Archive for the 'General' Category

Why Indian Software & not Hardware

At an India – US Business Alliance, Santa Clara, US, I was invited to speak on “Future of Software in India”. That led me to think of history of software in India and I realised that India has always been good in software. Much before computers were invented. Software in a larger sense. Not just bits & bytes. Rather thoughts & insights. Creations of mind rather than creation of hand. India continues to excel in software as in literature, cinema, ads, designs, programming in any media and last but perhaps most important spiritualism.

If one would to guestimate the combined valuations of “wealth creation” by Osho, Chinmayanand, Sri Ravishankar, Mahesh Yogi, Krishnamurthy, et al; I wager, it would be manifold of the cumulative “software exports” from india.

Why India always exceled in mind work and performed poorly at hand work?

I think the reason is two fold. First the climate. Though India has all the seasons, by & large, the characteristic weather is “hot”. Focus on the genesis of Indian civilization. It originated by the banks of the rivers in highly fertile plains. It was easy to be agrarian. Throw the seed, rest & enjoy the fruits in time. By & large the weather was pleasant, hot & hotter. A cold harsh weather would have induced physical activity to generate ‘heat’.  To build shelters. To hunt for clothing. For our ancestors, the weather was conducive to relax under shade of a tree to muse & meditate.

Second reason, perhaps an offspring of the first, was & is the caste system. The highest status was accorded to the “mind” work and lowest to the “hand” work  and this continues till date. We are incilned to outsource manual work to an abundance of cheap labour. By & large, we aspire to be “Brahmins”. The learned. No dignity can be found in labour.

Contrast this with the way Japan, Korea & China harnessed labour to become manufacturers to the world.

As the posts in NextIndia forum are perhaps not much read, I shall stop here. Please treat this post as a discussion. Hope to hear from you.

Book review – India After Gandhi

Just finished reading India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha, and loved it! In retrospect, it is surprising that we weren’t taught post-independence history at school… India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy My own exposure to last fifty years of Indian history has been through fragmented accounts (through books or otherwise) of specific issues. This book was a revelation in putting it all together.

More than anything, it made me fall in love with India again. In spite of all the imperfections, the very survival of this country is creditable – in fact, perhaps, a black swan outcome. The book traces back the beliefs and convictions that made it so, with due recognition of the failures that happened along the way and continue to happen. Guha concludes that the idea of India as a nation belies all conventional notions of what makes a nation (common values, language, religion and the likes) and by itself offers a model of what nations of the future may be held together by – not the least the inherent plurality and contradictions within it.

While this is claimed as history of India, it is really a political history – but a good one. I am glad the author resisted the temptation, almost till the end, to broaden the coverage to other fields like business and entertainment! What would have been great is to get a deeper view of the changes in society over past fifty years – would have provided a great context for what was driving politics. In any case, a must read.

Decadent Governance

As an Information Commissioner i come across situations which raise some fundamental doubts about our Governance. Information comes into Public domain, but the Governance structure appears to be unable or unwilling to do anything even about blatant illegalities. Since i have a conviction that Citizens have the power and authority to bring corrections in our flawed governance, i want to share the details of one such instance.

To begin at the beginning. A citizen asked about proof of whether a mobile tower which had been erected on top of an existing building had been given permission as required under the law by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The information was revealed after some coaxing that no permission had been given. The PIO promised to take action. But inspite of a complaint to the Municipal Commissioner and the Police Commissioner no action has been taken to bring down the tower which could pose a hazard, endangering the lives of people staying in those buildings. The Additional Commissioner (Eng.) has revealed the fact that out of 4532 mobile towers in Delhi only 2015 have the requisite permissions and 2517 are without MCD permission! Thus large corporates are putting up the mobile towers on the terraces of existing buildings without legal permission – an example of Corporate Social Irresponsibility?

The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police undertook an inquiry and came to the conclusion that the police cannot take any action since all ‘unauthorised development’ in Delhi has been given official protection by the Delhi Government by Section 3(2) and (3) of the NCT of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2009. By this provision all unauthorized developments like mobile towers are given protection from any punitive action during the year 2009. I had heard about mafia protection for illegal activities, but am surprised that protection is offered by the Government under the garb of a law!

To install a mobile tower there is a requirement of obtaining a stability certificate to ensure that the building is not likely to be endangered by putting additional load on top. MCD has specified that the stability certificate will be accepted only if it is issued by one of the five agencies approved by it. One of the approved agencies is IIT Delhi. During the course of a hearing at the Commission it has been recorded, “The Appellant had pointed out there are two certificates issued for the same address. The PIO has stated that the faculty members in IIT issues a stability certificate based on the drawings provided by the client in which the address is mentioned. The PIO also states that no records are maintained by the IIT of the drawings. The Commission has taken a look at the stability certificate provided by IIT which states, ‘This building is safe and capable of resisting the forces and moments which may be increased or altered by reason of the additional structures for 15 meter three legged tower with GSM and MW antenna….’. The wording of this certificate appears to indicate that it is certifying the stability as existing whereas the PIO described that it is a certificate based on a drawing with an address which is not verified at all. Given the fact that the IIT does not maintain any copy of the drawing with itself, this process appears to have great potential for misuse. Statutory bodies which permit these towers and IIT would do well to take a look at these practices which may have the potential of endangering safety. Alternately people may discover that there is no need for such certification in which case it would be done away with.” I am distressed that any engineer can issue a safety certificate for an existing building without even looking at it! If some of the buildings collapse, an Enquiry Commission will get a few years work at Public expense.

To me the foregoing gives an indication of some fundamental reasons for the steady decline in the rule of law and decadent Governance. The key elements are:

  • Major Corporates are flouting the laws by operating without the permissions in over 50% cases.
  • MCD will take no action against them.
  • The Delhi Government will offer protection to unauthorized activity by major Corporates by law.
  • A Premier academic institution issues safety certificates in a manner which is completely flawed.

This is a potent combination whereby conscious collusion and inactive passivity leads to a society where the rule of law is effectively subverted by the powerful, leading to a decadent governance structure. Institutions and Citizens need to find ways to correct this. This same set of conditions are seen in many situations across the country.

ADB Developmental Goals

Mint has interesting data from ADB on the developmental goals and how India stacks up. Despite the growth that countries like India have witnessed over past many years, we still trail on basic amenities for all.

Delhi Gurgaon Expressway: Scant regard for human life

The Delhi Gurgaon expressway between Delhi and Gurgaon has been designed ignoring the local needs of people living on both sides of the highway. The areas on both sides of the NH8 in Gurgaon have long been inhabited and people have crossed the highway for local needs like: children going to school, workers going to factories for decades before the expressway came up.

Villages on both sides of the highway and industrial areas like Udyog Vihar etc have existed long before the expressway was conceptualised. In spite of this fact, the design of the expressway has ignored the local needs of the people on both sides of the highway. As a result of this ignorance or rather indifference, subways, foot overbridges or pedestrian crossings were not conceptualised. Or even if they were planned or constructed, they were mis-conceptualized. Two footbridges has been set up near Rao Tula Ram crossing and one near Delhi Gurgaon border. Ironically there are hardly any habitations on both side around these stretches. As a result, these FOBs are hardly used. Due to this negligence, more than 100 deaths have resulted on the expressway, with larger proportion being that of pedestrians. This includes death of school girl who was crossing the NH8 to attend the government school in her village.

It is believed that it is the basic human right to go to work and earn a living. By the present design of the highway, locals have to risk their lives everyday even to attend office or school. While the expressway has been a boon to motorists, it has been a bane for “equally human” pedestrians. It is shocking to see authorities putting iron grill barricades on the central verge of the highway to prevent people from crossing. Are pedestrians expected to walk upto a ‘U-turn’ 2 km ahead to reach the other side of the road? It is plain inhuman to expect a daily worker to walk such a long distance in scorching sun. No wonder, a regular pedestrian tries to find a shortcut by crossing the highway mid way which has resulted in numerous accidents. Even if such barricades must be put, it should be only done after providing sufficient FOBs/sub ways.

What I am aiming at is the fact the it is not entirely the responsibility of DS Constructions to ensure smooth and safe traffic. If the basic design of the highway hasn’t taken into account the local needs of people living the near it, then what is a private developer expected to do. If the seed is wrongly sowed, how can one expect the tree to stand strong and upright. RITES, which is most likely the design consultant of the project, could not even see such a basic need of providing pedestrian crossing facilities, considering the fact the highway cuts a large city like Gurgaon into two parts. Were they simply sleeping while designing the highway and just did a copy-paste job of making the Detailed Project Report. Did they really conduct the socio-economic impact assessment of this project of the people living around the area? RITES and NHAI are as much accountable for this mess as private contractor.

It is urged that foot overbrides or subways be constructed on urgent basis no matter at what costs within strict timelines and same be monitored regularly by a judicial body. If required RITES/NHAI have to foot the entire bill even if it runs into tens or hundreds of crores of making pedestrian facilities (considering land is costly in Delhi/Gurgaon). Although two FOBs have come up, they are plainly inadequate. Through your esteemed blog, I request you to take up the issue in public and highlight the requirement of not 4 but may be 10 FOBs to ensure convenient cross over for pedestrians and smooth traffic for motorists. We need to get the DPR of this expressway even if it means going through RTI route to point out the flaws in design which defy even basic engineering and socio-economic principles. I am sure there are other ill-designed projects in India, mainly because of lack of capacity more importantly willingness of government planning bodies to ensure designs suited to local needs.

Although early to say, Bandra-Worli sea link may be the next project which needs a closer look. The initial news about jams on the sea-link do give a bad impression though!

Natural Laws, Human Flaws

Gaussian distribution is not a mathematical construct but a natural law. It is normal distribution that occurs in populations, events and seemingly random & mass instances of all sorts.

Another natural law that should be easy to agree upon is that what is good for Earth is good for all life forms dependent & residing upon it.

Also, common sense would dictate that Earth is limited as to how much life can it sustain.

Hence, Death is not merely desirable but essential. Else, earth would soon be devoured by life’s longing for itself, its innate goal to proliferate.

Predation, therefore, plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of our one & only home. So does calamities, wars, diseases & so called natural disasters.

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Morality, on the other hand, is not Natural.

It is a man made construct. It seeks to eradicate pain, suffering & death. All forces causing so are termed Evil.

Yes, it does accept non-violent, painless natural death but essentially its basis is man’s fear of pain, suffering & death.

Morality as a common code of conduct for humans, as commandments to regulate behavior is required but it has unduly drawn focus away from health of Earth to health of Mankind.

Under the guise of morality based on common fear of masses, mankind, for ages, has eroded Earth & other life forms on it. It has devised systems, theories, religions, sciences, etc. based on concepts like justice, fairness, equality, virtuosity & such. The combined effect is a significant tilt towards the welfare of people & not the planet without which they cannot exist.

Mother earth, consequentially is getting sicker and has developed fever & shivers as a starter. Global warming & icy winters are merely a warning. If not treated, health of our home can only worsen.

One thought which is being pursued is search for an alternative home, like mars or moon.

But isn’t it conceivable that Mars is not our future but our past. That like Earth it was once a hospitable planet which hosted human beings and their activities increased the carbon dioxide in its environment and made it hotter & hotter till it became unlivable & decimated all life on it.

Perhaps a few escaped. To Planet Earth.

(That may explain the sudden onset of industrial revolution only in Caucasian Europe while Indigenous Indians lived at peaceful co-existence with nature elsewhere in Americas, Australia, Africa, & the polar continents).

Only to repeat the cycle … to make another Mars in the offing.

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With the context above, let’s examine one man made concept, the Democracy. More specifically, the system of governance, not devised but practiced by us, the Indian Nation.

Democracy is based on one person one vote – all equal. Monarchy allowed the fittest to emerge as the Natural Leader with one person holding all the votes. Both extremes are against the Gaussian law. By law the population would appear as a pyramid. With majority at the base. And decreasingly fewer on the upper rungs.

If democracy was imposed in a jungle, surely an insect or a rat would emerge as the leader. Insects & rodents would vote en masse to elect one of their kind. In the hope that they shall do them the maximum good little realizing that the ones elected from their kiln would abandon them rather quickly because they shall try & hasten their evolution to the next rung in the ladder. They would want to become bigger predators. Though disappointed, the voters would understand and may even empathize. After all the desire to evolve is innate, they even take pride that one of their ilks has made it to the next rung.

Tigers would hardly vote. They know they simply lack the numbers to make an impact on the outcome. They would become disengaged and rely simply on their own strengths to get by in the jungle. (I am in the process of writing a book extending this scenario to all beings of the forest and the resultant state of the jungle)

The Gaussian distribution is simply a reflection of the reality. In the above context, we know that species which breed more tend to be lower on the food chain. And vice versa.

Anthropologic studies have established similar patterns in humans everywhere. Those whose survival is assured do not bother much to reproduce and if they do they keep the quantity small so as to ensure similar quality of life for their offspring. In ghettos, on the other hand, a culture of hopelessness pervades. Life is lived on a day to day, one breeds simply because there is no responsibility towards the offspring.

Once again, what is described above are two extremes. For majority, the boundary arguments do not apply. The point, nonetheless, is that a system which is based on quantum alone is apt if the assumption that all are equal is warranted by rather limited variance in quality.

There is much more that I can say. I’d rather have a dialogue. Pl contribute.

Provide Feedback on Right to Sex Legislation

Amidst all the bills on right to education, food & employment, one right for which no legislation is required is right to reproduce.

As if it is a birthright: as in right to give birth.

A pre-requisite right which also is unspoken is right to get married.

It is taken for granted that everyone deserves to get married & breed.

Hardly an argument there but must the marriage be delivered on a platter?

‘Naukri & Chaukri’- ‘Livelihood & Spouse’ are the two fundamental goals that we must be competent to attain.

They ought not to be arranged by ‘Pitaji’s’ sifarish & ‘Mataji’s’ goodwill.

These are necessary rites to adulthood for which we get 20+ years to prepare.

How to woo & court, seduce & mate are as essential to learn as the fourier transforms.

Otherwise there is no growing up, simply growing old.

Just as we compete for jobs so we must compete for mates. We got to earn these life rewards not merely have our parents arrange them for us.

Competition breeds competences and society as a whole benefits by honing the quality of the next generation.

Not everyone will succeed as not everyone ought to succeed. This is a fundamental realization that we must accept.

Just as some students will fail in exams, some employees will be fired for incompetence, not every male will be successful in courtship and not every female

will be able to attract a spouse. As simple as that.

As it stands, it is far too simple, the bar is too low. If one is unable to secure a spouse in Haryana, one can always buy a bride from Assam.

It is simply trafficking under the guise of holy institution of marriage.

The supply as well as demand for such brides & grooms is non stop & plentiful

What’s worse is that both the bride & groom are products of marriages of convenience and in turn shall breed more candidates.

Talk about a self-perpetuating system. This is surely one.

In such a system where ugly, infirm, psycopaths, incompetent, the evolutionary laggards find it so easy to breed,

the next generation’ qualitative enhancement is severly impeded if not eroded.

The process of natural selection is simply bypassed. A blatant violation of a natural law in the name of “culture”.
Sexual urge is natural too and attempts to realise that urge is totally legitimate.

Must the desire for sexual fulfillment equate getting married.

Perhaps the Haryanvi would not need to marry the Assamese if an outlet for sexual urge was handy.

India has the world’s largest number of prostitutes but in the eye of law they are virtually non existent.

And in the eye of morality, they are repugnant.

We are okay with sex as an act of procreation but not as an act of recreation.

Why cant a person who might be aware enough of his or her inability to afford marriage &/or offspring, cant simply enjoy guilt free sex.

(S)He would be doing society a big favour.

By afford, I am not suggesting finances alone, it takes emotional maturity & life understanding to be effective parents.

So, inadvertently, we encourage child marriages. They might be legally of age but the couple may have only that as a qualification.

Both enter marriage with little or no maturity emotionally or sexually.

It is unlikely that they are going to discuss contraception before conssummation.

Other than condom, all other contraception has to practiced by female.

If she explores that subject prior to wedding she runs the risk of being viewed as promiscuous.

Inexperienced male on the wedding night is anxiety ridden to deflower and condom is an unwelcome pullback to prove his manhood.

I bet the first born in most such marriages is conceived within the first few months of the wedding night.

Second born is then rationalised to complete family.

The cycle continues.

It is well established that the cultures that are liberated in views on sex are now faced with the problem of a negative population growth.

Governance in such nations is attemtping incentives to breed.

Governace need in India is exactly the opposite.

It calls for social engineering, moral relaxation, effective lawmaking.

Indeed what is needed is a law for Right to Sex.

Effectively delineating that from right to marry or breed.

For that the law of nature must prevail.

President’s Helpline

Rastrapati Bhawan has added a helpline http://helpline.rb.nic.in/ – one can lodge a grievance and get online status updates. I haven’t tried it, but hoping this works well!

The Minimum Viable Accountability Product

The lack of a proper law to ensure that public grievances are addressed appropriately is fast becoming a common public grievance. A Right to Accountability Act, along the lines of the Right to Information Act, has been proposed in the July 14th edition of the Hindustan Times.
In my perception, there are two problems with the proposal as described in the paper:

a. The proposal for a Right to Accountability suffers from the same limitation as the current Right to Information Act, which is that the final arbiters on each matter are the Information Commissioners, whose financial and social incentives are aligned with those of the the government and its officials, and not with the wishes of the people. The Information Commissioners refuse to penalize the govt officers withholding information, and there is little that an appellant can do in this situation.
It can be anticipated that Accountability Commissioners would not buck this trend.

b. The fact that information has been withheld can be proven far more easily (or does not need to be proved) than government negligence in a particular case. Negligence, if reported by an individual, can in many cases simply be denied by the government. If the individual does not prove negligence, it becomes a case of accepting the complainant’s word against the government servant’s, something that the government will never do.

Added to this is the biggest hurdle that the proposal doesn’t talk about.
c. Political resistance will be very high to a law that seeks to make the establishment accountable.
The demand for a law that proposes to bring about total or near-total accountability is effectively a demand for revolution, which is unlikely. Only investments in incremental change are likely to pay off.

Whenever a discussion about the Indian government and the need for change takes place in the public domain, emotion often tends to overshadow the need for pragmatism. The discussion needs to be focussed not on the grand vision of how accountability will be achieved in India, but the first step. The brainstorming should be concentrated not on the law that will give powers to every indifferent citizen to police any errant politician/bureaucrat, but the enabling legislation that will give tooth to the activists and people who are motivated enough to want to make a change. The Minimum Viable Accountability Product.

Hopefully, the discussion about such an accountability law can be started in this forum.

Grievance Registration System – Delhi

Let me start my first post on the Delhi Govt – Grievance Registration System.

Delhi govt call its Grievance Registration System , Paper less – AAP   KI    SUNWAI

As an complaintant one need to login in : http://crgms.sparshindia.com/RegisterGrievance/PersonalDetails.aspx

He has to submit the nature of grievance with the concerned Delhi Government Department through online application form . At the end complaint/grievance number is generated where he can check the status of his application.

The complaint is routed to the call centre who works on it and then pass it to the concerned department for there action.  After receiving the reply the system update the status.

THE BEST PART OF THE SYSTEM THAT YOU CAN MONITOR THE STATUS , SYSTEM GENERATE THE ONLINE COMPLAINT NUMBER.