Improving India’s job creation ranking

Improving India’s job creation ranking
Structural reforms in factor markets are key for this labour-surplus economy to offer productive employment
This is the season of rankings. In the past few months, several reputed international organizations have assessed, compared and ranked the performance of countries on different indicators on issues like competitiveness, ease of doing business, hunger, youth development, gender gap, press freedom and consumer confidence. Alas, there is none specifically on job creation.

India has exceeded expectations on some, and has performed not so well on others. For instance, the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked India at the 39th position on the Global Competitiveness Index, an impressive jump of 16 places in a year. Despite such a jump, WEF cautions that India’s performance is low by global standards, and huge challenges lie ahead on the path to prosperity. This is reflected in the high average tariff that India is maintaining on its imports, low level of factor accumulation, and relatively high incremental capital-output ratio.

Among other factors, this is also due to a less than optimal domestic regulatory environment and near absence of regulatory harmonization. This is one of the reasons why India moved up by only one notch on the World Bank’s recent ease of doing business ranking. However, the bank has recognized the government’s efforts towards a better business growth environment.

Also, India’s performance on social, education and health-related indices has been abysmal. The WEF report on global gender gap reveals that on the indicator of women’s health, India is third last. Similarly, on the global hunger index, India lies among the bottom group of countries, even below neighbours like Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Let us now view India’s performance on different indicators in the context of one of the most critical challenges it is facing: job creation. The number of jobs created in 2015 is much less than what it was a few years ago. As mechanization of agriculture and manufacturing is moving at a faster pace and the services sector is becoming more skill-oriented, fewer jobs are being created which can match the existing skill level of the vast majority.

Consequently, it is not difficult to surmise that while India’s gross domestic product (GDP) is growing, such growth is increasingly becoming exclusionary. Enough jobs are not being created for the poor, for whom affording one square meal a day is becoming challenging. Much of India’s growth is emanating from services, and taking place in sectors which require middle- to high-level skills.

India’s poor have traditionally been dependent on agriculture and manufacturing, which have ceased to offer large-scale employment opportunities. Lack of quality and affordable healthcare and education robs the poor of opportunity to compete with their well-off counterparts in the job market. As a result, the poor get stuck in unproductive agricultural activities and are under-employed in the informal sector.

All these challenges have resulted in India remaining a low middle-income country over the last couple of decades. In order to improve its status to first become a high middle-income and then a high-income country, it has to overcome the challenges of the middle-income trap.

The two most important components on which the Indian economy should focus to create jobs over the next few years are productive agriculture and mass manufacturing. The latter will help India get embedded into global production networks and the former will provide a continuous push towards the growth of domestic aggregate demand accompanied by socio-political stability.

This can be done through an emphasis on micro, small and medium enterprises, by reforming factor markets such as land, labour, capital, and attracting investment in those labour-intensive sectors which are expected to be vacated by East and South-East Asian countries as they move up the production value chain.

For a labour-surplus economy like India to become more competitive and offer productive employment to its population, the key is structural reforms in its factor markets, rather than short-term cyclical reforms. As a flanking measure, we need continuous regulatory harmonization.

Moreover, given the sluggishness in international trade negotiations, time is on India’s side for undertaking such reforms. This will not only make the Indian economy more competitive and create productive employment opportunities, but there will also be opportunities for India to become a major actor on the global economic proscenium.

For this, a dynamic factor- and sector-specific reform agenda illustrating the kind of reforms needed to reduce the cost of factors of production (land, labour, capital, logistics, etc.) and harmonize regulations to make India more competitive in specific sectors for creation of large-scale manufacturing jobs is needed. Clear demarcation between the agenda items which are to be pursued by the Centre and states, through executive orders and those which will require legislative changes, is crucial.

The agenda must include a phased implementation strategy setting out short-, medium- and long-term targets. Continuous stakeholder engagement and awareness generation on benefits will enable seamless implementation. This will go a long way in improving India’s rank on job creation.

measures to curb air pollution in Delhi must necessarily tackle the city’s solid-waste crisis as well

A large accumulation of small defeats
The measures to curb air pollution in Delhi must necessarily tackle the city’s solid-waste crisis as well
The toxic haze that enveloped Delhi for two weeks after Diwali has diminished. But it would be foolhardy to think the moment has passed. How do we go on from here, knowing that next year, too, farmers will burn crop stubble, people will burn garbage and burst Diwali firecrackers, diesel generators will remain in use, environmentally harmful industry practices will prevail and private vehicles will still be the preferred means of transport?

The causes of October’s smog highlight the intersectional nature of pollution in cities—how one mode of pollution interacts with and worsens another, which is why it is difficult to come up with a quick fix to bad air. The measures to curb air pollution in Delhi must necessarily tackle the city’s solid-waste crisis as well.

India produces about 62 million tonnes of solid waste annually, of which 75-80% is collected, and only 22-28% is treated. The rest lands up in open dumpyards and landfills or is burnt. According to a 2016 study by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, on Delhi’s air quality, the burning of municipal solid waste accounts for 7-8% of particulate matter pollution. Landfills, on the other hand, release noxious methane fumes into the air and leachates into the groundwater, presenting a permanent challenge to tackling pollution in cities. Yet landfills continue to be overlooked by flagship policies. The Swachh Bharat (Urban) scheme focuses on water, sanitation and hygiene, with scant attention being paid to the solid waste coagulating unchecked in landfills. The National Urban Sanitation Policy 2008 was concerned with access to sanitation facilities for the urban poor, but landfills remained outside that conversation. Landfills were limited to the ambit of the erstwhile Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling Rules), 2000.

Every big city usually has at least one landfill. Delhi has four. Mumbai has three. Chennai and Kolkata have two each. Bengaluru had two before they were shut down after community protests. There is something very sobering about the vastness of a landfill, the spectre of city after city struggling with the problem. But the bigger issue is that landfills continue to be the solution, both for untreated municipal solid waste and for the scores of workers in the informal economy seeking to make a living in cities.

It is easier to not see both solid waste and the informal worker, because we still haven’t arrived at a development narrative that will accommodate both. Solid waste is the by-product of a consumption economy. The informal worker exists outside the regulated, legal, organized economy. Both exist on the outer fringes of a city’s growth story. Both converge on the landfill.

The economic potential of municipal waste in Indian cities is fettered by inadequate segregation of waste, thereby rendering it unfit for conversion into refuse-derived fuel. Waste-to-energy incinerator plants are still an inefficient response to solid-waste management because municipal waste is marked by high moisture content (up to 65%) and low calorific value (520-3,766kcal/kg), which means that things don’t burn well enough to generate the energy that would justify the plant.

A worker in the informal economy poses a tougher challenge. Urban areas account for 28% of employment and 55% of the output, according to a 2014 study by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Bengaluru. It found that employment generation in cities has taken place largely in the informal sector, where the quality of work is poor, with low wages and little social protection. The National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector, 2009, describes a class of “socially discriminated, educationally deprived, and economic destitutes”, for whom the growth process has yielded “very little expansion of their employment and enhancement in their earning capacity”. Since waste workers tend to hail from the most marginalized castes in India, caste, gender and age intersect in such a way that the burden of making a living from landfills falls disproportionately on women and children.

On the bright side, the recently notified Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, emphasize segregation of waste at source and greater decentralized processing of biodegradable waste. They also mandate the integration of kabadiwallahs and ragpickers into the formal economy. This is vitally important since most of the waste-sorting and recycling is done by informal workers before the unrecyclable waste is transported to a landfill. They bear the brunt of our failure to segregate our household waste; they do so under hazardous conditions and for negligible pay.

A landfill is a fracture in the stories we tell about our cities. The home page of the urban development ministry website carries a permanent declaration—“The growth story of India shall be written on the canvas of planned urban development.” Almost as an afterthought, there is a second declaration, “And shall be scripted through the instrument of planned mobility.”

What stories come out of landfills? They are reports of the landfill fires that continually smoulder, the deaths of ragpickers, the tonnage of waste being dumped, the dreary profiles of municipal waste. They remain narrative versions of things that you don’t look at directly or for too long. The presence and persistence of landfills ought not to be taken lightly when contending with air pollution.

We need to move towards environmentally sound policymaking, and away from the formulaic inter-governmental squabble that seems to pass for crisis management. Without this, a city, as Jeet Thayil describes in Narcopolis, isn’t much more than “a large accumulation of small defeats”.

Text of PM's statement to media in the joint media briefing with President of Israel (November 15, 2016)

Text of PM's statement to media in the joint media briefing with President of Israel (November 15, 2016)

Your Excellency President Reuven Rivlin
And Friends from the Media,

I am honoured to welcome President Reuven Rivlin, and distinguished members of his delegation to India. President Rivlin is on his first ever visit to India. We are delighted to receive him on this special occasion. Excellency, your visit will provide crucial push to our efforts to build new pillars in our partnership. It will also carry forward the momentum generated by the first ever visit of President of India to Israel last year. Next year, both countries will be celebrating 25 years of the establishment of full diplomatic relations. As we approach this big milestone, we are both committed to advance our engagement on several fronts. And, build on convergences and commonalities in our interests and concerns on regional and global issues.

Friends,

Our engagement is multi-dimensional and wide-ranging.We are partnering in:

• enhancing agricultural productivity and efficiency;
• boosting research and innovation linkages;
• employing applications of science and technology for the benefit of our societies;
• Forging strong trade links and investment ties;
• Building defence ties to secure our people; and
• Enhancing people to people ties through greater cultural and tourism linkages.
• Promoting educational exchanges. The growing number of Indian students, going to study in Israel and vice versa can be an important bridge in our bilateral partnership.

Friends,

Earlier today, in our discussions. President Rivlin and I agreed that there are several strong areas of ongoing cooperation between our countries. We are familiar with Israel’s advances in agriculture, and its expertise in micro-irrigation in drought-prone areas and water management. We have identified water management and conservation, and collaboration in scientific research and development as two areas of priority engagement. We both agreed that the current trajectory of the Indian economy opens up many promising opportunities for Israeli companies. Our economic initiatives and programmes, and emphasis on innovation, research and technological development match well with Israel’s strengths and capacities. Israeli companies can scale up their tie-ups with our flagship schemes of Make in India, Digital India, Skill India, and Smart Cities. I would encourage the private sector stakeholders on both sides to take lead in utilizing this perfect opportunity to build business ties of commerce and investment between our two countries in these areas. Indian and Israeli companies can also work together in high-technology manufacturing, and services sectors. Make in India and as President Rivlin told me in our discussion, Make with India can generate jobs and benefit both geographies. Our partnership can generate jobs and benefit both geographies. IT services is an area where our partnership can make a difference for both our economies.

Friends,

President Rivlin and I deeply value our strong and growing partnership to secure our societies. Our people are constantly threatened by forces of terrorism and extremism. We recognize that terrorism is a global challenge, knows no boundaries and has extensive links with other forms of organized crime. Regrettably, one of the countries of its origin and spread is in India’s neighbourhood. We agreed that the international community must act with resolve and determination against terror networks and States that harbour them. Failure to act and silence of speech only encourages the terrorists. We,agreed to intensify our cooperation to combat the forces of extremism and radicalization that threaten all peace-loving nations. We also prioritized practical and specific engagement such as in the cyber domain. We noted the strength of our growing defence partnership. And, agreed on the need to make it more broad-based through production and manufacturing partnerships. India is also grateful to Israel for its clear support to India’s permanent candidature in a reformed UN Security Council.

Friends,

As fellow democracies, our people are our biggest strength and the biggest beneficiaries of a strong India-Israel partnership. The 2000-year old Jewish community in India represents a thriving link to this past. Today, it is a vital part of our composite cultural mosaic that continues to thrive in their traditions. We are proud of the Jewish community in India. President and I agreed that promoting people-to-people contacts, which has a long shared history, is our shared priority.

Excellency,

Two and a half decades of our friendship has brought rich dividends for both our nations. It has also strengthened voices of peace, stability and democracy globally. Your visit provides an opportunity to break new ground and shape new contours of our partnership. With these words, I once again welcome President Rivlin on his first State visit to India, and wish him a productive and enjoyable stay in India.

India, Japan sign landmark civilian nuclear deal

The nuclear deal, signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan, paves the way for India to buy nuclear technology from Japan

Capping years of negotiations, India and Japan on Friday signed a bilateral civilian nuclear cooperation agreement seen as crucial for energy-starved India to access sensitive technologies to generate clean electricity.

The pact is a major achievement for India as it is Japan’s first civilian nuclear cooperation pact with a country that has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
It was inked in Tokyo in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese host Shinzo Abe. Modi is on a three-day visit to Japan for the annual summit between the two prime ministers.
That it was signed with Abe at the helm of affairs in Japan is also key, given that he has been keen to forge close links with India to counter the rise of China. Ties between India and Japan have warmed considerably since Abe returned to office in 2012.
The deal has been many years in the making because India was reluctant to limit its option to carry out more atomic weapons’ tests—in addition to the ones carried out in 1998—in case the need arose. And Japan—being the only country in the world to have suffered the impact of nuclear weapons being dropped on it—was uncomfortable with India having a nuclear weapons programme outside the nuclear non-proliferation regime.
Also read: Why India is courting Japan
“A landmark deal for a cleaner, greener world! PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo witness exchange of the landmark Civil Nuclear Agreement,” said Indian foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup in a Twitter post.
Modi later described the signing of the pact as “a historic step”.
The ‘Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy’ pact provides for “the development of nuclear power projects in India and thus strengthening of energy security of the country,” an Indian foreign ministry statement said. “The present agreement would open up the door for collaboration between Indian and Japanese industries in our Civil Nuclear programme,” it said.
Former joint secretary (disarmament) and ex-Indian ambassador to France Rakesh Sood said the pact “enables us to obtain high-quality components for nuclear reactors, especially ones that we are negotiating for with Westinghouse (Electric Co.) and (French) Areva SA.”
Westinghouse Electric Company is a subsidiary of Japan’s Toshiba Corp. Areva, too, accesses key reactor components from Japanese firms.
India signed a landmark nuclear deal with the US in 2008, clearing the path for the country to source nuclear power plants and technology from international markets. But with Japanese companies in possession of critical technologies, such as steel shields covering a nuclear reactor core, an accord with Japan was pivotal for India.
During the last prime ministerial summit in New Delhi in December, India and Japan announced that they had reached a basic agreement on the pact.
India currently has 5.7 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power generation capacity. This accounts for 2% of the total power capacity, but this is expected to change with a sharp increase in power generation from atomic plants over the next 16 years as Asia’s third largest economy moves away from fossil fuels for its energy needs.
India’s Department of Atomic Energy’s target is to have 63GW of nuclear power capacity by 2032.
Among the other agreements signed was one to skill “30,000 Indian youth in the Japanese styled manufacturing in the next 10 years”, a government statement said.
“This would be achieved through the programmes of Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing (JIM) and the Japanese Endowed Courses (JEC) in select Engineering colleges,” it said.
Pacts on cooperation in space, earth sciences, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, transport and urban development and sports were the others signed.
Earlier in the day, in a meeting with Japanese business leaders, Modi said his government was pursuing a new direction of economic reforms. He said his government was resolved to make India the most open economy in the world.

Master stroke on black money to make India Swachch Bharat

Master stroke on black money to make India Swachch Bharat

The mid night scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes , as announced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on November 8,  is being seen as a master stroke against black money and  corruption that has been eating into the Indian economy like a termite for several decades.  The sudden announcement of a decision which may be well thought over several months with only a handful of the top  echelons in the government having a whiff of it, would cause some disruptions in the interim, but then as the Prime Minister called upon the people , it is the price each citizen is called upon to  pay for defeating the monster of corruption and black money which, combined with counterfeit currency and terror funding, can strike at the root of a nation. 

 “There comes a time in the history of a country’s development when a need is felt for a strong and decisive step,”   Shri Modi said. But for the Donald Trump victory, India’s war on black money would have created instant ripples the world over. In any case, the ripples of the Modi move to hit at the hoarders of ill-gotten money where it would hurt them the most, would be felt for the Indian economy far too long. 

While Swachch Bharat is being implemented for cleaning up streets ,roads  and building toilets ,  PM’s  sweep  shot on corruption is the biggest ever exercise launched anywhere in the world to broom and clean up the economy which was growing at the fastest clip among the global peers , yet yielding low results for the common people.  Imagine the scale at which the brooming exercise can clean up the system. By some estimates as much as Rs 14 lakh crore currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination are in circulation and would be withdrawn by December 31, 2016 or at the most  March 31, 2017. 

Some bankers feel that there could be as much as one-third of this amount which may not be deposited with the banks, since taking the ownership of the loads of money stashed in gunny bags may land some people in trouble . Now that would mean the country gets a windfall of Rs 4.33 lakh crore which would accrue to the nation in terms of reduced liability of the Reserve Bank of India which will replace the surrendered currency that much less. 

Going forward, this huge cleaning up would lead to a much better fiscal position of the Central Government with several positives for the macro picture , the biggest being on the inflation front. As is common knowledge that inflation is fuelled by a large margins by the black money which finds its way into conspicuous spending on theme parties and building of assets like real estate.  In fact, the real estate market has been thriving only on the cash part of the deals which of course would stop, giving a jerk to the sector in the transit till it readjusts itself to the new reality. So, it is being rightly interpreted by the analysts that the crack down on black money would be a big deflationary move, ultimately helping the common people, who may have to go through some temporary pains . 

Besides, the decision to scrap high value notes would drastically reduce premium on corruption in the public services since the risk –reward would be highly tilted towards the peril of being caught off-guard. As enumerated in the PM’s address to the nation, the NDA Government has taken several other measures to check the black money in the last two years.  These include:  a law for disclosure of foreign black money; agreements with many countries to add provisions for sharing banking information;  strict law to curb benami transactions; and a  scheme for declaration of  black money after paying a stiff penalty.  As much as Rs 1.25 lakh crore has already been brought out through these efforts and if  we add another Rs 4.33 lakh crore which may not return to the banking system and become junk, over Rs 5.50 lakh crore , a humungous figure, would have been neutralized.  The benefits would certainly accrue in the medium to long term.

The only challenge for the government in the interim is to ensure that a minimum inconvenience  is caused to the common people and the banking system is geared up to instill a sense of confidence among the people that the common households’ money is very much safe.  

“Honest citizens want this fight against corruption, black money, benami property, terrorism and counterfeiting to continue. Which honest citizen would not be pained by reports of crores worth of currency notes stashed under the beds of government officers? Or by reports of cash found in gunny bags? “, a decisive Prime Minister said.  

He is so right when he says that in spite of  being ranked as the fastest growing economy in the world, India figures so high on the global corruption index. With so many steps having been already initiated, India still ranks 76 on this dubious distinction.

Even though initial reactions in the stock markets were adverse, as was expected, the sentiment was also related to the Trump victory which had spooked the global markets which would slowly digest the new global paradigm of challenging the status quo. 

Public Participation in Combating Corruption

Public Participation in Combating Corruption

 The theme for the Vigilance Awareness Week 2016 is ‘Public participation in promoting integrity and combating corruption’.  The very core idea of the Vigilance Awareness Week being observed under the initiative of Central Vigilance Commission is that the Commission realized that in a huge country like India, we cannot promote integrity and combat corruption unless there is participation of the public. 

 What is ‘Integrity’ and ‘Corruption’

             Integrity is basically the state in which there is complete coherence and no division.  From a practical point of view, integrity means honesty or straightforwardness.  As the Central Vigilance Commission deals with the issue of integrity, it looks up it in three different angles.  One of course is the integrity relating to intellectual integrity, the second is financial integrity and the third is moral or ethical integrity. 

The word corruption is defined by the World Bank as use of public office for private gain.  So far as the strict legal aspect is concerned, the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 defines the objective conditions for the court to decide whether the act of corruption taken place or not when a case comes before that forum.  For our analysis in this paper we may adopt World Bank definition of using public office for private gain is relatively accurate and broad based and easy for understanding.

Public Participation

            We may now examine the theme of ‘public participation for promoting integrity and combating corruption’ in the context of our country and the government of India.

            It was Shri T.N. Seshan, the former Chief Election Commissioner of India who suggested  that if the Central Vigilance Commission were to observe one week in a year as a ‘Vigilance Awareness Week’, it will help focusing the attention of promoting integrity and combating corruption right across entire spectrum of government organizations which directly come under the jurisdiction of the CVC but will also have a multiplier effect by way of bringing the whole issue in the public domain.

 What was visualized by Shri Seshan, has today set an excellent track record and as we look back at the history of the past two decades, we will find that the youth of today can immediately find resonance with the concept of integrity and combating corruption as the sine qua non for good governance. 

            In a way, the Vigilance Awareness Week has set into motion of virtuous cycle, one good development following another.  It will be appropriate, on the occasion the Vigilance awareness week to quickly trace the developments in the area of public governance in our country since 2000 when the Vigilance Awareness Week was launched. 

To begin with, the background of the changes brought about by the Central Vigilance Commission and the focus on promoting integrity and combating corruption in public life is in reality, a saga of the changes that public participation has brought about.

The Advent of RTI Act

 Ironically, the beginning in recent times of public participation demanding accountability on governance and checking corruption was in Rajasthan, one of the most backward states of the country. Different states in our country are at different stages of development and though there is a cultural integrity of India, we are a multi ethnic, multi lingual and multi speed country.  From the very backward States like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh compared to other States like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Punjab, there is a vast difference when it comes to development in various sectors.

            It was in Rajasthan that a Non-Government Organization, Mazdur Kisan Shakti Sangatan (MKSS) lead  by a committed social activist Aruna Roy who earlier was part of Indian Civil Services, spread awareness  among the people of the villages that they should know whether the huge funds which were being made available to Panchayats for the development of the villages were being  properly used.  The theme she underlined was that Tax revenue is ‘our money, give us an account of how our money is being spent’.  “Hamara paisa, hamara hisab’’ was the theme on which she was able to quietly and systematically work in the villages of Rajasthan. This triggered into a powerful movement which finally lead to the enactment of Right to Information Act in 2005.

            The Act was indeed revolutionary. It was a diametrically opposite concept under which the States had so far ruled and especially, from the colonial period. So far, there was no method by which the citizens were taken in to confidence and informed about what the government intended to do and how their tax funds were being spent. The   RTI proved to be a game-changer as its enactment ensured public participation which lead to overall awareness about how transparency can be brought out in the governmental system and how government can be made accountable.

In 2010, Anna Hazare, who has been active for more than three decades in the village of Ralegan city in Maharastra, became the leader of very popular movement India Against Corruption[IAC]. It grabbed the attention of the entire nation as if it was a second movement for independence. It got an unpresented boost, thanks to the 24/7 electronic media and the all embracing social media.

The growth of the internet and especially the social media what is SCAM (Social, Cloud, Analytical, Mobile) areas of development in communication today have virtually placed tremendous powers in the hands of practically every citizen and voter so that he/she can access information and also spread ideas and opinion on a scale not only nationally but internationally and the impact of this have been very dramatic especially in more backward place where physical infrastructure might not have developed but the accessibility of mobile and information technology have empowered people. 

 In a country like ours, this continuous participation of the people in promoting integrity and combating corruption, especially in the last decades have led to situations that set political agendas and electoral issues. The 2014 elections were largely shaped by the civil society agitations and media coverage of various scams. It is, therefore, appropriate that this year’s theme of Vigilance Awareness Week is focuses on public participation on promoting integrity and combating corruption. 

            This can be a broad overview.  Our experience in the last two decades and more has also shown us that there are multiple aspects of public participation and one has to be clear that we do not do injustice to anyone and we are fair.  In fact, the manner in which the anti-corruption movement and public participation have evolved in the last few years, seem to highlight some negative dimensions. In this context, a mention about role of media would be pertinent. The electronic and print media play a large role in highlighting the issue of corruption and lack of integrity in public life. Though there is not only the ostensible objective of doing the public service but on certain occasion, there is also tremendous commercial interest.  In the case of the electronic media, there is a continuous competition for getting higher Television Rating Points.  There is a possibility that truth and objectivity get suppressed in the process.

     With all these, we should appreciate the remarkable role played by our judiciary which has been able to maintain the focus on really bringing guilty to book and laying down standards so that the agencies who are fighting corruption function on the right lines. 

In fact, various scams which marred the reputation of past governments in recent times, are all the results of the gross and brazen misuse of powers for private gain which came out in the public domain thanks to the alertness of the media and the activists. Transparency is the best guarantee against corruption.  We have a law now of the Lok Pal but one does not know how effective it will be, because, ultimately the responsibility for integrity is on the individual himself. 

            As we observe the Vigilance Awareness Week this time, this author would like to emphasize one very important aspect. This aspect is that now we have the inspiring leadership of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He has given supreme importance to the issue of good governance from the day he assumed charge as the Prime minister. Every step taken since he became Prime Minister, is for realizing that supreme national vision. We can all therefore look forward to a great future for the country.

The initiatives taken by the Prime Minister, right from his days of the Chief Minister and the way in which he conducted the campaign and every measure, he has taken, have shown that he realises that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. Under his leadership, we are on our way to become one of best countries in the world drawing inspiration from our own ethical cultural roots.

कमला हैरिस

कैलिफॉर्निया
शहर की अटॉर्नी जनरल कमला हैरिस ने इतिहास रच दिया है। भारतीय मूल की कमला ने यूएस सीनेट इलेक्शन में जीत हासिल की है। ऐसा करने वाली वह पहली भारतीय-अमेरिकी बन गई हैं। 51 साल की हैरिस ने अपनी ही पार्टी की डेमोक्रेट लॉरेटा सांचेज को हराया।

कमला यूएस सीनेट में चुनी गई 6वीं अश्वेत हैं। अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति बराक ओबामा यूएस सीनेट में चुने गए पांचवें अश्वेत सीनेटर थे। हैरिस बीते दो दशक से ज्यादा वक्त में ऊपरी सदन के लिए चुनी गईं पहली अश्वेत महिला हैं।

कमला हैरिस की मां श्यामला गोपालन साइंस की पढ़ाई के लिए चेन्नै से अमेरिका गई थीं। वहीं, कमला के पिता डॉनल्ड जमैका में पले-बढ़े। अपने देश के बड़े रिसर्च स्कॉलर में गिने जाने वाले डॉनल्ड ने इकनॉमिक्स की पढ़ाई की। कमला का जन्म ओकलैंड, कैलिफॉर्निया में हुआ था।

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