Sunday, October 09, 2011
Anti-bribery integrity pledge
Anti-bribery integrity pledge
Recognising that integrity is fundamental, I as a committed citizen, will strive to serve my country and the world and its people with respect, dignity and integrity, and consistent with the values and principles of the Constitution.
I commit myself to set an example through ethical conduct for the furtherance of integrity and good governance and to report all corruption and other forms of unethical practice that I am aware of.
I will not give or take bribe or support bribery in any form. I will not accept or offer any advantage, gifts or benefits that might be seen to prejudice my position or lead to conflicts of interest.
I am prepared to explain honestly and be accountable for my actions when dealing with all spheres of society. Therefore, my actions will be transparent. I have declared my assets and assets of my immediate family in the public domain.
I will strive for high standards of service and ethical behaviour that are conducive to the development of the economy and the eradication of poverty.
I will promote these values in those around me. Through the above actions I hope to promote the welfare of all people.
This is my voluntary pledge to the people of my country and the world.
Signature:
Name:
Address:
Place:
Date:
Witnessed by:
Signature:
Name:
Address:
Place:
Date:
Idea borrowed from NACF.
Recognising that integrity is fundamental, I as a committed citizen, will strive to serve my country and the world and its people with respect, dignity and integrity, and consistent with the values and principles of the Constitution.
I commit myself to set an example through ethical conduct for the furtherance of integrity and good governance and to report all corruption and other forms of unethical practice that I am aware of.
I will not give or take bribe or support bribery in any form. I will not accept or offer any advantage, gifts or benefits that might be seen to prejudice my position or lead to conflicts of interest.
I am prepared to explain honestly and be accountable for my actions when dealing with all spheres of society. Therefore, my actions will be transparent. I have declared my assets and assets of my immediate family in the public domain.
I will strive for high standards of service and ethical behaviour that are conducive to the development of the economy and the eradication of poverty.
I will promote these values in those around me. Through the above actions I hope to promote the welfare of all people.
This is my voluntary pledge to the people of my country and the world.
Signature:
Name:
Address:
Place:
Date:
Witnessed by:
Signature:
Name:
Address:
Place:
Date:
Idea borrowed from NACF.
Labels: accountability, anti-bribery, anti-corruption, ethical behaviour, integrity, Poverty Alleviation, transparency
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Disrupting Corruption: People Power to gain Accountability
On January 27, 2011 the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict's webinar series will feature a session on people power to curb corruption and gain accountability.
Link to webinar page: http://tinyurl.com/5soydx9
Disrupting Corruption: People Power to Gain Accountability
Link to webinar page: http://tinyurl.com/5soydx9
Disrupting Corruption: People Power to Gain Accountability
Labels: accountability, Action Against Corruption, nonviolent conflict, transparency
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
62 Republic day of India
On the occasion of 62 Republic Day of India, let every Indian do a soul searching for their acts of commission and omission in making India a truly SOVEREIGN, SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual
and the unity and integrity of the Nation as envisaged in our Constitution.
Let us get away from bad governance to GOOD SELF ADMINISTRATION truly 'OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE'.
Let us eradicate the evils of the failures of our present day governance and mal-administration leading to corruption, nepotism, crony-ism, etc. and instead create a totally transparent and accountable society where everyone is equal before law in letter and spirit.
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual
and the unity and integrity of the Nation as envisaged in our Constitution.
Let us get away from bad governance to GOOD SELF ADMINISTRATION truly 'OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE'.
Let us eradicate the evils of the failures of our present day governance and mal-administration leading to corruption, nepotism, crony-ism, etc. and instead create a totally transparent and accountable society where everyone is equal before law in letter and spirit.
Labels: 62 Republic Day of India, accountability, anti-corruption, Equality, Justice, Liberty, poverty eradication, transparency
Monday, January 03, 2011
Zero tolerance to corruption
Every Indian should hang his / her head in shame that India stands exposed as a The Nation of Scams again and again. The IT Tribunal which has declared that tax is payable on commissions paid in the Bofors deal 25 years ago; whereas the former PM had told Parliament, no commission was paid in the Bofors deal and CBI had closed the case!!!!
Where is our "Zero Tolerance to Corruption"? On the contrary, it has come to a stage that we can tolerate any number of zeros to the right of a number, when it comes to corruption!! After all Indians created zero and it is now being claimed in abundance by our politicians and middlemen.
Do we have an answer for this growing cancer of society?
Where is our "Zero Tolerance to Corruption"? On the contrary, it has come to a stage that we can tolerate any number of zeros to the right of a number, when it comes to corruption!! After all Indians created zero and it is now being claimed in abundance by our politicians and middlemen.
Do we have an answer for this growing cancer of society?
Labels: accountability, Bofors, Commission, corruption, transparency, zero tolerance
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Phone banking to get safer in India with aditional one time password generated everytime; public demand biometric unique smart card identification
Phone banking to get safer in India with additional 'one time password'; public demand biometric unique smart card - http://tinyurl.com/38pkkdm - my stand for immediate introduction of biometric smart card with random, unique identity number vindicated.
Deccan Chronicle, Chennai - Dec 31, 2010
Phone banking to get safer
Phone banking set to become safer and more complicated starting the New Year. From January 1, you will need to generate a new password sent by your bank every time you want to use phonebanking services. This password will be valid only for a limited period up to 24 hours, or till one transaction is completed. This one time password (OTP) will serve as an additional layer of security to guard against credit card fraud. Most banks have already commu nicated to their customers the new requirement.
“Based on a Reserve Bank of India mandate, we have introduced an additional measure of security for IVR transactions on your ICICI credit cards. This means that every time you pay for a purchase or service through any merchant’s telephone system (IVR), you will be asked to input a One Time Password. This will be in effect from January 1, 2011,” said a mail from the ICICI.
Which means that OTP will be mandatory for all interactive voice transactions (IVR). Many of the banks are offering their customers the option to generate this new password via an SMS. Some banks are offering their customers the facility to generate this password online. "It is a constant endeavour for us to provide security to our online customers. We continue to put in place robust mechanisms," says CMD of Union Bank, M. V. Nair. " I. Arokiasamy, president of Chennai Credit Card Association, says, "Banks must take more intelligent measures like fingerprint identification or human trait mechanism that is only unique to the card holder."
http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2010/12/31/INDEX.SHTML
Deccan Chronicle, Chennai - Dec 31, 2010
Phone banking to get safer
Phone banking set to become safer and more complicated starting the New Year. From January 1, you will need to generate a new password sent by your bank every time you want to use phonebanking services. This password will be valid only for a limited period up to 24 hours, or till one transaction is completed. This one time password (OTP) will serve as an additional layer of security to guard against credit card fraud. Most banks have already commu nicated to their customers the new requirement.
“Based on a Reserve Bank of India mandate, we have introduced an additional measure of security for IVR transactions on your ICICI credit cards. This means that every time you pay for a purchase or service through any merchant’s telephone system (IVR), you will be asked to input a One Time Password. This will be in effect from January 1, 2011,” said a mail from the ICICI.
Which means that OTP will be mandatory for all interactive voice transactions (IVR). Many of the banks are offering their customers the option to generate this new password via an SMS. Some banks are offering their customers the facility to generate this password online. "It is a constant endeavour for us to provide security to our online customers. We continue to put in place robust mechanisms," says CMD of Union Bank, M. V. Nair. " I. Arokiasamy, president of Chennai Credit Card Association, says, "Banks must take more intelligent measures like fingerprint identification or human trait mechanism that is only unique to the card holder."
http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2010/12/31/INDEX.SHTML
Labels: accountability, Biometric Smart Card, credit card fraud, fingerprint authentication, fraud prevention, human trait mechanism, phone banking, transparency
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Comments on the approach paper of Planning Commission for the XII Five year Plan of India
My comments posted in UNDP Solutions exchange - Employment Community on the Planning Commissions Approach Paper for the XII Five Year Plan of India:
Unfortunately nothing is truly measurable in India! We have no citizen centric systems and structures in place even after 63 years of Independence, except those to benefit the officials and politicians. We have no proper statistics in place. We do not know our exact population, the demographic study, the number of citizens needing good health, education, skill training available, accorded and benefited, employment in various skills, etc., etc. Everything is in some ways more a guesstimate than a reality.
What we need is a fool proof tracking system to identify the various needs of citizens - food, clothing, health, housing, skills, employment, social security, etc. We need to establish systems of planning, bench marking, executing, monitoring, feed-back and accountability.
Every thing should be people centric and bottom-up from the hamlet / village level to national level and not bottom-down from the national to the village level as at present and managed by people themselves and certainly not official centric just for creating records.
Every action of every individual and organization must be by default transparent to the public (stakeholders) and should be audit-able by the stakeholders themselves. There should be a fail-proof audit trail on all activities and public expenses leaving nothing to chance or open to cheating. Today corruption is institutionalised from the village level to the national level. It has permeated all sections of society in all fields of endeavour. This needs to be urgently addressed if we have to derive true benefit from the twelfth five year plan.
This can help transform India and make sure our plans are truly beneficial to the common and man, the voiceless in the remotest corners of India and not just to benefit the powers that be in Delhi or State Capitals.
Unfortunately nothing is truly measurable in India! We have no citizen centric systems and structures in place even after 63 years of Independence, except those to benefit the officials and politicians. We have no proper statistics in place. We do not know our exact population, the demographic study, the number of citizens needing good health, education, skill training available, accorded and benefited, employment in various skills, etc., etc. Everything is in some ways more a guesstimate than a reality.
What we need is a fool proof tracking system to identify the various needs of citizens - food, clothing, health, housing, skills, employment, social security, etc. We need to establish systems of planning, bench marking, executing, monitoring, feed-back and accountability.
Every thing should be people centric and bottom-up from the hamlet / village level to national level and not bottom-down from the national to the village level as at present and managed by people themselves and certainly not official centric just for creating records.
Every action of every individual and organization must be by default transparent to the public (stakeholders) and should be audit-able by the stakeholders themselves. There should be a fail-proof audit trail on all activities and public expenses leaving nothing to chance or open to cheating. Today corruption is institutionalised from the village level to the national level. It has permeated all sections of society in all fields of endeavour. This needs to be urgently addressed if we have to derive true benefit from the twelfth five year plan.
This can help transform India and make sure our plans are truly beneficial to the common and man, the voiceless in the remotest corners of India and not just to benefit the powers that be in Delhi or State Capitals.
Labels: accountability, Biometric tracking, bottom-up governance, demographic data, Employment Generation, Planning Commission, Skill Generation, transparency, XII Five Year Plan
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
on NREGA implementation and its benfits
Passionate About India - Arindam Chaudhri blog.
June 25, 2010
NREGA IS A GREAT DEVELOPMENTAL INITIATIVE, BUT THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO ENSURE THAT THE ADDITIONAL INCOME IN THE HANDS OF THE RURAL POOR GETS MOBILISED
TOWARDS LONG TERM PRODUCTIVE MEANS AND NOT ALCOHOL!
When NREGA was launched in the year 2006, it was one of the biggest leaps taken by the UPA government to productively engage the underprivileged rural folk and connect them to the mainstream, a move which was due for long. From Rs 11,000 crores as the initial outlay, the same NREGA has grown to Rs 40,100 crores in the current year, encompassing each and every district of the country. Although a phenomenal initiative, from the very beginning, the NREGA has been marred with delivery bottlenecks. Like in most other cases, corruption this time too at every stage robbed the poor rural folk of their dues. The only consolation being that at least something is reaching them, compared to nothing in the past! But then, I recently came across this disturbing news! It has been reported that Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) sales have been going up as an aftereffect of the NREGA scheme. On hindsight, this was clearly predictable, but this was something that should have never happened in the first place! Predictable, because this is apparently a global phenomenon, that an immediate spurt in income disproportionately increases the propensity of consumption, and if it is backed with illiteracy and lack of awareness, the outcomes are even more hazardous, like we are seeing in our case! But then, what is most unfortunate is that a scheme which had the promise to transform the rural economy is actually pushing it to a bigger crisis! And if corrective actions are not taken on an immediate basis, we ourselves would be blamed for funding this nation into becoming a nation of alcoholics!
So when the government was all set to distribute around Rs 40,000 crores through NREGA, apart from ensuring that the money reaches the targeted population and does not get eaten up by the system, the government should have also ensured that there was a serious cap on the supply of alcohol in these regions. What happened was just the reverse. In fact, over the past few years, liquor outlets have on an average doubled in the rural areas. In Bihar, for example, the number of liquor outlets in the rural areas in the year 2006/07 was around 2800, which has gone up by more than 6000 currently. And this is all set to rise further as it is reported that the Excise and Prohibition Department is about to sanction one liquor vend in every three villages. It’s tragic that state governments don’t show a similar commitment for opening schools and health centres across each village. The bigger tragedy is that the per capita consumption of cereals is reducing every year, whereas that of liquor is increasing. The per capita consumption of cereals has fallen by almost two kg in the last decade. Bihar is not the only case in point, a similar growth in liquor supplies and consumption is being observed across the country. In Andhra Pradesh too, in a recent auction of around 6500 liquor vends, the rural areas put up the highest bids!
Reports also state that the liquor traders are very upbeat about the rural economy as various developmental schemes like the NREGA are enhancing the purchasing power within the rural populace, which has been driving up their sales. The government has also been extremely helpful in providing these liquor traders the reach without any concerns about the long term impact this is creating.
As I said earlier, the government should definitely put an immediate cap on the licensing of liquor outlets, particularly in rural India. This might also trigger the supply of illicit liquor and might even create an entire black economy around liquor. So the challenge to restrict consumption of alcohol and divert the new income towards consumption of cereals, saving, and into social investments like education for their children, is going to be a tall one, both for the Centre and the state governments!
One way to arrest this challenge is to issue the NREGA cards to the female member of the family rather than the male member. Globally, it has been observed that whenever income levels go up, women fare relatively better with respect to overall family welfare, as compared to their male counterparts. Even the famous Grameen Bank, which works on a micro-finance model and has had a huge success in transforming Bangladesh, hinges on this very premise that funding women with loans is any day a better bet than providing loans to men.
All in all, I would like to reiterate again that NREGA is a great developmental and transformational initiative. But then, successfully implementing the scheme across the nation is just half of the job done. The government also needs to ensure that the additional incomes generated by the rural folk are mobilized towards long term productive means. That would be the real challenge and transformation in the real sense!
http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.com/2010/06/nrega-is-great-developmental-initiative.html
My comments posted in the site:
NREGA should become a great developmental initiative. Instead it appears to be a damp squib as it is felt more as a dole distribution scheme in another name, not truly adding value to the local community in terms of creating long term assets for the over all economic development and prevention of migration. It is a big drain on the scarce resources of the Government and it may now be too late to reverse the damage done by NREGA as the rural poor cannot now imagine living without free money from NREGA, so much so the agriculture productivity has come down drastically. Please see the below links on the initiatives to streamline NREGA:
Villagers get digital identity - Biometric tracking gives a tamper proof identity to villagers http://www.indianexpress.com/news/aids-counsel-a-call-away/21904/2
Bihar shows smart card way to cleaner rural job scheme - http://www.indianexpress.com/story/33365.html
NREGA going hi-tech in Bihar - Vidya Vishwanathan - Civil Society Online - June 2007
http://www.civilsocietyonline.com/June07/india07ngrea.asp
The 'BSC' of Identity - A Biometric Smart Card Device can be a fool-proof ID for citizens, says this ICT Consultant - http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/2007/03/19/stories/2007031900110300.htm
ID Cards get smarter - http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=326049
4Ps Business and Marketing Magazine - A Plan Media Publication, New Delhi, India - Special Feature - COLUMN CITIZENRY - A prescription to end corruption - Unique identification of every citizen will help kill the corruption malaise in developing economies http://www.4psbusinessandmarketing.com/17072008/storyd.asp?sid=2112&page....
Backward Bihar goes for the smartest cards - Times of India – April 04, 2010
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Swaminomics/entry/backward-bihar-goes-for-the#comment-form
Unique ID - Letters Column - Deccan Chronicle, Chennai - Monday, April 12, 2010.
There is no doubt that Unique ID can be the panacea for most evils of modern society, if implemented correctly. It can help the government to save crores of tax payers’ money year after year lost on account of leakages in the system. UIDAI should ensure compliance with International Data Security Standards and be vested with the responsibility of registering every citizen and resident in India and issuing Biometric Smart Card with multi modal biometrics (finger prints, iris, facial, palm vein and DNA). All transactions of all individuals and organizations must be mandated through the use of the Biometric Smart Card. This can help to plug all the loop holes in the system and ensure transparency and accountability. http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2010/04/12/INDEX.SHTML?ArtId=010_030&Search=Y
June 25, 2010
NREGA IS A GREAT DEVELOPMENTAL INITIATIVE, BUT THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO ENSURE THAT THE ADDITIONAL INCOME IN THE HANDS OF THE RURAL POOR GETS MOBILISED
TOWARDS LONG TERM PRODUCTIVE MEANS AND NOT ALCOHOL!
When NREGA was launched in the year 2006, it was one of the biggest leaps taken by the UPA government to productively engage the underprivileged rural folk and connect them to the mainstream, a move which was due for long. From Rs 11,000 crores as the initial outlay, the same NREGA has grown to Rs 40,100 crores in the current year, encompassing each and every district of the country. Although a phenomenal initiative, from the very beginning, the NREGA has been marred with delivery bottlenecks. Like in most other cases, corruption this time too at every stage robbed the poor rural folk of their dues. The only consolation being that at least something is reaching them, compared to nothing in the past! But then, I recently came across this disturbing news! It has been reported that Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) sales have been going up as an aftereffect of the NREGA scheme. On hindsight, this was clearly predictable, but this was something that should have never happened in the first place! Predictable, because this is apparently a global phenomenon, that an immediate spurt in income disproportionately increases the propensity of consumption, and if it is backed with illiteracy and lack of awareness, the outcomes are even more hazardous, like we are seeing in our case! But then, what is most unfortunate is that a scheme which had the promise to transform the rural economy is actually pushing it to a bigger crisis! And if corrective actions are not taken on an immediate basis, we ourselves would be blamed for funding this nation into becoming a nation of alcoholics!
So when the government was all set to distribute around Rs 40,000 crores through NREGA, apart from ensuring that the money reaches the targeted population and does not get eaten up by the system, the government should have also ensured that there was a serious cap on the supply of alcohol in these regions. What happened was just the reverse. In fact, over the past few years, liquor outlets have on an average doubled in the rural areas. In Bihar, for example, the number of liquor outlets in the rural areas in the year 2006/07 was around 2800, which has gone up by more than 6000 currently. And this is all set to rise further as it is reported that the Excise and Prohibition Department is about to sanction one liquor vend in every three villages. It’s tragic that state governments don’t show a similar commitment for opening schools and health centres across each village. The bigger tragedy is that the per capita consumption of cereals is reducing every year, whereas that of liquor is increasing. The per capita consumption of cereals has fallen by almost two kg in the last decade. Bihar is not the only case in point, a similar growth in liquor supplies and consumption is being observed across the country. In Andhra Pradesh too, in a recent auction of around 6500 liquor vends, the rural areas put up the highest bids!
Reports also state that the liquor traders are very upbeat about the rural economy as various developmental schemes like the NREGA are enhancing the purchasing power within the rural populace, which has been driving up their sales. The government has also been extremely helpful in providing these liquor traders the reach without any concerns about the long term impact this is creating.
As I said earlier, the government should definitely put an immediate cap on the licensing of liquor outlets, particularly in rural India. This might also trigger the supply of illicit liquor and might even create an entire black economy around liquor. So the challenge to restrict consumption of alcohol and divert the new income towards consumption of cereals, saving, and into social investments like education for their children, is going to be a tall one, both for the Centre and the state governments!
One way to arrest this challenge is to issue the NREGA cards to the female member of the family rather than the male member. Globally, it has been observed that whenever income levels go up, women fare relatively better with respect to overall family welfare, as compared to their male counterparts. Even the famous Grameen Bank, which works on a micro-finance model and has had a huge success in transforming Bangladesh, hinges on this very premise that funding women with loans is any day a better bet than providing loans to men.
All in all, I would like to reiterate again that NREGA is a great developmental and transformational initiative. But then, successfully implementing the scheme across the nation is just half of the job done. The government also needs to ensure that the additional incomes generated by the rural folk are mobilized towards long term productive means. That would be the real challenge and transformation in the real sense!
http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.com/2010/06/nrega-is-great-developmental-initiative.html
My comments posted in the site:
NREGA should become a great developmental initiative. Instead it appears to be a damp squib as it is felt more as a dole distribution scheme in another name, not truly adding value to the local community in terms of creating long term assets for the over all economic development and prevention of migration. It is a big drain on the scarce resources of the Government and it may now be too late to reverse the damage done by NREGA as the rural poor cannot now imagine living without free money from NREGA, so much so the agriculture productivity has come down drastically. Please see the below links on the initiatives to streamline NREGA:
Villagers get digital identity - Biometric tracking gives a tamper proof identity to villagers http://www.indianexpress.com/news/aids-counsel-a-call-away/21904/2
Bihar shows smart card way to cleaner rural job scheme - http://www.indianexpress.com/story/33365.html
NREGA going hi-tech in Bihar - Vidya Vishwanathan - Civil Society Online - June 2007
http://www.civilsocietyonline.com/June07/india07ngrea.asp
The 'BSC' of Identity - A Biometric Smart Card Device can be a fool-proof ID for citizens, says this ICT Consultant - http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/2007/03/19/stories/2007031900110300.htm
ID Cards get smarter - http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=326049
4Ps Business and Marketing Magazine - A Plan Media Publication, New Delhi, India - Special Feature - COLUMN CITIZENRY - A prescription to end corruption - Unique identification of every citizen will help kill the corruption malaise in developing economies http://www.4psbusinessandmarketing.com/17072008/storyd.asp?sid=2112&page....
Backward Bihar goes for the smartest cards - Times of India – April 04, 2010
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Swaminomics/entry/backward-bihar-goes-for-the#comment-form
Unique ID - Letters Column - Deccan Chronicle, Chennai - Monday, April 12, 2010.
There is no doubt that Unique ID can be the panacea for most evils of modern society, if implemented correctly. It can help the government to save crores of tax payers’ money year after year lost on account of leakages in the system. UIDAI should ensure compliance with International Data Security Standards and be vested with the responsibility of registering every citizen and resident in India and issuing Biometric Smart Card with multi modal biometrics (finger prints, iris, facial, palm vein and DNA). All transactions of all individuals and organizations must be mandated through the use of the Biometric Smart Card. This can help to plug all the loop holes in the system and ensure transparency and accountability. http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2010/04/12/INDEX.SHTML?ArtId=010_030&Search=Y
Labels: accountability, Biometric Smart Card, biometrics, corruption, empowering local community, NREGA, trasnparency
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Corruption pandemic
Letters column of Editorial page of Deccan Chronicle, Chennai, July 05, 2010
CORRUPTION PANDEMIC
It has become a daily affair to read about high-level corruption among politicians, middlemen, godmen, businessmen, educationists, bureaucrats and elected representatives (CBI seals IAS official's house, July 4). It is a matter of grave concern that corruption has become the order of the day in almost all spheres of public activity. It makes one wonder if it is the present form of democracy which is responsible for such high levels of corruption? What is the answer to the problem of corruption? How do we eliminate the cancer of corruption from our society?
KRIS DEV Chennai
http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2010/07/05/INDEX.SHTML
http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2010/07/05/ArticleHtmls/05_07_2010_008_025.shtml?Mode=0
The article I had sent is as follows:
Corruption galore
It has almost become a daily event to read in the newspapers of high level corruption among politicians, middlemen, godmen, businessmen, educationists, bureaucrats, lower officials, elected representatives, professionals, etc. - "Raids don't spare politicos or godmen" and "CBI seals IAS official's house" - DC June 4, 2010.
It is a matter of grave concern among all well meaning citizens of the country that corruption is the order of the day in all most all public activities from birth to death nay from womb to tomb. It makes one to think, is it the present form of democracy that we follow, that is responsible for such high levels of corruption? Is it morally and physically feasible for the government to conduct raids objectively on all such cases of corruption apolitically, abureaucratically, etc?
If not what is the answer to the problem of corruption? How do we elemnate the cancer of corruption from our society? It has become a endemic problem, out to devour our democracy. Is it not high time, public debate is initiated at all levels of society for arriving at a consensus and a clear time bound action plan?
--
Kris Dev, Chennai
CORRUPTION PANDEMIC
It has become a daily affair to read about high-level corruption among politicians, middlemen, godmen, businessmen, educationists, bureaucrats and elected representatives (CBI seals IAS official's house, July 4). It is a matter of grave concern that corruption has become the order of the day in almost all spheres of public activity. It makes one wonder if it is the present form of democracy which is responsible for such high levels of corruption? What is the answer to the problem of corruption? How do we eliminate the cancer of corruption from our society?
KRIS DEV Chennai
http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2010/07/05/INDEX.SHTML
http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2010/07/05/ArticleHtmls/05_07_2010_008_025.shtml?Mode=0
The article I had sent is as follows:
Corruption galore
It has almost become a daily event to read in the newspapers of high level corruption among politicians, middlemen, godmen, businessmen, educationists, bureaucrats, lower officials, elected representatives, professionals, etc. - "Raids don't spare politicos or godmen" and "CBI seals IAS official's house" - DC June 4, 2010.
It is a matter of grave concern among all well meaning citizens of the country that corruption is the order of the day in all most all public activities from birth to death nay from womb to tomb. It makes one to think, is it the present form of democracy that we follow, that is responsible for such high levels of corruption? Is it morally and physically feasible for the government to conduct raids objectively on all such cases of corruption apolitically, abureaucratically, etc?
If not what is the answer to the problem of corruption? How do we elemnate the cancer of corruption from our society? It has become a endemic problem, out to devour our democracy. Is it not high time, public debate is initiated at all levels of society for arriving at a consensus and a clear time bound action plan?
--
Kris Dev, Chennai
Labels: accountability, corrupt bureaucrats, corrupt businessmen, corrupt politicians, corruption, transparency
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Delivery of services through Panchayats
Making RSBY or NREGA or any other welfare scheme of the GoI or State Governments to work successfully for the benefit of the citizens is not easy because it is not citizen centric and mired in corrupt practices.
There is resistance of people to pay Rs. 30.00 to get a RSBY card for a family of five, as they feel it would be another waste of their money, mainly to benefit others (TPAs, Insurance Companies, Registered Hospitals, etc).
It is observed, whenever individuals or organizations or government or public sector employees claim medical reimbursement, invariably hospitals inflate the rates and charge high fees, saying, after all the reimbursement is from other agencies and why the patient should bother. There is no fixed service fees. Invariably patients are admitted and many unwanted high cost tests / scans are under take to fleece to the maximum.
It is time, there is a cap on the limit of money a hospital can take subject to rendering genuine service. This where the catch is. Who is to judge what is a genuine service?
Instead of a card for a family, RSBY should be integrated with UID Smart card for every citizen from birth to death and proper tracking needs to be included. Every citizen should get uniform good service. It should not be, you name the person, I shall tell you the type of treatment we extend.
One example that of Cancer Institute, Chennai, a non-profit, mainly charity organization. Here the Doctors are de-linked from the Administration. There is only 2 categories - payment and free categories. If the monthly earnings of an individual or family is above rs. 1,000, then it is payment. Else it is totally free. The payment is same, irrespective of if the patient is rich or poor. The treatment is also the same, irrespective of if you are rich or poor. There has been no instance of visible corruption or favoritism in treatment.
In many villages, the Village Nurse would give importance, only if the family is politically connected or is rich enough to influence the community leaders. The health registers and stock of medicines are not updated even for years and there is no system of checking!!
Invariably, the PRIs are steeped in corruption. The only way we can make people get truly benefited is to de-link the service providers and service seekers. Introduce Multi Purpose Biometric Smart Card cum Bank Debit Card based transaction mandatory and track all transactions for transparency and accountability. Eliminate the cancer of corruption, through a major surgery, if we want the benefits to genuinely reach the poorest of the poor. No cosmetic change can improve the systems.
This may sound extremely negative; but unfortunately that is the fact of the matter. Unfortunately, most Service Providers including NGOs prefer to fish in troubled waters and keep the water agitated and deny the common man their rightful dues, so that they can survive! That is how the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer and the gap is widening day by day. Apparently some benefits are shown to reach the poor. But at what cost to the nation is not seen,as electoral aims have come to play a major role and are seen to be more important than citizen welfare in a democracy!!
The above was in response to a post in UNDP Solutions Exchange - Decentralization Community discussions (se-decn@solutionexchange-un.net.in) as follows:
"We are currently engaged in providing civil society partnerships to state governments in the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) scheme (www.rsby.in) launched in April 2009. It is a smart-card based health insurance system.
There are numerous cases where Below Poverty Line (BPL) families have been financially wiped out because of a health related catastrophe, such as an accident, a problem pregnancy, or any other severe medical condition. While universal access to healthcare is the responsibility of the government and is the desired scenario, in the absence of the same, affordable health insurance for all assumes even greater importance. Health insurance is one way of providing protection to poor households against the risk of health spending leading to perpetual poverty. The objective of the scheme is to protect BPL households from major health-shocks that involve hospitalization. RSBY is currently the most inclusive and comprehensive national health insurance scheme, especially for a section of society for whom quality healthcare forever seemed out of reach. At a one-time enrolment fee of merely Rs 30/-, the scheme provides coverage to five members of the family, up to an annual total coverage of Rs 30,000. The scheme covers most serious illnesses and procedures that require hospitalization.
The scheme is currently running in 22 states and some states are entering its second phase. However, given the vastness of the country and the levels of literacy in the country, the utilization of the scheme has not been as much as desired. Even if enrollment is satisfactory, beneficiary utilization is not necessarily optimal. In a population with relatively low literacy and poor understanding of healthcare processes, the beneficiaries lack the support and guidance to utilize the benefits of this unique scheme to their maximum advantage.
It is also important to note that many of the components coming under the broad premise of primary health care like family welfare, health and sanitation, women and child development, social welfare, including welfare of the handicapped and mentally retarded etc and poverty alleviation programmes are subjects transferred to rural local governments as per the Eleventh Schedule of Article 243 G of 73rd Amendment to the Constitution of India, though the actual situation might vary from State to State.
Members may also note that the Union Budget 2010-2011 has announced that the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) benefits would be extended to all such Mahatma Gandhi NREGA beneficiaries who have worked for more than 15 days during the preceding financial year. This is also important as Panchayats play a major role in the implementation of NREGS.
In this context, we request inputs from members on the following:
· What are the special institutions, systems, etc which are needed at the village and block levels to increase utilization of such RSBY by BPL population?
· Could you share experiences in awareness generation and increased utilization of RSBY or similar schemes among the identified population by PRIs?
· Is there a need for building any specific capacity/capability in the PRIs for improving utilization of RSBY among the BPL population and other NREGS beneficiaries with the aid of PRIs? Recommended and/or proven strategies for the same would be invaluable".
There is resistance of people to pay Rs. 30.00 to get a RSBY card for a family of five, as they feel it would be another waste of their money, mainly to benefit others (TPAs, Insurance Companies, Registered Hospitals, etc).
It is observed, whenever individuals or organizations or government or public sector employees claim medical reimbursement, invariably hospitals inflate the rates and charge high fees, saying, after all the reimbursement is from other agencies and why the patient should bother. There is no fixed service fees. Invariably patients are admitted and many unwanted high cost tests / scans are under take to fleece to the maximum.
It is time, there is a cap on the limit of money a hospital can take subject to rendering genuine service. This where the catch is. Who is to judge what is a genuine service?
Instead of a card for a family, RSBY should be integrated with UID Smart card for every citizen from birth to death and proper tracking needs to be included. Every citizen should get uniform good service. It should not be, you name the person, I shall tell you the type of treatment we extend.
One example that of Cancer Institute, Chennai, a non-profit, mainly charity organization. Here the Doctors are de-linked from the Administration. There is only 2 categories - payment and free categories. If the monthly earnings of an individual or family is above rs. 1,000, then it is payment. Else it is totally free. The payment is same, irrespective of if the patient is rich or poor. The treatment is also the same, irrespective of if you are rich or poor. There has been no instance of visible corruption or favoritism in treatment.
In many villages, the Village Nurse would give importance, only if the family is politically connected or is rich enough to influence the community leaders. The health registers and stock of medicines are not updated even for years and there is no system of checking!!
Invariably, the PRIs are steeped in corruption. The only way we can make people get truly benefited is to de-link the service providers and service seekers. Introduce Multi Purpose Biometric Smart Card cum Bank Debit Card based transaction mandatory and track all transactions for transparency and accountability. Eliminate the cancer of corruption, through a major surgery, if we want the benefits to genuinely reach the poorest of the poor. No cosmetic change can improve the systems.
This may sound extremely negative; but unfortunately that is the fact of the matter. Unfortunately, most Service Providers including NGOs prefer to fish in troubled waters and keep the water agitated and deny the common man their rightful dues, so that they can survive! That is how the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer and the gap is widening day by day. Apparently some benefits are shown to reach the poor. But at what cost to the nation is not seen,as electoral aims have come to play a major role and are seen to be more important than citizen welfare in a democracy!!
The above was in response to a post in UNDP Solutions Exchange - Decentralization Community discussions (se-decn@solutionexchange-un.net.in) as follows:
"We are currently engaged in providing civil society partnerships to state governments in the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) scheme (www.rsby.in) launched in April 2009. It is a smart-card based health insurance system.
There are numerous cases where Below Poverty Line (BPL) families have been financially wiped out because of a health related catastrophe, such as an accident, a problem pregnancy, or any other severe medical condition. While universal access to healthcare is the responsibility of the government and is the desired scenario, in the absence of the same, affordable health insurance for all assumes even greater importance. Health insurance is one way of providing protection to poor households against the risk of health spending leading to perpetual poverty. The objective of the scheme is to protect BPL households from major health-shocks that involve hospitalization. RSBY is currently the most inclusive and comprehensive national health insurance scheme, especially for a section of society for whom quality healthcare forever seemed out of reach. At a one-time enrolment fee of merely Rs 30/-, the scheme provides coverage to five members of the family, up to an annual total coverage of Rs 30,000. The scheme covers most serious illnesses and procedures that require hospitalization.
The scheme is currently running in 22 states and some states are entering its second phase. However, given the vastness of the country and the levels of literacy in the country, the utilization of the scheme has not been as much as desired. Even if enrollment is satisfactory, beneficiary utilization is not necessarily optimal. In a population with relatively low literacy and poor understanding of healthcare processes, the beneficiaries lack the support and guidance to utilize the benefits of this unique scheme to their maximum advantage.
It is also important to note that many of the components coming under the broad premise of primary health care like family welfare, health and sanitation, women and child development, social welfare, including welfare of the handicapped and mentally retarded etc and poverty alleviation programmes are subjects transferred to rural local governments as per the Eleventh Schedule of Article 243 G of 73rd Amendment to the Constitution of India, though the actual situation might vary from State to State.
Members may also note that the Union Budget 2010-2011 has announced that the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) benefits would be extended to all such Mahatma Gandhi NREGA beneficiaries who have worked for more than 15 days during the preceding financial year. This is also important as Panchayats play a major role in the implementation of NREGS.
In this context, we request inputs from members on the following:
· What are the special institutions, systems, etc which are needed at the village and block levels to increase utilization of such RSBY by BPL population?
· Could you share experiences in awareness generation and increased utilization of RSBY or similar schemes among the identified population by PRIs?
· Is there a need for building any specific capacity/capability in the PRIs for improving utilization of RSBY among the BPL population and other NREGS beneficiaries with the aid of PRIs? Recommended and/or proven strategies for the same would be invaluable".
Labels: accountability, Decentralization Community, health care, medical insurance, NREGS, PRIs, RSBY, Solutions Exchange, transparency, UNDP
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Republic Day celebrations for the elite only
I found the R-Day celebrations being attended mainly by the high and mighty on invitation and hardly any sight of common man was there. In the name of security, only the elite are allowed to witness. What about the 80% of India which constitutes the marginalized and rural poor? Where is the R-Day celebrations for them? It was mainly the military mite on show. The cultural display was far behind. There was hardly any thing to showcase the efforts for upliftment of the poor, except just one tableau on IAY. Should it not be the priority of the Government to focus on the 80% needy population of India? Why not wean away from terrorism and wars and get in to real development of the nation? Why not introduce transparency for accountability in all actions of all for transforming India from a poor nation to a rich nation?
Labels: accountability, marginalized poor, military mite, poverty alleiation, Republic day, transform India, transparency
Monday, December 28, 2009
Freedom or Slavery - an introspection
FREEDOM OR SLAVERY - AN INTROSPECTION
--------------------------------------
Dear fellow citizens,
As I write this note, there are about 3 billion people, the world over, whose main attention is riveted on the question, whether they would get their next meal and if so, from where; and may be there are an equal number, who may be planning, how they would spend their time and money, to enjoy their next meal!!
We may think, we have achieved FREEDOM as nations from the foreign masters; but hardly do we realize, that we have got into a bigger slavery - slavery of hunger, poverty, disease, illiteracy, unemployment, famine, floods, etc.
Slavery from genuine wants such as clean water, sanitation, hygienic and healthy food, minimum clothing, all weather proof housing, education, employment, freedom of speech, fear of life, etc.
We are living in a world of constant fear - fear of life, liberty, property, etc.
We have created so many divisions and sub-divisions within our own lives, community and society, by which we have put shackles around our mind and body and made ourselves immobile from the freedom of free living.
We are living in a Hippocratic world, where we like to flaunt our wealth and make others feel small in front of us. We don't have the courage to feel strong in front of others. We have built an inferiority complex around ourselves.
We have no pride left in us. We have no pure blood circulating within us. In fact, it is not our own blood; we are living on borrowed blood - a borrowed life (a provocative statement to sink in the reality).
It's time, we changed all these. And change we must, to create a new world order. We need a new world order - a world order free of social, cultural, spiritual, ethical, ecological, economic, ... poverty, which we have institutionalized over the generations.
We need a new world order where no individual, family, community, society need live in fear or danger of annihilation - self created or forced from outside.
We need a new world order - neither capitalist nor communist nor socialist. I would like to call it "TRANSPARENTIST", for all round peace and prosperity.
We need a new world order where every activity of every individual and organization is transparent and accountable to the whole world. Where we need fear none and hide none.
Our confidence in our internal strength must be unshakable by any power on earth and we must do all that is within our power to create all round peace and prosperity.
The life on earth is short. We are born without our own permission and we are going to die without our permission. We are born naked and alone and we are going to die naked and alone. We are not going to carry any wealth with us, when we die. Most people live poor, to die rich!
The wealth we bequeath to our progeny's is not going to support them for their entire life time. They should know how to stand on their own legs and survive the vagaries of life.
So it is best we live a decent and noble life of our own and die a peaceful death. We should contribute our mite for the growth of the society and leave a better world, when we die, than when we entered in, on our birth. This must be the goal of every individual.
The current day general pervading feeling among the youth and adults alike is, survive somehow; grow somehow; become rich somehow. The means need not justify the ends - cheat, loot, plunder, etc. Somehow avoid being caught. Even if caught, somehow try to escape. We are seeing this all around us, day in and day out - from mighty to meek, all follow the same methodology.
Our present value systems must change. We need value based living, where everyone should be treated equal. We feel powerful before the powerless; and powerless before the powerful. This is animal instinct - survival of the fittest.
I know some /. many may not agree and jump on me; but, for the long term survival of mankind, we need to create a new and better world order, than what we are in today. Not just economic prosperity; not just material prosperity; but all round prosperity. Lest we would continue to see, more and more of the problems of mankind, that we are seeing today.
May peace be unto all.
--------------------------------------
Dear fellow citizens,
As I write this note, there are about 3 billion people, the world over, whose main attention is riveted on the question, whether they would get their next meal and if so, from where; and may be there are an equal number, who may be planning, how they would spend their time and money, to enjoy their next meal!!
We may think, we have achieved FREEDOM as nations from the foreign masters; but hardly do we realize, that we have got into a bigger slavery - slavery of hunger, poverty, disease, illiteracy, unemployment, famine, floods, etc.
Slavery from genuine wants such as clean water, sanitation, hygienic and healthy food, minimum clothing, all weather proof housing, education, employment, freedom of speech, fear of life, etc.
We are living in a world of constant fear - fear of life, liberty, property, etc.
We have created so many divisions and sub-divisions within our own lives, community and society, by which we have put shackles around our mind and body and made ourselves immobile from the freedom of free living.
We are living in a Hippocratic world, where we like to flaunt our wealth and make others feel small in front of us. We don't have the courage to feel strong in front of others. We have built an inferiority complex around ourselves.
We have no pride left in us. We have no pure blood circulating within us. In fact, it is not our own blood; we are living on borrowed blood - a borrowed life (a provocative statement to sink in the reality).
It's time, we changed all these. And change we must, to create a new world order. We need a new world order - a world order free of social, cultural, spiritual, ethical, ecological, economic, ... poverty, which we have institutionalized over the generations.
We need a new world order where no individual, family, community, society need live in fear or danger of annihilation - self created or forced from outside.
We need a new world order - neither capitalist nor communist nor socialist. I would like to call it "TRANSPARENTIST", for all round peace and prosperity.
We need a new world order where every activity of every individual and organization is transparent and accountable to the whole world. Where we need fear none and hide none.
Our confidence in our internal strength must be unshakable by any power on earth and we must do all that is within our power to create all round peace and prosperity.
The life on earth is short. We are born without our own permission and we are going to die without our permission. We are born naked and alone and we are going to die naked and alone. We are not going to carry any wealth with us, when we die. Most people live poor, to die rich!
The wealth we bequeath to our progeny's is not going to support them for their entire life time. They should know how to stand on their own legs and survive the vagaries of life.
So it is best we live a decent and noble life of our own and die a peaceful death. We should contribute our mite for the growth of the society and leave a better world, when we die, than when we entered in, on our birth. This must be the goal of every individual.
The current day general pervading feeling among the youth and adults alike is, survive somehow; grow somehow; become rich somehow. The means need not justify the ends - cheat, loot, plunder, etc. Somehow avoid being caught. Even if caught, somehow try to escape. We are seeing this all around us, day in and day out - from mighty to meek, all follow the same methodology.
Our present value systems must change. We need value based living, where everyone should be treated equal. We feel powerful before the powerless; and powerless before the powerful. This is animal instinct - survival of the fittest.
I know some /. many may not agree and jump on me; but, for the long term survival of mankind, we need to create a new and better world order, than what we are in today. Not just economic prosperity; not just material prosperity; but all round prosperity. Lest we would continue to see, more and more of the problems of mankind, that we are seeing today.
May peace be unto all.
Labels: accountability, freedom, hunger, hypocrisy, Poverty Alleviation, slavery, transparency
Sunday, June 22, 2008
ID cards get smarter
ID cards get smarter
People like them
Geetanjali Krishna June 14, 2008
There's something about innovative ideas that gives me a huge buzz, and as a writer, I've seen my fair share. Some are the sorts whose time has come. Some come after their time has passed. But once in a while, I come across that rare idea whose time is bound to come. Kris Dev and his biometric smart cards fall in this category.
Think about it. We have pan cards and ration cards, driving licenses and voter ID cards. Lose one and you're in big trouble — to get one made may take months of battling bureaucratic red tape. Yet, even with all these cards, there is no foolproof identification of citizens. According to estimates, around 15 lakh of the four crore PAN cards issued are duplicated — by the simple expedient of providing different addresses, father's names and suchlike. Another case of identity theft came to light recently. After the 2005 floods in coastal Andhra Pradesh, an international NGO decided to give Rs 500 each to affected villagers. A local middleman put his thumbprints across 135 names of affected villagers before he was caught!
ps. Geetanjali is a thinker and thought provoking writer on issues affecting the common man and woman.
People like them
Geetanjali Krishna June 14, 2008
There's something about innovative ideas that gives me a huge buzz, and as a writer, I've seen my fair share. Some are the sorts whose time has come. Some come after their time has passed. But once in a while, I come across that rare idea whose time is bound to come. Kris Dev and his biometric smart cards fall in this category.
Think about it. We have pan cards and ration cards, driving licenses and voter ID cards. Lose one and you're in big trouble — to get one made may take months of battling bureaucratic red tape. Yet, even with all these cards, there is no foolproof identification of citizens. According to estimates, around 15 lakh of the four crore PAN cards issued are duplicated — by the simple expedient of providing different addresses, father's names and suchlike. Another case of identity theft came to light recently. After the 2005 floods in coastal Andhra Pradesh, an international NGO decided to give Rs 500 each to affected villagers. A local middleman put his thumbprints across 135 names of affected villagers before he was caught!
Kris Dev has come up with a solution to this — Biometric Smart Cards for all. An e-governance consultant and ex-SAIL official, Chennai-based Dev believes that these would herald the end of corruption and the beginning of e-governance in India. This card would contain a set of fingerprints (all 10 fingers), parent's names, date and time of birth, place of birth, blood group, identification marks, height, weight, address, and digital photo. Whenever the smart card is used, a computer would compare the fingerprints registered on it, with those of the user. "It will make the identification fool proof," says Dev.
Smart I-Cards could fulfil many purposes — they could be used as voter ID cards, track income, expenditure, insurance, and PDS benefits, among others. "Moreover, they could help to keep track of movement of people, particularly in sensitive areas, thereby avoiding cross border infiltration, and minimise terrorism," he says.
In addition, says Dev, they would reduce corruption by eliminating personal contact with officials. All transactions can be seen live on the Internet and citizens can track for themselves the progress of various complaints, schemes and payments. It is no wonder, then, that Dev's biometric smart cards won the 2006 Manthan award for creating India's Best e-Content in the category 'E-Inclusion and Livelihoods'.
It all sounded very good, I thought, but what about implementation? Last week, when Delhi had yet another voter card registration drive, there were lines of people waiting just to be photographed. What would happen when all of India's billion-plus citizens have to be not just photographed, but finger printed too? Dev believes that issuing smart cards will not be substantially more difficult than issuing voter cards. All that's needed, he says, is a biometric device costing about Rs 20,000, a laptop computer, a webcam or digital camera — and personnel for operating these devices of course. Each card would cost between Rs 150 to 200, depending upon the amount of information it can contain on it, and can run on a simple 12-volt car battery or rechargeable battery.
Dev's smart cards have already been successfully tested on small village populations in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. "People think that smart cards are too hi-tech for rural India, but I found that villagers were very receptive to them," says he.
While writing this column, I read that the finance minister has reiterated his pledge to issue only biometric pan cards to new applicants. Maybe Dev's smart cards are an idea whose time will come … and sooner than I'd thought.
http://www.business-standard
ps. Geetanjali is a thinker and thought provoking writer on issues affecting the common man and woman.
Labels: accountability, biometrics, smartcard, transparency, unique identification
