Media Activism

The communication revolution in the last couple of decades has vested huge responsibilities on the media. Media now has the capability to create an opinion among millions of more people than anytime in the past. With this far reaching effect, it now has gained the power to affect the country’s systems as a whole. Its role has evolved from a mere information conveyer to a powerful activist. I assume this is the very reason that it has been named the Fourth Estate.

Media’s role in a number of recent cases like Ruchika’s case, Jessica Lal case, BMW case, etc has been instrumental in getting all attention on them and forcing the judiciary and the law and order agencies to undertake a fair trial. Manu Sharma, for example, had been acquitted by the high court but is being found guilty by the Supreme Court. It is quite evident that the earlier trials were influenced by the high profile personalities involved in all of them. The unravelling of facts to the general public by the media relating to each of these cases had been the key to this success. We may call it media activism or media exposure.

But there has been a lot of criticism on the medium too. Many critics blame it for sensationalizing the information to allure more and more viewers. It has been tagged as only a corporate interested in making money through higher TRPs leading to higher advertisement profits. This could be true to a large extent. The presentation of each of these stories has been dramatic. The extent and the kind of coverage given to them make these channels source of entertainment in general households. They provide information which the public likes to see and the way they like it the best. This fact is evident in the selectiveness of cases to be covered. All of these are the ones which find most widespread interest. Media has done a great job in getting some of these influential criminals to law but at the same time, to do justice on being called an activist, there should be stress on a myriad of other areas starved of attention of national concern as well.

There have been some efforts in this direction. There are some examples of initiatives by the media which could not have been done by individual efforts. Initiative like “Teach India” by Times of India is one example which could have a far reaching effect in the literacy rate of the country as a whole. A few sting operations in sales tax offices were some excellent efforts to induce fear from corruption in many government offices. Let us hope to see more initiatives like these and many more areas to make India’s future brighter.

Delhi - Gurgaon Expressway on 15th July 2009

Delhi - Gurgaon Expressway on 15th July 2009

Looks like Delhi is colouring itself well for the commonwealth games. I received this picture as a forward and could not stop myself from boasting of it being Delhi amongst my colleagues. It really made me proud of the place. :-)

Education System Reforms

The HRD minister of India, Kapil Sibal, has put forward his agenda for the first 100 days. It gives me great joy and satisfaction that the new government is enthusiastic to bring about reforms. Let us try to put a thought over the proposals.

The most revolutionary idea of all is to scrap the class 10 board exam. I guess the word scrap is wrongly used here. Mr. Kapil Sibal has proposed to make the board exam OPTIONAL and not scrap it. The students who do not want to make a shift to other schools, may choose internal assessment and not appear for the board exam. This is done to reduce the trauma students have to go through who slog over the year to put in their best. There are many who are unable to perform to the expected levels and resort to suicide.

In my opinion, most of the Indian parents are obsessed with their kid’s performance and want them to excel. This obsession comes from their knowledge of the competition which awaits the kid after school. So, most of them (urban middle class) would want their kid to appear for the exam and try to get into a better school. The exam would be compulsory for the students (mostly in rural India) who want to pursue vocational courses or a diploma certification. So, it would be a small population who may opt out of the exam.

Another proposal is about implementation of grading system in class 9^th and 10^th. This would decrease the pressure to get more and more percentages in the two classes. When I tried to find information about the grading system, I found that most of the countries follow grading system except a few like India. Refer the following article for information about grading system in different countries of the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_(education)

About India, the article quotes: “In India, marks are generally given in percentages to encourage perfection and good presentation, despite the extra pressure on the students. But schools often give grades too in lower classes in primary school. But in higher classes, percentage differences up to two decimals is taken into consideration for ranking. The Board exams given by students all over India in Class 10 and 12,also present the marks obtained in each subject in the report card. In colleges, a percentage or GPA system is optionally followed by various institutes.

But mostly, percentages are used. A high percentage above 90% is supposed to indicate the excellent quality of a student.Students 'burn many a midnight lamp' to achieve the 90% benchmark.”

So the grading system may bring relief for many. But the proposal says it may be a grading system or percentile system. I believe the percentile system would not be able to correctly reflect the performance of the student. For one studying in a school with thousand pupils it would very tough to get a high percentile than one studying in a less populated school.

Both the proposals are revolutionary in their nature as they attempt to change age old pedagogy. These would apply only to CBSE as a pilot. Let us hope it could have the positive effects it is intended for.

After the first steps detailed above there is a lot more to do. With 20 different boards in India it is difficult to get a standard and uniform measure for all students in class 12. It is well known that state boards in the southern region of our country are very generous in awarding marks. This creates problems for students in other boards to get admission into under-graduate and graduate colleges as class 12 results are considered in all admissions. Also, there is a big difference in the curriculum of different boards which creates problems for some while appearing in the competitive entrance examinations. There is a need for a single standard board across India to obviate these issues. Also, Indian education system emphasizes on academic performance and does not promote extra-curricular activities which may help students to search their area of interest. We need to introduce innovative ways to help students realize their interest and should have a system to promote non-conventional studies.

Also, we need to focus on increasing the number of higher education institutions which provide quality education. The number of applicants is increasing manifolds with the number of seats remaining the same. This demand–supply gap creates higher and higher levels of competition.

Other steps taken by the minister include pushing the bill for Right of children to compulsory and free education for children till the age of 14 should have far reaching effects. Besides increasing the penetration of education in the poor, it will also make education compulsory for girls in the rural India.

Proposal to set up an All India Madrassa board to impart secular education along with the regular teachings of a madrassa is also included in the agenda. It would make the students at the madrassas eligible for higher education institutions. But, wouldn’t this promote the existence of madrassa where primary education is about the religion?

Commenting on the issue of reservation, the minister said he wants to build a consensus before he takes any action. He said steps would be taken only after the current implementation is completed and after the private institutions have the infrastructure to provide reservation. I guess he made an equivocal statement just to be away from any controversy at least as of now.

An anti-ragging helpline would be setup for students across the country. Anybody can call on the helpline number and process to assist him would start within 15 minutes.

The enthusiastic movement by the education ministry leaves a positive impression of the new government. These are few steps towards reforms and there is a lot more to be done. Let us hope the enthusiasm doesn’t die down and it is realized in time.

Don’t be irreplaceable

In the time of recession, with a season of job cuts, each and every employee in the corporate world is building strategies to make him more valuable and irreplaceable. Nobody would want to lose the job and any strategy to save it is a fair strategy.

Being irreplaceable – Some people have the tendency to do tasks independently and not share any knowledge about it with the team. This they do, to always be an important member of the team without whose presence, the team cannot complete work. This would force the employer to retain him even in hard hit times.

But is this a prudent choice to make out of other wiser options available?

I believe the best strategy to avoid being below the hammer of a job cut would be to be the best and not be the only one. All employers are in a constant search of competitive, faithful and flexible employees. If you fit the criteria, you should be least likely to be fired. By making the first choice (being irreplaceable), one saves the job for some time, but would be the first one to be fired once the company doesn’t need his support. So why keep our hopes on something which is so short lasting. Instead, we should work to attain perfection in whatever we do and the rest is all done by itself. But having said that, I would also want to emphasize that one’s perfection should be visible (or MADE visible) to the right set of people. Without the visibility, perfection cannot take us the places we are worth of.

Also, if one possesses a skill which makes him irreplaceable, it also makes him less likely to get better roles. The company would not offer him better roles or positions as he is required to work for his possessed skill. And it is perfectly said:

“Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.”

Moreover, this is a scenario dependant situation. The above may not be working in a scenario and being irreplaceable may be the best choice available. Luck plays an important role in determining one’s future. So one should work the best in the available resources and leave the rest to luck.

Verdict 2009

Congress has sweeped a historic victory in two decades. With UPA winning 262 seats, it is just about majority in the Lok Sabha. The results show a trend of increasing confidence in the Indian National Congress beating the odds of the incumbency. But is it really an increase in confidence?

 

The 2009 mandate reflects that India has no place for the “politics of extremism”, i.e. either the Hindutva group or the Left. Performing governments are now being rewarded. End of identity as a factor of importance as BSP had less than expected gains. Return to national Politics. But, is all that really true?

 

Congress has increased its tally in the Lok Sabha from 145 to 206 but with a mere 2 percentage points increase in the vote share. This indicates a mere redistribution of votes which fetched them a winning combination rather than increase in their popularity. The vote share may have increased to keep the Left and BJP out of power. And the right number of votes in each constituency made up to a whopping number of 206.

 

This is not a sign of return to national politics. The national parties, Congress and BJP, contested more number of seats than 2004 but still saw a 1.3 percentage points fall in their combined vote share. Biju Janta Dal would be a good example of regional parties’ victory.

 

BSP, which is based on identity, has an increased vote share of 6.2% from 5.3% last time. Though, its vote share in UP is less than expected.

           

But, whatever be the reasons, UPA has a decisive mandate and is in a position to bring many long awaited reforms. It does not have any excuse for underestimated development in this term. It has a daunting task ahead and the road seems to be smooth.

 

Many schemes (NREGA, Bharat Nirman, NRHM) started by UPA seem to be capable of good development. It should try and take those schemes as far as possible. It is in a good position to bring the National Food Security Act, which ensures 25 kg of rice/wheat to people below poverty line at Rs 3 per Kg.

 

UPA also has the responsibility to conduct Commonwealth games 2010 successfully. This would exhibit India’s capability to improve infrastructure to the world and may attract foreign investments.

 

The large number of young leaders in the Lok Sabha represents increased expectations for a change. Young leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot need to take steps to bring about a change in the way India has been governed.

 

The mandate expects the new government to set examples and take India to never imagined level. I hope the government realizes the dreams and proves its mettle in style.

 

Keep off the grass – Karan Bajaj

Are you happy with money, job and a good relationship? Samrat was not. A Yale valedictorian working in a Wall Street financial jumbo leaves his job and heads towards his roots in India. His trip to India is a trip for self-realization and search for answers to some unknown questions.

 

He lands up into the ultra competitive IIM, Bangalore (foreign quota thoughJ) and sees a dramatic fall in his grades from a valedictorian to a mediocre student. But all of this doesn’t matter in the bigger picture (as Vinod says). He ultimately finds what he wants to know and stays back in India.

 

The story defines the state of confusion in the minds of American born kids of NRIs. It really made me think.

Where do these kids belong?

United States? But they are Indian.

India? But they no longer are in India.

 

They would always lack the sense of belongingness to a place, a culture. They would always be seen as second class citizens in the country they have chosen as theirs; and now as foreigners in their own country. Away from family and friends to pursue a high paying career and in a foreign land, is it really a good deal? In my opinion, it is not.

 

Another thing which made me think was the author’s mention about happiness. Many of us think that happiness eludes us in our pursuit of life. But the fact is that happiness is always with us. It’s just when we find it. And we will find it as soon as we really look for it. It is we ourselves who elude happiness and not try to look for it.

 

The book very beautifully makes you introspect and know some good things about yourself.

 

Hats off to Karan Bajaj!!! He really made me think.

Newspaper

The other day I read about another industry being impacted by the recession. The newspaper industry in the developed world is said to be hit hard. At the first look, I couldn’t believe that newspapers can also get impacted. Recession or not, people will need the news at all times.

 

But the revenue generators of any newspaper are the advertisements. With most of the industries hit by the recession, there are lesser advertisers, which mean lesser revenue. The newspapers have a huge amount of cost attached with them. They have reporters in many parts of the world, editors, printers and many more. With other industries in recession and no reduction in cost, revenues are bound to decrease. This decline signals reduction in jobs for news reporters. This would lead to a shift towards free lance correspondents to decrease the fixed costs.

 

The online media, in the same period has not seen the same decline. It proves a shift in the readership towards the online medium. With increased ease of access, online media does indeed serve in a better way. Someone interested in the stock market news would directly go to moneycontrol.com instead of digging for the information of his interest in a large business page of a newspaper. Same would be applicable for entertainment, sports news, etc. Also, with much more resources available on the net, the available content also increases dramatically.

 

I just hope the recession has bottomed out. The longer it is there, more and more industries would get affected and the spiral would never end.

If God was a Banker – Ravi Subramanian

Ravi Subramanian is an IIM alumnus. This is his first novel. I read this book for its attractive title but only to find that the title does not have any relevance to the story. It is a story of a couple of IIM alumnus who start their career with a foreign bank about two decades ago.

 

The story has two main characters, Sundeep and Swaminathan. The two have a completely different ideology and way of approaching life. Sundeep is an aggressive, intelligent banker who would take any path for success. On the other hand, Swami is a shy, introvert who has seen hard times in his life. He is an intelligent banker who always follows the ethics of the business.

 

Through the two characters, the author has beautifully elaborated the importance of ethics and principles in one’s life. He has shown how ethical and moral behaviour leads to a happy and content life. Shortcuts may be useful in the short term but mostly lead to problems and make one’s life turbulent. The author has put all the characteristics of a corporate professional in these two characters. He shows clash of values, desperation for status and power, love and lust.

 

The book has a fast moving gripping story with a flavour of Indian corporate environment. It is just like watching a Madhur Bhandarkar flick on Indian corporate life. I like those flicks and I liked the novel too.  

Election Card

I am in Bangalore. But I have an election card from Delhi. This means I cannot vote in the current general elections. Why do we have this limitation? Till the time we are in our own country, we should be able to exercise our right.

 

The ballot system in the Indian elections has changed over the period of time. We have moved forward from the paper ballot system to electronic voting machines which have many advantages over the previous system. Now it is time to modernize other infrastructure related to the ballot system.

 

We have to device such a system where we can cast our vote from anywhere in the country. This would require modernizing the election cards and availability of an infrastructure which would allow crosschecking of voter details from a central database rather than manual paper lists.

 

Biometric cards are already becoming famous. These cards have 16 to 32 GB memory to store various details of the card holder. It can store the thumb impression and retina scan of a person. The card will be validated only when the card holder’s thumb impression matches the one in the card. This would be just like an ATM card with the pin as your thumb impression.

 

A biometric card would check bogus voting to a large extent. We should have such technology implemented where no two cards can have the same thumb impression. This would mean no bogus election cards. Also, we can centralize all our identification systems into this card. It can act as our driving licence, our PAN card, etc. If we implement a system where one can have his bank accounts linked to this card, it will also act as our plastic money. In future we may also make it mandatory to make all high value transactions through this card. It would help us check tax evasion to a large extent.

 

Coming back to the topic, we should make use of this kind of cards to modernize our ballot system. With the use of a biometric card we would not need to have our names in the paper lists. We should be allowed to go in to any polling station and cast vote for the constituency we belong to. This would happen if we have centralized vote recording systems. I can cast vote from Bangalore for West Delhi constituency. Further, there are instances when the voters know well in advance that they would not be in the country on the day of election. In such cases, we should have an option to cast our vote before the actual polling date from specified centres.

 

I believe India has the capability to implement all of the above at such a large scale. It would be expensive, but it would check some of the biggest problems of the country (Bogus voting, tax evasion, etc). It took 30 years to implement electronic voting after its first use in 1980. I hope this takes less time with better administration and less corrupt leaders in the future. 

Whistle Blowers are the guardians of a Democracy

What is Democracy?

Wikipedia says, “Democracy is a form of government in which power is held indirectly by the citizens in a free electoral system.” Taking a 20000 feet view, it is the rule by the people themselves through a few elected representatives. But how would one ensure that the decisions taken by these elected representatives are for the benefit of the masses? Here comes the role of the guardians of a democracy.

 

In the phrase “Whistle blowers are the guardians of a democracy”, whistle blowers may take many roles. The roles may range from political opposition party to media to the judicial system. Let us examine the role of each of these as the guardians of a democracy.

 

The political parties which are not in majority in the parliament of a country are the opposition parties. As the word itself is descriptive, the role of these parties is to oppose the government’s decisions. These parties may be opposing to gain publicity by taking a more popular stand. But this allows a critical review of the bills proposed in the parliament and makes people aware of all the pros and cons of it. Also, the opposition is always on a hunt of facts and figures which may prove the government inefficient. These facts are useful for the public to get an indicative performance of the government. Recently we witnessed the debate on Nuclear deal in the Indian and US parliaments. These intense debates could unfold all the consequences of the deal before going ahead with it. Also, the US involvement in Iraq was debated in their parliaments and had major political consequences. So for all the above roles, the political opposition parties may be seen as the whistle blowers who guard a democracy.

 

The media may also be seen as a whistle blower. With the advent of technology and satellite communication, media has taken more and more responsibility to bring truth to the people. Now people have become more aware of the happening around them. It helps to incite a widespread debate amongst the people on many issues. After the terrorist attack on Mumbai, increased number of discussions through the media resulted in more protests from the people which forced the government to take a strong stand against Pakistan in the global society. Media has also been fruitful in assuring justice to the victims of cases like Jessica Lal murder case, BMW hit and run case, etc.

 

Another whistle blower who guards our democracy is the judicial system. Through provisions like public interest litigations, courts make sure that the constitution is preserved impartially. The police, who are the whistle blowers in a true sense, also contribute to guard the democracy. Maintaining the law and order of the states, both courts and the police make sure people are able to exercise their fundamental rights as per the law.

 

The army may not be a whistle blower, but is definitely the guardian of any democracy. These are the people who guard a democratic nation against any foreign invasion.

 

The United Nations also plays an important role in preserving the democracy of many countries. It makes the governments answerable in the international arena. It preserves the global laws through International court of Justice and ensures rights to be implemented through organisations like the UNICEF, UNESCO, WHO, etc. 

 

A democracy would be “rule by the people” in a true sense only with all the above and many more whistle blowers which will continue to guard it.

6 days to go…

Yes, 6 days to go for the start of one of India’s most publicised event, Indian Premier League. It will definitely be a month of high speed, energetic, festival for the cricket fans in India starting 18^th April 2009.

 

Indian Premier League with its inaugural session in 2008 is based on the Twenty-twenty format of the game. Eight city based teams with Indian and international players will participate in the tournament. These teams being owned by celebrity billionaires of the country including a few bollywood stars add to the glamour of the game.

 

The first season getting a push from the T20 world cup victory was successful in building on the craze. But this year it did not had a pleasant ride even before the start. Clash in its schedule with the Indian General Elections, forced Mr. Modi shift it out of the country to South Africa. This would definitely decrease the on field craze but should not affect the overall enthusiasm. Millions of television viewers would still enjoy the game with the same level of passion. After all, the continuation of our democratic process should always be given more priority.

 

A legal tussle between SET MAX and BCCI also made the news. Finally going for an out of court settlement, SET MAX would remain the official broadcaster of the tournament. Another controversy came into picture for the captaincy of Kolkata night riders. I just hope this is not another plan to bid Saurav adieu.

 

I believe the teams of IPL should not have been given the name of the city. It should have been a general name with a home ground from any one city. As all teams have players from all across the world and not only from that city, it doesn’t make sense dividing the teams on this basis. I being from Delhi would definitely have a bend towards Delhi Daredevils even if it is not the best team. Then why divide on the basis of region when we are already facing problems with increasing regionalism in the country. But there may be another view to it. By associating a region with a team we will always have good number of supporters even for the worst performing teams.

 

Kolkata night riders have come up with a cheer leader hunt show on television, hence trying to promote the cheer leaders concept further. The concept of cheer leaders had not been welcomed in the first season creating a lot of news for their western outfits. In my opinion, if we have divided the teams on regional basis, we should also have these cheer leaders promote the culture of that region. Dressed in their regional outfits and displaying their own dance of celebration would make people more aware of the country.

 

Making the news in the last few days with all the above reasons lets hope to see a power packed play which promotes Indian cricket further and helps in discovering new talent.

NANO is here and it is here to stay

The people’s car of 1980s, Maruti 800, revolutionized the auto industry of India. 25 years hence we have another one making a step into the much more global space. Almost half the price of the predecessor of the title, TATA’s People’s Car, TATA NANO, will definitely change the way world looks at Indian auto industry.

Finally the long wait is over. TATA NANO was launched in Mumbai on March 23rd by TATA group chairman Ratan Tata. A price tag of Rs 1 lac for the first 100,000 cars is the cheapest in the global markets. And this is what made it the most awaited launch.

With a 624 cc, 2 cylinder, MPFI engine producing a 35 PS output and a top speed of 105, Nano will not be disappointing on city roads. Though, definitely not a car for driving passionate but will serve the purpose of making a safe four wheeler for the two wheel drivers.

In a country where a car is looked as a status symbol, launching an economical option is a good business strategy. But how did engineers at Tata Motors manage to produce a car with such an attractive price tag? The answer is smart and intelligent work. The design takes care of all safety measures but at the same time reduces cost significantly. Have a look at the following cost cutting measures.

Cost Cutting features

• The Nano's boot does not open, instead the rear seats can be folded down to access the boot space.
  
• It has a single windscreen wiper instead of the usual pair.
  
• Some exterior parts of it are glued together, rather than welded.
  
• It has no power steering.
  
• Its door opening lever was simplified.
  
• It has 3 nuts on the wheels instead of the statutory 4 nuts.
  
• It only has 1 side view mirror.
  
• Putting the engine in the rear made more space available
  
• Light seats developed by Tata Johnson controls
  
• Specially developed Engine Management system from Bosch
  
• Specially designed tubeless tyres from MRF with low rolling resistance for better efficiency.
  
• Less bends in the metal body reduced cost
  

Thus making Nano cheap is a collective effort of Tata motors and its component suppliers. Another budget control was though innovative advertising. Unconventional medium like web search, viral marketing and innovative public relation driven campaigns are used instead of television advertisement. Brief news items are called nano news in some newspaper; television breaks are called nano breaks. Publicity is also done through Nano merchandise like T-shirts, key chains, etc.

Nano will definitely make an impact on the Indian economy by generating a lot of employment. Thousands will be employed in the Nano plants and its component supplier companies like Bosch, Sona Koya, etc. State Bank of India being the sole financer for the car will also benefit a lot. It will generate more income from loan interest and increased employment in the form of booking agents. A large of number of car dealers will also contribute to the economy. Employment for a significant number of mechanics at the service centres and revenue for spare part resellers can not be ignored. Nano’s plans for launch in Europe and other parts of the world will also act as a boost for the Indian economy.

The price of Nano being comparable to an Autorickshaw from Bajaj Auto may also lead to Nano being used as a public vehicle like an autorickshaw. If this happens we may see a more comfortable ride in the city protected from the weather conditions.

But with all the benefits, the price can also be a cause of worry. We have to be prepared to handle the hundred thousand cars coming on the road in the near future. It means more traffic on the road which would require a better road infrastructure to avoid traffic jams. There has to be increased parking space in the already crowded market places. Apart from the road infrastructure, owing to the extent of the car’s penetration in the Indian cities, Tata motors will have to build a strong service centre network and make the spare parts easily available.

Another cause of worry is its impact on the environment. In the era of climate change and global warming, an addition of carbon emission from a hundred thousand cars may not be a good idea. Nano complies with Bharat Stage II and III and is Bharat Stage IV ready, which would mean a lesser surface pollution than a two wheeler. But its fuel efficiency being much lesser than a two wheeler implies more fuel consumption and more carbon emission. This makes it necessary to accept its negative impact on the environment.

We should also not forget the bloodshed in Singur for the Nano plant which forced the company to move its operation out of the place. In news for all the right and wrong reasons, Nano’s launch was globally awaited and now we wait for the vehicle to be on the road.