June 09, 2007

After weeklong violence the Gujjar unrest has abated for the present with the success of the negotiations the leaders of the agitation held with the Vasundhara Raje Government in Rajasthan. By all indications it is a temporary reprieve for the State administration but a valuable breathing space. It is most welcome given the ferocity of the Gujjar indignation which prompted the Supreme Court to describe the arson and vandalism accompanying the stir in Rajasthan, Haryana, UP and Delhi in (…)

The recent turmoil in Punjab, which has now apparently calmed down, was caused by a photograph of Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Sacha Sauda Dera. It is significant that this photograph which appeared in some newspapers on May 13 was published as a paid advertisement. It showed the Baba attired in a dress similar to that worn by the 10th Master of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh. The Baba was shown preparing what he called ‘Jam-e-Insan’ in replication of the ritual that the Guru had (…)

Epigraph -By the pricking of my thumbs, Something pregnant this way comes. (with apologies to the bard for the plagiarism)
Why does the feeling persist, certainly with this hack, that notwithstanding some astute and trustworthy analyses of the electoral verdict in Uttar Pradesh, there is a seminal kernel to it that still eludes professional comprehension?
And the concomitant feeling that the seed within the kernel may in the days to come burgeon into a decisive determinant of North (…)

The globalisation of trade and investment flows has been paralleled by the emergence of Codes of Conduct. Although the first corporate code of conduct was created by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in 1949, the 1990s witnessed a plethora of voluntary codes and corporate social responsibility (CSR) guidelines. There is no consensus on the precise definition of a code of conduct. Codes can range from one-page broad statements to detailed benchmarks and guidelines on how to conduct (…)

The Congress party is rightly agitated with its defeat in Uttarakhand, Punjab and Delhi and the latest lacklustre performance in UP. The Left parties and many Congress workers feel this is due to the adverse impact of the economic policies being implemented by Dr Manmohan Singh on the common man. On the other hand the Prime Minister and Finance Minister repeatedly harp on the eight per cent-plus growth rate that has been achieved and suggest that the defeats have more to do with (…)

Public sphere is considered as a corrective against the oppressive state, a curative of the irrationalities of civil society and a deterrent to the exploitative market. Jurgun Habermas (1989) remarks that public sphere can ensure undistorted communication evolving critical public opinion. According to Kellner (2007), public sphere is an arena closely linked to the organic life world in which people would be able to discuss public issues in an egalitarian and non-instrumental manner. There (…)

Introduction
EDUCATION is becoming vital in the new world of information. Knowledge is rapidly accredited replacing raw materials and labour as the most critical input for survival and success. Higher education enhances a country’s capacity for participation in an increasingly knowledge-based world economy and has the potential to enhance economic growth and reduce poverty. Thus higher education has assumed even greater significance for developing countries, especially for those like India (…)

The great beauty of Indian elections is that nobody loses. Even when you are routed, you can boldly claim victory. Listen to the Congress spokesman after the UP rout: “The courage of Rahul Gandhi is laudable. We increased our percentage and number of seats.” Listen to the BJP, the greatest loser: “We won in Punjab, Uttarakhand. We defeated Mulayam in UP.”
The politics of bombast is an escape latch when the field is crowded with so many parties. Behind the brazenness, however, there is no (…)

Indian Administration: Politics, Policies and Prospects by Kamla Prasad; Pearson Longman, New Delhi; 2006; price Rs 650; pp. 406.
Retired civil servants have a comparative advantage over the run-of-the-mill research scholars in writing about administration. Any sensitive and perceptive civil servant with the experience of a three decades-and-a-half would have the opportunity to observe, participate and watch from a close quarter some major events and evolution of public policies, (…)

Indira Gandhi certainly had good reasons to be satisfied, if not elated, with the results of the string of by-elections held this week.
Spread over several States, the contests for seven Lok Sabha and twentythree Assembly seats constitute a sort of mini-General Election. Judging by the scores, the commonly accepted adage that a party in power faces by-elections with a handicap—as these become the ventilator for popular grievances—seems to have been falsified for the Indira Congress at the (…)