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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
THE CAPTAIN’S
HOW THE BJP SWEPT UP CHALLENGES IN PUNJAB
www.indiatoday.in MARCH 27, 2017 `60
9 7 7 0 2 5 4 8 3 9 9 0 9
www.indiatoday.in
F
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Aroon Purie
ew politicians can beat the ambition
GROUP EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Raj Chengappa
EDITORS: Kaveree Bamzai (Special Projects), Ajit Kumar Jha (Research) and audacity of schemes conceived
GROUP CREATIVE EDITOR: Nilanjan Das; GROUP PHOTO EDITOR: Bandeep Singh by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
MANAGING EDITORS: Kai Jabir Friese, Rajesh Jha
EXECUTIVE EDITORS: Damayanti Datta, S. Sahaya Ranjit,
The latest one is the announcement by
Sandeep Unnithan Union finance minister Arun Jaitley in AFTER A
DEPUTY EDITORS: Prachi Bhuchar, Uday Mahurkar, Manisha Saroop
this year’s budget of the National Health
STUNNING
ELECTION
Mumbai: M.G. Arun Hyderabad: Amarnath K. Menon Chandigarh: Asit Jolly VICTORY, MODI
SETS HIS
Protection Scheme, or Ayushman Bharat.

SIGHTS ON
SENIOR EDITORS: Shweta Punj, Sasi Nair, Jaipur: Rohit Parihar A ‘NEW INDIA’
RNI NO. 28587/75

SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Kaushik Deka, Ashish Mukherjee
Mumbai: Suhani Singh, Kiran Dinkar Tare; patna: Amitabh Srivastava This tax-financed health insurance
ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Shougat Dasgupta, Chinki Sinha
Kolkata: Romita Sengupta; Bhopal: Rahul Noronha;
scheme for the poor will give 100 million Modi COVER.indd 1 15/03/17 4:02 pm
Thiruvananthapuram: Jeemon Jacob; BeiJing: Ananth Krishnan poor families, or around 500 million The March 27, 2017 cover
ASSISTANT EDITOR: pune: Aditi S. Pai
PHOTO DEPARTMENT: Vikram Sharma (Deputy Photo Editor),
people, a Rs 5,00,000 cover per fam-
Rajwant Singh Rawat (Principal Photographer), ily per annum. It is the world’s largest
Chandra Deep Kumar (Photographer); Mumbai: Mandar Suresh pitals is being filled by efficient but often
healthcare scheme. Modicare, as it’s now
Deodhar (Chief Photographer), Danesh Adil Jassawala (Photographer);
expensive private sector hospitals. Afford-
ahmedabad: Shailesh B Raval (Principal Photographer);
being called, will provide state-funded
Kolkata: Subir Halder (Principal Photographer); able healthcare, it would seem, is beyond
Chennai: N.G. Jaison (Senior Photographer) healthcare to a population bigger than
PHOTO RESEARCHERS: Prabhakar Tiwari (Chief Photo Researcher), the reach of most Indians.
that of South America. Prime Minister
Saloni Vaid (Principal Photo Researcher),
Past attempts to implement large
Shubhrojit Brahma (Photo Researcher) Modi, known for his big ideas, called
CHIEF OF GRAPHICS: Tanmoy Chakraborty healthcare schemes have been dismal.
the scheme ‘a path-breaking initiative to
ART DEPARTMENT: Sanjay Piplani (Senior Art Director);
The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana
Jyoti K. Singh (Art Director), Vikas Verma (Associate Art Director); provide quality and affordable healthcare’
Bhoomesh Dutt Sharma (Senior Designer) (RSBY), launched by the central govern-
Siddhant Jumde (Senior Illustrator) and said it would usher in a ‘paradigm
PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT: Harish Agarwal (Chief of Production), ment in 2008 with mirror schemes in the
shift in our health sector’.
Naveen Gupta (Chief Coordinator), states, offered an insurance coverage of Rs
Vijay Kumar Sharma (Senior Coordinator) This is very laudable. Rarely have
30,000 for below poverty line families. A
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Manoj Sharma health and education become issues for
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Anil Fernandes (Impact) 2017 study by the academic journal Social
political debate, which could, in a way, ex-
IMPACT TEAM Science and Medicine found that RSBY
Senior General Manager: Jitender Lad (West) plain the rotten state of health and educa-
General Manager: Mayur Rastogi (North), was ineffective in reducing out-of-pocket
tion over the last few decades. Politicians
Upendra Singh (Bangalore),
expenditure among the poor.
Kaushiky Gangulie (East) have been happy to seek votes on divisive,
GROUP CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER: Vivek Malhotra Will Modicare meet the same fate?
Assistant General Manager: Garima Prashar (Marketing) emotive issues like caste and religion. Yet,
This is what our cover story, put together by
SALES AND OPERATIONS: D.V.S. Rama Rao, Chief General Manager as is the case with all other large state-
Deepak Bhatt, General Manager (National Sales) Executive Editor Damayanti Datta, looks
Vipin Bagga, Deputy General Manager (Operations) sponsored schemes, there are serious
Rajeev Gandhi, Regional Sales Manager (North) at. The scheme does mark a commendable
issues with the proposed implementation
Arokia Raj L., Regional Sales Manager (South)
first step towards universal health cover-
of this gigantic scheme.
age. But there are issues. There is no clarity
The pathetic state of healthcare is one
on cost. Estimates vary from Rs 10,000
of India’s biggest policy blights. Seventy
crore to Rs 1 lakh crore while the provision
years after independence, 86 per cent of
in the Union budget is only Rs 2,000 crore
rural Indian patients and 82 per cent of
for RSBY plus 1 per cent health cess. Where
urban patients do not have access to
Volume XLIII Number 8; For the week will the money to finance this scheme come
any form of employer-provided or state-
February 13-19, 2018, published on every Friday from? How will the deserving candidates
funded insurance.
l Editorial/Corporate Office Living Media India Ltd., India Today Group Mediaplex, be identified? How will they pay for their
FC-8, Sector-16A, Film City, Noida - 201301; Phone: 0120-4807100 The link between health and wealth is
l Subscriptions: For assistance contact Customer Care India Today Group, B-45, insurance? Where are the resources, the
Sector-57, Noida (UP)-201301; Phones: Toll-free number: 1800 1800 100 (from a fact that should be more widely acknowl-
BSNL/MTNL lines); (95120) 2479900 from Delhi and Faridabad; (0120) 2479900 workforce or the hospitals? What is the
from Rest of India (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.); Fax: (0120) 4078080; edged. One-sixth of India’s poverty burden
Mumbai: 022-66063411/3412, Kolkata: 033-40525327, Chennai: 044-24303200; timeline for its execution?
results from out-of-pocket health expendi-
e-mail: wecare@intoday.com
l Sales: Direct all trade enquiries to General Manager (Sales), Living Media India A healthy population is a wealthy
ture, which also deters the poor from
Limited, B-45, Sector 57, Noida-201301 (UP)
population. This is a fundamental lesson
l Regd. Office: K-9 Connaught Circus, New Delhi-110001
seeking treatment. Sixty-three million
l Impact Offices: 1201, 12th Floor, Tower 2 A, One Indiabulls Centre, (Jupiter
for a country set to be the world’s third
Mills), S.B. Marg, Lower Parel (West), Mumbai-400013; Phone: 66063355;
Indians (that's more than the population
Fax: 66063226 l E-1, Ground Floor, Videocon Towers, Jhandewalan Extn,
largest economy by 2030. Implement-
New Delhi l Guna Complex, 5th Floor, Main Building, No.443, Anna Salai,
of Karnataka) are pushed into debt due
Chennai-600018; Phone: 2847 8525 l 201-204 Richmond Towers, 2nd Floor, ing Modicare is clearly going to be the
12, Richmond Road, Bangalore-560025; Phones: 22212448, 22213037, to healthcare spending each year. Indians
22218343; Fax: 22218335; l 52, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, 4th Floor, biggest challenge and a personal one for
Kolkata-700071; Phones: 22825398; Fax: 22827254; l 6-3-885/7/B, Somajiguda, are tormented by a twin-pronged disease
Hyderabad-500082; Phone: 23401657, 23400479, 23410100, 23402481, the prime minister since it is now fused
23410982, 23411498; Fax: 23403484 l 39/1045, Karakkatt Road, Kochi 682016; threat—traditional ailments like diarr-
Phones: 2377057, 2377058 ; Fax: 2377059 l 2/C, “Suryarath Bldg”, 2nd Floor, with his name in public memory. This is a
Behind White House, Panchwati, Office C.G. Road, Ahmedabad-380006; Phone: hoea and tuberculosis—and lifestyle or
26560393, 26560929; Fax: 26565293 l Copyright Living Media India Ltd. All chance to either leave his mark on history
non-communicable diseases like obesity,
rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any manner is prohibited.
or be remembered for not having cared.
Printed and published by Manoj Sharma on behalf of Living Media
diabetes and heart ailments. A broken
India Limited. Printed at Thomson Press India Limited, I can only wish him luck in this noble
18-35 Milestone, Delhi Mathura Road, Faridabad-121007, (Haryana) healthcare system makes treatment so
and at A-9, Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar, District endeavour. He will need it.
Kancheepuram-603209, (Tamil Nadu). Published at K-9, Connaught much more complicated. There is just
Circus, New Delhi-110001. Editor: Aroon Purie.
l india today does not take the responsibility for returning unsolicited
one state-run hospital for every 90,343
publication material.
persons and 0.9 beds for every 1,000 rural
All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of
competent courts and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only
persons. The void created by subsidised
but dysfunctional state government hos- (Aroon Purie)
F E BRUA RY 19, 2 018 INDIA TODAY 1

INSIDE
UPFRONT LEISURE
ESCALATION ALONG DELHI’S ART
THE LOC PG 3 SEASON PG 61
PM MODI’S EXAM TWO , GULZAR’S

WARRIORS FIRST NOVEL
PG 7 PG 64
CHINA
48
NEW TECH
SUPERPOWER
China is all set to dominate the next tech
wave in artificial intelligence and smart
manufacturing. India has a lot to learn
PA D M A N
54
PERIOD
C OV E R S T O RY PIECE
18
One man’s small idea
Pros and Is the government’s new becomes a big leap
health insurance plan
Cons of the panacea for all of the
for women’s
hygiene, inspiring a
Modicare country’s healthcare ills? Bollywood biopic
N DA A L L I E S O N E N AT I O N , O N E P O L L
42 32
MOTHER OF
UNHAPPY ALL POLLS
LOT Simultaneous
elections may
Rumblings from the be good for
National Democratic the BJP. The
Alliance’s junior Opposition is
partners could spell less enthusiastic
trouble for the BJP in
the 2019 elections
Cover by NILANJAN DAS
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2 INDIA TODAY F E BRUA RY 19, 2 018

FROM THE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
THE CAPTAIN’S
UPFRONT
9 7 7 0 2 5 4 8 3 9 9 0 9
www.indiatoday.in
CHINA EYES AN TEXTBOOK MODI
AFGHAN BASE PG 7
F
PG 4 ew politicians can beat the ambition
DIRECTORATE S,
EXECUTIVE EDITORS: Damayanti Datta, S. Sahaya Ranjit, POV: NO ROOM FOR
Sandeep Unnithan
A REVIEW Union finance minister Arun Jaitley in AFTER A THE MIDDLE CLASS
STUNNING
M PG
umbai: M.G.9Arun Hyderabad : Amarnath K. Menon C : Asit Jolly
handigarh
ELECTION
VICTORY, MODI
SETS HIS PG 10
SIGHTS ON
SENIOR EDITORS: Shweta Punj, Sasi Nair, J : Rohit Parihar
aipur A ‘NEW INDIA’
RNI NO. 28587/75

M umbai: Suhani Singh, Kiran Dinkar Tare; p : Amitabh Srivastava
atna This tax-financed health insurance
K : Romita Sengupta; B : Rahul Noronha;
The March 27, 2017 cover

olkata hopal
Thiruvananthapuram : Jeemon Jacob; B : Ananth Krishnan
eiJing poor families, or around 500 million
ASSISTANT EDITOR: p : Aditi S. Pai
une

Chandra Deep Kumar (Photographer); M : Mandar Suresh pitals is being filled by efficient but often
umbai
ahmedabad : Shailesh B Raval (Principal Photographer);
Kolkata : Subir Halder (Principal Photographer); able healthcare, it would seem, is beyond
Chennai : N.G. Jaison (Senior Photographer) healthcare to a population bigger than
PHOTO RESEARCHERS: Prabhakar Tiwari (Chief Photo Researcher), the reach of most Indians.
Naveen Gupta (Chief Coordinator), states, offered an insurance coverage of Rs
30,000 for below poverty line families. A
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Anil Fernandes (Impact) 2017 study by the academic journal Social
IMPACT TEAM Science and Medicine found that RSBY
General Manager: Mayur Rastogi (North), was ineffective in reducing out-of-pocket
of India’s biggest policy blights. Seventy LOUD REPORT
years after independence, 86 per cent of Villagers flee Jhora
in the Union budget is only Rs 2,000 crore
AFP rural Indian patients and 82 per cent of village during shelling
urban patients do not have access to
PER SPEC T I V E
Line of No Control
funded insurance.
l Editorial/Corporate Office Living Media India Ltd., India Today Group Mediaplex, be identified? How will they pay for their
FC-8, Sector-16A, Film City, Noida - 201301; Phone: 0120-4807100 The link between health and wealth is
Sector-57, Noida (UP)-201301; Phones: Toll-free number: 1800 1800 100 (from a fact that should be more widely acknowl-
BSNL/MTNL lines); (95120) 2479900 from Delhi and Faridabad; (0120) 2479900 workforce or the hospitals? What is the
from Rest of India (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.); Fax: (0120) 4078080; edged. One-sixth of India’s poverty burden
timeline for its execution?
results fromBy Tilak Devasher
Mumbai: 022-66063411/3412, Kolkata: 033-40525327, Chennai: 044-24303200;
out-of-pocket health expendi-
Sales: Direct all trade enquiries to General Manager (Sales), Living Media India A healthy population is a wealthy
l
Regd. Office: K-9 Connaught Circus, New Delhi-110001
T
l
l
heParel
death of an Indian army
Impact Offices: 1201, 12th Floor, Tower 2 A, One Indiabulls Centre, (Jupiter
violations (all in 2007) on the LoC and for
55 acivilians
countryandset 61
to be the world’s
security third
personnel
Mills), S.B. Marg, Lower (West), Mumbai-400013; Phone: 66063355;
captain and three jawans in
Fax: 66063226 E-1, Ground Floor, Videocon Towers, Jhandewalan Extn,
l
three on the International Border (IB). largest
(army andeconomy
BSF) bywere2030. Implement-
killed. In the first
New Delhi Guna Complex, 5th Floor, Main Building, No.443, Anna Salai,
l
unprovoked Pakistani
Chennai-600018; Phone: 2847 8525 201-204 Richmond Towers, 2nd Floor,
l
shell- There werespending
three army casualties. In ing
36 Modicare
days of 2018,is clearly going
there have to be the
already been
12, Richmond Road, Bangalore-560025; Phones: 22212448, 22213037, to healthcare each year. Indians
ing on February 4 in the
22218343; Fax: 22218335; 52, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, 4th Floor,
l
Bhimber Gali the next five years, between 2008 and biggest
241 CFVs challenge andLoC
across the a personal
claiming one
thefor
Kolkata-700071; Phones: 22825398; Fax: 22827254; 6-3-885/7/B, Somajiguda,
l are tormented by a twin-pronged disease
sector of Rajouri district has refocused threat—traditional
Hyderabad-500082; Phone: 23401657, 23400479, 23410100, 23402481,
2012, the number of violations went up the prime
lives minister
of nine Indiansince it is now fused
soldiers.
23410982, 23411498; Fax: 23403484 39/1045, Karakkatt Road, Kochi 682016; ailments like diarr-
withWhat
his name in public memory. This is a
l
attention on the simmering situation

Phones: 2377057, 2377058 ; Fax: 2377059 2/C, “Suryarath Bldg”, 2nd Floor,
l
Behind White House, Panchwati, Office C.G. Road, Ahmedabad-380006; Phone:
on hoea and tuberculosis—and lifestyle in
to 367 (293 LoC, 74 IB) resulting or four explains this spike in CFVs
the Line of Control (LoC).
26560393, 26560929; Fax: 26565293 Copyright Living Media India Ltd. All
civilian casualties (all in 2012), and 20 chance to either leave his mark
since 2017 and now continuing in 2018? on history
non-communicable diseases like obesity,
l
Printed and Thispublishedceasefire violation (CFV) Media is amongand theheart
security forces A (army and or beFor
remembered for not having
one thing, Pakistan has been cared.
by Manoj Sharma on behalf of Living
diabetes ailments. broken
18-35but theDelhi
Milestone, latest
Mathura inRoad,
a sharp escalation
Faridabad-121007, (Haryana)in BSF). However,
healthcare in the succeeding
system makes treatment so five smarting after India’s September
the past few
Kancheepuram-603209, years
(Tamil Nadu).andPublishedespecially
at K-9, Connaught since much years,
more from 2013 till 2017,
complicated. There theisnumber
just 2016 surgical strikes. India had hoped
2017.
l india today
The facts speak for themselves.
does not take the responsibility for returning unsolicited
oneshot up to 2,764
state-run (1,592
hospital LoC, 1,172
for every 90,343 IB). it would learn its lesson and desist
Between 2003, when the ceasefire came persons
and 980
Of these, 0.9 beds
(860forLoC,every
1201,000 rural
IB) were in from its cross-LoC violations. Having
into effect, and 2007,
there were 21 persons.
2017 The
alone. void
In created
the same by subsidised
five-year period, delivered the message, India seems to
UPFRONT
have. gone into restraint mode, hoping for a change

in behaviour. Pakistan has clearly taken advantage
of India’s restraint, seeing it as an opportunity. After
licking its wounds, it has resumed its antics, both in
terms of infiltrating terrorists and CFV.
At the same time, the February 4 CFV also had
a Pakistani domestic element, coinciding as it did
with Kashmir Solidarity Day.
For the past 28 years, Pakistan has been observ-
ing February 5 as Kashmir Solidarity Day, a national
holiday, to ostensibly convey to the Kashmiris their
‘moral, political and diplomatic’ support. The day
is marked by speeches, processions, human chains,
prayers etc. India-bashing and raising slogans like
‘Kashmir banega Pakistan’ , ‘Kashmir is Pakistan’s
jugular vein’, ‘Kashmir and Pakistan are like one
soul in two hearts’, are common.
SECUR IT Y
However, what has been noticeable in the past
China Eyes an Afg

decade is that the occasion has failed to evoke the
same fervor as it did in the 1990s. According to a
2016 Gallup poll in
Pakistan, since 1990,
The fervour there has been a 19 per
I
of Kashmir cent increase in those s China planning to set up a military base in Afghanistan?
Solidarity Day, who believe Kashmir
will not be able to
The two countries have for the first time discussed Chi-
nese involvement in a new military base in the narrow
observed in gain independence at Wakhan Corridor that connects the two countries and
Pakistan for the all; and a 14 per cent borders Kashmir, according to Afghan officials.
past 28 years, decrease in those who China committed financial support to construct the base
has diminished believe that Kashmir in Badakhshan province, where the corridor lies in the far
since the 1990s would gain indepen- east, and will also train Afghan soldiers, defence ministry
dence in one or two officials in Kabul said on February 2. Talks were held when
years. This is possibly the Afghan defence minister visited Beijing in December. “We
due to sheer fatigue or the realisation how impos- are going to build it (the base), but the Chinese government
sible the task is. has committed to help the division financially, provide equip-
One evidence of this fatigue is the bland message ment and train the Afghan soldiers,” spokesman Mohammad
on the occasion by army chief General Qamar Javed Radmanesh told AFP.
Bajwa that Kashmiris are awaiting the awakening In Beijing, officials are tight-lipped about the plan—PLA
of the international community for plebiscite in spokesperson Senior Colonel Wu Qian said reports were
Kashmir under the UN resolution. Nawaz Sharif “groundless”—but the denials may perhaps be taken with a
used the occasion to lament his dismissal by the pinch of salt. Similar denials avowing China’s long-held policy
Supreme Court. of “non-interference” didn’t amount to much when Beijing last
Decreasing enthusiasm on the one hand coupled year opened its first-ever overseas military facility in Djibouti.
with the successes of the Indian army in targeting China’s plans for overseas military facilities in the Indian
terrorists in Kashmir has resulted in a situation Ocean have long been in the works, aimed at facilitating its
where the Pak army is looking for ways to keep the navy’s ever-growing reach. Planners have already suggested
Kashmir cause alive. that new facilities may come up in some of the many ports
The best way to do it is, of course, to ratchet up China is financing in littoral Indian Ocean countries, with the
tensions along the LoC. In the process, the situation Seychelles and Gwadar in Pakistan mentioned as possibilities.
on the LoC has degenerated into a spiral of violence Less expected, however, is China’s Afghan gambit. Wheth-
and counter-violence. The moot point is whether er a full-fledged Chinese base or an Afghan base that China
it will continue to smoulder with frequent CFVs or will fund and staff, the presence of PLA boots on the ground is
threaten erupt like a volcano. n certainly a game-changer.
Tilak Devasher is author of Pakistan: Courting China, in fact, has already quietly launched joint patrols in
the Abyss and a former Special Secretary, GoI the Wakhan, aimed at targeting Uighur terrorists who China

TAJIKISTAN
C orridor CHINA
ha n
Badakhshan Wak
INDEX
Stubbing out
INDIA
PAKISTAN
Smoking?
The health ministry, according to reports, sought
permission last month from the Supreme Court to
AFGHANISTAN declare tobacco to be outside trading norms. This would
give the government more leeway to impose controls
on the industry, including giving state governments the
option to ban tobacco altogether, as some have done with
SETTING UP CAMP alcohol. A similar decision was taken by the apex court
Nomad families traverse the in the 1970s on alcohol. And tobacco, the government
Wakhan corridor in Afghanistan’s
Badakhshan province
argues, has a similarly deleterious effect on public health.
The court will hear arguments in March.
AFP
`
70,500 cr 12%
han Base Or $11 billion is the size of the
Indian tobacco industry; it
pays $3.1 billion (approx.
Of the world’s
smokers live in
India, says World
Rs 19,200 crore) in excise Health Organization.
fears may be attempting to return to the native Xinjiang duty and brings in $768 Smoking kills about
province after receiving training in Afghanistan, Pakistan million (approx. Rs 4,900 1 million Indians
crore) in foreign exchange every year
and, more recently, Syria.
The PLA, of course, denied the joint patrols as well,
but local Kyrgyz residents say Chinese military have been
present for months. “The Chinese army first came here
267 million 42%
last summer and they were accompanied by the Afghan Indians consume Of male deaths by
army,” Abdul Rashid, a Kyrgyz chief, told AFP. tobacco. 14.1% of all cancer in India caused
adults smoke, estimates by tobacco, says Indian
A Chinese military presence in the Wakhan corridor
the government, and Council of Medical
will carry import for India given the strategically signifi- 24.3% of men Research report
cant location. Hu Shisheng, a strategic expert in Beijing,
says “building a military base in Afghanistan goes too
far for China” but “it is a fact there has been anti-terror
cooperation between Afghanistan and China”. “The gov-
ernment is keen to invest more resources in Badakhshan,”
he says. “The East Turkestan Islamic Movement and
some Chinese extremists used to enter into Af-Pak tribal
regions through Badakhshan, especially before 2009.
Giving priority to Badakhshan’s capacity build-up serves
China’s interests, and serves Afghanistan’s interests too.”
The other main entry point into Xinjiang is through
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, part of the massive China
96% `
1,192.5
Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative. Indian adults believe Average monthly
Could it follow the way of Wakhan? China has already smokeless tobacco causes expense on cigarettes
“serious illness”, says for daily smoker, says
begun joint patrols there, a development that has alarmed
Global Adult Tobacco Global Adult Tobacco
India as it has brought PLA troops to what India sees as Survey 2016-17 Survey 2016-17. Rs 284.1
its territory. Hu discounts the prospect of a PoK base, for bidi smokers
saying it “won’t serve the interests of China, Pakistan and
India”...“only deteriorate relations among the three and
bring conflicts to the region.” That may well be so, but 85%
given China’s newfound appetite for risk, all bets are off. n Of cigarette packets are to be covered with warnings,
—Ananth Krishnan in Beijing ruled the government in 2016
Illustration by TANMOY CHAKRABORTY

UPFRONT
GL ASSHOUSE
THE POORER PARTY Wandering

Sadhu
T
he Congress president’s Rs 70,000 Bur-
berry jacket may have been the talk of town,
but the party itself is in a dire funds crunch.
Rahul Gandhi admitted as much at a recent
R emember former MP
Sadhu Yadav, the
estranged brother-in-law
interaction, saying the party’s financial strength of Lalu Prasad Yadav? The
was ‘way below’ the BJP’s, and that his NRI falling out with Lalu saw
outreach programmes in the UAE were essentially him gravitate towards the
fund-raisers. Last August, a Delhi-based think- Congress in 2009. With
tank said the Congress received Rs 198 crore from the rising tide of Narendra
corporate donors as opposed to Rs 706 crore Modi, he met him in 2013, but
for the BJP in the three years from 2012. Rahul nothing came of it. A year
is optimistic their war cry of Sachche Din will later, in 2014, he threw in his
prevail. “In Gujarat,” he said, “we spent less than a
lot with Jitan Ram Manjhi,
tenth of the BJP, yet we got a great response.”
Illustration by SIDDHANT JUMDE
then chief minister of Bihar.
Recently, he was spotted
near Union minister Upendra
Kushwaha at a human chain
SOUL SISTERS That’s in Patna. What gives?
W est Bengal chief minister

Mamata Banerjee has
Rich
T
never hidden her admiration of he new order
LABOURING
SHEKHAR GHOSH
Sonia Gandhi. Especially since in Indian busi-
the latter called to congratulate ness was on show THE POINT
Didi on her party’s win in the at Guwahati’s
February 1 bypoll. Something
Mamata reminded unruly Con-
Advantage Assam
Global Investment
K erala chief minis-
ter Pinarayi
Vijayan has rid at least
gress MLAs of, telling them about
Summit on February 3. Seated
their leader’s call. Muscle-flexing one place of the notorious
beside the likes of Mukesh Ambani
and shouting won’t work, she told Nooku Kooli extortion,
and Dilip Shanghvi was Patanjali CEO where CPI(M)-affiliated
them; Sonia was on her side.
Acharya Balakrishna, whose labour unions extract wages
net worth Forbes estimated at $7.9 from industry but do no
billion last year. Among the hand- work. Vijayan urged police
ful of speakers allowed to speak to act strictly against head
before the prime minister’s inaugural loaders who pelted stones
speech, Balakrishna held forth on and blocked ships at Beypo-
how to increase farmer incomes ten- re port. It paid off, Beypore
fold. And here we were talking of just port is back on track. Now
doubling farmer incomes by 2022! for the rest of the state.
VIKRAM SHARMA
Sandeep Unnithan with Kaushik Deka, Romita Datta, Amitabh Srivastava, Jeemon Jacob
PU LLQUOTE
“Businessmen are fearful of speaking In a wide-ranging condemnation, senior Congress

to us on the phone because our phones leader GHULAM NABI AZAD railed against the
are being tapped... When I was the chief BJP government in the Rajya Sabha. He argued
minister of Jammu and Kashmir, we used that freedom of speech and even freedom of
to do that to terrorists. You have reduced doing business, language the government should
all of us to terrorists... Fear is not appreciate, was being steadily eroded. It’s a
a good thing, especially familiar refrain from Azad.
in a democracy.”
UPFRONT
BOOKS
CATCHING
’EM YOUNG
P
rime Minister Narendra Modi
knows a thing or two about Exam Warriors
timing. His book, Exam War- by Narendra Modi
riors—208 pages worth of tips to Penguin
handle examination-related stress— `100; pp 208
was launched before the onset of the

exam season. It’s also the time of year CHANDRADEEP KUMAR
when the pressure to perform leads to
depression- and anxiety-related sui-
cides among students. External affairs that focus on “Aham Brahmasmi” (each Political analysts are unlikely to miss
minister Sushma Swaraj and hu- soul is a manifestation of the divine) on the big picture—a reshaping of the
man resource development minister being your own anchor and celebrating Prime Minister as a benign, avuncular
Prakash Javadekar released the book your individual strengths, about the figure. Exhorting the youth to vote and
on February 4. The ministers dili- perils of cheating and the importance of bring in a positive change in democ-
gently went through every chapter of being grateful. racy, during his December 31 radio ad-
the book in the two-hour programme The book was born out of feedback dress, Modi had remarked, “All those
before an audience consisting of am- for the Prime Minister’s Mann ki Baat born in 2000 will turn 18 in 2018.” A
bassadors, bureaucrats, journalists, radio programme in which he has record 100 million first-time voters
students and teachers. frequently attempted to reach out to became eligible to cast their votes in
The book is a collage of inspira- the youth and students. the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. An equal
tional words, illustrations, mantras Modi’s absence from the book number of first-time voters could be
and strategies to calm the young mind. launch on February 4 was evidently queuing up to vote during the upcom-
It talks of 18 asanas, gives advice on deliberate. He is saving his appearance ing assembly and the 2019 Lok Sabha
discipline, how to make mind maps of for the grand unveiling of the book at polls. In a way, it will be Modi facing
specific topics, Modi’s personal anec- a town hall-like gathering of 15,000 an examination very soon. n
dotes, quotes from Swami Vivekananda students in Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium. —Shweta Punj
INDEX
63 MILLION 65% 7.85 MILLION
India’s Missing Girls in India ‘missing’
due to India’s skewed sex
Girls of 15-18 who are not
in school, do household
Girls under 10 are married
(that’s 2.3% of all married
Girls ratio, 943 girls/ 1,000 boys,
according to 2011 census
work or beg. Compared
to 33.4% boys, says the
females), according to
Census 2011; 30.2% of
National Commission for married women are < 18
Finance minister Arun Jaitley referred Protection of Child Rights
to the annual Economic Survey, 21 MILLION
presented in Parliament on January
Girls estimated to
17%
29, as a “must-read... document on the
be ‘unwanted’ by the Contribution of women to
Indian economy”. This year, the cover Economic Survey. Parents India’s GDP; 37% is the
was a pale pink, a nod to the worldwide who have boys tend to world average
movement to end violence against stop trying
women. Chief Economic Advisor
Arvind Subramanian noted in the
24%
$
700 BILLION
survey that while there were several
government schemes aimed at the or Rs 45 lakh crore: the
Women in the Indian estimated boost to Indian
education and empowerment of Indian workforce in 2015-16, GDP by 2025 if women
women, much was still left to be done compared with 36% in were equal to men in
for their social uplift. 2005-06, says survey the workforce
C H AT T E R
The week in social media

@ShougatDasgupta
K ASIF/MAIL TODAY
Turkish Cyber
Invasion
Over the last couple of
weeks, a small group
of hackers, apparently
Turkish, were attacking the Twitter
handles of mostly rightwing media figures in both the EXHIBITION
Violence in
United States and India. In the US, a number of Fox News
presenters were targeted for some fairly amateur trolling.
While in India targets included actor Anupam Kher, BJP
the Vale
general secretary Ram Madhav, Rajya Sabha MP and for-
mer journalist Swapan Dasgupta and Puducherry lieuten-
ant governor Kiran Bedi. If in the US, the hacked accounts
were essentially used to tweet pro-Erdogan messages
I
and warnings to not discriminate against Muslims, in India f the prospect of militants from Pakistan’s Punjab prov-
the hackers added a personal touch. “I love Pakistan,” ince sneaking across the Line of Control to wage war in
they tweeted from Madhav’s handle, which is worth at Jammu and Kashmir boggles the mind today, think what
least a weak chuckle. More seriously, questions continue it was like 70 years ago when a full-scale tribal invasion from
to be asked about Twitter’s laughable security. Questions the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) was under way.
the company either can’t or won’t answer. n This dramatic slice of history plays out in the heart of the
capital in an unusual digital exhibition in the National Ar-
chives of India. The accession of Jammu and Kashmir and
what it entailed is a bloody and oft-told tale but bears repeti-
The Price of tion because it triggered three of the four Indo-Pak wars.
Comedy On October 22, 1947, as Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the
Mumbai-based comedian Kunal
Dogra ruler of the princely state, vacillated over joining
Kamra has been in the social the Indian Union, thousands of tribal raiders drawn from
media wars of late. Last month, the NWFP and pushed in by the Pakistan army, sprinted
he apparently deleted his Twitter across the border. The fast-approaching trail of loot and
account after users unearthed murder left the ruler with no option but to sign the instru-
tweets, some a couple of years ment of accession and thereby in-
old, in which he made lame jokes about Muslims and INDIA@70: THE voking the Indian Army. The army
other minorities. Kamra has developed a relatively recent JAMMU AND halted the offensive leading to the
reputation for charged political comedy, much of it di- KASHMIR SAGA entry of the Pakistani army, a cease-
rected at the prime minister and his government. He cops National fire and the resultant sundering of
to the unsophisticated shtick displayed in those early Archives of the state between the two countries.
tweets, and says he has outgrown “punching down”. India, New Delhi
Rightwing bloggers and social media users called him The National Archives has
on till February 10 displayed copies of historical docu-
a hypocrite. But he’s just a comedian casting around—
10.30 am - 5.30 pm ments, including the Instrument of
sometimes crudely, desperately—for jokes. A week or
so ago, Kamra made an impassioned post on Facebook, Accession, weapons captured from
claiming to have been kicked out by his landlady for his the tribesmen and rare photos and
political views. And to have lost gigs because people are documents sourced from the UK Foreign and Common-
too afraid to offend the powerful. n wealth Office. Also, some inspirational tales of the state’s
people fighting the raiders—Maqbool Sherwani, a National
Conference youth, who bought the Indian army time by mis-
leading the raiders; Brig. Rajinder Singh, chief of army staff
All for One of state forces who fought till the end. “We want to show-
case the contribution of those who laid down their lives for
Rahul Dravid coached India’s under-19 cricket team to
a decisive World Cup win but the lessons continued off the country and tell the youth that Kashmiris have always
the field. Hierarchical to the last, the BCCI paid him Rs 50 wanted to be part of India,” says Pritam Singh, Director
lakh, the players Rs 30 lakh, and the supporting coaches General, National Archives. It is also a reminder of how the
Rs 20 lakh. A team man, Dravid demurred. Pay everyone state’s past is intertwined with its present and future. n
equally, he told the authorities. Social media swooned. n —Sandeep Unnithan
FROM THE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
THE CAPTAIN’S
HOW THE BJP SWEPT UP
UPFRONT
CHALLENGES IN PUNJAB
9 7 7 0 2 5 4 8 3 9 9 0 9
www.indiatoday.in
F
and audacity BofOschemes
OKS
EDITORS: Kaveree Bamzai (Special Projects), Ajit Kumar Jha (Research) conceived
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
TERRORISM AND A WAR

GROUP CREATIVE EDITOR: Nilanjan Das; GROUP PHOTO EDITOR: Bandeep Singh
Sandeep Unnithan Union finance minister Arun Jaitley in
WITHOUT END
AFTER A
STUNNING
ELECTION
M umbai: M.G. Arun H
yderabad : Amarnath K. Menon C handigarh : Asit Jolly VICTORY, MODI
SETS HIS

SIGHTS ON
SENIOR EDITORS: Shweta Punj, Sasi Nair, J aipur : Rohit Parihar A ‘NEW INDIA’
RNI NO. 28587/75

M umbai: Suhani Singh, Kiran Dinkar Tare; p atna : Amitabh Srivastava This tax-financed health insurance
ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Shougat Dasgupta, Chinki Sinha scheme for the poor will give 100 million
K : Romita Sengupta; B : Rahul Noronha; ByorSumit
aroundGanguly
Modi COVER.indd 1 15/03/17 4:02 pm

olkata hopal
Thiruvananthapuram : Jeemon Jacob; B eiJing : Ananth Krishnan poor families, 500 million
une
S
teve Photographer),
Coll is no stranger to report- ily per annum. It is the world’s largest tion, chicanery
is beingand outright dishonesty
Rajwant Singh Rawat (Principal
Chandra Deep Kumar (Photographer); M : Mandar Suresh pitals filled by efficient but often
healthcare scheme. Modicare, as it’s now of America’s putative ally. This becomes
umbai
ing on South Asia.
Deodhar (Chief Photographer), Danesh Adil Jassawala (Photographer); In the early expensive private sector hospitals. Afford-
a : Shailesh B Raval (Principal Photographer);
1990s, he served as the correspon- being called, will provide state-funded especially evident in particular
seem,instances.
hmedabad
Kolkata : Subir Halder (Principal Photographer); able healthcare, it would is beyond
Chennai
dent of The Washington Post inhealthcare to a population bigger than
: N.G. Jaison (Senior Photographer)
Perhaps
the reach the of
mostmost egregious
Indians.example
PHOTO RESEARCHERS: Prabhakar Tiwari (Chief Photo Researcher),
SaloniNew Delhi.
Vaid (Principal During this time, he reportedthat of South America. Prime Minister
Photo Researcher), thereofPastwasattempts
Pakistan’s to dissimulation
implement large after
Shubhrojit Brahma (Photo Researcher)
on the withdrawal of the Soviet Union’s Modi, known for his big ideas, called the raid on Abbottabad that led to the kill-
forcesSanjay from (Senior Art Director); the outbreak ofthe scheme ‘a path-breaking initiative to
Afghanistan, ingThe
of Osama binSwasthya
Laden. Bima Yojana
ART DEPARTMENT: Piplani
Rashtriya
the Kashmir Valley and theprovide quality and affordable healthcare’ (RSBY),
Jyoti K. Singh (Art Director), Vikas Verma (Associate Art Director);
Bhoomesh insurgency
Dutt Sharma (Senior inDesigner) While Coll provides
launched much
by the detailgovern-
central about
aftermath
PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT: Harish of the AgarwalIndian financial crisis of
(Chief of Production), thement
US-Pakistan
in 2008 with tensions in the
mirror wake of
schemes in the
the
1991. At the end of his tenure in South Asia,
Naveen Gupta (Chief Coordinator), states, offered
assassination, an insurance
curiously enough, coverage
he failsof toRs
he wrote a marvellous volume of vignettes 30,000
provide for belowassessment
a clear-cut poverty line offamilies.
whether A
ASSOCIATEbased PUBLISHER:onAnilhis time
Fernandes in the region. Later in
(Impact) or 2017
not the study by the security
Pakistani academicestablishment
journal Social
IMPACT2004,TEAM he published Ghost Wars, a monu-plain the rotten state of health and educa- was Science
awareand of Bin Laden’sfound
Medicine presencethatwithin
RSBY
Senior General Manager: Jitender Lad (West)
General mental
Manager: Mayur account of the CIA’s attempts to tion over the last few decades. Politicians walking
Rastogi (North), was ineffective
distance of in Pakistan’s
reducing out-of-pocket
principal
hunt down(East) Osama bin Laden, which won
Kaushiky Gangulie have been happy to seek votes on divisive, military academy. Coll is far more forthright
the Pulitzer Prize. Will Modicare meet the same fate?
emotive issues like caste and religion. Yet, when it comes to pinning the blame on the
GROUP CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER: Vivek Malhotra
Assistant General Manager: Garima Prashar (Marketing)
Directorate
SALES AND OPERATIONS: D.V.S. Rama Rao, S, his mostManager
Chief General recent book, isas is the case with all other large state- This
ISI-D for is what our coverterrorist
the swarming story, putattack
togetheron by
Deepak Bhatt, General Manager (National Sales)
the logical successor to Ghost Wars. It again Executive
Mumbai. He Editor
also Damayanti
shows the Datta,
degree of looks
stone-
Rajeev Gandhi, Regional Sales Manager (North) DIRECTORATE S: at. The scheme does mark a commendable
demonstrates Coll’s ability to reconstructissues with the proposed implementation walling that the US officials encountered
Arokia Raj L., Regional Sales Manager (South) The C.I.A. and America’s first step towards universal health cover-
events in meticulous detail, to provide vivid of this gigantic Secret
scheme.Wars in when they sought to uncover details about
accounts of key personalities and to provide The pathetic state ofand
Afghanistan Pakistanis one theon
healthcare origins of the terrorist plot.
cost. Estimates vary from Rs 10,000
a gripping narrative. The central argument of India’s biggest policy blights.
by Steve Coll Seventy Coll shows in unflinching detail the
of this book is that the US-Pakistan secu-years after independence, Penguin 86 per cent of moral
in theand ethical
Union costsisthat
budget onlytheRs US
2,000coun-crore
rity nexus that was forged in the wake of rural Indian patientsppand 78482 per cent of ter-terrorism
for RSBY plus 1 per cent health cess.terror
strategy against global Where
the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, urban patients do not have access to haswill
entailed. To that end, hethisprovides
Volume XLIII Number 8; For the week the money to finance schemeancome
has been fundamentally dysfunctional. any form of employer-provided or state- equally blunt account of how the US intel-
The
principal OfficePakistani organisation, funded insurance.
the Inter- ligence services extradited Abupay Zubaydah,
Editorial/Corporate Living Media India Ltd., India Today Group Mediaplex, be identified? How will they for their
(ISI-D), The link Coll’s prose andiswealth is an important Al Qaeda operative, to one
l
FC-8, Sector-16A, Film City, Noida - 201301; Phone: 0120-4807100
Services Intelligence Directorate between health
Sector-57, Noida (UP)-201301; Phones: Toll-free number: 1800 1800 100 (from
which
BSNL/MTNL the 2479900
lines); (95120) US relied onFaridabad;
from Delhi and for its counter-
(0120) 2479900 lucid, breezy
a fact that should be more widely acknowl- of its secret sites in Thailand following
workforce or the hospitals? What is the
terrorism strategy, as isChennai: known, wasedged. One-sixth
well044-24303200; and
of India’s poverty burden his capture with Pakistani cooperation in
compelling.
from Rest of India (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.); Fax: (0120) 4078080;
Mumbai: 022-66063411/3412, Kolkata: 033-40525327, timeline for its execution?
never anenquiries
entirely reliable partner. Under Those with Karachi. He makes
A healthy no attempt
population is a to sanitise
wealthy
Sales: Direct all trade to General Manager (Sales), Living Media India
l
thepopulation. This which

is a fundamental lesson
American pressure, on occasion, it did
evenSixty-three
a passing harshness with Zubaydah was
seeking treatment. million
Mills), deliver a Parel
number of Al Qaeda operatives for
for a country
interrogated set to
at this be the world’s
clandestine site.third
This
interest
than thein
l
S.B. Marg, Lower (West), Mumbai-400013; Phone: 66063355;
Indians (that's more population
interrogation and Mainprosecution.
l
However, it largest
book, despiteeconomy
its sheer by 2030.
lengthImplement-
and welter
New Delhi
had
l Guna Complex, 5th Floor,
fundamentally
Building, No.443, Anna Salai,
divergent
l
interests in
of Karnataka) these matters
are pushed into debt due
of ing Modicare
detail about is
this clearly going
dysfunctional torelation-
be the
will find it to
to healthcare spending each year. Indians
12, Richmond Road, Bangalore-560025; Phones: 22212448, 22213037,
Afghanistan and worked

l
actively to under- biggest
ship, is challenge
easily readable. andColl’s
a personal
prose one
is for
lucid,
are tormented by a twin-pronged disease
be an utterly
l
mine the US goals and strategies

Hyderabad-500082; Phone: 23401657, 23400479, 23410100, 23402481,
toward the prime
breezy and minister since
compelling. Those it iswith
nowevenfused a
threat—traditional ailments like diarr-
absorbing
23410982, 23411498; Fax: 23403484 39/1045, Karakkatt Road, Kochi 682016;
with his nameininthese public memory. This isita
l
that country.
l
Behind White House, Panchwati, Office C.G. Road, Ahmedabad-380006; Phone: hoea and tuberculosis—and lifestyle or passing interest matters will find
chance to either leave his mark on history
None of this knowledge will come asnon-communicable
l
a account
diseases like obesity, to be an utterly absorbing account. n
Printed surprise
and publishedto Indian
by Manoj Sharmareaders.
on behalf of LivingHowever,
Media even
18-35moreMilestone,than other
Delhi Mathura journalists
Road, Faridabad-121007, who (Haryana) coveredhealthcare system makes treatment so Sumit Ganguly is a Distinguished Profes-
Afghanistan
Kancheepuram-603209, (Tamil and
Nadu).Pakistan
Published at K-9,during
Connaught the much more complicated. There is just sor of Political Science at Indiana Uni-
same
l india today
years, such as The New
York Times’ one state-run hospital for every 90,343 versity, Bloomington, and the author of
Carlotta Gall, the author of The Wrong persons and 0.9 beds for every 1,000 rural Deadly Impasse: Indo-Pakistani Relations

Enemy, Coll lays bare the degree of decep-
persons. The void created by subsidised at the Dawn of New Century
UPFRONT
POINT OF V IEW
Dropping the Middle Class

By Ashok V. Desai
T
he poor are those who are not rich cheaper for new investors in property, many of
or middle class. Middle class is an whom would also be new entrants to the middle
intriguing concept; it sits awkwardly class. This year, he has given tax concessions to
between the rich and the poor. It really belongs salaried persons, small and medium enterprises,
to Europe, and especially to Germany, whose and people saving for old age.
Mittelstand has displayed important political However, it is not electorally clever
and economic virtues. It was the product and to shower favours on the middle class.
pioneer of economic enterprise, a bulwark Compared to the richer countries, India’s
against royal tyranny, and subsequently the middle class is tiny. With the approach of the
backbone of state finances. It dominates most 2019 general elections, the finance minister
West European countries, where prosperity became conscious of the call of populism.
and progressive taxation have depleted the Unfortunately, his predecessors were under
numbers of the rich and the poor. the same compulsion, and they gave so
A similar middle class was on the point many sops to the poor that he could not find
of emergence from business and bureaucracy anything to add. Then he remembered a sop
in British India, but socialist policies after he had promised in his 2016 budget and then
independence squeezed it and taught it to forgotten. So he repeated a promise to pay the
keep its head down. They were relaxed after medical costs of the poor up to Rs 5 lakh.
the reforms of 1991. But showing off wealth The primary weakness of this proposal
can have dire consequences even now. Those has been brought out by Mita Choudhury of
who have watched the fate of Sudipto Sen and NIPFP (National Institute of Public Finance
Subrata Roy may think they deserved what they and Policy)—that it would cost at least Rs
were served, but the difference between them 1 lakh crore to implement. Thus, it joins
and a thousand others who have flourished is the many dormant schemes of the finance
that the rest kept their heads down. minister, who happens to be a master of
The opprobrium attached to success has, promise, promise, do nothing. I would like to
however, weakened—faster in some states ask how a more dedicated and realistic finance
than in others. It vanished early in Gujarat; minister would proceed to achieve the same
it always had a large business class, which got objective. First of all, he would give a subsidy
down to chasing success. It did especially well to clinics situated in villages and urban slums,
in the regime of chief minister Narendra Modi. where the poor live. Second, he would give a
He earned its admiration and affection, and substantial income subsidy to medical staff
the pecuniary favours it showered on his party working in those clinics. Third, he would
helped it fight the general election of 2014. His subsidise travelling clinics—buses that would
face beamed at the electorate from hoardings carry doctors, nurses and basic medicines
to the left, right and centre. regularly to villages. Finally, he would subsidise
With the He has not explicitly shown affinity with the training of paramedics and nurses, so that
approach the middle class, but his campaign to ‘Make in they would multiply and spread out into the
of the 2019 India’ clearly requires it to take the lead. His countryside. Subsidising the sick is inefficient:
general calls to the youth are also implicit invitations to they would have to prove to some authority
elections, it join the middle class. And a good deal of what that they are sick and poor, which would
wouldn’t have his finance minister has done was designed to create considerable scope for corruption and
help the middle class. In his first budget, he arbitrariness. The way to cheapen healthcare
been clever gave tax breaks to savings for old age and health is not to subsidise the patient, but to subsidise
to shower insurance. Last year, he reduced income tax in medical services and increase their supply. n
favours on the lowest bracket as well as capital gains tax on
India’s tiny property. The tax exemption he gave to builders Ashok V. Desai is a former
middle class of small flats was designed to make housing chief economic advisor
Illustration by SIDDHANT JUMDE

STATES
KARNATAKA: COSY PUNJAB: NEW ‘BILL’
UP TO THE GOWDAS FOR FREE POWER
PG 1 4 PG 1 5
MADHYA PRADESH: ASSAM: A GOOD

CASTE CONTRACTS HARVEST
PG 16 PG 1 7
PTI
ROAD SHOW
Sachin Pilot and other
Congress leaders
canvassing in Ajmer
R AJASTH A N
JAIPUR
A FAMOUS VICTORY
Sachin Pilot engineers a Congress resurgence in the state bypolls, but what
will worry the BJP more is the massive margins by which it lost
By Rohit Parihar and Uday Mahurkar
P
erhaps more than its own defeat, it is the Modi’s bruising moves on demonetisation and the
Congress’s resounding margins in all the GST. Pilot cited the lack of bureaucratic accountabil-
17 assembly segments included in the three ity, rising corruption and the appalling state of civic
(two Lok Sabha and one assembly) by-elec- amenities— roads, traffic and public transport—to
tions that has left the Vasundhara Raje-led show that Raje was no longer a firm administrator.
BJP government shellshocked here. His party also hammered home her failure to deliver
While the surprising numbers secured by the on promises like the 1.5 million jobs for the youth,
Congress—some 700,000 voters have shifted to the and the rising crime and growing sense of insecurity
party in the past three-and-a-half years—reflect the among the minorities.
disillusionment with the BJP state government, they Raje and the BJP’s core group met in Jaipur on
also point to a calibrated political strategy executed by February 2 and later admitted that the “people have
state Congress chief Sachin Pilot. Allowed a free hand turned against the party”. The national leadership
by party president Rahul Gandhi since the 2014 de- too says there’s need for “drastic surgery” within the
feat, young Pilot has travelled an astonishing 500,000 Rajasthan unit and the state government. Although
kilometres crisscrossing Rajasthan to resurrect the no one seems clear on what this entails, BJP president
party. Apart from the countless worker meetings Amit Shah says “we’ll analyse the results and take ap-
and political rallies in the remotest propriate corrective steps”.
corners of the state, Pilot used the Analysts say Raje’s protege and
time to even put in an appearance state president Parnami will be a
at local weddings and funerals. The Raje and the certain casualty. He may get a min-
huge connect he’s been able to build
allowed the Congress to do what
BJP’s core group isterial berth or a Rajya Sabha seat
though the man himself said on
was hitherto the RSS-backed BJP’s later admitted February 6 that no one had asked
forte—booth-level management that that the “people him to quit. As for Raje, neither
accounted for each and every voter have turned Modi nor Shah has ever had an easy
in Alwar, Ajmer and Mandalgarh.
And while he did that, Pilot, a
against the relationship with her, but party
insiders say replacing the chief min-
Gujjar, went out of his way to involve party” ister may not be an option given her
representatives from other castes, proximity to several senior leaders,
particularly young first-timers, including Rajnath Singh, Nitin
including nominees of veteran Con- Gadkari and even finance minister
gress leaders. Former chief minister Arun Jaitley. Also, Raje herself is
Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav, for instance, was inducted certain to vehemently oppose Om Prakash Mathur
as a general secretary. Even the winning candidate and Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, the two
Pilot backed from Ajmer was a known Gehlot loyalist, names in circulation as possible replacements. The
Raghu Sharma. The strategy first paid dividends in Modi-Shah duo is unlikely to risk a crisis so close to
the local body elections in early 2015 when Congress the all-important Lok Sabha polls.
captured a chunk of the seats, many with growing Short of removing Raje, the BJP’s course correc-
support from the dominant Jat and Meena communi- tion in Rajasthan is certain to include a large-scale
ties as well as the Dalits. “We could sense the Dalits reshuffle of the state cabinet, the bureaucracy and the
slipping away from us,” says state BJP president Ashok state unit. And this, senior leaders say, will include
Parnami, admitting the Congress capitalised on the the dropping of ‘old favourites’ and induction of many
Dalit atrocities of the last few years (like the 2015 inci- faces the chief minister has so far spurned. “The Rani
dent where the Jats had mowed down a group of Dalits will no longer have the luxury of being inflexible,” says
with a tractor in Nagaur). a BJP leader seeking anonymity. Back in the jubilant
But there was clearly more to it. Under Pilot, Congress camp, Pilot chooses his words carefully. “We
the Congress also successfully highlighted the Raje have done very well. But this is just the beginning, a
government’s failures and Prime Minister Narendra long battle lies ahead,” he says. n

STATES
BENG ALURU
K A R N ATA K A
COSYING UP TO
THE GOWDAS
Both the Congress and BJP are sizing up
the JD(S) as a post-poll friend they may need
By Aravind Gowda
LET’S SHAKE ON IT?
File picture of Deve Gowda meeting PM Modi in Delhi
W
ith political pundits pre- its main rival is the Congress. It’s north ested anonymity, also confirmed this.
dicting a hung verdict in Karnataka and the coastal districts “The Congress is not in power at the
the coming state assembly which will essentially see the Congress Centre. And the BJP is stronger across
polls (to be held in April- versus BJP faceoff. the nation. It makes sense to go with
May), both the ruling Congress and the The JD(S) could scuttle the Cong- the most popular party,” he says.
BJP are competing to cosy up to the ress’s prospects in Mysuru, Mandya, The BJP has been actively wooing
Janata Dal (Secular), a party that has Hassan, Tumakuru, Ramanagara and leaders and seers of the Vokkaliga com-
been out of power for a decade. Kolar districts. Aware of the JD(S)’s munity, who wield influence over voters
Although former prime minister strength in the south, Chief Minister in the south Karnataka constituencies.
and JD(S) chief H.D. Deve Gowda has Siddaramaiah, who is not on good Former Congress CM S.M. Krishna,
ruled out a pre-poll alliance with either terms with Gowda, is relying on the ex- now with the BJP, could be of help here,
rival, the party has been known to PM’s son, “old friend” H.D. Revanna, to at least in Mandya district, where the
make unexpected ‘concessions’ to grab cobble together a coalition, if needed. party has been a no-show in the past.
power. In fact, JD(S) leaders are being However, the general mood within Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi
pretty open about the fact that a hung the JD(S) isn’t in favour of a tie-up with Adityanath, during a visit to Bengaluru
house would work to their advantage. the Congress. Gowda too made this on January 7, stayed at the Adichun-
Insiders say back channels are already clear in Mangaluru on January 22, say- chanagiri mutt, the revered religious
open with both the Congress and BJP. ing, “We have burnt our fingers in the centre of the Vokkaligas. BJP president
Analysts say both parties could get past by aligning with the Congress.” Amit Shah too makes it a point to meet
less than a hundred seats, much short A senior party leader, who requ- the head pontiff whenever he is in the
of a majority in the 224-seat assembly. city. Vokkaligas constitute the second
“Both parties will then have no choice largest community in the state and have
but to go with the JD(S),” says veteran JD(S) LEADERS traditionally supported the JD(S).
political observer A. Veerappa. He says OPENLY ADMIT THAT Veerappa says “it’ll be hard for the
the JD(S), which should bag 40-odd BJP to break into the Vokkaliga vote
seats, could well play the kingmaker. A HUNG HOUSE bank. But it can use its good offices with
The JD(S) remains a dominant WOULD WORK TO the pontiff to prevail over the JD(S) if
force in its traditional Old Mysuru required”. For now, it’s Gowda who is
(south Karnataka) strongholds where THEIR ADVANTAGE enjoying the guessing game. n

FROM THE
STATES

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
THE CAPTAIN’S
9 7 7 0 2 5 4 8 3 9 9 0 9
www.indiatoday.in
F
P UDIRECTOR:
N J A BRaj Chengappa
GROUP EDITORIAL
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Free with Strings Attached

GROUP CREATIVE EDITOR: Nilanjan Das; GROUP PHOTO EDITOR: Bandeep Singh
Sandeep Unnithan Union finance minister Arun Jaitley in AFTER A
STUNNING
ELECTION
SENIOR To EDITORS:cutShwetathe huge : power

Rohit Parihar subsidy bill, a direct benefit transfer plan is in the works
SETS HIS

SIGHTS ON
Punj, Sasi Nair, J
RNI NO. 28587/75

M : Suhani Singh, Kiran Dinkar Tare; p : Amitabh Srivastava This tax-financed health insurance CHANDIGARH
ByEDITORS: Asit Jolly
umbai atna
ASSOCIATE
K
Shougat
: Romita Sengupta; B
Dasgupta, Chinki Sinha
: Rahul Noronha;

olkata hopal
Thiruvananthapuram : Jeemon Jacob; B eiJing : Ananth Krishnan poor families, or around 500 million
une
people, a Rs 5,00,000 cover per fam- tion (IDC), which had first proposed
PRABHJOT GILL
ily per annum. It is the world’s largest the direct transfer
filled ofbypower subsidy,
Rajwant Singh Rawat (Principal Photographer),
Chandra Deep Kumar (Photographer); M : Mandar Suresh pitals is being efficient but often
umbai
Deodhar (Chief Photographer), Danesh Adil Jassawala (Photographer); broadly estimates
expensive private that the
sector state could
hospitals. Afford-
a : Shailesh B Raval (Principal Photographer);
being called, will provide state-funded savehealthcare,
close to Rsit3,000 wouldcrore,
seem,currently
hmedabad
Kolkata : Subir Halder (Principal Photographer); able is beyond
healthcare to a population bigger than lostreach
to pilferage
of mostand misuse of power.
Chennai : N.G. Jaison (Senior Photographer)
PHOTO RESEARCHERS: Prabhakar Tiwari (Chief Photo Researcher), the Indians.
that of South America. Prime Minister “WePasthadattempts
told the state government
to implement large(the
Shubhrojit Brahma (Photo Researcher) Modi, known for his big ideas, called SAD-BJP were in power then) that
the scheme ‘a path-breaking initiative to the savings (Rs 3,000 crore)
The Rashtriya Swasthya Bimacould Yojana be
Jyoti K. Singh (Art Director), Vikas Verma (Associate Art Director); provide quality and affordable healthcare’ utilised launched
to boost the rural economy in
Bhoomesh Dutt Sharma (Senior Designer) (RSBY), by the central govern-
PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT: Harish Agarwal (Chief of Production), a variety
ment of ways,
in 2008 withincluding
mirror schemes pensions in the
Naveen Gupta (Chief Coordinator), states,
for oldoffered an insurance
and infirm farmers,”coverage
says IDC of Rs
30,000
director for below
Pramod poverty
Kumar. line families. A
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Anil Fernandes (Impact) 2017Although
study by the J-PALacademic
Southjournal Social
Asia’s pilot
IMPACT TEAM Science
projectand Medicine isn’t
in Fatehgarh found that RSBY
exactly what
General Manager: Mayur Rastogi (North), was
the ineffective
IDC had in reducing
mooted, it’s a out-of-pocket
workable
expenditure
clone. Chief amongMinister theSingh
poor.believes it
GROUP CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER: Vivek Malhotra Will Modicare meet
is the answer to the problem the same fate?
of deplet-
This
ing groundwater across large tracts of by
is what our cover story, put together
Deepak Bhatt, General Manager (National Sales) Executive
Punjab. “DBTE Editor (Direct
Damayanti Benefit Datta, looks
Trans-
issues with the proposed implementation fer for Electricity),” Singh says, “is to
of this gigantic scheme. encourage farmers to use canal water
The pathetic state A ofNEW SWITCH
healthcare is one and extract less from the depleting
CM Amarinder Singh (seated) at a farmers’ union meeting on cost. Estimates vary from Rs 10,000
of India’s biggest policy blights. Seventy water table.” There’s an obvious incen-
years after independence, 86 per cent of tive
in thehere
Uniontoo.budget
“Farmers willRsget
is only to keep
2,000 crore
rural Indian patients and 82 per cent of (from the DBTE) whatever they save by
C
hief Minister Amarinder Singh urban patients
Poverty Actiondo not
Plan have access
(J-PAL) to Asia. reducing the use of electricity-driven
South
February 13-19,has embarked
published onon a politically anyMIT
formeconomists,
of employer-provided or state-
in collaboration with pumps,” hewill
says.
2018, every Friday from? How the deserving candidates
precarious venture by taking funded insurance.
Punjab’s power and irrigation depart- There areHow at present close
l Editorial/Corporate Office Living Media India Ltd., India Today Group Mediaplex, be identified? will they paytofor1.4their
on an contactissue
Customer that
Care Indiahas vexed B-45, the
The link
ment, willbetween health
steer a pilot and wealth
project under is million tube wells in Punjab, and with
l Subscriptions: For assistance Today Group, insurance? Where are the resources, the
state’s economists and industrialists a fact thatfarmer-owners
which should be moreofwidelysome acknowl-
990 free powerortothe operate pumpsets
BSNL/MTNL lines); (95120) 2479900 from Delhi and Faridabad; (0120) 2479900 workforce hospitals? Whatfor 10
is the
for over twoKolkata: decades—rejigging the free edged. One-sixth of India’s
electric-powered poverty
tube wells burden
in Fateh-
Mumbai: 022-66063411/3412, 033-40525327, Chennai: 044-24303200; to 12 hours
timeline through
for its execution?the twin—wheat
power subsidy
Sales: Direct all trade thatManager
enquiries to General has(Sales),
been Livingbleed-
Media India garh Sahib district (outside Chandigarh) andApaddy—cropping healthy population is a the
cycles, wealthy
water
l
ing
Office:Punjab’s finances.
It’s a path few will receive direct cash population. This tableisisa today
fundamental
dangerously lesson
l Regd. K-9 Connaught Circus, New Delhi-110001
1.4
l
Mills), governments,
S.B. Marg, Lower Parel (West),including Singh’s
66063355; earlier
transfer to their bank ac- for a country low. set toLarge
be the world’s
tracts third
of land
Mumbai-400013; Phone:
one (2002-2007), have dared to tread.
l
counts to pay power bills. largest economy in theby state
2030. are Implement-
already in
l
Consider this: starting at just
l
under Newly installed meters ing Modicare is
the clearly
‘grey’ going
or ‘no to be the
extraction’
Rs 4,000 crore a year in
l
1997 when will clock their usage. biggest challenge zone. and
But aeven
personalas theonestatefor
the then SAD-BJP government
Hyderabad-500082; Phone: 23401657, 23400479, 23410100, 23402481,
first If it’s rolled out across the prime minister governm since
ent itisisavidly
now fused
push-
23410982, 23411498; Fax: 23403484 39/1045, Karakkatt Road, Kochi 682016; threat—traditional ailments like diarr-
with his nameing inDBTE,
public memory. This is a
l
introduced free electricity for the farm hoea

l
theand
state, the initiative lifestyle or MILLION
tuberculosis—and the original
sector, the power subsidy bill last year non-communicable
could rescue bothdiseases
the chance to either
authors of ‘free powerhistory
leave his mark on for
like obesity,
l
rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any manner is prohibited. tube wells running
Printed (2017-2018) soared to a staggering
and published by Manoj Sharma on behalf of Living Media cash-strapped
diabetes and heart govern-
ailments. A broken
on free power 10-12 farmers’ have vehemently
18-35Rs 6,000
Milestone, crore.Road, Faridabad-121007, (Haryana)
Delhi Mathura ment assystem
healthcare well as makes
delivertreatment
a so a day through
hours opposed the move. Former
So last (Tamil
Kancheepuram-603209, December,
Nadu). Published the state
at K-9, govern- much
Connaught much-needed boost toThere is just
more complicated. the twin crop cycles deputy CM and SAD
ment
l india today
signed an agreement with the
onethe farm sector.
state-run Chandi-
hospital for every 90,343 have put Punjab’s president Sukhbir Badal
Massachusetts Institute of Technol-
persons
garh’sand 0.9 beds
Institute forfor every 1,000
Devel- water
ruraltable in peril says DBTE is a hoax, an
ogy (MIT)-based Abdul
Latif Jameel persons.
opment The & void created
Communica- by subsidised “anti-farmer” move. n
STATES
PTI
SWORN IN
The new
inductees with
CM Chouhan
and Governor
Anandiben Patel
BHOPAL
M A D H YA P R A D E S H
BACKWARDS TO THE FORE

Ahead of the polls, Chouhan inducts a Kaachhi, a Lodhi and a Patidar into his cabinet
By Rahul Noronha
H
aving kept his BJP colleagues on tenterhooks for mer Union minister and Uma Bharti loyalist Prahlad Patel,
months, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan finally is a clear signal that the family has switched loyalties.
carried out a long overdue reshuffle, inducting three The electoral calculation behind the expansion is clear
new faces to take the strength of his council of minis- from the fact that Chouhan, who is usually mindful of main-
ters to 32. On the sidelines of the ceremony at the Raj Bhavan, taining his government’s image, has included a minister
he hinted at the possibility of yet another expansion “soon”. with a criminal record. Patel was not only charged with ‘att-
But coming barely nine months ahead of the state as- empt to murder’ in 2012 but also has other cases, including
sembly polls (expected in November), it’s being seen as a criminal intimidation and rioting, pending against him. His
cynically political manoeuvre. Of the three new men, only son Monu Patel too is a history-sheeter and has in the past
Narayan Singh Kushwaha has previous experience as a min- been booked under the National Security Act.
ister and has been given cabinet rank. The other two—Nars- It seems none of this perturbs the CM, who is expected to
inghpur MLA Jalam Singh Patel and Balkrishna Patidar of induct a fourth man, Ashok Nagar MLA Gopilal Jatav, whose
Khargone—have been inducted as ministers of state. inclusion was held back after the Congress complained to the
All three belong to OBC (other backward caste) com- Election Commission. The reshuffle, the party said, was a
munities. Kushwaha is from the Kaachhi violation of the electoral code in view of the
community, Patel is a Lodhi and the third bypolls in Kolaras and Mungaoli (which is
man is a Patidar. Political obser vers believe JALAM PATEL, part of Ashok Nagar district).
Kushwaha’s induction is designed to woo ONE OF THE Citing the criminal cases against
voters of the Gwalior-Chambal region, the new ministers and their associates,
where Chouhan expects a stiff challenge MINISTERS, leader of the Opposition Ajay Singh says,
from Jyotiraditya Scindia. Patidar’s induc-
tion is being seen as a bid to calm down
HAS SEVERAL “the BJP’s hypocrisy has now come to
the fore”. If it’s any consolation, consti-
his community after the police firing last CRIMINAL CASES tutional provisions allow for three more
June in which six farmers were killed. And ministers in Madhya Pradesh’s now
bringing in Patel, a younger brother of for- AGAINST HIM 32-strong Council of Ministers. n

FROM THE
STATES

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
THE CAPTAIN’S
9 7 7 0 2 5 4 8 3 9 9 0 9
www.indiatoday.in
F
PTI and audacity of schemes conceived
EDITORS: Kaveree Bamzai (Special Projects), Ajit Kumar Jha (Research)
MANAGING EDITORS: Kai Jabir Friese, Rajesh Jha RIGHT CONNECT
EXECUTIVE EDITORS: Damayanti Datta, S. Sahaya Ranjit, PM Modi with
Sandeep Unnithan Union finance minister Arun Jaitley in Sonowal at the AFTER A
STUNNING
ELECTION
M umbai: M.G. Arun H yderabad : Amarnath K. Menon C : Asit Jolly
handigarh
‘Advantage VICTORY, MODI
SETS HIS

SIGHTS ON
SENIOR EDITORS: Shweta Punj, Sasi Nair, J : Rohit Parihar
Assam’ inaugural
RNI NO. 28587/75

M umbai: Suhani Singh, Kiran Dinkar Tare; p : Amitabh Srivastava
atna This tax-financed health insurance

olkata hopal
Thiruvananthapuram : Jeemon Jacob; B : Ananth Krishnan
eiJing poor families, or around 500 million
une

Chandra Deep Kumar (Photographer); M : Mandar Suresh pitals is being filled by efficient but often
umbai
Kolkata : Subir Halder (Principal Photographer); able healthcare, it would seem, is beyond
Chennai : N.G. Jaison (Senior Photographer) healthcare to a population bigger than
the reach of most Indians.
1
PHOTO RESEARCHERS: Prabhakar Tiwari (Chief Photo Researcher),
Naveen Gupta (Chief Coordinator), states, offered an insurance LAKH coverage
CROREof Rs
30,000 for below poverty worth of MoUs A
line families.
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Anil Fernandes (Impact) 2017 study by the academic signed journal Social
at the Assam
IMPACT TEAM Science and Medicine found globalthat RSBY
investment
General Manager: Mayur Rastogi (North), was ineffective in reducing summit.out-of-pocket
Delegates
from 23 nations
participated
ASSA M first step towards universal health cover-
Raking It in
of India’s biggest policy blights.
says theSeventy
Rs 2,500 crore promised by Ambani will go towards
years after independence,“opening
86 per cent of to sell Jio SIM cards”. And Tata’s proposal
shops in the Union budget is only Rs 2,000 crore
rural Indian patients and to 82bring
per cent of care to 15 districts is merely a CSR initiative
cancer for RSBY plus 1 per cent health cess. Where
urban patients do not havethat access
willtooperate through government-run hospitals.
By Kaushik Deka any form of employer-provided or state-
Also, local entrepreneurs likewill
Shyamkanu Mahanta point
February 13-19, 2018, published on every Friday from? How the deserving candidates
funded insurance. to the dire power deficit in the state. Patowary claims the
Editorial/Corporate Office Living Media India Ltd., India Today Group Mediaplex, be identified? How will they pay for their
T
l
Subscriptions: Forhe two-day Advantage Assam The link between health
Global Investment new and wealthwill
industry is be powered from the National Power Grid,
l assistance contact Customer Care India Today Group, B-45, insurance? Where are the resources, the
Februarya3fact andthat should be morethrough
widely acknowl-
Summit
BSNL/MTNL lines); (95120) 2479900 frominDelhi
Guwahati on2479900
and Faridabad; (0120) 4 resulted the new 6,000 megawatt
workforce transmission
or the hospitals? Whatline fromis the
in theKolkata:signing of 200Chennai: MoUs worth edged. One-sixth
Rs 1 lakh crore. of India’sAgra
poverty burden Chariali (in Assam).
to Biswanath
Mumbai: 022-66063411/3412, 033-40525327, 044-24303200; timeline for its execution?
Sales:“Assam’s strategic location makes it an ideal destination to Even without a stated A industrial policy, CMisSarbananda
healthy population a wealthy
Direct all trade enquiries to General Manager (Sales), Living Media India
l
Regd.do business with New ASEAN

nations,” said the state’s delighted Sonowal claims Assam population.
has attractedThisRs is a6,500
fundamental
crore worth lesson
of
l Office: K-9 Connaught Circus, Delhi-110001
l
Mills), commerce
S.B. Marg, Lower Pareland industryPhone: minister
Chandra Mohan Patowary. investments since the for a country
BJP assumed setpower
to be two
the world’s
years ago. thirdAs
(West), Mumbai-400013; 66063355;
Delegates from 23 nations, including Cambodia, Hong
l
proof of his government’slargest economy byto2030.
commitment Implement-
industry, Patowary
l
Kong, South Korea, Laos,
l
Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, waggles the new ing
Assam Modicare
Industries is clearly
(Tax going
Reimbursement to be the
Vietnam and Japan attended
l
the event alongside Indian for Eligible Units) biggest2017,
Scheme, challenge
which and a personal
allows up to 200one for
corporate heavyweights like
Hyderabad-500082; Phone: 23401657, 23400479, 23410100, 23402481,
Mukesh Ambani of Reliance, N. per cent tax the prime
exemptions on fixedminister
capital since
for it isset
units now up fused
till
with his name in public memory. This is a
l
Chand rasekaran of Tata Sons,

l
Sun Pharma’s Dilip Shanghvi, December
hoea and tuberculosis—and lifestyle or 31, 2022. He points out that the Centre’s policy for
Amor Abrol of Air Asia and Spice Jet’s Ajay
Singh. Acharya diseases industrial chance to either leave his
development of the Northeast is also due soon.mark on history
non-communicable like obesity,
l
Balkrishna of Patanjali was also

Mediapresent. Sonowal or be remembered
and Patowary are waiting for forDelhi
not having
to stepcared.
in
Printed and published by Manoj Sharma on behalf of Living
18-35 Milestone, ButDelhi while
Mathurathe Road,Assam government
Faridabad-121007, (Haryana) is celebrating
healthcare the with, among
system makes treatment so other things, Union telecom minister Manoj
success of the
Kancheepuram-603209, (Tamilsummit,
Nadu). Published opened
at K-9, Connaughtby Prime Minister
much more Narendra Sinha’sispromise
complicated. There just of Rs 10,700 crore by December 2018, to
Modi, critics are calling it a farce. The bulk
oneofstate-run
the MoUs, they for improve
hospital every 90,343telephone connectivity in the region, 24x7 air con-
point out, have been inked with the public
persons
sector and 0.9 beds for every
oil compa- 1,000
nectivity torural
Guwahati and 92 new routes under the second
nies already present
in the state. RTI persons.
activist AkhilThe void
Gogoi created by subsidised
round of the Centre’s Udaan scheme. n
COVER STORY MODICARE
MODICARE:
WILL IT WORK?
AN AUDACIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT DURING THE UNION
BUDGET RAISES HOPE AND SCEPTICISM. WILL THE
HEALTH SCHEME BE PM MODI’S LEGACY OR AN
ALBATROSS? THERE’S NO EASY ANSWER
By Damayanti Datta
ON FEBRUARY 1, ABOUT 41 MINUTES INTO HIS BUDGET 2018 speech,

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley delivered the piece de resistance: “Madam
speaker, my government has now decided to take health protection to a more
aspirational level.” With cabinet colleagues cheering him on, he outlined the
National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), offering hospitalisation coverage
of Rs 5 lakh a year to 100 million poor and vulnerable families, or 500 mil-
lion Indians. “This will be the world’s largest government-funded healthcare
programme,” he promised—a nod towards ‘New India 2022’, and ‘universal
healthcare’. A smile creased Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s usually inscru-
table demeanour as he thumped the table in robust approval.
Modi knows how to capture the magical power of dreams. In his last 44
months in power, the premier of the world’s largest democracy has announced
a raft of “world’s largest” schemes: Aadhaar to Jan Dhan Yojana, Pahal to
Swachh Bharat, Digital Saksharta to Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Sahaj Bijli
Har Ghar Yojana to GST. Now comes the NHPS, under the Ayushman Bharat
Yojana. “A constant worry in poor people’s lives is how to treat illness. Will free
them from this big worry,” the PM tweeted.
Illustration by NILANJAN DAS

WHO CARES
FOR THE
VILLAGES
A raw deal for SUB-CENTRE PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRE (PHC)
rural patients Smallest level of basic healthcare in
every village, 1 for every 5,000, has
Nearly 25,000 PHCs,with 6 sub-centres
under each; 1 for every 30,000 people;
1 multipurpose health worker. Nearly OPD, emergency, basic lab service. 1
150,000 in number, many on paper. medical officer, 15 staff
Status: 32% rural patients travel Status: 12% shortfall of doctors in
over 5 kms to access healthcare PHCs, scarcity rising 200%
(2006—2016)
32 %
RURAL PATIENTS
ASHA
Nearly 500,000 ASHA,
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE (CHC);
TALUK HOSPITAL
Nearly 5,500 CHC and 1,002 taluka hospitals with
TRAVEL OVER 5 ANM, Anganwadi health 4 PHCs each; CHCs are supposed to be 30-bed
KMS TO ACCESS workers hospitals with 7 specialists
HEALTHCARE Status: 50% ASHA Status: 81% specialist and 12% MBBS
shortfall doctors missing in district hospitals and CHCs
With assembly elections in eight states and Lok Sabha ing jumla—the sceptre of “empty promises” that haunts
polls due in the next 14 months, what can be more evoca- the Modi government. “What worries me is that the fiscal
tive than politics in the time of sickness and health? The arithmetic is at fault,” says former prime minister Manmo-
success or failure of the plan will either mark his Waterloo han Singh. “There’s no money provided in the budget for
moment or his finest hour. it,” scoffs former finance minister P. Chidambaram. A “big
bluff”, scoffs West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
WILL IT WORK?
C
ommentators are locking horns, pelting out a storm
Never before has healthcare hit such a sweet spot in the of questions: will this intervention really work? Is
grim business of budget-making. “If we can make this suc- this old wine in new bottles? A feelgood political
cessful, then the world will know whether Obamacare was tidbit? Do the numbers tally? Where will the money come
successful or not, Modicare was,” Jaitley told reporters. from? And, finally, will it be enough to dissociate health-
#Modicare is trending, along with BJP national president care from affluence? A week later, the debate continues. To
Amit Shah’s #NaMoCare. Opposition leaders are chant- Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, “basic healthcare for all can

INCREASING HOSPITALISATION
Hospitalisation per 1,000 Admissions to rural public
rural Indians in a year hospitals have been falling
1996 43%
13%
43 23 35 2004 38%
1996 2004 2014
2014 32%
CIVIL/ DISTRICT HOSPITALS
Nearly 600 district hospitals (200-
300 beds). About 18,000 doctors STATES TELL THEIR OWN STORY…
and 55,000 paramedical staff
Status: 81% specialist,
Highest hospitalisation costs… and lowest...
12% doctors missing
Delhi 30,613 Jharkhand 10,351
Punjab 27,718 Odisha 10,240
Maharashtra 20,475 Uttarakhand 9,162
Uttar Pradesh 18,693 J&K 8,442
Haryana 18,341 Assam 6,966
Figures denote average expense of hospitalisation (in Rs)
SUPER
86%
OF RURAL INDIAN PATIENTS
63
MILLION INDIANS
O.9
BEDS PER
SPECIALITY AND 82% OF URBAN ARE PUSHED 1,000 RURAL
HOSPITALS PATIENTS DO NOT HAVE INTO DEBT DUE PEOPLE IN
ACCESS TO ANY FORM OF TO HEALTHCARE DISTRICT
EMPLOYER-PROVIDED OR SPENDING HOSPITALS/
STATE-FUNDED INSURANCE EVERY YEAR CHC/ PHC
be provided at very low cost if society, including the po- WORLD’S BIGGEST MESS
litical and intellectual leadership, can get its act togeth-
er”. Dr K.S. Reddy, chairman, Public Health Foundation, The new scheme has put Modi at the forefront of the world’s
says, “The amount allocated will not be adequate for largest challenge: Indian healthcare. India ranks 154 out of
the huge hike in coverage unless the government starts 195 countries in terms of access to healthcare, worse than
merging the state-funded insurance schemes.” At his Bangladesh, Nepal, Ghana and Liberia. India’s govern-
press meet on February 2, Union health minister Jagat ment expenditure on healthcare (1.15 per cent of the GDP)
Prakash Nadda asked everyone to trust the government. is among the lowest in the world. India faces a desperate
“It’s much more than just a health insurance scheme,” shortage in health infrastructure and manpower: there are
he said. “And money won’t be an issue. Everything is in 0.7 hospital beds per 1,000 Indians (should be 1:1,000) and
place, we have done our homework. We will announce the 0.6 doctors per 1,000 Indians (should be 1:1,000). There is
details as and when we are ready to implement it.” The 1 nurse per 2,500 Indians, compared to 1 for every 150-200
buzz is: D-day could be August 15, or October 2, Ma- in richer countries. There is close to a 40 per cent shortage of
hatma Gandhi’s birthday. medical teachers in its 472 medical colleges. India needs 65

LARGEST
0.6 472 DISEASE BURDEN
WHAT DOCTOR PER 1,000 MEDICAL COLLEGES AND
IN THE WORLD…
INHABITANTS; CLOSE TO 40% SHORTAGE
India loses 700 million DALY or disability-
SHOULD BE 1: 1000 OF MEDICAL TEACHERS
adjusted life years due to premature
AILS death, disability and poor quality of life.
According to a WHO estimate, India’s
economic burden due to NCDs will be
$6.2 trillion between 2012 and 2030
INDIA?
The range of diseases and
0.7
HOSPITAL BEDS PER
1 NURSE
FOR EVERY 2,500 RESIDENTS, 9% 12%
1,000 PEOPLE (IDEAL COMPARED WITH 1 FOR EVERY
inadequate health facilities RATIO, 1: 1000) 150-200 IN RICHER COUNTRIES 33%
compound the problem 61 % 1990 30% 2016
55%
ABYSMAL PUBLIC
HEALTH SPENDING l Communicable, maternal,
neonatal, and nutritional diseases
India ranks 154 out of 195 countries in l Non-communicable diseases
terms of access to healthcare, worse than l Injuries
Bangladesh, Nepal, Ghana and Liberia
Government expenditure on LOSING LIFE AND

health per capita LIVELIHOOD…
INDIA
$ $ $
17 69 58
1995 2013 2017
$236.6 BILLION
LOST BETWEEN
Malaysia $418 2007 AND 2017
China $322 BECAUSE OF
Thailand $247 HEART DISEASE,
Philippines $115 STROKE AND
Indonesia $108 DIABETES,
Nigeria $93 SHAVING 1% OF
Sri Lanka $88 THE GDP
Pakistan $34
Government expenditure 2 MILLION DOCTORS
on health (% of GDP)
AND 6 MILLION
INDIA NURSES NEEDED FACES A DOUBLE
WHAMMY…
4.06 3.97 1.15 Infectious diseases as well as killer lifestyle
1995 2013 2017
ailments put India among countries with the
highest deaths per 100,000 population
US 18
DESPERATE
Communicable diseases Non-communicable diseases
Malaysia 4.2 SHORTAGE… Germany 22 365
China 6
UK 29 359
Thailand 4.1
Philippines 4.7 US 31 413
Indonesia 2.8 Japan 34 244

65 MILLION
Nigeria 3.7 China 41 576
SURGERIES REQUIRED
Sri Lanka 3.5
A YEAR, 26 MILLION Global average 178 539
Pakistan 2.6 ARE CARRIED OUT
Bangladesh 235 549
Nepal 252 678

SPIKING MEDICAL BILLS… India 253 682
176% hike in average medical Pakistan 296 669
expenditure per hospitalisation
Myanmar 316 709
per urban patient from 2004 to
2014. For rural patients, the hike Afghanistan 363 846
has been 160% per patient
10.7%
CAGR
South Africa 612 711
` 24,436
10.1%
CAGR*
` 14,695
` 8,851
86%
OF RURAL INDIAN PATIENTS AND 82% OF
63 MILLION $40 BILLION
INDIANS ARE PUSHED ESTIMATED SHARE OF
` 5,695 URBAN PATIENTS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS INTO DEBT DUE TO HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES
TO ANY FORM OF EMPLOYER-PROVIDED HEALTHCARE SPENDING IN TOTAL HEALTH
OR STATE-FUNDED INSURANCE EVERY YEAR SPENDING
2004 2014 2004 2014
RURAL URBAN
* Compounded annual growth rate
Source: Economic Survey of India, 2017-2018; Lancet, 2017 (December); Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2016; World Bank data, 2018; Health in India: NSS 71st Round (January - June 2014); WHO Global Health Expen-
diture Atlas, September 2014; Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation; Indian Council of Medical Research, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation; ASSOCHAM-Deloitte
Graphic by TANMOY CHAKRABORTY

study 2017; Health at a Glance 2015, OECD; World Health Statistics 2015 (WHO); Deloitte Global healthcare outlook 2016; Rural Health Statistics, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Statistics Division 2015
million surgeries a year, but only 26 million are carried

GUEST COLUMN out. The country has the world’s highest disease bur-
DR DEVI SHETTY den—700 Million DALY (Disability-Adjusted Life Year)
units (or years lost due to premature death, disability,
poor quality of life) and a WHO estimate says India’s
A Perfectly
economic burden just from non-communicable diseases
will be $6.2 trillion between 2012 and 2030.
Doable Plan
What’s more, India has the highest burden of infec-
tious as well as killer lifestyle diseases. It is not just the
diabetes and heart disease capital of the world, it also
I
tops in HIV-AIDS and tuberculosis. Between 2004 and
t’s a dream budget for me. I have been wait-
2014, average medical expenditure per hospitalisation
ing for 30 years for this day. The reason is, the
per urban patient rose by 176 per cent and 160 per cent
government of India has finally accepted that
per rural patient. No wonder, over 60 per cent of health
half the population does not have the money to expenditure is out-of-pocket, amongst the highest in the
pay for the real cost of healthcare and it has to world. Around 60-70 million people fall into a crushing
take care of them. At least, that is the intent. They debt cycle and poverty each year due to “catastrophic”
may not be able to do it in a day or two, but nobody medical expenses (see graphic).
can take the intent away. If this sounds challenging, consider the world’s larg-
It’s important now to identify the deserving est mess: healthcare in rural India. It is estimated that
people. A very complex issue. After years of 32 per cent of rural patients are forced to travel over five
experience, I would say, Below Poverty Line cards kilometres to access healthcare. The 150,000 sub-cen-
are not the best way to identify who is deserving tres or the smallest level of basic healthcare facilities in
and who is not. Karnataka, for instance, has more every village, catering to 1 for every 5,000 population—
BPL cards than people. exist mostly on paper—and offer only maternal and
The other problem is that there are many places, child healthcare services. For OPD, emergency or basic
say northern India, where there aren’t that many lab services, one has to go to one of the 25,000-plus
hospitals. Even if people are covered, they may not primary health centres, while for more serious ailments,
get treatment when they need it the most. But now the options are far-flung community health centres,
that the process has started, expect smart cards to taluka hospitals or district hospitals, which work with a
come up within a couple of years. severe shortfall of 81 per cent specialists and just 12 per
On face value, the new plan looks huge and cent MBBS doctors (see graphic).
difficult to accomplish, but not in reality. How many
families need surgery? Perhaps, 2-3 per cent of 500
NUTS AND BOLTS AAYOG
million people. That’s not something the government
The swanky premise of the government’s premier think-
cannot manage, especially with private hospitals
tank, NITI Aayog, on Delhi’s Sansad Marg is all abuzz.
as an integral part of the delivery. Today there are
millions of people in India who spend Rs 200-250
a month just to speak on the mobile phone. If you
ask them to contribute Rs 30-40 a month towards
insurance, they would be willing to pay.
It’s disgraceful if after 70 years of Independence,
poor people have to come, beg and touch a doctor’s BASIC HEALTHCARE FOR ALL
feet. It’s offensive if you have to put a price tag on CAN BE PROVIDED AT VERY
human life. Now these people can walk with dignity. LOW COST IF THE SOCIETY,
Everything will change from now on. This country INCLUDING THE POLITICAL AND
will be one where everyone will have affordable INTELLECTUAL LEADERSHIP, CAN
healthcare. n
GET ITS ACT TOGETHER
The contributor is founder chairman, AMARTYA SEN Nobel laureate
Narayana Health

PANKAJ TIWARI
SORRY STATE The outdoor maternity ward at the Sihore district hospital in Madhya Pradesh
No surprises there. It’s the NITI Aayog experts who financial health protection of vulnerable citizens. The idea
conceived the scheme, carried the team and convinced the is to convert the sub-centres into wellness centres, equipped
prime minister about the importance of adopting it. Four to diagnose and treat common ailments like hypertension,
key people in the government have been the drivers of this diabetes, chronic bronchitis, undertake screening for com-
scheme which has gone through several iterations in the mon cancers, apart from mental health and elder-care. “The
past one year: Amitabh Kant, the chief executive officer target is to roll out the 150,000 health and wellness centres
of NITI Aayog, Dr Vinod Kumar Paul, former professor across India by December 31, 2022,” says Kant. Architects
and chair of paediatrics at the AIIMS and now member have been hired, district collectors have been roped in to
(health and nutrition) at the NITI Aayog, health minis- incentivise doctors to come and work in rural areas, salaries
ter Nadda and health secretary Preeti Sudan. The NITI upto Rs 30 lakh a year are being offered, along with multi-
Aayog team made a series of presentations to the PM, skilled, bridge courses with tele-medicine facilities in the
who asked “searching questions”, on grassroots healthcare pipeline to upgrade the skills of healthcare professionals.
implementation, regulation and technology, on the suc-
cess of similar schemes elsewhere and more, before finally STATES TO THE FORE
giving his approval.
“This is the first time the social sector has been The financial health protection scheme is about fund-
brought to the centre stage,” says Kant. It’s a world-class ing hospitalisation expenses, with beneficiaries identified
scheme and the challenge is not of resources, but of rolling according to the parameters of the Social Economic Caste
it effectively, he adds. “The idea is to be able to harness the Census, 2011. The scheme, according to Kant, will be “cash-
power of 50 crore Indians to bring down the premiums.” less, paperless and portable—that’ll discourage profiteering
In many ways, the scheme will be a “game changer”, by the private sector”. As health is a state subject, it will be
say members of the NITI Aayog. The Ayushman Bharat implemented with 60:40 Centre and state share. “A National
scheme rests on two interlinked pillars: first, strength- Health Authority of India will be set up for the implementa-
ening the primary healthcare foundation and, second, tion of the scheme,” says Kant. Taking the spirit of coopera-

SUVASHIS MULLICK
tive federalism forward, the states will be given the option Initial estimates by the government show that the scheme
to decide their model of implementation, he explains. States will cost between Rs 10,000 and Rs 11,000 crore. Kant gives
may choose an intermediary such as an insurance company, the analogy of the telecom revolution: call rates dropped
based on the premise that the government pays the insur- significantly as more people became a part of it. The scheme
ance company premium on behalf of the beneficiary. Or is most likely to be an Aadhaar-linked programme, but the
states may try a trust-funded model, in which an autono- officials working on the nuances of it are quick to point out
mous entity will be set up to receive funds from the Centre, that it will not be exclusionary. As soon as the states are
to be processed by the state to settle claims of hospitals pro- ready with a fraud-proof information system, beneficiary
viding healthcare services to people below the poverty line. identification, hospital empanelment and strategic purchase
The model a state chooses will depend on the governance from the private hospitals, the scheme will be rolled out, say
style of the state. Every state scheme that offers health insur- NITI Aayog members.
ance was studied in detail before the NHPS was announced.
States such as Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, SHOW ME THE MONEY
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan have similar
programmes running, but with an average cover of Rs 1 to The devil lies in the details. The general insurance players
1.5 lakh. As per the preliminary calculations by the govern- are waiting to see the fine print of Modicare to work out an
ment, initial premium per family per year will be between acceptable premium rate. For them, the new scheme has to
Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,200. The government expects premiums be attractive enough to underwrite it. Clearly, they are look-
will begin to fall as and when the scheme widens its base. ing at a market-linked premium like the Fasal Bima Yojana

BANDEEP SINGH
WORLDS APART A medical ward at the Diamond Harbour sub-divisional hospital in

South 24 Parganas, West Bengal (left); and the robotic surgery unit at AIIMS
by taking into account the costs, risks and profit margins.

First, consider what the NITI Aayog members say: they
have projected a premium of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 per family
per annum for the Rs 5 lakh health cover. To cover 100 million
households, the total outlay for the government (both central
and states) works out to be a maximum of Rs 12,000 crore.
With a 60:40 ratio split, the central government’s contribution THE CHALLENGE IS NOT
will be Rs 7,200 crore per annum. The Union budget of 2018 OF RESOURCES, BUT OF
has allocated only Rs 2,000 crore, and so there will be only a ROLLING IT OUT WITH
partial implementation of the scheme in 2018-19. PERFECTION. THE IDEA IS
TO BE ABLE TO HARNESS
T
he math just doesn’t add up. Currently, a health insur-
ance cover for a family of five costs anywhere between THE POWER OF 50 CRORE
Rs 12,000 and Rs 24,000 per annum. Private sector INDIANS TO BRING DOWN
Universal Sompo Health Insurance offers one of the cheapest THE PREMIUMS.
health covers of Rs 5 lakh for a family of five for Rs 12,800 per
annum. This includes pre- and post-hospitalisation and critical AMITABH KANT Chief executive officer of NITI Aayog
illnesses, among other benefits. Thus, a Rs 12,000 per annum
premium takes the cost for covering 100 million households

to a staggering Rs 1.2 lakh crore annually. Given the size and ratio of 70-80 per cent. In the past, the pricing game—of
scale of Modicare, general insurance players are estimating a lowering the premium amount to capture large business—
lower premium than what they ask today for a similar cover. hasn’t paid off. Many companies have incurred huge losses in
“The premium rates come down with high volumes. The new the corporate health insurance business.
proposed scheme is talking of about 100 million households There are also numerous instances of fraudulent claims,
and some 500 million people,” says Tapan Singhel, MD & which can be up to 15 per cent of the total claims. Krish-
CEO, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company. There is namoorthy Rao, MD & CEO of Future Generali India, says
a big advantage to insurers of low or negligible distribution that the success of the proposed scheme will depend upon
costs under Modicare. The insurers are estimating a premium how it is implemented on the ground. The insurers talk
of around Rs 5,000 per annum for a comprehensive health about the poor hospital facilities in some of the states. Hos-
cover. If one takes this figure into account, the total outlay for pitals are also notorious for doing unnecessary tests. Many
Modicare comes out to be Rs 50,000 crore. The Centre’s share private insurers ask: is it worth underwriting the health
will be roughly Rs 30,000 crore annually (60 per cent share) insurance business in far-flung areas when the market in
to cover the 100 million households. the metro and urban sector is already
Clearly, there are going to be booming? The health insurance
budgetary challenges for both the business has been growing at 18-24
central as well as state governments. per cent a year. Many insurers will cer-
The government’s finances are already tainly think twice before underwriting
stretched, given the deviation in the a business with a premium as low as
fiscal deficit numbers. Since health Rs 1,200, when they are doing metro
policies are valid for a year, the gov- THE AMOUNT business for Rs 12,000 to Rs 24,000
ernment has to renew the existing ALLOCATED WILL every year for almost identical covers.
policies every year and keep adding NOT BE ADEQUATE
new households. Apart from the usual FOR THE HUGE PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
subsidies in food, fertilisers and pe-
troleum, there is an additional burden
HIKE IN COVERAGE As the nation tries to make sense of the
of pro-poor schemes like the Fasal UNLESS THE meagre information on the ground,
Bima Yojana and MGNREGA. In the GOVERNMENT the ambitious health protection plan
current budget, the finance minister STARTS MERGING provides more questions than answers.
has allocated Rs 13,000 crore for the
revamped Fasal Bima Yojana and
THE STATE-FUNDED Solutions and suggestions are pouring
in. Here are a few from the experts
Rs 55,000 crore for MGNREGA. If the INSURANCE we spoke to. The sooner they can be
government sticks to the final numbers SCHEMES implemented the better.
of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 premium for l The government should not be just
general insurers, there are likely to be DR K.S. REDDY Chairman, the largest payer of health bills
Public Health Foundation
challenges for the government to scale What happens if the government
up the scheme. becomes the single largest payer of
healthcare? That’s an issue of concern
F
irstly, the Rashtriya Swasthya in the private healthcare market.
Bima Yojana (RSBY) offering a cover of Rs 30,000 is Having a single entity provide so much of the revenue gives it
already in the market, along with other government- outsize influence. It’s a problem that the US faces in the wake
sponsored schemes, but such schemes never find takers of Obamacare and post-NHPS, India may face the same
from the insurance companies. The total contribution of issue. Should the government have the determining voice in
government-sponsored schemes in the last five years has been what treatments and technologies are worth covering and
less than Rs 3,000 crore, just 10 per cent of the total health how much they are willing to reimburse for them? Sangita
insurance pie of Rs 30,000 crore annually. Therefore, in order Reddy, joint managing director of Apollo Hospitals, says,
to make Modicare more acceptable, the premium amount has though its is “a path-breaking and landmark scheme”, the
to be market-linked allowing the insurers to cover their costs, government seems to have taken on the role of a payer, rather
risk and also make some profits. Second, health insurance has than the provider. “A provider would have required creation of
been a difficult business in India. The public sector companies infrastructure, resources and management on the part of the
are mostly bleeding, with a claim ratio of over 100 per cent. government, and a longer gestation time,” she adds. “I’m sure
The private sector has managed to show a much better claim the government will also evolve a model of effective provider.”

FROM THE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
THE CAPTAIN’S
9 7 7 0 2 5 4 8 3 9 9 0 9
www.indiatoday.in COVER STORY MODICARE
F
Sandeep Unnithan Union finance minister Arun l Focusinon primary healthcare
Jaitley
GUEST Saroop COLUMN
Every stakeholder cautions about the need for a sharp
AFTER A
DEPUTY EDITORS: Prachi Bhuchar, Uday Mahurkar, Manisha
STUNNING
ELECTION
SETS HIS
DR NARESH Protection TREHANScheme, or Ayushman Bharat. focus on preventive and primary health, to reduce SIGHTS ON
SENIOR EDITORS: Shweta Punj, Sasi Nair, J aipur : Rohit Parihar A ‘NEW INDIA’
RNI NO. 28587/75

M umbai: Suhani Singh, Kiran Dinkar Tare; p atna : Amitabh Srivastava This tax-financed health the patient
insurance funnel into non-communicable diseases
ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Shougat Dasgupta, Chinki Sinha scheme for the poor will give (like
100 diabetes and heart ailments) and secondary and
million
Modi COVER.indd 1 15/03/17 4:02 pm
million care. For that, theThe March

is to27,figure
2017 cover
olkata hopal
Health for All, the

Thiruvananthapuram : Jeemon Jacob; B eiJing : Ananth Krishnan poor families, or around 500 tertiary need out care-
une

people, a Rs 5,00,000 cover per
fullyfam-
eligibility criteria, digital health cards, cashless
ily per annum. It is the world’s largest down the value chain and timely payments
Time Starts Now

Rajwant Singh Rawat (Principal Photographer), processing pitals is being filled by efficient but often
Chandra Deep Kumar (Photographer); M : Mandar Suresh
healthcare scheme. Modicare,toasminimising it’s now fraudulent claims. Some of these have
umbai
being called, will provide state-funded been the weakestable links in the past.
Kolkata : Subir Halder (Principal Photographer); healthcare, it would seem, is beyond
T
Chennai : N.G. Jaison (Senior Photographer) healthcare to a population bigger l Gothanfor transparent and viable rates
PHOTO RESEARCHERS: Prabhakarhe announcement of ‘Ayushman that
Tiwari (Chief Photo Researcher), Bharat’ in Bud- the reach of most Indians.
of South America. PrimeThe Minister
rates fixed by the government have to suit all cat-
getResearcher)
2018 is a clear and welcome dec laration of for his big ideas, called Past attempts to implement large
Shubhrojit Brahma (Photo Modi, known egories of providers, right from a single doctor practice
action by the government. Affordable healthcare
the scheme ‘a path-breaking initiative toand super-speciality hospital so that there is
ART DEPARTMENT: Sanjay Piplani (Senior Art Director); to a multi- The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana
is
Jyoti K. Singh (Art Director), the Vikasfoundation
Verma (Associate Art for any
Director); just and equitable
provide quality and affordable healthcare’
buy-in from all categories of providers and the scheme
Bhoomesh Dutt Sharma (Senior Designer) (RSBY), launched by the central govern-is
Siddhantsociety,
Jumde (Senior the vital blueprint ensuring a productive
Illustrator) and saidand it would usher in a ‘paradigm
PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT: Harish Agarwal (Chief of Production), sustainable in the longinrun.
ment 2008 with mirror schemes in the
prosperous life for citizens. In a country where shift inhealth
our health sector’.
Naveen Gupta (Chief Coordinator), l Make sure thestates, scheme offered
is notan insurance coverage of Rs
underfunded
Vijay Kumar Sharma (Senior Coordinator)
expenditures push 63 million people below the poverty This is very laudable. Rarely have
The big issue for30,000
many isfor below
that a poverty
large part line
of thefamilies.
NHPS A
has been an existentialhealth and education become issues for
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Manoj Sharma
line
ASSOCIATE every
PUBLISHER: year, it(Impact)
Anil Fernandes need for long. A is also being funded 2017by study by the academic
the states. A look at past journal Social
IMPACTstarting
TEAM point was needed. For people who could not ac- schemes Science
shows that eachand Medicine found
of those—be it RSBY that
orRSBY
those
General cessManager: decent
Mayur Rastogi healthcare
(North), for so long, the time starts now. implemented bywas ineffective
Andhra Pradesh in reducing
or out-of-pocket
Karnataka—have
completelyexpenditure among the poor.
KaushikyAnd it starts
Gangulie (East) right in their village, within their havecommunity.
been happy to seek votesbeen on divisive, underfunded and face huge issues on
It’s
GROUP CHIEF MARKETING nowOFFICER: theVivek government’s
Malhotra job to align the nati on’s the payment front. Will
Even Modicare
central meet
schemes, thefor
same fate?
instance,
health
SALES AND OPERATIONS:with
D.V.S. state
Rama Rao,policy,
Chief GeneralcallManager on the healthcare as is the sector to all other large
case with Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) or the by
the state- This is what our cover story, put together
Deepak Bhatt, General Manager (National Sales)
Employment Executive
State Insurance Editor Damayanti
Scheme (ESIS), Datta, looks
payment
helpDeputy
Vipin Bagga, develop
General Manager the(Operations)
framework progressively—so sponsored thatschemes,
the there are serious
Arokiamission
Raj L., Regionalcan be accomplished. First, those outside
issues withthe schedules are very time-consuming. Hence, the schemes
the proposed implementation
Sales Manager (South)
healthcare loop require help at all three levels of care: of this gigantic scheme. are not capitalised in the right manner.
primary, secondary and tertiary. The middle-income The pathetic state of healthcare l Keep is an
oneeye on the management of premiums
group, who can afford basic primary care, of India’s
need help biggest policy blights. TheSeventy
rate of utilisation of insurance schemes is so high
with secondary and tertiary care. Theseyears two after
groups independence, 86 per thatcent
theof premium in is
thelikely
Union to budget
rise every year.Rs
is only How
2,000willcrore
rural Indian patients and 82 per this cent
rise ofin premium be managed? “What is needed is a
need assured health security. The higher income group for RSBY plus 1 per cent health cess. Where
urban patients do not have access veryto clear-cut funding
Volume canXLIII afford Number private 8; Forhealthcare.
the week will themechanism,
money to finance so that thescheme
this scheme come
lasts long,” says Vishal Bali, co-founder and chairman of
February 13-19, 2018, published on every Friday
To make the system cost-effective, NGOs and from? How will the deserving candidates
funded insurance. Medwell Ventures. Delays cost dear and many institu-
private be identified? How will they pay for their
Filmproviders can0120-4807100
assist at the level of the
l Editorial/Corporate Office Living Media India Ltd., India Today Group Mediaplex,
FC-8, Sector-16A, City, Noida - 201301; Phone: The link between health and tionswealth
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Sales: Direct all trade enquiries to General Manager (Sales), Living Media India A healthy population is a wealthy
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do Sixty-three million
l Impact 12th Floor, Tower 2 A, One Indiabulls Centre,
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Extn, type of care they need:
Fax: 66063226 l E-1, Ground Floor, Videocon Jhandewalan
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Chennai-600018; l 201-204 Richmond Towers, 2nd Floor, ing Modicare is clearly going to be the
At the secondary and4thtertiary levels, for any gap in
THE PREMIUM RATES COME
biggest challenge and a personal one for
22218343; Fax: 22218335;
l 52, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Floor,
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l
Phones:be the2377058
2377057, preferred
; Fax: 2377059model,2/C, “Suryarathwhile
Bldg”, 2ndtertiary
Floor, care
hoeashould be
and tuberculosis—and lifestyle or
THE NEW PROPOSED SCHEME IS
l
governed by predetermined rates, covering
26560393, 26560929; Fax: 26565293 Copyright Living Media India Ltd. All all the health diseases like obesity, chance to either leave his mark on history
non-communicable
l
heart ailments. ATALKING OF ABOUT 100 MILLION

needs of a patient. By building these intodiabetes the system or be remembered for not having cared.
Printed and published by Manoj Sharma on behalf of Living Media
andand broken
I can only wish him luck in this noble
HOUSEHOLDS AND SOMEneed it. 500
India Limited. Printed at Thomson Press India Limited,
18-35aligning
Milestone, Delhi everyone, I am sure we
Mathura Road, Faridabad-121007, can attain
(Haryana) 50 per cent
healthcare system makes treatment so
endeavour. He will
MILLION PEOPLE
and at A-9, Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar, District
more healthcare
Kancheepuram-603209, (Tamil Nadu). efficiency
Published at K-9,at no extra cost.
Connaught much n more complicated. There is just
one state-run hospital for every 90,343
The author is founder persons and 0.9 beds for everyTAPAN
chairman, 1,000 rural
SINGHEL MD & CEO, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance
persons.
Medanta-The The
Medicity void created by subsidised
SONU MEHTA/GETTY IMAGES
HEALTHY DISCUSSION Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the

Union health minister Jagat Prakash Nadda
protocols and referrals between different levels of care would operating officer, Health Insurance TPA of India. “The In-
be built while putting together the NHPS, to avoid abuse dian insurance industry,”she says, “with all its expertise can
or unnecessary utilisation of secondary and tertiary care. certainly lend a helping hand in secondary-tertiary care,
There is much to learn from schemes like the RSBY, state but the government’s focus on strengthening primary care
government schemes like Andhra Aarogyasri, Maharashtra and public health system will create a win-win situation.”
Jeevandayee Yojana, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Compre- l The challenge lies in the execution
hensive Health Insurance Scheme, which have been running Dr Mark Britnell, global chairman (healthcare), KPMG,
for nearly 10 years. says, “Going by my experience, raising and spending money
l One size doesn’t fit all is the easy part.” The execution requires a strong public-
For a country the scale and size of India, one mechanism private partnership model. “It will open up potential for
can hardly provide and deliver all. Many countries have foreign direct investment in healthcare. Both public and
customised solutions to their needs, says Malti Jaswal, chief private hospitals will have to change their business models.”
Few things in Budget 2018 captured the public imagi-
nation more than the health protection scheme. As Am-
artya Sen says, “India being a democracy, things can hap-
pen here only when there is a public demand for it, through
the voters taking healthcare more seriously and forcing the
IT WILL OPEN UP POTENTIAL FOR political leadership to respond.” If implemented success-
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN fully, the Modi government will be blessed by voters with
a longer mandate. And from that first baby step towards
HEALTHCARE. BOTH PUBLIC AND good health for all—perhaps, just perhaps—it will be an
PRIVATE HOSPITALS WILL HAVE easy walk towards becoming the first country in the world
TO CHANGE THEIR BUSINESS to dissociate healthcare from affluence. Fingers crossed. n
MODELS
With Anand Adhikari, Shweta Punj, M.G. Arun and
DR MARK BRITNELL Global chairman (healthcare), KPMG Amarnath K. Menon

BIG
STORY
ONE NATION,
ONE POLL
THE
MOTHER T
OWARDS THE END of his
address on the opening day
of the ongoing Budget ses
sion of Parliament, President
Ram Nath Kovind made an
impassioned plea for a seri
ous debate on simultaneous
OF ALL
elections. The ruling party, the BJP, has been
vigorously advocating the idea, the clubbing
of state assembly elections along with that
to the Lok Sabha. This, despite the political
and economic concerns many, particularly
in the Opposition, have expressed. Only four
times in the country’s electoral history were
POLLS
both polls held together: the very first general
elections after Independence in 1952 and the
next three till 1967.
The historic split in the Congress in 1969
ultimately led to the premature dissolution of
the Lok Sabha, thus disrupting the simulta
neous elections pattern. Another factor that
deepened this disruption was the liberal
use of Article 356 of the Constitution by the
Congress party to dismiss state governments
The ‘One Nation, One and dissolve assemblies before the end of their
Poll’ plan is laden with terms. Given these circumstances, it was not
possible to hold simultaneous elections.
logistical challenges and Now, it’s the BJP that is eager to push thr
could have undemocratic ough the proposal—which it first mooted over
a decade ago—citing longterm economic and
consequences. But it other gains. Of course, it’s also eyeing short
could be very good for term political goals, like ‘Mission 360’ in 2019,
prospecting more seats of its own as well as for
the ruling party electoral allies in the new Lok Sabha.
Modi has made it plain that he is keen on
By Amarnath K. Menon the ‘One Poll’ idea. Barely seven months into
his term, in January 2015, the parliamentary
standing committee on personnel, public
grievances, law and justice had argued for
32 INDIA TODAY F E BRUA RY 19, 2 018 PRASHANTH VISHWANATHAN/GETTY IMAGES

BIG
STORY
ONE NATION, FORTHCOMING

ELECTIONS
ONE POLL
When the present term expires

Jammu & for different state assemblies
Kashmir
16.3.2021 Himachal
Pradesh
Arunachal
Punjab Late 2022* Uttarakhand Pradesh
27.3.2022 23.3.2022 1.6.2019
Meghalaya
6.3.2018 Assam
Haryana Sikkim 31.5.2021
2.11.2019 27.5.2019
NCT Delhi
22.2.2020
Rajasthan
Uttar
20.1.2019
Pradesh
14.5.2022 Bihar Nagaland
29.11.2020 13.3.2018
Gujarat Madhya Pradesh
Late 2022* 7.1.2019
Orissa Manipur
Maharashtra Tripura 19.3.2022
11.6.2019 14.3.2018
9.11.2019
Mizoram
Jharkhand 15.12.2018
Telangana 5.1.2020
8.6.2019
West Bengal
Andhra 30.5.2021
Goa Pradesh
15.3.2022 18.6.2019
Chhattisgarh
5.1.2019
Karnataka *Estimated date for assembly election
Puducherry
28.5.2018 Tamil
8.6.2021 States where scheduled elections are
Nadu due close to 2018 end
24.5.2021
BJP/ NDA-ruled states the NDA could prevail
upon to call for early state elections
Kerala
States ruled by other parties due to go to the
1.6.2021
polls in the first half of 2019
Graphic by TANMOY CHAKRABORTY
the feasibility of simultaneous elections. By the year-end, it Modi spoke of simultaneous elections in glowing terms.
had submitted a report including the Election Commission’s In the normal course, the NDA will have to work on
views. What happened in between revealed the PM’s abid- amending the Constitution by roping in at least two-thirds of
ing interest. Soon after the standing committee was tasked, the states, including those governed by political adversaries,
then chief election commissioner Hari Shankar Brahma to achieve the audacious goal, which many critics, includ-
recorded that Modi’s principal secretary Nripendra Misra had ing constitutional experts, dismiss as an absurdity. “For a
informed him that there was ‘a strong feeling’ in favour of hav- permanent change in the electoral system, Article 172, which
ing simultaneous polls and that the repeated state elections gives the Lok Sabha and state assemblies a term of five years
(in the 36 states and Union territories) were causing great and not a day more, except an extension of one year in case
socioeconomic disruption while also affecting the delivery of of an Emergency, the Constitution will have to be studied
important government schemes. By early 2016, the law min- and amended,” explains Union law minister Ravi Shankar
istry had asked the EC for its comments on the parliamentary Prasad. “The change will have to ensure that you can’t bring
panel’s report and at a meeting of BJP leaders on March 19, a no-confidence motion without having a positive vote of

AMIT DAVE / REUTERS
THE TWO SIDES

TO ONE POLL
ADVANTAGES
 Ends a staggered electoral cycle where there is an

average of more than five state elections every year
SECURITY LOGISTICS
overburdening parties and the electoral machinery
BSF soldiers at a rural polling station in Gujarat, Dec 2017
 Cuts back rising election costs, and recurring de-
ployment of administrative personnel as polling staff
confidence. But political consensus will be of paramount
importance.” Significantly, one constitutional amend-  Reduces the use of security resources/ police
ment that might have to be adopted is to ensure that a personnel for peaceful conduct of polls
motion of no-confidence is allowed just once in a five-year
 Enforces the Model Code of Conduct, which
tenure of the House, according to Prasad. suspends administrative activity and stalls routine
Meanwhile, on February 7, in his reply to a motion governance, for a smaller period of time instead of
of thanks on the President’s address, Prime Minister allowing it to kick in over general electoral cycles
Narendra Modi again pitched his idea. “Let us have a con-
structive discussion on holding simultaneous Lok Sabha  Fewer elections help curb corruption and reduce
and Vidhan Sabha elections in the various states,” he said, the number of conduits and flow of black money
while pointing out that Rs 4,000 crore had been spent on  Reduces the number of disruptions in the
the 2014 general elections. governance process
What is now fuelling debate is the realisation that the
government also has a simpler option: if the BJP wants, DISADVANTAGES
it can get 11 of the 17 larger states to subscribe to the ‘One
Nation, One Poll’ idea without amending the Constitu-
tion. All that the party needs to do is to call for a Decem-  Stifles diversity and coalition politics that add to
the vibrancy of a democracy, which, in turn, impacts
ber 2018 general election, when three big states (Chhat-
voter behaviour and electoral outcomes
tisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan) have polls, prod
a few other BJP-ruled states, including Maharashtra and  Neutralises anti–incumbency in the states if there is
Haryana, to ask for early polls, and auto-prompt the Elec- a majoritarian government at the Centre, making the
tion Commission, which could use its prerogative, to call Centre-state relationship one of master and client
assembly elections in the three states (Andhra Pradesh,  Diminishes the role of regional parties
Telangana and Odisha) that voted for their governments
along with the 2014 Lok Sabha poll.  Curtails the legislature’s powers to unseat a
The prevailing narrative in the party is to invoke the government as no Opposition would be able to table
disruption caused by the Election Code of Conduct being a no-confidence motion unless it has the capacity to
enforced for 45 days at regular intervals. If there are two also simultaneously form a new government
45-day breaks, for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls in  Undermines the spirit of federalism; tinkers with
every state, the argument goes, the nation comes to a halt many basic principles that the Constitution upholds
for three months every five years and it would be prudent
 Blurs the distinguishing features of the political
to prune it to one 45-day period.
discourse on national and local issues, which should
However, several senior BJP leaders suggest it might
ideally remain distinct
be more feasible to synchronise the Lok Sabha and ass-
embly polls in two phases rather than in one go even if the  Impacts the poor by diminishing the only power
necessary consensus and amendments to the Constitu- they have—the right to vote
tion are ensured. “It is impossible to arrange adequate  Diverts attention from more pressing issues of
police and paramilitary forces for a simultaneous poll,” electoral reform, particularly the flaws of
argues party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya. proportional representation
Many in the party believe that phased clubbing of
polls will give the BJP leverage. Karnataka is the first of
the big states going to polls in April. The BJP did well in

JAISON G
BIG
STORY
ONE NATION,
ONE POLL
the Lok Sabha polls here, winning 17 of the 28 seats and is now
hoping to edge out the Siddaramaiah ministry in the state. In
December, three major strongholds—Chhattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh and Rajasthan—with BJP governments hobbled by
anti-incumbency issues, go for re-election. Together, these states
elected 63 BJP MPs—nearly 25 per cent of the party’s strength in
the Lok Sabha.
This is the emerging scenario as the BJP looks to combine
elections and hold it towards the end of this year. The hope is that
the political narrative will then focus on Narendra Modi rather
than local issues, helping the party to retain an upper hand. BJP
strategists believe that simultaneous polls will help the party
overcome the dead weight of incumbency in states like Chhattis-
garh, MP and Rajasthan, and even if things do go awry in any of
them, losing these states will be less significant if it’s in the midst
of a larger national victory.
Analysts also argue that if these assembly polls are held
ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP’s prospects are more
likely to dim by the time the national polls roll in. If these three
states were to vote in December without a Lok Sabha election,
T
he BJP’s manifesto for the 2014 elections
proposed simultaneous polls to the Lok
Sabha, vidhan sabhas, panchayats and
municipal bodies. Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi raised the issue and the debate
has continued ever since. The government referred
it to the Law Commission, the Election Commis-
GUEST COLUMN sion and a Standing Committee of Parliament
which gave the following reasons in support: 1)
S.Y. QURAISHI Huge expenditure is incurred on holding separate
polls. 2) The model code of conduct leads to a policy
Simultaneous
paralysis. 3) Delivery of essential services is af-
fected. 4) Burden on manpower disrupts function-
ing of offices. Let’s first analyse the issues raised.
Polls: An
First, the cost includes the expenditure incurred
by the government on conducting the elections, and
campaign expenditures borne by the political par-
Unrealistic
ties and candidates. Secondly, only new schemes
are stopped as these are tantamount to bribing the
voters. Ongoing programmes function unhindered.
Choice Even new announcements, which are in urgent

public interest, can be announced with the EC’s
prior consent. Thirdly, it’s not true that the delivery
of normal services is disrupted. The EC takes care
not to put any staff of essential services on election
duty. Fourthly, district administration is certainly

COSTLY EXERCISE
Illuminated cutouts at a Congress there would probably be a repeat of the Gujarat scenario with a stiffer
election meeting in Chennai in 2016
fight than the BJP would like. And unlike in the prime minister’s
home state, they wouldn’t even have the ‘local pride’ factor to fall
back on. Moreover, the personalities and roles of the incumbent chief
ministers—Raman Singh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Vasundhara
Raje respectively—and local issues would override the Modi narrative
or branding of central government policies.
L
osing a state or more is not an option for the BJP. In these three
states, it’s a straight fight with the Congress and any BJP defeat
would be a big morale booster for the former and could help in
cementing support from other opposition parties, especially
in Uttar Pradesh, which with its 80 Lok Sabha seats (73 of which are
now with the BJP and its allies), can decide the winner of the national
election. Furthermore, it always helps to have your own government
administering a state where your party is campaigning. Combining the
polls and drawing in other states is therefore perceived as a win-win
strategy for the BJP and the NDA.
Simultaneous polls will, therefore, allow Modi to make the elec-
tion campaign about himself in states where the BJP is in power,
deflecting from the state government’s shortcomings and focusing
the narrative of who should be prime minister. Analysts suggest that
Modi will use his oratory to deploy the familiar tactic of presenting
himself as the victim, playing up the persecution card to suggest that
affected as the election becomes the top priority. measures taken by the EC such as seizure of illegal
As the polling staff largely consists of teachers, it arms and ammunition, deposit of licensed arms in
disrupts routine work in schools. Apart from these large numbers, and the execution of pending non-
four issues listed by the Standing Committee, one bailable warrants. Finally, local issues and national
may add that casteism, communalism and corrup- issues get separated.
tion get aggravated during elections. The EC will be happy to conduct simultane-
Counter-arguments against simultaneous polls ous elections once in five years and complete it in a
are quite strong. First, the terms of the Lok Sabha single day instead of several phases. However, it has
and the assemblies mostly do not coincide. Of the already spelt out the logistical challenges and finan-
16 Lok Sabhas, seven were prema- cial requirements, especially per-
turely dissolved. Lately, the legislatures taining to the number of additional
have been generally completing their Legal and electronic voting machines required.
full terms, thanks to the 1985 anti- constitutional It is, however, the legal and consti-
defection law, and the Supreme Court’s issues make tutional issues that make simultane-
observations against the routine resort ous polls unfeasible and until political
to Article 356. simultaneous parties can reach a consensus, we
Secondly, having to face the elec- polls unfeasible must consider reducing costs by put-
torate more than once in five years ting a cap on the expenses incurred by
enhances the accountability of politi- political parties. And though the PM
cians. Thirdly, many jobs are created during polls, has suggested a meeting by the EC, it will be more ef-
giving a boost to the grassroots level economy. fective if he calls it himself. The problem has not been
Fourthly, rigorous enforcement of laws/rules such thought through to its logical end. n
as non-defacement of private and public property,
restricting noise and air pollution, ban on plastics, The author is a former Chief Election Commission-
etc. benefits the environment. Fifthly, there is a er of India and author of An Undocumented Wonder—
drop in the crime graph because of the preventive the Making of the Great Indian Election

BIG
STORY
ONE NATION, ONE LEADER, ONE VOTE?

ONE POLL Indira Gandhi campaigns during
the 1971 Lok Sabha polls (right); a
voter checks out poll symbols in the
simultaneous elections of 1952
only he can save India.

Also, in a simultaneous election, most voters are
unlikely to split their votes between different parties
for the state and the Centre. Which is why by drawing
in other BJP-ruled states and, eventually, the states
going to polls in the following six months to advance
the schedule, the BJP-NDA will enjoy a major tactical
advantage. Indeed, the only arguable deterrent here
is precedent—the last time the BJP called an early BETTMANN ARCHIVE/ GETTY IMAGES
Lok Sabha poll, under A.B. Vajpayee, it lost. So now,
obviously, the Congress as well as other big regional
parties have good reason to oppose the idea. For the
Congress, in particular, having the mega poll would
be far from ideal given its constraints in raising ad-
equate financial resources to steer its campaign.
T
he Congress sees a sinister design as well.
“The BJP has always proposed this when in
office,” says former Union minister and vet-
eran parliamentarian S. Jaipal Reddy. “When
it was first made in 2003, I had vehemently opposed
it. This is intended to woo the middle classes but will
not stand legal scrutiny. Cancelling an MLA’s tenure
prematurely after he has been elected for five years
can be challenged in court.” Reddy calls it “a stupid
proposal that will not help any party in the long run”.
THE BIG FIGHT

The Indian general election is the largest
900MILLION,
1.6MILLION
peace-time event-management exercise the estimated VVPAT (voter
on earth. The logistical challenge of holding total number of verifiable paper audit
near-simultaneous elections to 543 Lok Sabha voters in 2019 trail) slips will be used
seats—involving 930,000 polling stations and a
staggering 900 million voters—is hard to over-
state. India also has the distinction of having
930,000
the highest number of eligible voters any-
where in the world, and has earned for itself
the reputation of conducting among the most
credible elections. Simultaneous elections do the number of polling stations
hold the promise of some resource optimisa-
tion but they are fraught in other ways. Here’s
10
a measure of the challenge for 2019: MILLION, number of personnel
engaged as polling officials to
supervise polling

GUEST COLUMN
Only a Piecemeal
Reform
T.S. KRISHNAMURTHY
S
imultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and easier if elections are held simultaneously.
state assemblies is administratively feasible All this does not imply that we can hold
provided there’s adequate infrastructure. elections simultaneously anytime soon. The biggest
Political parties have not come out with impediment is that our Constitution provides for
their views clearly even though a parliamen- dissolution of Houses by the ruling party or by a vote
tary committee, law bodies and the NITI Aayog have of confidence. This would mean that as long as there
examined the proposal and made recommendations is no fixed tenure of the Houses in the Centre and
taking into account the pros and cons of the issue. the states the simultaneous election scheme cannot
The idea has certain advantages. First, the time be implemented. For this, the Constitution has to be
and effort needed in conducting state and Lok Sabha amended providing fixed tenure for all Houses. The
polls separately in a country as large as India will be problem is more acute when we have state legislatures
more as recurring conduct of state polls demand more with small membership such as Goa, Puducherry and
manpower, time and funds. Secondly, the monitoring the northeastern states where the tendency to dissolve
of political parties is easier if elections the assembly is more frequent than
are held in one go. Thirdly, electoral in the states with legislatures having
violence and vituperative personal Initiating one more than 200 MLAs.
attacks that heighten bitterness during reform and Secondly, there is a criticism that
the electoral process will be limited
leaving the others this proposal will affect the federal
to a certain period of time. Political spirit of the Constitution, as the voters
parties have turned out to be the will not enable us may not be able to assert their views
weakest link in India’s democracy. The to achieve quality pertaining to local/state issues with the
more frequently elections are held, the democracy national issues getting prominence.
more they resort to violence directly or This is not correct. It is also easy to
indirectly. And this single advantage argue that smaller parties may not
should justify simultaneous elections. be able to assert their electoral presence in such a
Finally, the election expenditure for political scenario. This, too, is not true because we have had
parties as well as the Election Commission, in effect instances where polls were held for states like Odisha
the taxpayers’ money, is bound to reduce over a period along with the Lok Sabha election.
of time—notwithstanding the initial expenditure on However, holding polls simultaneously alone
additional voting machines and extra manpower that will not enable us to achieve quality democracy
may seem to increase it substantially. if other electoral reforms such as getting rid of
In the long run, the gains on holding elections candidates with criminal records and regulation
simultaneously will outweigh the negatives, of political parties by a separate law are not
particularly from the viewpoint of the political parties, implemented. Initiating one reform and leaving
funds and the manpower required. We will also save the others will only result in a piecemeal step to
a substantial amount of money because voters’ roll improve our disturbed democracy. n
preparation for polls will be less expensive and it
may not require revisions every election. Another The author is a former Indian Revenue
argument in favour of simultaneous election is that Service Officer and a former Chief Election
the enforcement of the model code of conduct will be Commissioner of India

BIG
STORY
ONE NATION,
ONE POLL
Similarly, Congress Rajya Sabha member Abhishek within a stipulated time and delay elections till the general
Manu Singhvi says that “the well-known saying that the devil election. “The ‘One Poll’ idea is an attempt to introduce the
is in the details applies to this rhetoric about holding simul- presidential form of government in India with a hidden
taneous elections. Where is the consensus on the seven to 10 agenda to destabilise federalism and autonomy of the states.
constitutional amendments required to make this happen? It’s an attempt to put our democracy on the ventilator and de-
Will there be fixed tenure for state assemblies and the Lok stabilise the basic spirit of our Constitution—unity in diver-
Sabha? There’s been no discussion among the stakeholders.” sity,” says Paul. Others argue that simultaneous polls backed
Former Lok Sabha speaker and veteran parliamentarian by fresh laws for fixed terms could be a safeguard against no-
Somnath Chatterjee says that “if assembly and Lok Sabha confidence motions or the dissolution of the central govern-
polls are held together, the state and national issues will ment midway into its tenure, thereby ensuring greater politi-
overlap and chances are high that issues relevant for the cal stability on the national stage and possibly creating a new
state will be overshadowed. The framework of the Constitu- political culture. And with BJP stalwarts arguing that it will
tion does not provide for it. Very few parties will have the be the largest electoral reform ever in India, Modi is likely to
financial strength, resources and manpower to be able to push it forward in line with his slogan—“Transforming the
conduct two elections together.” largest democracy to the greatest democracy.”
There are also fears that regional parties could be mar- Yet, many electoral reforms campaigners feel simultane-
ginalised in the process. “If elections ous polls are a misplaced priority. It
are held separately, then regional par- would be better to begin by address-
ties have a better scope of winning. ing the peculiarities of the first-past-
Simultaneous elections will strangle “THE DEVIL IS IN THE the-post system in which political
the scope for regional parties as they minorities—parties or individuals
reflect local aspirations and issues. DETAILS... WHERE IS polling hardly 25 to 30 per cent vote
This will reverse the process of ‘deep- THE CONSENSUS ON share—emerge victorious. They
ening’ democracy,” says Prof Sanjay argue that the German model of a
Kumar, director, Centre for Study THE SEVEN TO 10 direct cum list-based proportional
of Developing Societies (CSDS). He system merits serious consideration.
suggests that “efforts be made to hold
CONSTITUTIONAL “A fresh Representation of the People
simultaneous elections in those state AMENDMENTS Act incorporating recommenda-
assemblies which are completing their tions and suggestions to bring about
tenure together rather than forcing
NEEDED TO MAKE integrity in the electoral process
simultaneous elections by law”. THIS HAPPEN?” and democracy should be the first
A CSDS study of 31 assembly reform,” says M.G. Devasahayam,
elections held along with Lok Sabha —ABHISHEK MANU SINGHVI convenor, Forum for Electoral In-
elections from 1989 to 2014 shows Rajya Sabha MP, Congress tegrity. “Proportional representation
that in 24 instances, the major politi- is a priority. Political parties, their
cal parties polled a similar proportion constitution, discipline, conduct,
of votes in both the assembly and candidate nomination and funding
the Lok Sabha. Only in seven cases was the choice of voters should form an integral part of this law.” He says simulta-
somewhat different. In another analysis, looking at voter be- neous elections should come after sorting out all constitu-
haviour in 2,600 assembly constituencies during simultane- tional, legal, logistics, manpower and security issues. It can
ous elections, it emerged that 77 per cent of the time the same be “a jewel in the crown”, he says.
party was chosen in the assembly constituency as in the Lok Dr Jayaprakash Narayan, general secretary, Foundation
Sabha (in non-simultaneous polls, the victorious party was for Democratic Reforms, says “simultaneous elections in
the same as the sitting MP’s only in 61 per cent results). principle are fine as frequent elections have been disruptive
Ex-independent MP from Kerala and commentator Dr of the governance process and also encourage competitive
Sebastian Paul (who was backed by the Left) describes the populism including freebies by political parties”.
one poll initiative as “an absurdity and against the spirit of For the Congress and other opposition parties in the
democracy”. He points to the incongruities, firstly that no one states where elections may be called in December along with
can guarantee the tenure of the Lok Sabha or state assem- an advanced Lok Sabha poll, it will be a Himalayan chal-
blies or the government when no party has a simple majority lenge raising adequate resources to run a hard campaign and
to rule. If a state government falls and the Union government impress the voters. With a nuanced strategy and ‘Modi’fying
continues in power, what will be the fate of governance in the the narrative, the BJP and its allies may have the upper hand
state? The Union government can impose President’s rule even before the ballots are drawn. n

BIG STORY | NDA ALLIES
O
N JANUARY 12,
RESTLESS
ANDHRA Pradesh
chief minister N.
Chandrababu Naidu
had an appointment
BEDFELLOWS
with Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi
in Delhi. Nothing
unusual about the meeting as chief
Murmurs of dissent among its constituents roil the ministers call on the prime minister
National Democratic Alliance. A diminished regularly. Besides, Naidu is the head of
coalition in 2019 will bode ill for the BJP the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which is
an integral part of the BJP-led National
By Kaushik Deka Democratic Alliance. The Andhra
Pradesh-based party is a majority part-
ner in the state and a minority partner
THE HINDU
NDA IN PARLIAMENT
LOK SABHA RAJYA SABHA
57 16 2
5 2 25
27
11
58
Total seats Total seats
543 245
l BJP l Allies l Others
and troubleshoot whenever there was grants from the Centre. Naidu has
friction in the alliance. Not just Naidu, been demanding implementation of
other allies too, such as Shiromani the promises made when Telangana
Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal, was carved out of Andhra Pradesh,
kept Mahajan on speed dial. Nor was which includes the reimbursement of
Mahajan the only point of contact in Rs 3,451 crore spent on the Polavaram
the BJP for the allies, there were oth- project, financial support for building
ers too, including Jaswant Singh, who the new capital at Amaravati and a
held the finance, defence and external railway zone at Visakhapatnam. On
affairs portfolios at different points in February 1, he publicly expressed his
time in the NDA government. displeasure over the Union budget,
It is the absence of such interlocu- which “hardly made any allocations
tors today that has perhaps resulted for Andhra Pradesh”.
in serious fissures within the NDA Besides, the BJP, a minor ally of
FADING CAMARADERIE? family. In the last one month, two the TDP in the state, has not dis-
Naidu and Uddhav Thackeray with the major constituents—the Shiv Sena suaded its regional leaders, including
BJP’s high command and the TDP—have made public their D. Purandeswari, from being sharply
displeasure with the BJP, while re- critical of the Naidu government. What
sentment is brewing in another major makes it even more embarrassing for
in the central government. ally, the Janata Dal (United) or JD(U). the TDP chief is that she is also the
Yet Naidu had to wait for over a On January 23, the Shiv Sena, the elder sister of his wife Bhuvaneswari.
year to get this appointment. This largest ally, with 18 MPs, announced Tensions are growing between the
is in sharp contrast to the influence that it would contest the 2019 general BJP and the JD (U) on the issue of
he wielded during the two tenures elections and assembly elections on its seat sharing in Bihar for 2019. JD(U)
of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA own, though it would remain a part of leader and Bihar chief minister Nitish
government between 1998 and the central and Maharashtra govern- Kumar even snubbed the BJP’s push
2004. Though the TDP then offered ments till then. The very next day, for simultaneous elections by stat-
only outside support, the PMO had Naidu said that the TDP, which is the ing that his state would go to polls as
a hotline with the Andhra Pradesh second largest ally, with 16 members, scheduled in 2020. The communica-
chief minister and Naidu could get would walk out of the NDA if the BJP tion gap came into play again when
an audience with Vajpayee with just did not want the alliance. BJP president Amit Shah could not
one phone call to the then Union Naidu is peeved by the fact that find time to meet Nitish in Delhi in
minister Pramod Mahajan, whose the central government did not grant January when the latter wanted to
primary role was to keep the lines his state special category status which discuss the pre-poll equation of the
of communication open with allies guarantees extraordinary financial two parties. When Naidu criticised the

NDA IN STATES IT RULES

JAMMU & KASHMIR MAHARASHTRA GOA
Allies: PDP Allies: Shiv Sena and RSP Allies: MGP, GFP, NCP, Independents
28 64 10
2
34
10
16
14
12
25
Total seats Total seats Total seats
2
87 288 40
ANDHRA PRADESH BIHAR ASSAM

Allies: TDP Allies: JD(U), LJP, RLSP, HAM (Se),Independents Allies: AGP and BPF
26
12 5 80 1 1
11
39
47
52

176 243 126
4
MANIPUR NAGALAND SIKKIM

Allies: NPF, NPP, LJP, Independents Allies: NPF, JD (U) Allies: SDF
10 46
1 22
3
10
19

10
60 60 32
4
l BJP l Allies l Others
Union budget, the BJP leader to reach coalition partners. The 1999 elections twice in the time he kept Naidu at bay.
out to him over the phone was Union gave the BJP exactly the same number In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena,
home minister Rajnath Singh and not in the Lok Sabha. which has apprehensively watched the
finance minister Arun Jaitley. BJP hijack its Hindutva agenda, could
F
A day after Naidu expressed his or some time now, there have not convince it to play second fiddle
displeasure, SAD leader Naresh Gujral been murmurs within several in the assembly elections in 2014 and
exhorted the Modi government to NDA constituents that the Lok eventually had to contest the polls
follow the coalition dharma of the Va- Sabha majority and subsequent separately only to be a partner in the
jpayee years. It’s a different matter that successes in the Uttar Pradesh and As- BJP-led government later. “The BJP
the Modi government does not need sam elections have made the BJP be- allied with the Shiv Sena in the name
to emulate that NDA model. With have like something of a “big brother”. of Hindutva,” says Shiv Sena Rajya
275 seats in this Lok Sabha—three So if Naidu could dictate terms in the Sabha member Sanjay Raut. “We kept
more than the simple majority mark of Vajpayee era, he finds himself helpless patient only for Hindutva. However,
272—the BJP statistically doesn’t need under Modi, who chose to meet the the BJP has, in the last three years,
any of the allies to run the government. Andhra Pradesh chief minister’s pri- been demoralising the Shiv Sena.”
In 1998, the BJP had only 182 seats in mary rival in the state, Jagan Mohan Yet, despite occasional rumblings,
the lower house, forcing the Vajpayee Reddy, once, and the YSR Congress these allies had so far refrained from
government to rely heavily on the chief’s close aide, Vijaya Sai Reddy, making their grievances public. When

ANGRY ALLIES
LOK SABHA RAJYA SABHA
SEATS SEATS
the Andhra Pradesh unit of the BJP
criticised the Naidu government on
elections, the JD(U) had fielded 25
candidates against the BJP’s 15.
SHIV SENA
several occasions, the chief minis-
ter restrained his partymen from
counterattacking the saffron party
Such electoral calculations, says
political analyst Manisha Priyam,
are behind the public posturing of
18 3
Has already declared that it will fight
to avoid straining his equation with the allies. “The dissenting voices the 2019 Lok Sabha elections alone;
Modi. But the changing economic against the BJP from NDA con- the Maharashtra coalition remains till
and political environment in the stituents have more to do with the the next assembly poll
second half of 2017 has encouraged regional parties’ local compulsions
the allies to strike back. While the than the lack of communication
two bold but highly contentious on BJP’s part,” she says. “Regional
economic decisions of the Modi parties have to assert themselves TDP
16 6
government—demonetisation and and create grounds for survival,
the implementation of the Goods particularly when elections are near.
and Services Tax—slowed down the And their only strategy for this is to
economy, rising unemployment and project injustice from the Centre. So Has hit out at BJP for dishonouring
inflation fuelled by increasing fuel what if they are partners with the commitment made by UPA to grant
Andhra Pradesh special category sta-
prices signalled the first significant ruling party?”
tus; TDP chief Naidu is also annoyed
dent in public mood for the Modi And that is exactly what Naidu is with state BJP leader D. Purandeswari
government. When the Congress bringing up in his state where he is for being critical of his government
restricted the BJP to double-digit on a sticky wicket as he struggles to
numbers in the December 2017 keep promises, faces a restive elector-
assembly polls in Gujarat—home
ground for Modi and Shah—the SAD
4 3
allies sniffed the first opportunity to
corner the “invincible” duo. UNLIKE PRAMOD
The first indication of this as- MAHAJAN IN THE
Supporting TDP, the SAD has exhorted
sault came when the Shiv Sena, in VAJPAYEE YEARS, the BJP to learn the coalition dharma
its mouthpiece Saamna, published a THERE’S NO ONE and not ride roughshod over allies
couple of articles praising newly elect-
ed Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
PERSON TODAY
With the Lok Sabha elections just a THE ALLIES CAN
year away, other alliance partners are REACH OUT TO LJP, RLSP, HAM(S)
9 0
also testing the waters to consolidate
their position in the NDA.
The BJP’s relations with the ate and cope with a dearth of funds.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) The TDP manages by putting the JD(U)’s re-entry into NDA has made
in Jammu and Kashmir faced a blame on BJP though it is not willing these minor allies from Bihar uneasy;
major crisis last month over the FIR to burn bridges yet. RLSP is cosying up to the RJD
against an army major for the killing In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena
of two men in Shopian. State public sees space for the party in the back-
works minister Naeem Akhtar, drop of growing dissent against the
however, sought to play down the BJP, especially after Maharashtra AGP
0 0
tussle. “Everyone—the state govern- chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s
ment, ministry of home affairs and bungling of loan waivers to farmers
the army is happily on the same page and handling the anger among the
now,” he says. Dalits. “Sena chief Uddhav Thac- Upset with the BJP’s stand on giving
citizenship to Hindu immigrants from
In Bihar, the JD(U), which now keray does not want to carry the
Bangladesh; will fight the panchayat
has only two MPs, wants to field 15 badge of Fadnavis’s failure on his elections later this year alone
candidates in the 40 Lok Sabha seats shoulder,” says a Shiv Sena leader.
in the state, but the BJP is willing Another small ally from the state,
to yield only nine. In the ruling al- the Swabhimani Shetkari Sang-
liance in the state, the JD(U) is the hatana, has also left the NDA on NPF
1 1
senior partner with 71 seats in the the issue of the BJP’s indifference
243-member assembly while the BJP towards farmers. In Goa, the Maha-
has 52 seats. In the 2009 Lok Sabha rashtrawadi Gomantak Party and
Snapped a 15-year alliance in
Nagaland after seat-sharing talks for
the February 27 polls collapsed
KARUN SHARMA/GETTY IMAGES
SHILPA THAKUR/GETTY IMAGES

ALL IN THE FAMILY
Nitish (left) and SAD leaders Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir
Goa Forward Party have threatened rage in the Northeastern state where government for not acting more firmly,”
to walk out of the coalition if their eating beef is intrinsic to the region’s says party MP Naresh Gujral. “We are
demands are not heard. food habits. worried because we represent a minor-
There is clear uneasiness among In fact, the aggressive Hindutva ity—Sikhs. Minorities must feel safe
the smaller NDA allies in Bihar. Upen- politics of the saffron party has made and secure in the country.” Sounding a
dra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samata several allies such as the Asom Gana warning, he adds: “The days of single-
Party, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Parishad (AGP) see red. The Assam party dominance are over. The BJP, on
Awam Morcha (Secular) and Ram party has now decided to contest its own, won’t get a majority in 2019.”
Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party the panchayat elections scheduled His words may well prove to be
are apprehensive that after Nitish’s re- this year on its own. “The BJP had significant as political developments
entry into the NDA, the JD(U) will be promised it would fulfil the provisions since the Gujarat assembly elections,
accommodated in the seat distribution of the Assam Accord which seeks to reinforced by the byelection results in
exercise for the Lok Sabha at their cost. throw away all illegal immigrants in Rajasthan, show that the BJP may not
the state,” says AGP leader and former enjoy the sweeping public sentiment
I
n Nagaland, the BJP’s 15-year-long Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar it did in 2014. Adverse results in the
alliance with Naga People’s Front Mahanta. “Now by amending the assembly polls in Karnataka in March
snapped, with both parties failing Citizenship Act, the BJP is trying to and in three other states—Madhya
to agree on seat distribution. In provide citizenship to illegal Hindu Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattis-
Christian-majority Meghalaya, the immigrants. Such religious bias has no garh—later this year, could trigger a
National People’s Party, which is part place in our secular country.” reconfiguration of the coalition and
of the NDA government at the Centre Though it has no real point of open up the national political land-
and in Manipur, declined to enter into confrontation with the BJP, religious scape to greater negotiation. n
a pre-poll alliance with the BJP, in conflicts worry SAD too. The ally from
anticipation of a negative public mood. Punjab is upset at the rising incidence With Uday Mahurkar, Amarnath
The BJP’s stand on banning cow of attacks on minorities, particularly K. Menon, Kiran D. Tare, Amitabh
slaughter had led to huge public out- Muslims. “I am disappointed in the Srivastava and Asit Jolly
CHINA | TECHNOLOGY
THE RISE OF A
SCIENCE SUPERPOW ER
CHINA IS ALL SET TO DOMINATE
THE NEX T TECH WAVE IN ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE AND SMART
MANUFACTURING, AND INDIA HAS
PLENTY TO LEARN
By Ananth Krishnan in Beijing
SOARING SKYLINE
Aerial view of Shenzhen, a city
home to some of the most
modern buildings worldwide
D
riverless cars that pervasive. But in truth, Chinese
can survive nearly all manufacturing today is far removed
accidents. Hospitals from the “world’s factory” that drove
and restaurants that Beijing’s export-led growth two
use face recognition decades ago. In Xian, for instance,
software to access robots have replaced workers in a
patients’ medical factory that is churning out one of
history and to order the world’s most advanced laser di-
your favourite dish. odes. In Guizhou, China is building
Artificial Intel- one of the world’s largest ‘big data’
ligence (AI) that facilities. In Beijing’s technologi-
guides a city’s traffic cal hub of Zhongguancun, internet
movements, predicts companies that began as start-ups
traffic congestion are now global behemoths. Of the
and even arranges top 10 biggest internet companies
bicycles for commuters. Intelligent in the world by revenue, four are
applications that get approvals for Chinese—e-commerce giants JD
bank loans faster than one can imag- and Alibaba; Tencent, which is be-
ine. A ‘big brother’ surveillance that hind the social media app WeChat;
uses ‘big data’ to predict street crime and Baidu, which started as a search
and also tracks citizens’ movements engine and is now leading the AI
using one of the most powerful face push, including in autonomous cars.
recognition programmes. In comparison, only one of India’s
This isn’t a peep into an Or- top IT companies is among the top
wellian future. This is today’s China. 25—Flipkart. China has more than
No country is moving faster than 700 million internet users—more
China in harnessing ‘big data’ and than double of India’s.
AI to power its industries—what China’s tech push is rapidly clos-
most experts see as the next techno- ing the gap with the United States
logical wave. In September last year, of America. Alarmed by China’s
Beijing outlined a plan aimed at strides, especially in AI, the Barack
deploying AI technology across sec- Obama administration had outlined
tors—from education to transport. a National Artificial Intelligence Re-
For China, AI is at the heart of its search and Development Strategic
technological leap forward. Plan, which noted that the trends of
AI research “reveal the increasingly
THE NEW ‘MADE IN CHINA’ global nature of research, with the
For many in India, a ‘Made in China’ US no longer leading the world in
caricature that comprises fakes, publication numbers”. That mantle
cheap toys and electronics is widely has now gone to China. The US plan
QILAI SHEN / GETTYIMAGES

CHINA | TECHNOLOGY
said that the impact of AI on society TECH GIANTS spend a day completely cashless in
“will continue to increase, including on Left to right: Focuslight founder Beijing—from buying movie tickets
employment, education, public safety Victor Liu; visitors at Artificial and ordering taxis to paying electric-
and national security, as well as the Intelligence Science Popularisation ity and gas bills with the touch of a
impact on US economic growth”. Exhibition in Nanjing city; an fingerprint. “WeChat generates 100
“In algorithms, the gap between engineer checks the pipes in million photos every day,” says Tu. “It’s
Alibaba’s Zhangbei data centre
China and America is becoming small- only logical that Tencent develops the
er,” says Tu Zipei, a former president best face recognition technology in the
of Alibaba. “This is a big chance for world. And it will transform into an AI
China to become an AI leader,” adds company eventually.”
Tu, pointing to how China, more than
any other country, is best situated to THE AI RACE
make the next big tech leap. As he puts Among the companies betting big on
it, “data is the soil for AI to grow”. AI is Uisee in Beijing. It is developing
autonomous cars. “We want to use AI
THE WeCHAT GENERATION and ‘big data’ to transform society,”
The two biggest digital innovations in
China at the centre of its data deluge
C H I N A’ S says Wu Gansha, co-founder-CEO.
“From traffic jams to accidents to air
have been Alibaba and Tencent’s
WeChat, which has 1 billion users.
R E S O LV E T O pollution to city layout, autonomous
driving can do a lot to remove soci-
Alibaba has transformed businesses,
and WeChat is perhaps the most in- BRING BACK ety’s problems. Our driverless cars
are operating in Hangzhou without
novative social media platform in the
world. It’s often wrongly described as I T S TA L E N T one accident in three months.” Wu is
working with the government to take
a Chinese WhatsApp, but it’s far more the Hangzhou experiment nationwide,
advanced. In fact, it introduced voice FROM THE and believes China is more bullish
and video calls years before WhatsApp than the US. “I have been involved in
did. It’s to some degree an amalgam of WEST IS several discussions with the Ministry
WhatsApp, Facebook and Paytm—us- of Industry and IT, and they believe
ers can post photographs, messages BACKED BY that autonomous cars are an integral
and use its e-wallet. In fact, this cor- part of smart cities. China has planned
respondent found that it’s possible to ACTION 1,000 new towns by 2020. So we have

CHENG JIABEI - IMAGINECHINA/AP ALIBABA - IMAGINECHINA/AP
the opportunity of having 1,000 new ing from space to information technol- and European giants that Liu once
towns that are autonomous car-friend- ogy to life sciences. It’s a story that worked for and become the third-most
ly,” Wu says. reflects China’s tech transformation. advanced firm in the world in its field.
Kaifu Lee, who earlier headed China’s success in manufacturing Focuslight serves as a poster of ‘Made
Google China and now runs Sinova- is underpinning its moves in AI and in China 2025’, and a company em-
tion Ventures, an AI-focused invest- other fields, where the ‘Made in China blematic of Made in China 2.0—high-
ment firm, believes that China’s AI in- 2025’ plan envisages a revolution tech manufacturing that Beijing hopes
dustry incentives are “world leading”. in smart manufacturing. Under the will replace the older export-driven
“If you are a credible venture capital plan, China reached out to entrepre- Made in China of cheap goods.
fund setting up a fund in a region, the neurs like Focuslight founder Victor “What people do not understand
government will be a leading investor Liu, who, when he left Silicon Valley is manufacturing is key to innova-
in your fund upto one-third. If you do in 2006, was a reluctant returnee to tion; manufacturing allows you to
well, you can buy back shares from the his homeland. By then, China was a have an idea of how to design and
government. If you don’t, they subsi- manufacturing behemoth, but was produce a product,” Liu says. “I cannot
dise your losses,” says Lee. nowhere near the West when it came emphasise enough how important the
Lee adds that if the first wave was to innovation. Liu was part of the first ecosystem, policy and administration
the internet, the second wave is “apply- batch of a government programme are. It can make life difficult for you,
ing AI to businesses that have digitised to bring back some of the talent that whether taxes or something else, or it
data”, which China is pushing under China, like India, had lost to the West. can be transformative.”
its AI policy across every sector—from However, where the two countries’
banking to healthcare to transport. experiences differ is in Beijing’s de- BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING
The third wave, he says, is robotics and termination to bring back this talent, For China, building a digital state is
autonomous vehicles, where China is demonstrated with action. Liu was being seen as a crucial weapon for the
positioning itself to dominate. told that he was required to innovate. one-party regime to strictly maintain
He was offered a 10 million Yuan social control. In November last year,
THE NEW CHINESE WORKER (Rs 10 crore) research fund, and a 1 a video went viral showing a Chinese
Robots have replaced workers on the million Yuan tax-free relocation pack- company’s face-recognition technology
assembly lines of Focuslight, a compa- age. Supported by the influential Chi- being used by the government—at a
ny in Xi’an, the ancient city famous for nese Academy of Sciences, he launched busy traffic intersection every passerby
its terracotta warriors. The 10-year- Focuslight, which would make was identified by an ID number. The
old company manufactures advanced advanced laser diodes, and in less than company, SenseFace, is deploying
laser products used in industries rang- five years, begin to rival the American its technology in Beijing, Chongqing

CHINA | TECHNOLOGY
mythology of Silicon Valley forgets

the extent to which defence depart-
ment expenditures played a role.
The internet is a primary example.
The state has been smart in China in
knowing when to get out of the way, in
setting the tax policies, in encouraging
recruitment, in putting in place the
infrastructure and in bringing back
the Chinese entrepreneurs.”
Shashank Reddy, who studies AI
policy at Carnegie India, agrees. “In
terms of data, India offers the same
advantages as China—1.3 billion
people have been enrolled in Aadhaar.
The problem seems to be that nobody
has managed to make use of these
conditions. We don’t have a Google or
Baidu that create the data you need to
build a credible AI system. The history
of the biggest technological innova-
tions of our times shows there’s a lot of
Guangdong, Sichuan and Hainan, and AUTO PILOT government backing and support that
according to its CEO, it has caught Driverless cars are went into it,” he says.
69 alleged criminals/ suspects in 40 operating in Hangzhou The Union government appears
days in one city. SkyNet is a nation- without one accident in to be listening. For the first time,
three months
wide system of millions of AI-powered the Union budget has specifically
cameras that watch streets, tracking mentioned AI, robotics and machine
traffic violations and crime. While the learning, while the allocation for
government says this will stop crime, it Digital India has been doubled to Rs
may also mean the end of privacy. 3,000 crore, though a detailed policy
is still awaited. The importance of AI
LESSONS FOR INDIA to national security is beginning to
In India, the impression that China be realised, with the defence minis-
can produce only cheap imitations is try announcing a new task force on
widespread. If anything, China’s story employing AI for national security and
warns of the dangers of complacency defence needs on February 2. The task
in such assumptions. “I don’t think force brings together the private and
anyone would have foreseen 15 years public sectors, and will be chaired by
ago that four of the 10 biggest internet N. Chandrasekaran of Tata Sons.
companies would be Chinese,” says
Kaiser Kuo, who worked with Baidu
CHINA IS Its members will include officials from
the Defence Research and Develop-
until 2016. Kuo says there is a mis-
placed perception that only China is
REWRITING ment Organisation, government and
educational institutions, IITs, and
blocking foreign competition to enable
the rise of its giants. “Twitter was
THE Reddy of Carnegie.
It is clear that the rise of digital
blocked in 2009, Google didn’t pull
out until March 2010, but even by then
RULEBOOK, China is changing conventional wisdom
on what it takes to innovate. As Kuo
these companies were far behind
their competitors,” he says. AND INDIA puts it, “Indians, like Americans, have
this idea that freedom of expression is
There are lessons from China’s
digital economy that question WILL IGNORE a necessary condition for innovation
to happen. What’s dangerous is if you
conventional wisdom on innova- think it’s a sufficient condition to make
tion, Kuo says. Even America’s story THIS CHANGE people innovate.” China is rewriting
shows the importance of government the rulebook, and India will ignore this
in creating the right conditions. “The AT I T S P E R I L transformation at its peril. n

FILM | PAD MAN
A PERIOD
PIECE
One man’s small idea has meant a big leap for
women’s hygiene, inspiring Bollywood to
make a biopic starring Akshay Kumar
By Suhani Singh
A
ARUNACHALAM MURUGANANTHAM’S CURIOS-
ITY and defiance have brought him both infamy and
fame. “In the early marriage days, you try to impress
your wife. I did the same,” says Muruganantham in the
popular TED Talks video uploaded on YouTube. So he
brought Shanthi a packet of sanitary napkins, after he
saw her using a rag cloth which was so dirty he wouldn’t
use it to clean his two-wheeler. Only Shanthi wasn’t
thrilled that he’d cut into their monthly household bud-
get. The Coimbatore-based school dropout and welder
then decided to make a pad on his own. Unable to find
volunteers in his family or in the local medical college
to test his product, he became a guinea pig himself.
This, Muruganantham claims, makes him the first man
anywhere to wear a sanitary napkin. For five days, he
fixed a rubber bottle filled with goat’s blood to his hip
and connected it to a tube which led directly to the pad.
“The messy days, the lousy days, that wetness. My God,
it’s unbelievable. I bow down in front of any woman
who goes through that,” said Muruganantham to ap-
plause from the TED Talks audience in Bengaluru.

JOINT MISSION It’s this candour mixed with a healthy dose of cheeki-
Akshay Kumar and
Sonam Kapoor in a still
ness that makes the inventor of the low-cost sanitary napkin
from Pad Man machine an apt hero for a film. It’s also why he is the first
person that actress-turned-author Twinkle Khanna thanked
in her bestselling book of short stories, The Legend of Lakshmi
Prasad. A fictionalised take on Muruganantham’s incredible
journey is documented in Twinkle’s short The Sanitary Man
from a Sacred Land. February 9 marks the release of Twinkle’s
production, Pad Man, in which her husband, Akshay Kumar,
plays Lakshmikant Chauhan, a character inspired by Muruga-
nantham who makes pads and begins a movement to increase
awareness about menstrual hygiene. Written and directed by R.
Balki, the film also stars Radhika Apte as Chauhan’s estranged
but loving wife and Sonam Kapoor as a young woman who helps
the real superhero in his endeavour.
While Muruga, the moniker Twinkle uses for her friend,
agreed to share his tale for the book, convincing him to adapt
his story for the big screen was another ballgame. Seated at her
office in Juhu, Mumbai, Twinkle recounts how it took her eight
months to earn his trust. “Halfway through the conversation, I
realised that the most interesting
thing about him is that here’s a
man who is doing something seri- “HAVE A MAN
ous but he doesn’t take himself
seriously,” says Twinkle about the IDOLISED BY
real-life hero. “He had a certain MANY HOLD A
whimsy about him. I felt he sim-
plified everything in a humorous NAPKIN, AND
way. I remember him asking, ‘So
HALF THE TABOO
do people think more in a glass
building which is slanted at 45 IS DISPELLED,”
degrees or under a tree? How
SAYS TWINKLE
does it matter where your office
is?’ That struck a chord with me.” ABOUT CASTING
It explains why the tagline for
AKSHAY
Pad Man reads, “Superhero hai
yeh pagla”.
This isn’t the first time Muru-
ganantham’s story has been captured for video. Amit Virmani’s
documentary Menstrual Man (2013) was an engaging account
of his resilience in the face of adversity and his commitment
to finding a low-cost alternative. In the film, Muruganantham
himself details how the villagers initially thought he had a sex-
ual disease and shunned him; how he was misunderstood for a
pervert and ultimately abandoned even by his wife who, unable
to cope with the criticism, served him a divorce notice. But as
the titular hero says, “If you are educated, what would happen?
You’d stop.” For four years, Muruganantham worked with three
As in his mind—affordability, availability and awareness—and
developed a set of four portable machines which performed
tasks such as process the raw material, compress it into shape,
seal and then sterilise it. In 2008, he made a vending machine
to dispense the pads. A year later, he won the National Innova-
tion Foundation’s Grassroots Technological Innovations Award.

FILM | PAD MAN
WE ARE FAMILY
Muruganantham,
Shanthi and their
,
daughter with Akshay
Twinkle and Balki on
the sets of the film
Shanthi came back after a five-year “It becomes interesting when the audi- and uncomfortable. Pads can only
separation period. ence can empathise with the wife too. provide hygiene.”
Today, his firm, Jayashree Indus- In that environment, he is going to be Pad Man’s hero may not be from
tries, has sold the equipment to over seen as a madman. She could not have Coimbatore (the film is set in Mahesh-
4,000 small factories across India, done anything else but leave him, for war in Madhya Pradesh) or called
and the technology has created over she had been raised in an environment Arunachalam Muruganantham,
1,100 sanitary brands like Bliss, Nari that makes her think in a certain way.” but the film retains all of Muruga’s
Suraksha, Sukhchain, Nice, Be Cool, qualities such as his “earnestness and
I
Sakhee and Relax. Muruganantham n their multiple meetings, Muru- light-hearted manner”, says Twinkle.
sells the equipment only to women ganantham also relayed to Balki Casting Akshay, she adds, enabled
self-help groups and thereby generates his problems with the sanitary her to go beyond a “smaller budget,
employment opportunities in rural napkin commercials and opened up arthouse movie” and make “a family
areas. The social entrepreneur has the filmmaker’s mind. Balki was the entertainer that’d reach the largest
shared stage with Bill Gates and been erstwhile Group Chairman of the number of people”. “If you have a man
bestowed with the Padma Shri, but advertising agency Lowe Lintas in who is idolised by so many holding a
money is not on his mind. “If anyone India. “He told me that women are sanitary napkin, you have dispelled
runs after money, their life will not shown jumping over fences, smiling in half the taboos right there,” she says.
have any beauty. It is full of boredom,” the office during periods,” says Balki. With the Bollywood biopic land-
says Muruganantham in the TED “But the fact is that women are in pain scape largely dominated with films on
Talks. “Why the need of accumulate prominent personalities in the field
money and then do philanthropy? of sports, politics and cinema, Pad
Muruganantham decided to start with Man would be a refreshing addition
philanthropy from day one.” “WE HAVE ENOUGH as it is the story of an underdog, one
It’s this selfless approach that CHARACTERS SEEKING who dared to tread a path that was off
inspired Balki to make his first biopic. limits for men. It’s an inspiring journey
Both he and writer Swanand Kirkire REVENGE OR MONEY,” of love, sweat and blood, literally. “I
didn’t want to focus just on the man in SAYS BALKI. “HERE WAS A felt there had never been a character
Pad Man but also wanted to see him who doesn’t seek revenge or money or
through his wife’s eyes. “Yes, it is an MAN WHO JUST WANTED doesn’t want to prove a point to society
innovation- and cause-driven story, but TO PROVE TO HIMSELF HE or somebody,” says Balki. “He just
it’s also a love story about what lengths wants to prove to himself that he can
a man can go to for his wife,” says Balki. COULD MAKE IT.” make it.” n

HEALTH
A HEALTHY DOSE OF ADVICE

Do’s and don’ts for wellness, based on the latest research
By Damayanti Datta
CANCER BURDEN IN INDIA FLU & A HEART ATTACK
ý Chances of a heart attack go up six-fold during the first

Tobacco seven days of detection of an influenza infection, says a
High BMI new study by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences
(ICES) and Public Health Ontario (PHO), Canada. It also
Low fruit, veggies in diet found a significant association between acute respiratory
Alcohol infections, particularly influenza, and acute myocardial
infarction. The risk is higher for older adults, patients with
Lack of physical activity influenza B infections, and those experiencing their first
heart attack. Researchers say patients should not delay
medical evaluation for heart symptoms, particularly in the
60% first week (New England Journal of Medicine, January 2018)
of cancers are
preventable Have you caught the flu or is it
in India
just a common cold?
ý India’s productivity loss due to cancer is a record $6.7 bil- COLD FLU
lion, or 0.36% of the GDP. And the burden is rising, with about 1
million new cancer cases every year. But 60% of cancers are
LOSS OF APPETITE MUSCLE PAIN
preventable; and one-third of deaths are due to five behavioural
and dietary risk factors: tobacco, high body mass index (BMI),
SORE THROAT HIGH FEVER
low fruit and vegetable consumption, lack of physical activity
and alcohol use. About 40% cancers (such as lung cancer and
SNEEZING HEADACHE
oral cancers) are caused by tobacco use and another 20% from
infections such as hepatitis B (liver cancer) and HPV (cervical
COUGH FATIGUE
cancer). Incredibly, just 12.5% patients are diagnosed in the
early stages (Journal of Cancer Epidemiology, January 2018)
VOMITING CHILLS
FRUIT JUICE & DIABETES

CRASH DIET & THE HEART
ý 100% FRUIT JUICE does not have a significant

effect on fasting blood glucose, fasting blood insulin or ý Cabbage soup diet, protein
insulin resistance (biomarkers for diabetes risk), says diet, three-day diet, grapefruit
new research published in the Journal of Nutritional diet, water fast diet, fresh juice
Science, January 2018. The data anal- diet—there are lots of low-
ysis evaluated the impact of 100 per calorie, meal replacement diets
cent juice from fruits such as apple, that promise miraculous weight
berry, citrus, grape and pomegran- loss out there. But beware.
ate. So a nearly 120 ml glass of 100 per Scientists from the University of Oxford now say crash
cent juice could count as one serving diets can put your heart at risk. Rapid weight loss slows
(half cup) of fruit, and can comple- down metabolism, deprives the body of essential nutri-
ment whole fruit to help individuals ents, weakens the immune system and increases risk of
add ‘more produce to their diets’, heart palpitation and cardiac stress. It can also damage
researchers said. blood vessels, the micro tears leading to heart disease.

U P D AT E
SAFAIGIRI ON THE GROUND

TV Today Network Ltd CSR Initiative CARE TODAY
A N I N D I A T O D A Y G R O U P I N I T I AT I V E
The community participated

Care Today A/C TV Today extensively during the various
Network LTD (FY 2014-15) phases of toilet construction, es-
pecially in providing labour ser-
Summary vices. Community leaders helped
Total CSR funds received enormously in community mo-
in FY 2014-15: Rs 93,25,944 bilisation. Community participa-
tion helped in the smooth
Total CSR expense implementation of activities.
incurred: Rs 93,25,050
Behavioural change communica-
Total household toilets tion and community outreach by
constructed: 463 the Nageshwara Charitable Trust
and ensuring the provision of
water close to the toilets contrib-
T
V Today Network Ltd do- uted towards adoption of toilet
nated Rs 93,25,944 to Care use. Women, children and the
Today Fund for FY 2014-15, aged sections of the population
consistent with Section 135 of were very happy at having a toi-
Companies Act, 2013. Care Today let facility within their houses.
Fund established Care Today A/c During the interactions, people
TV Today Network Ltd (FY 2014- of the community mentioned
15) and deployed these funds to Mrs Leelabai Baban Sripatre, one of the that the project improved their
implement three projects aligned beneficiaries, outside her toilet unit health status, contributed to hy-
to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. giene in the villages and in-
Care Today Fund imple- creased the overall quality of life,
mented one of these three projects in partnership with well-being and dignity. Women and the aged were very
Nageshwara Charitable Trust, an NGO based in forthcoming in expressing their satisfaction, especially
Nagpur, Maharashtra. Under the project, the with the decreased drudgery, increased convenience
Nageshwara Charitable Trust received a grant of Rs and enhanced dignity. The Nageshwara Charitable
33.75 lakh to construct 225 household twin-pit toilets in Trust received commendation letters from the Ramtek
the villages of Paoni (119), Khaparda (23), Swangi (19), gram panchayat in Nagpur district for the successful
Moudi (19), Palora (09), Chorbauli(17), and Chargaon implementation of the project.
(19) in the Ramtek block of Nagpur district in
Maharashtra.
Care Today Fund’s decision to support the initiative Project Summary
was based on the rationale that the villages identified for Name of partner NGO: Nageshwara Charitable Trust
project implementation were tribal villages, located in Grants provided: Rs 33,75,000
remote areas and the beneficiary communities were No. of household twin-pit toilets constructed: 225
poor, with limited access to livelihood opportunities. Location: Paoni, Khaparda, Sawangi, Moudi, Palora,
Additionally, the project laid special emphasis on sup- Chorbauli and Chargaon villages in Ramtek block of
porting women who suffered significantly due to the Nagpur district in Maharashtra
lack of household toilets.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
CARE TODAY FUND
INDIA TODAY MEDIAPLEX, FC-8, SECTOR-16A, FILM CITY, NOIDA-201301 (UP)
For further details, please write to balaji.singh@intoday.com

LEISURE
MARG, PATHWAY TWO, GULZAR’S
TO INDIAN ART FIRST NOVEL
PG 63 PG 6 4
BACKDOORS Q&A: INSTAGRAM

MAN POET RUPI KAUR
PG 6 8 PG 7 2
EXHIBITIONS
Beyond the
Delhi Art Fair
T
he India Art Fair transforms Delhi into
the capital of Indian art each winter,
attracting lakhs of visitors. More im-
portantly, perhaps, Delhi is already abuzz with
exhibitions every evening, highlighting the huge
influence the mass-market event has had in
creating an ‘art season’.
Founded in 2008 by Neha Kirpal, the art
fair (previously known as the India Art Summit)
has grown exponentially in its first decade. And
following MCH Swiss Exhibitions (Basel) Ltd’s
purchase of a majority stake in 2016, this year,
Jagdip Jagpal, a former international pro-
gramme manager at the Tate, UK, takes over the
show. Jagpal has already spoken of a South Asia
focus in the current edition of the fair that will
N
VIVA AM
D A R
SUN pective
os
A retr works
of his own at
sh
will be , Delhi
KN AM
RAJWANT RAWAT
91 INDIA TODAY F E BRUA RY 19, 2 018 F E BRUA RY 19, 2 018 INDIA TODAY 91
LEISURE
Photo courtesy KNMA Photo courtesy GALLERY ESPACE
From left: Balasubramaniam’s Liquid Lake Mountain, Zarina’s Completing the Circle
be held between February 8 and 11 at the NSIC exhibition season: a large-scale retrospective that showcases 50 years of
grounds in Okhla in Delhi. Vivan Sundaram’s practice. Titled ‘Step Inside and You are
There were rumours that major galleries—Indian and No Longer a Stranger’, after a 1976 painting, the exhibition
international—will skip the fair this year. However, the line- at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) in Saket is cu-
up lists all the major Indian players, including Vadehra and rated by the museum’s director, Roobina Karode. The show
DAG. Non-commercial institutions, such as the Asia Art Ar- can be viewed between February 9 and June 30.
chive and the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art, that Sundaram is best known for his installations and photo-
focus on research and arts education will also join the mela. montages. However, his early work through the ’60s, ’70s
Meanwhile, earlier this week, Gallery Espace opened a and ’80s, which will be on display at the KNMA, reveals
solo exhibition of New York-based artist Zarina’s ‘Weaving his modernist roots and figurative paintings. Pushing the
Darkness and Silence’ in Delhi after four years. The Talwar boundaries of medium and form, his
Gallery in Niti Bagh is showing Alwar Balasubramaniam’s 1991 series of drawings, made with
latest solo ‘Liquid Lake Mountain’. The exhibition—on until The fair’s self-corroding engine oil in response to
May 12—marks a significant evolution in Balasubramanian’s influence is the Gulf War will also be shown. Post
practice, as it includes not only the sculptural installations such that a the Babri Masjid demolition, Sundaram
he is known for but also paintings that focus on natural phe- turned his attention to making large-
number of
nomena. A large-scale exhibition of works by Mumbai-based scale, immersive installations. Most
Anju Dodiya at the Bikaner House opened February 1 and events are recently, he collaborated with cultural
runs through February 17. The show, titled ‘The Air is a Mill planned theorist Ashish Rajadhyaksha to create
of Hooks’, is hosted by the Vadehra Art Gallery. around it ‘Meanings of Failed Action: Insurrec-
Visitors will also be treated to two excellent non-com- tion 1946’ in 2017—a massive steel ‘ship’
mercial exhibitions. ‘A Search in Five Directions’ at the Na- that showcased the 1946 mutiny of the
tional Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum (January 20 to Royal Indian Navy. Sundaram has also
March 31) is presented by the Devi Art Foundation, which is worked on his family archive, and the
helmed by the mother-son duo of Lekha and Anupam Pod- exhibition will include a ‘Family Room’ showcasing the 1995
dar. Curated by Rahul Jain, Rta Kapur Chishti and Rakesh ‘Sher-Gil Archive’ with letters written by his aunt Amrita
Thakore, the show pays tribute to Martand ‘Mapu’ Singh, Sher-Gil. The exhibition comprises works borrowed from
textile historian and revivalist extraordinaire, who passed more than 40 collections around the world.
away last year. It draws from seven editions of ‘Vishwa- Also at KNMA, artist Mona Hatoum will give a talk
karma’, the landmark series of textile exhibitions that Mapu about her work on February 9 with an introduction by
had curated between 1981 and 1991. The textiles on display critic-curator Geeta Kapur. The Lebanese origin artist is
provide a glimpse of the rich textile history of India as well at the forefront of international contemporary art. And so
as the contemporary re-workings of tradition. The second is New Delhi. n
non-commercial show is undoubtedly the highlight of the —Latika Gupta

M AG A Z I N E
Photo courtesy :
THE MARG FOUNDATION
MARG ESTD.
1947 AND
NOW ONLINE
M
magazine laid emphasis on
the shared history of these
religions. “These ideas are as
relevant today as they were
then,” says Radhika Saba-
vala, general manager of
Marg Publications.
Although Anand took
great delight in uncover-
ing some of India’s hidden
Marg, India’s oldest art treasures—including Hampi INSIDE PAGES
magazine, is celebrating its in Karnataka and Bhimbetka
71st anniversary by launching in Madhya Pradesh—he also
its digital archive. The collec- keenly encouraged an
tion, a total of 270 editions, is “internationalism of thought”
Photo courtesy: ANNAPURNA GARIMELLA (EDITED), MULK RAJ ANAND: SHAPING

invaluable for its insight into and a deliberation on the
Indian and South Asian arts future, getting architects
THE INDIAN MODERN, VOL. 56, NO. 4, MARG PUBLICATIONS, JUNE 2005
and culture. The history and Le Corbusier and Charles
significance of the quarterly Correa to publish their plans
is inextricably linked to the for Chandigarh and New
passion and personality of Bombay, respectively.
author, thinker, activist JRD Tata, who took Marg
Mulk Raj Anand. under the Tata Sons wing
Anand returned to in the 1950s, suggested
Bombay from the UK in 1946, that advertisers take an
when India was on the brink interest in the content of
of becoming an independent the magazine. As a result,
nation. He, along with art brands such as Air India,
critic Anil de Silva and archi- Dunlop and Shalimar created
tect Minette de Silva from Sri unique advertisements that
Lanka and Bombay-based were relevant to the theme
lawyer and art connoisseur of the edition. For a design
Karl Khandalavala, decided enthusiast, these ads are as
the best way to contribute MULK RAJ ANAND Author, thinker, activist
fascinating as the essays.
was to publish a magazine
of the arts. In October that
year, Marg (which stands S The digital archives include continue to do with the issues
GE AD
for Modern Architectural VINTA such these advertisements, to come. Currently co-edited
Bran ds
Research Group, but also ated while also attempting to give by Jyotindra Jain and Na-
dia cre
as Air In sements
means pathway in Hindi) adverti to the readers an idea of the varied man Ahuja, at present Marg
t
was launched with the relevan Marg materials and papers veteran counts over 300 institutions,
e m e of
aim of setting the standard th designer Dolly Sahiar used including museums and
for the arts in India. It was for the magazine during her libraries, as print subscribers
important to Anand that the long illustrious stint at Marg. within India, and over 70 from
magazine offered the nation a Ensuring the quality re- other countries—including
sense of who they were and mains at its optimum is one of the Getty Research Institute,
what it meant to be Indian. the reasons why it has taken Smithsonian Institution,
By shining a light on Islamic, the team two years to make Yale University Library and
Buddhist, Jain and Christian the entire set available digi- Museum Rietberg. n
architecture and art, the tally. It is something they will —Moeena Halim
LEISURE
TWO
by GULZAR
HarperPerennial
`399;
pp 179
BOOKS
FACING
FACTS YASIR IQBAL
hometown of Campbellpur ground, largely by employing blamed the usual suspects:

(now Attock in Pakistan) in a technique that is clearly the divide and rule policy of
R the winter of 1946-47. Some

have paid Fauji to drive them
to safety. Others Fauji has
taken on for personal or
cinematic.
“The roots of the Parti-
tion were buried deep, its
branches reaching out,”
the British and the vested
interests of some politicians.
But we have not faced up to
our own culpability.
humanitarian reasons. But writes Gulzar towards the Bad things happen not
Renowned for his poetry and the main reason Fauji has end of the novel. In this sense, because they are insti-
films, Gulzar belongs to the undertaken this dangerous Two is not just a novel about gated by others, but because
generation of great writers mission is to drive his best history, home and refuge, but enough of us want them to
who witnessed the Partition friend Lakhbeera to safety about a constant search for happen—and, even more,
and worked in the Bombay across the border—of course meaning. allow them to happen. This
film industry—Ismat Chughtai, no one knows where or what Gulzar claims in an after- comes across in Gulzar’s
Saadat Hasan Manto, and the border is! word that we have engaged moving novel from begin-
Bhisham Sahni among them. As the trip goes on, Gulzar with the Partition far less ning to end. “If Fazal was
It is fitting, therefore, offers vignettes from the than others have engaged being hounded [out of his
that Two, Gulzar’s first novel, varied pasts of the passen- with the Holocaust or World birthplace] by a Verma or a
translated from the Urdu and gers and their families, some War II. But this is not our main Sharma,” he writes early in
also published in Devnagari of whom are left behind. failing. In typical post-colonial the book, “Rai Bahadur had
as Do Log, is about the Parti- Towards the end, similar fashion, we have found and a Rahim or Karim after him.”
tion and narrated as a series vignettes follow the survivors And in the end, a mother kills
of vivid cinematic vignettes. into the future, leading to the her son because he starts re-
The story follows a group genocide of Sikhs follow- sembling his father—the man
of Hindu and Sikh refugees ing Indira Gandhi’s murder. TWO st who raped her. It’s a warning
r’s fir
being driven in a truck by For a short novel, Gulzar is Gulza nslated to harken. n
vel, tra
Fauji, a Muslim, from their manages to cover a lot of no and —Tabish Khair
e Urdu
from th lished in
b
also pu agari
Devn
LEISURE
BOOKS
Together with Shantinath Desai and
Bombay Jayant Kaikini, Chittal formed a triad of

post-independence Kannada writers for
whom Bombay defined urbanity.
High Shikari is Chittal’s big Bombay novel,

and his fine-grained observations feel like an
ode to its streets, even when its narrator is at
his most anxious. However, the familiarity
of the chawl and the neighbourhood, Chittal
ratibha Umashankar-Nadi- suggests, can turn into oppressive social
P ger’s long overdue English

translation makes it clear why
Shikari, originally published
surveillance. And economic rise does not
guarantee belonging: neither Nag nor his
bete noire Shrinivasa is confident of retain- SHIKARI
by YASHWANT CHITTAL
in 1979, is perhaps acclaimed ing his social status.
Tr. Pratibha
Kannada writer Yashwant Chittal’s best- If Shikari is presciently pessimistic about Umashankar-Nadiger
known novel. Offbeat and absorbing, it urban alienation, it is downright depressing Penguin
provides a stirring portrait of urban Bombay, on the inner life of the corporation. Despite a `399; pp 352
and a rare insight into Indian corporate life century-and-a-half of industrial modernity,
under the Licence Permit Raj. the white-collar workplace isn’t a frequent
Chittal’s narrator Nagappa (often moder- Indian literary setting. Krishna Sobti’s
nised to Nagnath, and further to Yaaron Ke Yaar (1968) and Am-
Nag) was born, like the author, in Shikari is itabha Bagchi’s The Householder
Hanehalli village in Karnataka, (2012) vividly portray corruption
and his memories often take him
Chittal’s big in government offices.
back there. But the novel unfolds Bombay Shikari is about corporate
in the Bombay bylanes of Khet- novel, an ode intrigue in a Bombay that feels
wadi, Prarthana Samaj, Charni to its streets contemporary in some ways—
Road, Grant Road, Chowpatty say, in use of jargon like MD,
and Dhobi Talao—as Nagappa’s DMD, R&D—but not in others:
distracted meanderings guide the only women in Nag’s working
his thoughts. Passing the Com- world are secretaries, reception-
munist Party press reminds him of health ists or air hostesses, who are either Parsi,
hazards at his company’s Hyderabad factory. Anglo-Indian or Goan Christian.
Buying the Times of India sets him dreaming The relentless mutual suspicion in Shi
of an alternative life as a news stall owner. kari is informed by sexual hypocrisy and na-
He responds to urban stimuli like an ked appeals to caste and community. Their
automaton: buying a bus ticket to Worli presence in this ‘modern’ white-collar milieu
makes him realise he is going to see his makes this a tragically Indian classic. n
friend Sitaram. —Trisha Gupta
BOOKS
KANNADA TALES
OM NAMO NO PRESENTS PLEASE:
By Shantinath Desai MUMBAI STORIES
Another Kannada author who By Jayant Kaikini
in other works captured the Sixteen elegant stories in
essence of Bombay. In 2000, which the Kannada author
Desai posthumously received captures the ethos of Bombay,
the Sahitya Akademi Award from the city’s Irani cafes, its
for this novel of post-Indepen- chawls and old cinema houses
dence Karnataka to its reform homes

LEISURE
and Amitabh Bachchan and I always wanted love to be that

but never found that in a relationship. I’d always struggle
E
FILM
with that ‘Yeh pyaar toh nahin dekha tha cinema mein’,”
V
says Tiwari. “I started toying with the idea of two people who
LO
have a very conditional love brewing in Bombay.”
And so LPSF, apart from being a contemporary ro-
mance, is also Tiwari’s homage to the city that gave him
wings. He moved out from his parents’ home after his gradu-
LT Y
ation at 21 and did theatre with eminent theatrewallahs such
S R E A as Naseeruddin Shah and Sunil Shanbag, acted in films such
VERSU as Go Goa Gone and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!, assisted

Sai Paranjpye and Anurag Basu and then wrote and directed
the popular web series, Bang Baaja Baaraat (2015). “In the
last two decades of Bollywood, we talk about the migrant in
I
n Netflix’s first Hindi original, Love Per Square Foot, it’s Mumbai a lot,” he says. For Tiwari, it was important to be a
the common dream of home sweet home in Mumbai that “responsible writer and Mumbaikar” by giving the city an
brings two people together even if they are polar oppo- identity that goes beyond Bollywood and underworld and
sites. Sanjay Chaturvedi (Vicky Kaushal) has grown up in shine a light on the life of the middle class populace.
the tiny quarters of a railway colony with his parents (Su- LPSF didn’t start out as a Netflix original. Produced
priya Pathak and Raghubir Yadav). Karina D’Souza (Angira by Ronnie Screwvala Pictures, the film was envisioned for
Dhar) and her mother (Ratna Pathak Shah) reside in a dilapi- release in theatres until the streaming giant broached the
dated apartment in Bandra lent by a relative. idea to the makers. “We all sat down and looked
Both the twentysomething professionals crave for at this opportunity and looked at the market re-
space and privacy and seek a new beginning. The The film is a alities of where Bollywood is going, how trade is
film is a reminder that finding the ideal partner is reminder that working, and we started looking at the analytics
as hard as finding a flat in Mumbai. finding a part- of where exactly is the youth of India consuming
Written and directed by Anand Tiwari, ner is as tough content,” says Tiwari. “We looked at this film as
making his feature debut, the heart-warming
as finding a flat an opportunity to break the barrier of box office
romantic comedy has endearing characters, a and go into completely new territory. What is the
credible depiction of the elaborate process of get-
in Mumbai end game? If it is to reach an audience, I think
ting an apartment and a satirical take on love. “I people will reach more with Netflix.” n
grew up with the romance of Shah Rukh Khan —Suhani Singh
R
LOVE PE T
Q U A R E FOO
S
first Hindi
is Netflix’s
in al, though it
orig
t st ar t out that
did no eant for
as m
way. It w eatres
release in th

WAT C H L I S T
W EB SER IES
Simply
Marvellous
NEGATIVE SPACE
A son recalls how he connected
with his barely-at-home father
over the art of packing a suit-
case. This Oscar-nominated
short has the visual appeal of
Wes Anderson and the poignancy
of an Alexander Payne drama.
YouTube
Courtesy AMAZON PRIME
t the outset of Amazon the show casually tells Mrs Maisel, “Men
A
Prime’s The Marvelous don’t want to laugh at you. They want to
Mrs. Maisel, Miriam “Midge” f*** you.” And this seems to trace the
Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) journey in the 1950s to #MeToo and Time’s
is a Jewish housewife living Up in 2018. So much has changed, but
in New York’s Upper West Side in the then not much has changed at all.
1950s. She has no idea her husband is Brosnahan and Borstein are fantastic,
cheating on her, until one night his stand- the script is outstanding, and the show
up comedy performance bombs and he is filmed like a play flitting in and out of Jerry Seinfeld gets the witty
decides to leave home. typical New York apart- and quirky side of American
Drunk, Midge returns to ments and bars. The comedians, actors, filmmakers
the legendary venue, The lines are brisk and full of and the odd President in this
Gaslight Café, walks onto one-liners that presume talk show. Netflix
stage and begins ranting some knowledge of the
about her husband. She period and certainly of
ends up getting arrested for typical Jewish comedy. The
lewd behaviour and being justification of characters
bailed out by her soon-to- is left to the imagination
become manager Susie and explained away with
Myerson (Alex Borstein). the passing of time. Midge
Thus begins our show. goes from wedded bliss to
Like the wildly success- break-up to shop clerk to
ful Madmen, the story takes “comedienne” within the
place in New York on the eve same episode. The sets
of the wonderful cultural and dialogue might be from
explosion of the 1960s that 1958 but the characters THONDIMUTHALUM
is to follow. The hippies are seem very 2018. DRIKSAKSHIYUM
starting to arrive, African-Americans are Laugh, smile wryly and, for heaven’s In this acclaimed Malayalam
starting to ask questions and women are sake, stop checking your phones to fact black comedy, a newly married
starting to swear in public. The female check. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is couple find themselves battling
characters in this show are patronised, ironic, amusing and, for certain moments, with a clever thief as they try
ridiculed and sidelined by the men. The bloody funny. And that’s all there is to it. n to get back the gold chain he
only established female comic we see in —Arjun Rao has swallowed. HotStar

LEISURE
Courtesy THE HUMMING TREE
U
MALIB um by
con d alb
the se k&
on .Paa
Anders Nationals
ee
The Fr Grammy
got two ations
nomin
I N T E RV I E W
BACKDOORS MAN
What does it take to run a music festival? To Q. How tough is it to put together a music festival?
find out, we talked to Nikhil Barua, founder Not that tough, to be honest. You start talking to artistes
of Bengaluru performing arts venue The about a year before and everything ideally should start
Humming Tree, which will stage a day-long coming together about six months in advance. There’s a
concert, Backdoors, this month. The event, clear set of licences and permissions needed. We have a
headlined by hip-hop star Anderson .Paak, will be held in fairly good set of festival-size venues in India and really
Mumbai (February 14) and Bengaluru (February 17) good production and sound teams. The bigger challenge is
getting your programming and marketing right.
Q. How do you recover the costs for an event like this?
Anyone who’s trying to do anything big in India right now Q. Why did you choose to hold Backdoors in February
is pretty much doing it for the love of the music. There are when there are already a number of other festivals during
only one or two festivals here that manage the month?
to recover costs, because we just don’t have There was an option to do it in December
the numbers, in terms of audience size and
Right now, when Anderson was going to be around
spending power. Apart from sponsorships, anyone doing Asia, but we felt that was going to be too
the ideal situation would be to build a brand anything big close a timeline. He is playing Australia
as a festival that’s strong enough [so] that in music in right now, so we said we could bring him
people buy tickets regardless of the line-up— India is doing right after that. For the next edition, we are
which is what Weekender, Magnetic Fields definitely not doing it in February because
it just for the
and Ziro have done. Our goal is to sell 3,000- there is too much happening around the
4,000 tickets because we’re doing this with
love of it same time. This time we had to because it
Amnesty. If we hit those critical numbers, we revolved around his dates. n
turn a profit and all of that goes to Amnesty. —with Amit Gurbaxani

LEISURE
FORBIDDEN
FRUIT
Registering them in Delhi may
soon prove impossible. But
worldwide, vintage and
classic cars and motor-
cycles aren’t just historical
artifacts but also appre-
ciating assets. Thanks to the
maharajas, India boasts a massive
number of these machines. Firangs (1932) DELAGE D8 S
The 101 happily flew into India and snapped The car earned the sobriquet of
Automotive ‘King of the concours’
Jewels of India
them up to spirit them back home.
by Gautam Sen and A lot has changed since those
Makarand Baokar days. By banning vehicles over
Heritage Publishers 15 years of age in a bid to curb
pp 272 pollution, the government last year
condemned these beautiful ma-
chines to the garage, display case, or the crushers. After
a long court battle, vintage cars more than 50 years old
can be used under extremely special conditions. But
that’s hardly a victory for fans of the classics, captured (1930) STUTZ
MODEL M4
beautifully in Gautam Sen’s new coffeetable book, The
PASSENGER
101 Automotive Jewels of India. SPEEDSTER
One of the pioneers of Indian auto journalism, Sen At the time it
has gone to great lengths to unveil 101 classics that are was bought for
arguably the best in the country. These cars belong to restoration, in
over 30 collectors, many of whom, surprisingly, are not 2001, the car
had done just
maharajas at all. An even more massive collection of
10,360 miles
exquisite cars exists out of the public eye, however, as
Pix courtesy: MAKARAND BAOKAR, DILJEET TITUS AND ANUBHAV NATH
their owners remain extremely secretive about them

and do not want to come into the limelight at all. n
—Rahul Ghosh
(1925)
FIAT 501S
CORSA
Was ‘redis-
covered’ in
the 1980s
near Hyder
Hyder-
abad. It had
a tree going
through it
(1939) SS 100
JAGUAR
The first SS car to
use the Jaguar name,
this is the only one to
be exported to India
AU T O M O B I L E S
Electric
Dreams
T
he future may be attraction will be the
electric but the convertible SUV based
present is still on the XUV500, its new
petrol and die- SsangYong Rexton and
(1921) STEYR TYPE II sel—at least based on the its future range of electric
The Pittie family has had it since 1921 latest edition of India’s cars. All six will be new,
largest automotive show. including two concepts.
Running February Honda will highlight
9 to 14 at the Indian the new Civic and CR-V,
Expo Mart in Greater while Renault will display
Noida, ‘Auto Expo—The the Marvel editions of the
(1932)
INVICTA Motor Show 2018’ will Kwid. BMW will launch
4.5 L host some 42 manufac- the new 6GT and the
S-TYPE turers displaying their Mini Countryman and
The S-Type
two-wheelers, cars and also showcase its range
low chassis
was the commercial vehicles. Of of motorcycles. Mercedes
first English particular interest, Kia will showcase its global
car to top will unveil its made-for-
100 mph
India SUV, the ‘SP-Con-
cept’, which will give
competition to Hyundai’s
Creta later this year.
Maruti-Suzuki will
have a couple of concepts
on display, including a R SHO
W
MOTO t will host
forerunner of an SUV- ven
The e rs
ufacture
type compact car. It 42 man ing their
display
will also launch the new cars
eelers,
two-wh mmercial
third-generation Swift. and co les
Main rival Hyundai will vehic
display 15 different mod-
els, including the electric, electric concept, the EQ,
(1929) MERCEDES BENZ NÜRBURG 460 hybrid and plug-in launch the Mercedes-
Won the Cartier concours prize for best resurrection in 2011 Ioniq as well as compact Maybach S650 and
SUV ‘Kona’, an electric debut the new E-class All
version of which may be Terrain—a souped-up
launched here next year. AWD version of the E-
Tata Motors will class station-wagon.
debut three new products Honda Motorcycles
across its vehicle range, (HMSI) will showcase 11
including a compact new models for India and
SUV that’ll be positioned launch a new one, while
above the Nexon as well start-up Twenty Two
as a range of electric vers- Motors will showcase its
ions of its cars and the electric bike. Two-wheeler
Tamo Racemo—a sports manufacturers will take
car concept that may the lead in terms of elec-
never go into produc- tric bikes on display. n
tion. Mahindra’s main —Yogendra Pratap

Q A
Wordstar
Rupi Kaur, “rockstar” poet on Instagram, on
speaking to a generation, and satisfying the critics
Q. Everybody says poetry is dead. But your

books are bestsellers. How’d that happen?
I ask myself that all the time. Never in a million
years when I started 10 years ago did I think this is
going to become what it has. But what everybody
says to me is: “You put words to feelings I did not
have the words to describe.”
Q. Why do young people love you?

My peers are probably going through the same
things and we are growing together, so it
makes sense that would be my readership.
Q. You’ve been called an “Instagram poet”.

Did the internet boost your career?
My parents were immigrants, my mum didn’t work
and my dad sacrificed himself just to put food on
the table. I turned to social media because I did not
have the money or the resources. But the internet
was free...you start...and that’s so empowering.
Q. How do you respond to critics

who say what you are doing is not
literature?
Many think it is too popular and
mainstream to be literary. But don’t
you want your work to be popular and
read by a hundred thousand people?
Q. How did your Indian parents

influence your writing?
They say when immigrants move, they
preserve their culture so much more
intensely. We’d sit around in the living room,
take a quote from Gurbani and then talk
about it for hours and it blew my mind.
—with Tsering Namgyal
72 Volume XLIII Number 8; For the week February 13-19, 2018, published on every Friday Total number of pages 108 (including cover pages)

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