AADHAR CARD

Aadhar card, the flagship project of the UPA government is now in tatters.
Cobrapost's sting operation clearly shows that Aadhar card is freely available to any one ready to give a pittance of just Rupees 500 to the agent. Anybody including foreigners could get the Aadhar card. Many non-Indians including those who are threats to our national security may be possessing the Aadhar cards. A frightening prospect. Further the card seeker need not personally appear for the card. The agent will take all the necessary biometric measurements including vital photographs from other genuine Indian Aadhar card for the bribegivers. Again all the biometric and other details can be sold to anyone for a price. It is learnt that international companies are involved in the preparation of the hardware and software of Aadhar card under UIDAI. That means foreign agencies can get access to the vital data of Indians. UIDAI is a government agency, and not created by any act of Indian Parliament. 18, 000 crores Rupees already spent for this project.A colossal waste of our tax money which could have ben used for providing drinking water and other useful purposes to our people.
The media brought the misuse of the Aadhar card distribution to the public domain. But UIDAI and the government ignored these exposures. The central and many state governments made Aadhar card compulsory for getting gas subsidy through banks, registration of property and marriage, and for many purposes making life difficult for the lawabiding citizens.Many reports are now coming out regarding the hardships faced by Aadhar card-compliant people in getting gas cylinders and securing subsidy. Recently the Supreme Court ordered the governments to withdraw all orders regarding the linking of Aadhar card with government services. A great relief for the ordinary Indians. But what about the security threats posed to the people and the country because of the  already issued bogus cards?

MARKETING DREAMS TO COMMON PEOPLE (AAM AADMI)

Social Activist Anna Hazare and his team brought  corruption to the centre stage of India's political scene. Aravind Kejriwal took advantage of being a part of Anna's Team and  formed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and captured the imagination of people by offering numerous DREAMS. But as Chief Minister he  had no systematic approach to governance. Finally after 49 days he played martyr and resigned from the post of CM. Now he appears to be aiming at the PM's chair. He dreams and tries to make the dream-loving Indians to believe him.All over India corporate leaders, social activists, politicians from other parties, and the educated youth are joining his dreams. But the reality is the lack of ideology. Crusade against corruption alone cannot take a political movement forward. There must be an ideological base which should be shared by those who join the movement. Take two examples. Kejriwal told the Confederation of Indian Industries that he wants the government to be not in business and all business activities should be by private enterprises. A typical NEO-LIBERAL ECONOMIC IDEOLOGY, which will lead to exploitation of the vunerable and the weak, and will also breed corrupion. On the social life, he supports Khap Panchayats. The Khaps in villages , no doubt, help settle certain disputes, which  elected panchayats can do with committed village representatives. But Khaps are patriarchal formations of village men and the Khap Panchayats have dictated inhuman punishments against women. Directing rape of a young girl by nearly a dozen  men in public gaze for loving a man, not approved by the villaga elders, is a recent example. The Supreme Court of India declared the Khap Panchayats illegal. But our politicians treat the Khaps as potential electoral allies. Kerala, a state with progressive population, has no such Regressive panchayats. Arwind Kejriwal and his team of ideologues, with an eye on Haryana voters, say that Khap Panchayats are social organisations. Yes, they are social , but doing generally antisocial actions against women. India's bane :SLOGANS.VOCAL POLITICIANS, MASS MOBILISATION TO CAPTURE POLITICAL POWER, LEAVING PEOPLE IN THE LURCH.

PUSHED TO THE STREETS IN OLD AGE BY FAMILIES

Old age as a happy period of one's life free from serious family responsibilities under the loving care of children and relatives is only a dream for a large number of elderly men and women in India. Many are illtreated in the families and neglected. But many are thrown out of their houses when their utility is over or when their caregivers feel that they are a "burden" .  This is what is being witnessed in Chennai city.

Helplines operating organisations, old age homes , and kindhearted individuals narrate heartrending incidents , and the media like the Times of India(TOI) bring these distressing realities before the community. Recently the TOI reported  senior citizens being found dead at the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus. Many old people are found abandoned in garbage dumps, at bus terminals and railway platforms in a ragged heap, under flyovers, outside hospitals, and even in sewage canals.Some are sick or mentally ill, some are bitten by dogs and rats, some with insect-infected wounds, some with fractures, and some are dazed without knowing where they are. Cruel, some old women are sexually assaulted in the streets.
Head of an old age home says that  when elderly parents are bedridden or when they suffer from serious, chronic illness, children abandon them in some families.When old age pension gets stopped due to some reason, or when there is space constraint in small apartments, children leave their parents by the wayside. Children, in many cases, get the parents admitted in government hospitals under the pretext of medical treatment, and never return to take them back; in such cases, hospitals because of shortage of beds leave them in the streets in the night. Relatives from smaller cities and towns, and also from other states leave the old men and women in bus terminals, railway platforms, temple premises , etc.

Among the abandoned old people are men and women from all social classes. Former teachers, government officials, airhostesses, and others are seen sharing the streets with homehelps, labourers and beggars till they are rescued and rehabilitated . Not all are lucky. Many spend the remainder of their lives in the anonymity of the streets , and even die on the pavements. Ironically, the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act of 2007 has become a major factor pushing the parents from families to the  streets by children to avoid the provisions of the Act. Whatever it be, in recent years there has been an upsurge in the number of "STREET ELDERLY". Take the country as a whole, the magnitude of homeless, abandoned elderly is humongous,

NO PLACE IS A SAFE PLACE FOR OUR GIRLS AND WOMEN

Predators of girls and women everywhere : fathers and relatives in homes, teachers in schools, employers and colleagues in work places, co-passengers in trains and buses, spiritual gurus, judges,...No
place is a safe place and no age is a prohibited age for the female sex in India. Three men shattered the nation's conscience rudely in recent months, and they are a minute sample of men preying on the body of women.

First, Asaram Bapu, the Godman with a large number of disciples and followers. He and his son Narayan Sai were involved in various heinous crimes against women who frequented the Ashram for solace. It was a herculian task to arrest them .

Second, the celebrated founder editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine Tarun Tejpal. Globally acclaimed for "ethical", alternative journalism, India's greatest crusader of others' truth, Tejpal's sexual abuse of a young journalist who is a friend of his daughter shocked millions of Indians. Tejpal assaulted the young woman in an elevator with the dexterity of a seasoned rapist. He made a public apology first and recused himself  from the editorship for penance :ploys to escape punishment. Tarun's collaborator  in crime was Shoma Choudhary, activist, feminist, journalist, and high voltage speaker on human rights. As managing editor of Tehelka Shoma preferred an internal settlement. Finally under severe criticism from journalistic fraternity Shoma resigned. Tehelka's fake ideals and business loss in the books motivated staff to work for low remuneration and delayed disbursement of salary, while Tejpal was amassing wealth through different direct and dubious means. To protect his skin, Tejpal resorted to intimidation, slander, and character assassination of the young woman journalist. But she stood her ground firmly.Her committed colleagues resigned. Tejpal utilized his financial power to retain a battery of high profile lawyers and released the ultimate arrow "BJP's political conspiracy" to escape the law. Ultimately, after a long court drama, he was taken to a lock-up in  Goa.

Third and the unbelievable : Justice Ashok Kumar Ganguly, retired judge of the Supreme Court and Chairman, West Bengal Human Rights Commission.It was in the midst of the massive and unprecedented agitation over the barbaric gang-rape of young NIRBHAYA in Delhi.A young law intern was asked to go to the hotel  room where Ganguly wanted her assistance in his work. But after some wine inside the nature of assistance Justce Ganguly wanted was different. His advances were immoral and she escaped. A three-judge panel constituted by the Supreme Court found the  behaviour of Ganguly unacceptable in polite legal terms. A violator of human rights, Ganguly refuses to quit his high position despite demands from most political parties in the Parliament and outside. The law has provision for a three-year jail term for such offences. Will the law be different for the supposed protector of justice?

Kurukshetra war took place  killing millions of warriors to avenge the humiliation of Draupadi. India needs another Mahabharat to protect our girls and women.

JUDGES AND JUSTICE IN INDIA

RRJ ( a recently retired judge of the Supreme Court ) has been in the news. Not for any landmark judgement..On the other hand for disgraceful and shocking reasons. When the whole Indian nation was angry and agitating against the horrifying gang-rape of a student in a moving bus in Delhi in December 2012; and when the angry young women and men were trying to enter the Rashtrapati Bhavan braving unprecedented police action and barricades for justice for NIRBHAYA ( the brave heart girl ), RRJ was doing things immoral. A law intern went to his hotel room to help him with his work. She never dreamt that the man whom she considered like her grandfather would touch her body with sexual intentions. But he did what he should not have done in a Nirbhaya (without fear of consequences) manner. She escaped without being seriouly assaulted  sexually. But she did not file any complaint then. Instead she wrote her unpleasant experience in her recent blog.  The Chief Justice of India suo motu constituted a three-judge panel to look into the allegations. The Pandora's Box is now opened. An FIR is filed by the Former Dean of the Law School that 3  other female law interns had similar sexual  abuse experiences. One of the 3 women also wrote her experience with the NIRBHAYA  RRJ. What will be the outcome of the panel's enquiry? The whole nation is keenly watching.

First Information Report is a mandatory responsibilty of the Police when a cognizable offence is reported to the police. But often this is not done by the police. It is common for the police officials to ask the complainant to go and get white papers and carbon sheets if he is not well-to-do. Often cases are not recorded. In many cases NCR (Non-Cognizable Offence Report) is given to the complainants who demand FIR.. The Supreme Court observes that  the police  stations do not file FIR in 6.5 million cases in a year. What a staggering negligence of investigative responsibilty? Some years ago, there was an upright Police Chief the late E.L.Stracey. At his request I made a study of  crime reporting in a residential locality in Madras. As Mr Stracey predicted, 68% of the crimes went unrecorded with an FIR. It was his view that police officials  would have  full knowledge of the criminals in their areas as the offenders regularly grease the palms of the policemen. The recent order of the Supreme Court that the police should mandatorily register FIRs in  all cognizable offences would change the criminal investigation system to a great extent.

SLAVE LABOUR IN COLLEGES

India boasts of its demographic dividend with a large young population. But what is the real extent of the dividend? Disappointing! A large proportion of our graduates are unemployable lacking in skills because of the poor quality of education imparted by many colleges ; for them education is only a profit and loss issue.

Universities and colleges across India do not appoint the full quota of teachers. The Parliamentary Standing Committee's May report states that 38% posts in central universities are vacant, while 47 out of the 297 state universities ,which gave information , have 40% of their teaching posts vacant. Universities and colleges, instead of appointing qualified regular teachers, hire non-regular teachers designated as part-time, temporary, guest and contract teachers.

Out of the total number of 9.33 lakh college teachers in the country 40% are on contract (source:Times Of India). Most of them do not possess MPhil or PhD. The mandatory NET pass is not insisted upon. They are made to work for a pittance. Salaries range from Rs 4000 to 20, 000 per month. As many persons are available to work for low remuneration, college managements prefer them to regular teachers on UGC scales of pay. Further they need not be given leave, medical insurance or Provident fund. Temporary teachers are hired for six to eight months in an year. For instance, a college affiliated to a University named after the great  social worker Mother Teresa in Tamilnadu hires most of its teachers on payment of Rs 4000 per month. It is reported that some colleges in the districts of Tamilnadu pay as low as Rs.2000 to 2500 per month.

The bane of higher education in India is the sheer indifference of regulatory authorities like the UGC and higher education directorates in ensuring high quality education through appoinment of qualified and competent teachers, besides other support systems. Who, then, are responsible for this dismal situation? The officials, who look the other way by accepting 5-star hospitality and other PERKS.

RESTORATION OF INDIA'S CIVIL SERVICES FROM THE RUINS

ICS (Indian Civil Servce), the bureaucratic arm of the British Empire to rule the Indian Colony, evoke awe and admiration. The builders of Independent India created IAS (Indian Administrative Service ), IPS (Indian Police Service) and other all India services on the lines of ICS to enable the elected political leadership to govern at the Centre and in the states  to ensure social justice and people's welfare. Protected by the Constitution of India, IAS, IPS  and other civil service officers are expected to ensure efficient and transparent governance fearlessly.

Many young men and women, fired with idealism, joined the civil services through a rigorous selection process by the Union Public Service Commission, drawn from different disciplines : liberal arts , humanities, physical, biological and social sciences, engineering, management, medicine, etc. Graduates from IITs and IIMs, and PhDs also opted for the civil services. Thus the civil service attracted the cream of Indian youth. During the first two decades after Independence the civil service officers could function with freedom because of clean political leadership.

Politics in India witnessed a steady decline from the mid-60s and the main victim was the civil service. Criminals, the corrupt, sex abusers, and others with shady character have been occupying the Parliament, state legislatures and local bodies as MPs, MLAs, Ministers, chairmen, etc. One  example: Dhananjay Singh, at 38, MP has 29 criminal cases pending against him including murder of a Chief Medical Officer, and even a double murder ( like a double century in Cricket). Politics has become an easy money making business without any investment. Money and muscle power are essential ingredients in elections. So while Ministers amass millions and millions, even a village panchayat member can make lakhs. All these  are possible only through corruption and other criminal means. Honest civil service officers are hurdles in this corrupt practices of politicians. The officers who refuse to toe the line of the political masters are harassed, humiliated, transferred, suspended, intimidated, assigned insignificant positions, etc. Sadly, many civil service officers have been co-opted in the corrupt and criminal system, and many are arrested and sent to jail. A dangerous decline of the civil service .

Years ago, my friend Dr.Henry D'Souza, Professor of Social Work, University of Omaha, was in a great dilemma: join the civil services to which he was selected or to go to US for higher studies. In making  a correct decision, he met a senior IAS officer (his hobby: cricket commentary) who told him :D'Souza! Starting a barber shop these days is a better option. You will have freedom. So young man, take the earliest flight to USA. You will never regret.

Famous actor Suresh Gopi immortalised IPS  as an officer in many films. No actor has done so in the country. His role as Commissioner in a film by the same name received a gift from a woman in Chennai; it was a costly gold chain for his stellar role as an IPS officer. It is a reflection of the expectations of the people from the IPS.

The Supreme Court of India recently passed an epoch making order for the creation of Civil Service Boards at the Centre and in the states to regulate transfers and other aspects, fixed tenure for officers in different positions, etc. They need not obey the oral orders of the political bosses. The order of the Supreme Court will , no doubt, restore the civil service to its past glory for the well-being of a billion plus Indians.