farm to dining table free of middlemen. 
• Undertake research to improve quality of native breeds of cow and buffalo.

Energising Functioning of Ministries in Central Government

Basic fact of governance is that policy is 5 per cent and delivery is 95 per cent, which entirely depends on the bureaucracy. Hence the importance of efficient functioning of the ministry concerned and learning from our own past experiences is the best way to know about right and wrong way of functioning.

Let us take Ministry of Defence (MoD) as an example.

First Period of Successful Politico-Military Cooperation.During the most crucial period from 1947 to 1950 Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) was in direct touch with the political heads, that is, the Cabinet. Orders were passed directly from the Cabinet or Defence Minister to C-in-C and were implemented by the military in letter and spirit. Success of the arrangement is evident from the fact that a newly independent country  was able to undertake multiple and simultaneous success full military operations to merge recalcitrant princely states of Hyderabad and Junagarh, fight off Pakistani aggression in J&K as also quickly control large scale riots in the North India and handle huge influx  of refugees.

First Period of Defeat due to Bureaucratic Interposition.During the period 1950 to 1962 a thick bureaucratic layer was created between the military and the Defence Minister and the Cabinet. This bureaucracy worked through elaborate and time consuming procedures which were established and nurtured in the name of `Civilian Supremacy`.  Commander-in-Chief was replaced by Chiefs of Staff who were placed out of government as attached offices. Services which had acted in complete concert under the Commander-in-Chief became mutually antagonistic. Responsibility for the defence of India was shifted from the military to Secretary of Defence and accordingly all Administrative and financial powers were concentrated in civilian bureaucracy who starved the military of equipment and pushed it down in terms of pay and terms of service. Results were soon evident. India lost 1962 War with China and performed below par in 1965 against Pakistan. Soldiering slowly and surely became one of the least preferred career choice.

SecondPeriod of Successful Politico-Military Cooperation.In March – April 1971 when the then PM Mrs Gandhi asked General Manekshaw to immediately attack erstwhile East Pakistan, he bluntly told her that his Army was lacking in wherewithal and not ready for war. Mrs Gandhi heeded his sane advice and for next six months General Manekshaw became de-facto Commander-in-Chief. During this period the three services were brought up to the mark and readied for war which resulted in a great victory.

SecondPeriod of Defeat due to Bureaucratic Interposition.Sadly during the period 1971 till 1999 the bureaucracy against played on imaginary fears of political heads and re-established it`s hegemony. Result when Pakistan intruded into Kargil in 1999 the armed forces were again ill prepared to launch full-scale war. Remember famous quote of General Malik, who was COAS at that time - `we shall fight with whatever we have’.A committee was established which duly recommended creation of Chief of Defence Staff (a politically more palatable name for Commander-in-Chief) and integration of the Ministry of Defence and Service Headquarters but bureaucracy again killed the proposals.

Wider Applicability of Observation. My observations, based on facts, are applicable to other ministries as well. Ministry of Tourism fails to attract tourists to India, Ministry of Culture fails to showcase rich Indian culture to the world, Ministry of Railways cannot runs trains on time or keep its stations clean, the list is endless and answer in each case is the same.

Lesson Learnt. Be it MoD or Metro Railways, to be successful we have to bring-in the professional.

The answer is very clear for the new government. If it wants to deliver, not only in Ministry of Defence but in other ministries as well, start by doing the following:

·         Establish primacy of Cabinet through CCS and CCPA whose proceedings must be diligently recorded and decisions enforced.

·         CCS and CCPA must mandatorily take on record views of concerned professional head, that is CDS or Railway Board before recording it’s decision. This will establishing direct connect between the professional and the minister/ CCS.

·         Advisors like NSA and Planning Commission be just that. Their role be focused on providing inputs for policy planning and undertake net-assessments.

·         Minister to work through three key executive heads.

o   First being the Professional head (Chief Operations Officer) responsible for planning and execution of approved projects. Trust him and empower him with clear policy directions and fiscal support and bind him to time lines.

o   Second being the Financial Advisors (Chief Financial Officer) chosen from within as also out of government based on competence responsible to give correct and timely advise on financial aspects.

o   Third being the in-house Investigator (Chief of Vigilance) as Advisor of impeccable integrity with powers to scrutinise all works and projects of the ministry during implementation and thereafter.

·         Reduce size of secretarial staff and limit the role of Secretary and office staff to:

o   Coordination of office work and inter-ministerial liaison.

o   To collect data and process the files to the minister quickly and with all relevant supporting data. 

o   They must not be allowed to decide policy.

o   Take away all financial and administrative powers from Secretaries.

·         Be totally transparent. Declare and enforce citizen charter. Put everything on line.

·         Annual review must result in rewards for performers and tangible punishment for inefficient.

Agenda for Modi's Government

In this open season of free and unsolicited advice to incoming Modi Government I would also add my take. So here goes:
1. Governance.
- Ensure total implementation of Panchayati Raj.
- Merge ministeries to achieve integration and efficiency.
- Instead of a bloated PMO energise Cabinet Secretary.
- Be ruthless in discarding inefficient bureaucrats even if it means placing them on Compulsory Waiting.
2. Defence
- Appoint CDS and create Integrated Theatre Commands.
- Role of civilian bureaucracy in MoD be limited to inter-ministerial coordination and Defence Production.
- Just as DoPT handles personnel matters of civilian bureaucracy similarly CDS to handle matters pertaining to soldiers and officers of the Armed Forces requiring Defence Minister or Cabinet approval.
-Ensure 33 years of service for soldiers through a system of intra-service mid-career transfers from more to less demanding specialities.
- Make short service commission ( seven years) attractive enough for the best and brightest.
3. Relations with Neighborhood
- Leverage trade to settle border dispute with China.
- Leverage financial assistance, water and border settlement to repatriate illegal Bangladesh migrants.
- Demand status -quo on LC and check on terrorists from Pakistan for trade.
4. Land
- Instead of tempering with Land Acquisition Act, ask Indiainc to partner with farmers rather than outright purchase of land.
- Insist on annual updating of land records and put these on line.
5. Energy
- Construct Atomic Power Plants on small islands and atolls which are located 10 to 30 kilometers offshore. This will preclude requirement of land acquisition and take care of fear of harm to civilian population in case of accident.
- Cover all canals and railway lines with solar panels to produce electricity.
- Create large solar energy parks in Ladakh and Ran of Kutch.
- Exploit Arunachal Pradesh potential for hydroelectric power.
6. J&K
- Create Autonomous Regional Councils for Jammu and Ladakh with financial autonomy.
- Establish safe enclaves for Kashmiri Pundits and Sikhs within Kashmir.
- Sikh refugees who migrated to J&K in 47 - 48 be given full citizenship rights.
7. Education
- Encourage States to migrate to CBSE syllabus.
- Implement three language formula with mother tongue starting at first standard followed by Hindi in third standard and English in fifth standard. Child to be free to choose his/ her medium of instruction from 11th standard onwards.
- Make NCC compulsory in 11th and 12th standards and make it a vehicle for social service.
- Allow private school only if it has seperate hockey and football fields in addition to other academic requirements.
- Enforce 3 kilometers rule for admissions.
- Involve society in management of schools.
- Teachers be recruited locally or be given on-campus accommodation if brought from outside.
I think that's enough for now!