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MANIFESTOI
Wanted: A Fiscally Responsible, Socially Progressive Government
overnment should be a force for good. Sadly, in India, it has become synonymous
G with corruption and intimidation, even as we as a society have become increasingly
illiberal and fractious. What this nation desperately needs is a clean and caring, efficient
and enlightened government. A government that serves the people instead of harassing
them; that facilitates instead of obstructing; that creates opportunities for the greatest
number instead of favouring a select few; that is fair and consistent, not vengeful
and whimsical; that instils hope instead of spreading fear; that encourages initiative
and entrepreneurship instead of killing it.
laws. We believe an environment must be created for businesses to grow, but grow honestly and not
through crony capitalism. We also believe in a pluralistic society, and that individual freedoms must be
protected at all cost. Archaic laws, many of them dating back to our colonial past, should be consigned
to oblivion because all they do is give corrupt government officers a handle to bully and extort.
Education is modern India’s greatest leveller and its redemption; it is the path out of the slum, the road
to the high table. We are all prisoners of birth, but education has the power to snap the meanest bonds of
economic and social enslavement. It’s the best investment we can make in our youth and in our future.
Besides price rise and jobs, corruption is what exercises people most today — to the extent that a
new party made a spectacular electoral debut on the back of it. So, what should be done about it? There
are several bills pending in Parliament; they should be passed at the earliest. But that alone will not

F
ive years ago, there was a buzz around India. We appeared to be a nation headed, almost
inevitably, for superpower status. China and India were spoken of in the same breath.
That promise has clearly been belied. Growth has plummeted from sub-10% to sub-5%.
Corruption has become endemic, and is eating into the very soul of this nation. It’s obvious
that the priority of the next government should be to get growth back as close to double digits as
possible. But will that alone put India back in the superpower sweepstakes? A nation that cannot
provide basic healthcare or education or housing to large swathes of its people, and where millions
go without a full meal a day, cannot claim to be ‘developed’. Our socio-economic indicators are dismal
— trailing, on several counts, even our neighbours Bangladesh and Nepal. We tend not to take sports
seriously (except cricket), but our shameful record at the Olympics is emblematic of a deeper malaise.
Perhaps we should stop bothering about tags, and simply focus on doing the right things the right way.
The Times of India has put together a manifesto that it would like political parties to study
seriously and perhaps even incorporate into their own; we would also urge the new government
to debate it with an open mind and in a spirit of bipartisanship.
Broadly, the TOI manifesto makes a case for fiscally responsible policies and socially progressive
EC O N O M Y, B U SI N E S S , E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P
LOWER TAXES, SIMPLIFY TAX LAWS REVIEW APPEALS
suffice. Most of these laws deal with catching and punishing the corrupt. There’s a need for preventive
measures that strike at the very roots of corruption. That will require a complete relook at the way just
about everything is run: the economy, the bureaucracy, the police, the judiciary. Our manifesto is
informed by this understanding of dealing with corruption by making all parts of the system more
transparent and accountable, instead of merely cubby-holing it as an ‘issue’ or ‘topic’.
Government and the legislature have become a symbol of much that is wrong with India. Governance
has all but collapsed at every level, and there is cynicism everywhere. Do our politicians have it in them
to regain the trust and respect of the people? We hope that the 16th Lok Sabha will bury the unhappy
memory of the 15th and do what the legislature is meant for: legislate and legislate well.
We do not claim to be the ultimate repository of wisdom; there are Indians of great integrity,
knowledge and experience who should also be heard before policies are framed and laws made. But
we will have achieved our objective if our manifesto serves as a starting point for a deep conversation
that places the interest of the nation – and not narrow, partisan considerations – front and centre.
Over the next few weeks, we will bring you the thoughts of prominent Indians as part of a
‘My Manifesto’ series. And we welcome your feedback at www.timesofindia.com — The Editor
spectors to make money at every turn; those
who resist, are harassed till they pay up or
shut shop. Why should it be so difficult to start
a business? It provides employment, creates
wealth and generates revenue for government.

T he entire tax regime – both direct (personal

and corporate income tax) and indirect –
needs a revisit. Given that less than 3% of the
population shows any taxable income at all,
there’s clearly a need to bring many more into
the net instead of burdening the already taxed.
It’s also high time the field were levelled and
rich farmers were made to pay income tax.
Tax rates for personal taxpayers should be
made more reasonable, in keeping with infla-
tion, if nothing else. The salaried class would
benefit from reintroduction of standard de-
duction (a flat amount that is deducted from
income, with the balance subject to tax). The
bulk of taxpayers comprise the salaried class
and reintroduction of standard deduction,
abolished from April 2005, is the simplest
way to usher in an additional tax reform for
this class. This will also usher in equity, as cur-
rently individual taxpayers who are profession-
als or businessmen are entitled to offset their
business expenses against income. Salaried tax-
payers only get certain tax sops – such as HRA,
LTA, medical or transport allowance – but these
in large cities translate into peanuts, such as
the Rs 800 per month tax-free travel allowance.
INDIRECT TAXES: SEAMLESS, PAN-INDIA REGIME
A review of the appeals process may be worth
undertaking. The first stage of tax appeal
in India is the Commissioner (Appeals). Some
countries ensure that the appeals division is in-
dependent and has no links with the tax depart-
ment which is responsible for tax assessment,
scrutiny and tax demands. In the US, the ap-
peals division is an independent body, whose
officers are evaluated based on their ability to
settle cases without next-step litigation.
END WASTEFUL GOVT EXPENDITURE
I nstead, focus on a handful of critical areas
such as education, healthcare, infrastructure
and law and order/security, but with a far strict-
er audit of performance and finances. Give tax-
payers a clear, unambiguous idea of where and
how their money is being spent. Several minis-
tries, ranging from textiles and steel to culture
and youth affairs can be disbanded. Also, the
government should exit slothful, perenially-he-
morrhaging undertakings like Air India.
ALLOCATE RESOURCES IN A TRANSPARENT MANNER
S ome of the biggest corruption scandals of
the past several years have arisen out of
either misconceived or rigged allocation of re-
sources such as coal, ore, spectrum and land.
infrastructure, and the remaining one-fourth
(Rs 75,000 crore) could be distributed as a one-
of gross salary paid to persons who were earlier
unemployed can be offset as a credit against cor-
There’s a crying need to drastically reduce the
number of permissions required, set a tight
time limit for them to be granted (if all the pa-
perwork is in order) and penalize babus if they
take longer. Also, the entire system should be
online and transparent.
PROMOTE MICRO, SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
M SMEs generate the largest employment
(nearly six crore) after agriculture. In
terms of value, MSMEs account for 45%
of total manufacturing output, 40% of ex-
ports, and contribute around 8% to GDP.
But they find themselves stymied by their very
regulatory definition. For instance, under the
MSME Development Act, a small enterprise in
the manufacturing sector is one whose invest-
ment is between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 5 crore, and
for the service sector Rs 10 lakh to Rs 2 crore,
which is too low. Those who wish to expand
find themselves bereft of credit – which either
flows to the ‘well-defined’ MSME sector or large
companies. For growth to be encouraged, there
is a need to redefine what constitutes MSMEs.
Across the European Union, three parameters
are used to define what constitutes a micro,
small or medium-sized enterprise: employee
strength, turnover, balance sheet value. While

O n the indirect tax front, political compulsions

have repeatedly delayed introduction of the
streamlined pan-India goods & service tax (GST).
The 1991 industrial policy of the Narasimha
Rao government was meant to usher out the
licence raj, but just the opposite has happened;
time rebate among all individual taxpayers in
proportion to their taxable income – as a re-
ward for honesty (yes, it might be difficult to
porate income tax. Direct incentive by way of a
cash grant is available on newly created jobs in
the Slovak Republic.
employee strength is a fixed criterion, a com-
pany can chose to opt for either the turnover or
balance sheet criterion. In the MSM ranking, a
Value Added Tax, which has replaced state- sale of government-controlled resources has execute, but worth considering). Total income medium-sized enterprise is one which employs
specific sales tax in most states since become the new frontier of crony capi- tax collections are budgeted at less than Rs 2.5 PROMOTE FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT fewer than 250 persons and which has either
April 2005, started off on the right note
– with an intent to provide for uni-
form tax rates, an input tax credit
talism. The process by which natural
resources are allocated to the private
sector must be made transparent
lakh crore in 2013-14. A large inflow of dollars
would also help strengthen the rupee. In the
US, the American Jobs Creation Act, 2004, of-
A ll industries, including retail, media and de-
fence, should be opened up to FDI. The In-
dian retail market is expected to be worth $500
an annual turnover of less than 50m euros
(Rs 426cr) or a balance sheet value of not more
than 43m euros (Rs 366cr). If enterprises fall in
mechanism to prevent ‘tax on tax’, and designed to serve public inter- fered a temporary tax sop to companies that billion by 2020 and could create up to 100 million this range they are eligible for a variety of fund-
and relatively standard processes. est rather than the government of repatriated dividends by imposing a tax levy jobs in the next 10 years. Also, a decision taken ing. Providing a tax credit or investment allow-
Today, because of local revenue the day and its favoured few. This of just 5% instead of 35%. However, the repat- by the Union Cabinet to allow FDI in a sector ance to MSMEs is another solution.
compulsions, states have increased can be done once it is recognized riated money was allowed to be spent on specif- must be respected across the country; states
VAT rates and blocked or reduced in- that maximizing short-term revenues ic permissible activities like R&D and capital mustn’t be allowed to block entry. FLEXIBLE LABOUR MKT, BUT WITH A SAFETY NET
put tax credit (which allowed a credit
for taxes paid on intra-state purchases),
for the government does not maximize
public interest. Public interest is best
expenditure which would promote growth and
job creation. (It could not be used for, say, de- PRIVATIZE AND DISINVEST AS FAR AS POSSIBLE I nnumerable surveys around the world have
shown that labour market inflexibility actu-
thus hampering pan-India trade. India needs
to be a seamless, not a fragmented, marketplace.
VAT must be put back on track by bringing about
served when we ensure a healthy, competitive
industry, which is then able to offer goods and
services to consumers at a reasonable price. A
claring dividends or for share buybacks.)

CREATE JOBS THROUGH PVT SECTOR INCENTIVES

P SUs should be privatized as far as possible –
especially in industries such as aviation, ho-
tels and steel – but in a fair, transparent manner
ally hurts creation of jobs – employers are wary
of hiring even in boom time if they are not al-
lowed to trim their workforce in a downturn. A
uniformity in tax rates, rules and procedures in
different states. In the long run, call it GST or by
any other name (say, central VAT or consumption
one-step e-auction, conducted by an independ-
ent body, is the best means of addressing these
multiple objectives.
A bout 50% of India’s 1.21 billion popula-
tion is less than 25 years old. The gov-
ernment will need to ensure that the employ-
(just as with resource allocation). Elsewhere,
the disinvestment route should be taken.
flexible labour market, on the other hand, gives
employers the confidence to add staff. But this
must be accompanied by a comprehensive
tax), but there needs to be an economically effi- ment expectations of its skilled and educated MAKE IT EASIER TO START A BUSINESS social security programme, including unem-
cient indirect tax regime that promotes growth.
Many developed countries have introduced a fed-
eral consumption tax. This is also emerging as
BRING BLACK MONEY BACK

A report by Global Financial Integrity states

the preferred alternative to customs duties in the
context of trade liberalization.
NO RETROSPECTIVE CHANGES
that India has lost nearly $213 billion
(about Rs 14 lakh crore) in illicit capital flight
since Independence (till 2008). Even if, say, 20%
of it can be brought back, through an amnesty
youth are met – a need that cannot be fulfilled
via government sector employment or funded
schemes alone. The participation of the pri-
vate sector is critical. Tax exemptions, grants
for job creation, credits against tax payable,
weighted deductions for the cost of new hires
I ndia ranks 134th among 189 countries, ac-
cording to a World Bank report on ease of
doing business. On ease of starting a busi-
ployment benefits/insurance and assistance in
retraining and finding alternative avenues of
income generation. (Obviously, people who have
ness, it ranks even lower: 166. The report says no interest in working cannot be kept on a dole.)
that 35 permissions/procedures are required
to construct a warehouse, which takes an aver- EASE LAND ACQUISITION FOR INDUSTRY

R etrospective amendments to law must be

introduced only in the rarest of rare occa-
sions to correct a flaw in the tax provisions and
not to earn revenue. Otherwise it will only
add to pending litigation (worth Rs 2.7 lakh
crore in 2012-13).
scheme, that is close to Rs 3 lakh crore, which
is more than the Centre’s annual education
and healthcare budgets. The repatriated funds
could be taxed at 3-5% above current Indian
rates, as a moderate penalty. Three-fourths of
it (Rs 2.25 lakh crore) could be exclusively ear-
marked for spending on health, education and
and their training costs are some of the vari-
ants used globally to encourage job creation in
the private sector. Countries such as Hungary,
Portugal and Switzerland offer tax breaks for
investments that result in a specific number of
new jobs. Luxembourg incentivizes both train-
ing and hiring – 10% of training costs and 15%
age of 168 days. One can only imagine the time
and number of clearances it takes to build a
factory. Small businesses, too, face frustrating
hurdles: for instance, to open a bar & restau-
rant in Maharashtra, 38 licences are required,
many of which date back to colonial times and
are outright bizarre. This allows corrupt in-
I ndustry is complaining that the new law will
make it very difficult for it to acquire land,
even for important infrastructure projects.
There is a need for better compensation, but the
price of acquisition should not be so exorbitant
that it hobbles industry. A middle path that is
fair to all sides needs to be found.

L EG A L R E FO R M S
Implement CIC decision bringing parties under RTI: punishment. While expanding the definition of
None of the six national parties has complied rape to include all forms of penetration (and not
with the CIC’s path-breaking decision in June just penile vaginal intercourse any longer), the
2013 to appoint information officers and 2013 law prescribes the same range of penalties
appellate authorities under the RTI. The (seven years to life) irrespective of the gravity of
Representation of the People Act should be the crime committed. The new Section 376(1) IPC
amended to make it mandatory for all recognized makes no distinction between, say, somebody who
parties, national or state, to set up the necessary committed a full-blown rape and somebody who
RTI machinery. did not go beyond inserting his fingers in the
victim’s vagina before heeding her protests. The
Sec 377 should apply only to non-consensual gay sex: one who withdrew at an early stage of the sexual
The retrograde Supreme Court judgment on encounter and the one who did not give up till the
homosexuality needs to be overturned. In fact, end can’t be rendered liable under the same clause.
the same verdict suggested legislative
intervention to get rid of this bizarre notion of Introduce a law against torture: Despite signing
“carnal intercourse against the order of the Convention against Torture in 1997, India is
nature”. The new provision should be clearly yet to enact a law which would enable it to ratify
limited to penalizing non-consensual gay sex. the treaty. The Bill introduced in 2010 needs to
be enacted at the earliest.
Gradation in punishment for rape: Much as some of
the rape provisions enacted in the wake of Turn adultery into a civil offence: The IPC provision
Nirbhaya were necessary, there is a need to tweak drafted in the Victorian era treats adultery as a
the new law, especially to introduce gradation in crime, which can be complained against only by
the husband and never by the wife. Following
the example of liberal societies, India should
make adultery a civil offence — breach of trust
— even as it remains a ground for divorce.
Decision to file charges should be prosecution’s:
Unlike advanced democracies like the UK
and US, India empowers the police to
decide whether a chargesheet should
be filed and if so against whom. As a
result, the prosecution is delivered
with a fait accompli; it is entrusted
with the responsibility of securing
conviction although it has no formal
role in drafting the chargesheet. This
anomaly needs to be redressed through
a radical amendment.
Overhaul sedition & blasphemy laws: The colonial
provisions of sedition and blasphemy don’t
belong in the 21st century. In different ways, they
hollow out the freedom of speech and expression.
The sedition provision — section 124A IPC —
needs to be amended to check the recurring
misuse of sedition by state authorities against
political malcontents. The amendment should
incorporate the SC’s liberal interpretation in
1962 that, no matter how much the accused
spreads ‘disaffection’ against the government,
sedition can’t be invoked unless he incites
people to violence. The blasphemy provision —
295A IPC — needs to be scrapped as the in-
built safeguard has proved inadequate.
Get rid of obsolete laws: After over
two decades of economic reforms,
our laws have still not been rid
of obscure and obsolete provi-
sions. Whether they are central
or state, the laws continue to of-
fer ample scope to ‘authorities’
to harass law-abiding citizens. You
can be arrested, your homes and es-
tablishments raided, your businesses
shut down, and your reputation besmirched for
reasons that no right-thinking person would
consider criminal or immoral. For instance,
a five-star hotel was harassed under the Sarai
Act, 1867, which makes it mandatory for hotels
to serve water to passersby. The Jain Commis-
sion, which reviewed administrative laws, ad-
mitted that multiplicity and complexity of laws
and rules, as well as lack of information about
them, leads to misuse (read facilitates corrup-
tion) and hampers growth. It sought repeal of
over 1,300 central laws (including 11 British
statutes). The Commission admitted that there
isn’t even a rough estimate of similar state
laws, which could run into several thousand.
The National Law Commission has, down the
years, also been giving its recommendations for
repeal or revision of laws. Yet, apart from a one-
stroke repeal of 315 Amendment Acts in March
2002, progress is pathetically slow. Owing to our
legislative framework, a law or Act never dies
unless specifically repealed. There is a need to
institute a mechanism that makes it easier to
repeal laws or read down provisions that have
either lost relevance or are pernicious.
Stop relying on AFSPA to deal with ‘disturbed areas’:
The strategy of controlling Kashmir and the
North-East by conferring draconian powers
on the Army has yielded diminishing returns.
There is a need to look afresh at the Justice
Jeevan Reddy Committee’s 2005 recommenda-
tion to replace AFSPA with a more humane ap-
proach, balancing security with human rights.
 MANIFESTOI | AN AGENDA FOR THE NEW GOVT
J U D ICI A L R E FO R M S
Enact laws on judicial appointments and accountability: The
existing system of appointments to the superior judiciary,
through a collegium of senior judges in every high court
and the Supreme Court, has proved to be ineffective
because it is completely in-house and opaque. The Judicial
E D U C AT IO N
Raise spending: India must meet the globally
accepted norm of central and state
governments spending at least 6% of GDP
on education rather than the roughly 4% that
states and Centre put together spend
More doctors in rural areas: There is an
Those who H E A LT H acute shortage of health personnel
speak in rural areas, from nurses and
Hike expenditure: India’s public health technicians to doctors and
English spending barely accounts for 1% of specialists. Of the over 19,000
fluently GDP, among the lowest in the world. India specialists needed, less than 6,000
There are just a few countries like are in place. Staff nurses required
earn up to Chad, Eritrea, and Yemen which spend
spends at the community health centres

1%
Appointments Commission Bill, currently. This is essential if the shocking a smaller proportion. As a result, over (CHC) level is over 14,000, but only
introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2013
to redress these two deficiencies,
should be enacted. The older Bill
relating to probity, the Judicial
Standards and Accountability
Bill, also needs to be revived,
especially because of its virtue of
dropout rate of about 50% by class 10 is to
be brought down, and the gross enrolment
ratio in higher education raised beyond the
current 16-17%. That number compares
poorly with China’s 24%, not to mention
the OECD’s 62%. The Centre must take the
lead in this. The enhanced outlay should go
34% more
must be accompanied by rigorous monitoring
70% of all health expenditure is paid
for by people from their own pockets.
Barring a handful of African coun-
tries, Yemen and Myanmar, nowhere
else is out-of-pocket spending on health
a larger proportion than in India. In
most of the developed world, private
of GDP
on public
about 6,300 are in place. These
appointments need to be made.

Healthcare for urban poor: Urban

giving a say to non-judicial voices
without compromising on judicial
independence.
Improve judge-population ratio: It is 12 years since the
Supreme Court, with regard to the subordinate judiciary,
directed an increase in the judge strength from 10.5
per 10 lakh people to 50 per 10 lakh people. Successive
governments have made little budgetary allocations to
achieve such a five-fold increase in the human resources
not only towards beefing up infrastructure in
schools, but also in ensuring decent salaries
for teachers so that quality talent is attracted.
At the same time, teachers should be made
accountable through an effective monitoring
body that includes parents of students from
the school. To improve quality of education
imparted, training of teachers at school
level needs to be modernized.
Bridge skill gap: With just 2% of
the youth having technical
and regulation to ensure no corners are cut.
Make English education accessible: According
to a recent report, those who speak English
fluently earn up to 34% more and those
who speak a little English earn about 13%
higher on average than those who don’t.
But only 20% of Indians can speak English,
and only 4% can do so fluently.
English education is often
expensive and difficult to access.
In most government-funded
expenditure is well below 25% of
total health expenditure. One fallout
of this is that health expenses are the
second most common reason for
people’s indebtedness in India. Public
spending on health must rise manifold
to counter this as well as ensure that
crucial indicators such as maternal
mortality rate (MMR), infant mortality
rate (IMR) and the immunization rate
for children do not remain abysmal.
India’s IMR is a shameful 42 deaths
public health, which has had no
significant planning or allocation,
is in a shambles. More than 50%
health, of urban poor children are un-
among the derweight, and almost 60% miss
lowest in total immunization before com-
pleting one year. The under-five
the world mortality rate among urban poor,
at 72.7, is significantly higher
than the urban average of 51.9.
With increasing migration to the
cities, the urban poor, estimated to
be about nine crore, desperately
need an efficient and functional
public health system. This must

3.2cr
cases are pending
in various courts
and infrastructure of the subordinate judiciary, where the
bulk of the 3.2 crore cases are pending. Since no government
wants it to be strong, the judiciary must have a greater say
in the allocation of funds for its needs.
Make the Supreme Court more accessible: The government
should implement the 2009 Law Commission recommen-
dation that the highest court in the land be split into a
Constitution Bench in New Delhi and Cassation Benches
in the four regions to deal with all the appellate work aris-
ing out of high court decisions. Though the Supreme
Court has expressed reservations about such radical re-
structuring, Parliament should give greater weight to the
public interest involved in sparing litigants the trouble of
approaching the Capital from distant states.
education, the skills gap is
becoming a gigantic prob-
lem. A strong technical edu-
cation stream linked to in-
dustry must be put in place
and fostered. Vocational/tech-
nical curricula need to be up-
graded and dynamically linked to
labour market demands.
Incentivize private sector: In higher education,
regulation — particularly of professional
institutions like engineering and medical
colleges — must be strengthened. (There have
been far too many instances of fly-by-night
operators and shady politicians setting up
colleges without basic amenities and pathetic
or non-existent faculties.) The government,
on its part, must invest in setting up enough
colleges to ensure that quality higher
education is available at affordable prices.
The private sector, especially reputed
business houses, must be encouraged and
incentivized to invest in education; but this
schools, which account for
about 70% of school education,
the medium of instruction is
Hindi or the local language. No
wonder poor parents willingly
opt for not-so-cheap private
school education. The number of
children enrolled in English- medium
schools has more than doubled since the
turn of the century. English as the
medium of instruction, which was in
fourth place behind Hindi, Bengali and
Marathi in 2006, is now next only to
Hindi, and will soon overtake it. The
government must recognize and address
this need by vastly improving the quality
of English education in its schools. The
benefits to society from this relatively
small investment would be enormous. The
hypocrisy of some politicians who
advocate vernacular education for the
masses while sending their own children
to English-medium schools must not be
allowed to derail this effort.
per 1,000 live births. Even
Bangladesh and Nepal have cut
IMR to 33 without the kind of
economic growth that India has
had in the last decade. MMR in
India is 178 deaths per 100,000 live
births; even Nepal is better off at
170. Only about 44% of kids are
fully immunized compared to 84%
in Bangladesh and 87% in Nepal.
Free medicines in public health facilities: More
than 72% of the money people spent on
healthcare is on buying medicines, and it is
estimated that 50-80% of any treatment cost
is on medicines. To prevent people from being
impoverished by the cost of medicines, the
government had promised distribution of free
medicines in public health facilities. The
planning commission calculated that the Centre
would have to allocate over Rs 5,000 crore per
year to fulfill its share (85%) of the cost of the free
medicines for all schemes. This is a small price to
pay for the potential benefits and must be paid.
be created.
Better pay for ASHAs: Almost
half the children in India are
chronically malnourished.
Malnutrition among children is
highest for those born of
underweight mothers. Among
under-five children, almost 70% suffer
from anaemia. The midday meal and the ICDS
scheme are the main schemes meant to tackle
malnutrition and related disorders. But these
and primary health services are mostly run by
an underpaid army of women employed as
contractual workers. Health schemes are
implemented through eight lakh plus ASHAs
who get paid Rs 400-1,200 per month. In a
country where 27 million children are
estimated to be born every year, there are just
1.3 million anganwadis meant to cater to those
aged 0-6. They earn just Rs 1,500-3,000 per
month. Those at the cutting edge of delivering
the schemes must be paid better and given
more job security.

A D M I N IST RAT I V E R E FO R M S AG R IC U LT U R E AVERAGE PADDY YIELD

Enact public grievance redress Bill: It’s an unwieldy
name – the Right of Citizens for Time Bound
Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of
their Grievances Bill, 2011. But Parliament should
not have allowed this Bill to lapse as it was very
much part of the “sense of the House” resolution
which had been adopted in 2011 in the wake of Anna
Hazare’s fast. This is a necessary complement to the
Lokpal law that has since been enacted.
Appoint a second states reorganization commission:
The formation of Telangana has reignited
demands across the country for smaller
states. This calls for the appointment of
the second states reorganization
commission to ensure that decisions
are not made purely on political
expediency but on the basis of
empirical studies coupled with
rational and verifiable principles.
Professionalise & modernize police: The
police need to be professionalized, protect-
ed from political interference, and given modern
weapons and a more dignified life, with better
housing. The police/population ratio should be
increased from the present 106 per lakh popula-
tion to the UN-recommended 222.
Insulate policemen from politicians: Way back in 2006,
the Soli Sorabjee Committee submitted its draft of
a model police law to replace the Police Act 1861,
FO R E IG N P O L ICY
Improve ties with neighbours: We should strive
to integrate Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal,
Bhutan, Maldives and Myanmar into the In-
dian economic matrix. Open up Indian mar-
kets to them, and build transborder econom-
ic projects that give them a stake in India’s
growth. Water is rarely thought of as a tool
of linkage — build more inland waterways,
cross-border water links. Pakistan’s internal
conditions will remain precarious for some
time so our best bet is to encourage better
trading and commercial links.
Better fences make better
neighbours. We should focus on
settling three undemarcated
boundaries. The India-Bang-
ladesh boundary agreement
is almost done and a consti-
tutional amendment should
go through. The India-China
boundary deal requires polit-
ical will for some exchange of
territory. We should have a po-
litical overture ready by the time
Xi Jinping visits India later this year. We
should start serious boundary negotiations
with Pakistan. Since it will be politically dif-
ficult to exchange territory here, formaliz-
ing the LoC into a boundary could be a start.
Reach out to southeast Asia: We should com-
plete the Asian trilateral highway to Thai-
land by 2016 as well as the Kaladan multi-
modal transport corridor. Link a new port
in Chennai with Dawei in Myanmar and on
to Thailand. This is very important, because
the more east-west connections we can build
into southeast Asia, the easier it will be to
ENVIRONMENT
Improve public transport: On the issue of cli-
mate change, while India must stick to its
principled stance of equity in international
talks, it must simultaneously take proactive
measures at home to check the demand
for fossil fuels. Unless excessive con-
sumption by some is curbed, it will
mean depriving those who need to
consume more of their legitimate
share. As part of this, much more
focused attention is needed for pro-
moting renewable energy sources. A
combination of fiscal incentives and
mandatory norms would be required.
Also, in order to reduce petroleum demand,
reduce traffic jams and improve air quality in
3.6
N AT IO N A L S EC U R I T Y
which has been the template for various state Increase investment: Over 60% of Indians Indigenize defence production: Dramatic
enactments. The Centre should enact the Sorabjee work in agriculture but just 14% of the steps are needed to end India’s shameful
draft without further delay as it is designed to
make at least the Delhi Police more professional
country’s GDP comes from agriculture.
Obviously, the farm sector is being forced to
tonnes/ position as the world’s biggest import-
er of weapons. Indian companies need
and less susceptible to illegal political diktats. support far too many people. That is why over hectare to be trusted and given a bigger role in
This may set an example for the states, which have nine million people have left farming in the defence production while defence PSUs
been remiss in implementing in letter and spirit past decade. But agriculture is essential to and the DRDO are overhauled for the
the 2006 Supreme Court judgment on police feed the population. Hence it needs emerging battle realities. Corruption
reforms. The judgment stipulates a mechanism to rejuvenation. The primary task is to increase and middlemen need to be fought, not
protect police officers hampered by undue political investment in agriculture, both public and just for transparency but also to protect
interference and another empowered to deal with private, to realize untapped irrigation India’s war-fighting ca-
complaints of citizens against police excesses. It potential, catalyze scientific research and pabilities.
also mandates a more transparent process for link producers with consumers.
appointing DGPs and a minimum tenure of Integrate military: The
two years for them and officers on
operational duties.
Help farmers improve yields: Policy must pri-
oritise enhancement of productivity of
foodgrains as well as vegetables and other
8.4 6.7
tonnes/ tonnes/
Indian military
should be integrated,
under a Chief of De-
Hold the police accountable: Public confi– cash crops, which lag behind international hectare hectare fence Staff. It needs to
dence in our police force has never been benchmarks. In paddy, for instance, India’s US CHINA work towards theatre
lower, to the extent that most of us think average yield of 3.6 tonnes per hectare commands, where army, navy and air
twice before seeking assistance. There are is not only less than half the United force are seamless war machines.
countless stories of policemen acting States’ yield of 8.4 tonnes per hec- get a good price for their produce.
criminally – running protection and extortion tare, but compares poorly even Hence, we must develop agricul- Strengthen intelligence: It may be time to
rackets, harassing the public, extracting bribes, with China’s 6.7 or Vietnam’s tural markets with deep linkag- consider parliamentary oversight for
bumping off people in custody and through 5.6. As part of this effort, we es with small producers, includ- intelligence agencies. There is a need to
encounters – instead of fighting crime. In the UK, must strengthen agri-extension ing transport infrastructure, as strengthen human intelligence (boots on
there is an independent commission that evaluates services to deliver new technolo- well as infrastructure for stor- the ground) both at home and abroad, as
complaints against the police for racism, bribe- gies to farmers. age and warehousing, including well as our tech/cyber capabilities to deal
taking, and other unethical/unlawful acts. At the cold chains. The government must with the diverse threats facing the country.
risk of adding another layer, an independent Link them to markets: Enabling farm- also ensure remunerative prices to
regulator/ombudsman may help introduce an ers to produce more won’t help if they farmers and competitive wages for agri-
element of check-and-balance. are not linked to markets and are unable to cultural labourers.
P OW E R
Prioritize alternate energy: An economy
cannot grow fast if it is power-starved.
project ourselves as a credible balancing if they can find jobs. Private sector firms must be One important step is greater public
power to China in the Indo-Pacific region. WO M E N incentivized through tax breaks if they employ, say, investment in setting up power genera-
35% of the workforce. Government needs to legislate tion capacity, with particular focus on
Cooperate with Japan: Japan has the ability Improve job opportunities: Data shows that Indian and implement equal pay for equal work. alternate energy.
to transform India’s economy. It should be women’s work participation rate is one of the
invited to build Indian infrastructure. In- lowest in the world — a mere 29% of the 15+ Lower taxes: Tax incentives should also be provided Single-window clearance:
dia, on its part, should support Japan in its female population — and unemployment among directly to women – from lower I-T rates to concessional Create a single-window
effort to rebuild its defence capabilities to women graduates is the highest, about 60%. One stamp duty if properties are registered in their clearance mechanism
tackle a resurgent China. reason is that only about 7.4% have had or were name (yes, husbands may use their wives as fronts to for all power projects
undergoing any kind of training. lower their own tax burden, but once a property is and bid out projects
Ink investment treaty with US: India should Clearly, we need not just more officially in the name of the wife, it empowers her). to private players
complete a bilateral investment treaty with vocational education for only after all approv-
US as well as pitch for a place in the Trans women but one with a more Crèches for working women: Since women are saddled als and fuel linkages
Pacific Partnership. This will be impor- modern approach that does with child-rearing work, their participation in the have been finalized.
tant in the future because the global trad- not merely train them in workforce can happen only if legislations mandating
ing system is evolving into smaller vocations assumed to be for widespread availability of crèche and daycare Strengthen national grid: Invest to streng-
arrangements. women like tailoring and facilities are passed and implemented stringently. then a high-capacity national trans-
cooking. But providing Crèches also prevent young girls from being pulled mission grid for smooth flow of power
Build energy corridor: Build an women skill sets will help only out of school to look after their younger siblings. from surplus areas to those with deficit.
undersea energy corridor con- Create a vibrant spot market for power.
necting oil terminals in west-
ern India to oil sources in Iran,
Qatar etc. We should push Iran S P O RT S
to let us complete building the shelter in urban centres for survival or advancement.
Chahbahar port and the north- U R B A N D E V E LO P M E N T Make sports compulsory in schools: No
south corridor. Both these links Make masterplans for all cities, towns: With people’s par- other large country has as little to show by
not only open Central Asia and be- Develop employment avenues in rural areas: Cities are ticipation, develop masterplans with zoning laws for way of sporting achievements as India.
yond to India, they allow India to help sta- vibrant hubs of economic and cultural activity. Yet, all cities and towns, taking into account future expan- This needs to change not only for reasons
bilize Afghanistan. urban enclaves in India are today virtually unlivable sion. Ensure that these plans are rigorously imple- of national pride, but because developing
due to large-scale environmental abuse, high mented under close monitoring by designated a sports culture is as good a way as any of
Beef up foreign office: India has one of the population density, poor infrastructure, and committees of experts and local residents. keeping the populace fitter and reducing
smallest foreign offices in the world — a rampant corruption. At the time of The plans should include housing for eco- healthcare costs. One way of doing this is
bench strength of around 1,800 officials. Independence, barely 15% Indians lived nomically weaker sections and employ- by making sports a compulsory part of the
China has three times this number and in cities. Now, urban centres hold 31% ment centres along with green spaces, school curriculum. The government must
the US over 20,000. Adding to India’s offi- of India’s people (roughly 377 million) natural features and heritage sites. ensure that all government schools have
cial strength is crucial. We also need to find of which around a quarter reside in the basic sporting facilities and mandate the
a new way to recruit and train diplomats — eight urban agglomerations of Delhi, Check corruption in local bodies: Strength- same for private schools.
picking them up directly from campuses, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, en local bodies, give them more powers
bringing experts in from various fields, and Pune, Ahmedabad and Bangalore. and financial clout but put in place com- More public facilities:
making employment flexible so people can According to the 2011 census, there are 53 prehensive monitoring mechanisms to Build public sports
move between academia and government. cities in India with a population of a million check incipient corruption. facilities in residen-
or more; by 2031, that number will rise to 87. tial neighbourhoods
With major cities bursting at the seams, long-term Make the commute shorter, easier: Establish a modern (along the lines of
attention must be paid to developing employment public transport system in all cities and towns. Also the DDA sports com-
avenues in rural areas and providing basic amenities develop transport linkages with suburbs. Decentral- plexes in Delhi).
to rural residents so that they aren’t forced to seek ize workplaces to reduce commutes.
Clean up sports admn: We need a law to
cities and towns. Public transport needs to clean up sports administration, by man-
vastly improve to encourage people to shift dating, for instance, professional CEOs
from private vehicles. and a mechanism of accountability to
from reaching their full potential. All public places and stakeholders and the public.
Make polluters pay: We must build many D IS A B L E D transportation, irrespective of ownership, should be
more sewage treatment plants to made accessible because education facilities, employ- Give tax breaks: Firms willing to invest in
reduce pollution of ground and Make public places accessible: There are an esti- ment opportunities and reservation will make no promoting sports at the grassroots level
river water. We must also mandate mated 70m persons with disability of whom sense without accessibility. With the bulk of em- should be given tax breaks in order to
strict effluent control laws in line about 27m were counted in the 2011 census. ployment, education products and services incentivize them.
with the ‘polluter pays’ principle There is sufficient evidence that a large pro- being in the private sector, government will
and ensure rigorous enforcement. portion of this population has enough abil- need to ensure that the private sector imple-
ity to actively participate and contribute to ments the law of the land, which rules With inputs from Lubna Kably, Manoj
Eco-audits a must: Sustainability and the economy instead of simply receiving against discrimination of any kind. It is their Mitta, Subodh Varma, Rema Nagarajan,
ecological impact must be instituted as charity their entire life. That can become a right as citizens to enjoy all the rights granted Indrani Bagchi, Sidhartha, Surojit Gupta,
part of cost audits of all projects, both at the reality only if they are provided equal oppor- to the rest of the population and it is the re- Josy Joseph and Nauzer Bharucha
conceptualization and monitoring stages. tunity by removing barriers that prevent them sponsibility of the state to ensure this happens.