Bureaucracy a Chameleon

Bureaucracy a Chameleon 

I always wonder why did the bureaucracy was call chameleon? I was searching for the logical the answer. Is it only because bureaucracy change colours like the chameleon? 

Have you seen the Chameleon (lizard), one of the most the beautiful creatures of the Nature? They are distinguished by their zygodactylous feet; their very long, highly modified, rapidly extrudable tongues; their swaying gait; and crests or horns on their brow and snout, and their ability to change colours. It's literally meaning, 'lion of the ground'. The chameleon is among the most highly visually-oriented lizards, using this sense in prey capture, mating behavior, and predator avoidance. 

Chameleon skin has a superficial layer which contains pigments, and under the layer are cells with guanine crystals. Chameleons change colour by changing the space between the guanine crystals, which changes the wavelength of light reflected off the crystals which changes the colour of the skin.

But do you know about the functions of their eyes? They are unique. Both the eyes rotate 360 degrees. They can see in all directions with panoramic sight. They use both brains to use their eyes. Both the eyes can move independently in any direction. When one eye sees the front, another can see the sides and back. Unique features of chameleon vision include a negative lens (concave), a positive cornea (convex), and monocular focusing. It's image magnification is higher in a scaled comparison to all other vertebrates eyes. Positive Cornea improves sight resolution and Negative Lens improves retinal image size, allows more precise focusing. Both together, makes the focusing accurate. 

A true bureaucrat keeps his sight like a chameleon. Always lives in present moment!

One of my batch mates KP Singh opined that since civil services are highly politicised and we in India are hypocrites in as much as we claim  virtues like anonymity, no bias etc, knowing that these are only in theory, why can't the civil servants be allowed to take part in politics, contest elections? If one wins, he can be treated on deputation. Why is politics reserved for ...? In France 40 % politicians are from civil services and it is very successful. If it is possible there, it can be introduced here in India also. What is required is a countrywide demand.

Is it a right demand?

In the first or second meeting of INC in 1885-86, it was demanded that government employees should be allowed to take part in politics in British India. However, after independence, no government has accepted the principle of participation of government employees in elections. As elections are fought on party lines, the wisdom of the Constitution maker rested in the neutrality of the administration with a permanent bureaucracy. 

There are countries like US, Australia, etc, where top bureaucracy is committed and they change with the change in power. But Indian authorities felt that the bureaucrats once affiliated with a political party will act with subjectivity. There are experiments in isolation placing specialists on contractual appointments. However, in some States, the employees of grant in aid institutions (high school teachers, etc) can take part in politics. But their political affiliation sometimes become a nuisance against administrative discipline. 

Present bureaucracy in India is like a Bhisma of Mahabharata, always respect the chair in power elected by the people of India. People's will is their will. Bureaucracy Change colour like a Chameleon, when there is change in power. They can see backward and forward. And accordingly they move keeping their fate in mind.

Bureaucrats will become better politicians like France may not be a right conclusion. All knows, votes win the power and to capture vote, the contestants need money. That comes through crude means or through smart acts under the carpets. Some bureaucrats tried politics but mostly failed. Better to concentrate on executive job. After all bureaucrats are the advisors, architect and the executives of the policies. Elected representatives have a big role to play in democracy but the administration in practice has been run by the bureaucracy under the supervision and guidance of the Ministers.

I like the bureaucratic ability to see and change colour like Chameleon!!! Lol. 

Do you?

Punamchand
6 June 2016

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Education and Employability

Education and Employability

Lord William Bentinck and Lord Macaulay introduced western concept based Education System in India and made the sector open for all. However, at the end of British Rule in 1947, the literacy rate was only 12%. India was living in villages and was dependent on Agriculture and allied activities along with traditional trades of cottage and rural industries. Children were following the family professions and were learning from parents. Population was under control through epidemics and wars. People were complacent and accepted the life whatever they had as the will of God. As feeding of the stomach was the main objective, and due to division of population into castes and classes, there was no fire to change the quality of life through different professions. There was no fire for education. But the Governments post Independence, have emphasised more on education as a mean to improve the quality of human resources, to enhance their capacity to work and to meet with the demand of work force in commerce and industries. Urbanisation and Industrialisation have been accepted as the major pathways of growth and development.

As per 2011 census, our literacy rate of the Country is 74.04%. The youth (15-24) literacy rate (2015) is 90%. 25% of India's population go to educational institutes everyday. Approximately 5 million teachers are teaching to 315 million students. 3.8% of GDP is the expenditure of education by the governments. Approximately more than 0.5 million ₹ are spent on education every year. But what is the output? More than half of the students are drop out before 10th. Hardly 10% (3million) of the total lot cross the graduation line. Of which 37% are in Arts, 18% in Commerce & Mgt, 18% in Science, 16% in Engineering & Technology, 10% in medical/paramedics and other streams. And the outcomes are: 80% of engineering and 95 % of other streams (excluding medical-paramedics) students are unemployable.

The mean education level of the Country is below 5 Std. Majority of literates are non metric, mostly are working as the labour force of the country. The new generation neither carry skill of their  family profession nor have skills required in the market. They may be good in using mobile, chewing pan-masala-gutaka, but their employability is the biggest question mark in front of the policy planners of the Country. Majority of the population still believes in superstitions and are dependent on luck than on their action. It is the family net culture of the people working in trade, industries and commerce; accommodating their youths, otherwise, they are the same like other unemployable lots.

What are the goals and objectives of our educational system? Is it only literacy of reading writing skills or to build employable human resource?

Are we working on right goals and objectives?

The capacity of raising resources of the governments have been enhanced and simultaneously their spending on educational infrastructure has gone up. Are we simply spending resources on building educational infrastructure, creating jobs for the teachers, and giving place to the youths (25% of the population) to spend 5-15 years of their life in educational institutes before they start their marriage life of population productivity?

Indian Traditional trades are disappearing. It's a IT and machine age, where the youths prefer soft skill jobs with better work environment. Are we making the generation softer? The questions about modern civilisation and mechanisation raised by Gandhiji in his book Hind Swaraj (1909) are still relevant. Unless we build the system of learning and working (Buniyadi Siksha) together, the quality of life of all our people will not go up. The reasons for poverty of human life are the same as they were. The success of 10% human resource is not the success of the remaining 90% human resource of the country. Like the farmer who takes care of his land from the beginning to the end of each crop season, we shall think to cultivate our human crop with better productivity to ensure better tomorrow for India.

HRD must be on mission mode.

Punamchand
4 June 2016

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My experiment with Hijama

My experiment with Hijama

After careful thinking, my wife and I have decided to experiment with Hijama treatment. Both of us have problems of stiffness of the neck, back and some joints pain problems. A team of 3 persons headed by Dr. IA Kherawala from Vadodara came to our house in Gandhinagar on 30 May 2016. I came in contact with this man through my old Voraji friend from Dahod, the place of my first executive posting in IAS.

In teenage, I had seen the treatment of wet eczema in our colony by a street vendor from South India. He had used a horn shape metal article, full open at one side and a micro hole on other side from where he had sucked the bad blood and septic of an aged man. The treatment gave him a great relief. Hijama is a bigger form of the same method, but applied through better modern surgical equipment. In past, bull horns were used.

Out neighbour lady has severe back pain therefore she joined with us but as per his nature, she has informed other known people and within a half an hour we were 18 ready for Hijama, including my son and two daughters in law. Our colleague, Shri Arunkumar Nigam, IAS Rtd, also joined with us.

The ladies were mostly suffering from the back pain and have complaints of heaviness of body while walking or working. Two ladies tried the treatment for Thyroid. Shri Nigam tried for sciatica. A retired DS tried it for his stomach problem and an acupressurist experimented it for his diabetes.  

The practitioner identified treatment points, applied vacuum to the points, scratch the first layer of the skin with minor cuts (it was pained like ants cut) using a disposable surgical blade, and applied vacuum cups to the points. The jelly like blood was sucked through the cups for 20 minutes, thereafter cups were removed and after applying antiseptic powder, the patients were relieved. Depending upon the complaints he applied 8-28 cups to the participants. 

The practitioner claims that this is a different method than blood donation. In blood donation, the blood is donated directly from the veins and it takes away the blood of the body with its haemoglobin.  But in Hijama, it removes the bad blood full of toxins that is stored around the skin cavities. He claims that the treatment can cure 80 types of different diseases including psoriasis, baldness, eye sight problem, headache, stiffness, paralysis, joint degeneration, etc. It makes the individual 5 years younger (in terms of energy flow) to his age. 

Today is our third day after the treatment.

As I have never donated the blood, he feels I need  more sittings and may need to tonsure my head to apply points on head and neck. I was applied 28 cups on my back and on calf muscles. It was hot day without AC, therefore, I perspired a lot during the cupping, but when it was over, I felt fresh without the stress over the body. Little bit broncho throat cavity infection I had, cleaned up immediately. The stiffness of the body has not been cured fully, but the sounds of the knee joint disappeared. I feel lighter with relief in pain of the frontal lob area. I may repeat the treatment after 15 days / a month.

My wife feels very happy, as all her neck, back and waist pain problems disappeared. The cupping was applied to her face area to cure the spots she has. She has given 100/100 to the treatment. My son, a lecturer, has developed stiffness of neck and headache problems while working with computers for many hours in past, has indicated some relief in his problems. Our neighbour lady is very happy, her cry of body ache has gone. One lady sat for two hours to thank my wife for solving her health problem as she had tried all types treatments in last 10 years. One lady who was unable to go for evening walk with her husband went by foot happily to her home in sector 1. The results of thyroid and diabetes is not known yet. I am yer to receive feedback from Shri Nigam.

The Practitioner charges ₹50 a cup, of which ₹35 is the cost of material and ₹15 is the service charge. He is working for the service to the society, not for the profit. He and his fellows came by car from Vadodara, used their machines, medicines and cups and treated 18 persons. It was kept free of cost from my side for the visitors but when I offer them the fees, they didn't charge a penny. With sharing vegetarian lunch with us they dedicated the services to the mankind and considered the cost as their advertisement in Gandhinagar. They will charge the fees in their next camp.

The videos of his camps in many parts of the State are explaining positive results of the treatment. It is an 1500 years old treatment, propagated by Prophet Muhammad himself. Indian Ayurveda also approved the treatment called "Raktamokshan". There is cure of many diseases by removing toxic blood from the body.

Small scratches on the skin disappears in a day but the cure of incurable diseases last for life long.

Would you like to try? The Hijama!

Punamchand 
1 June 2016

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Smart Business of Smart People

Smart Business of Smart People

Increase in purchase power of people has opened up the manufacturing industries to produce goods and services and supply to the consumers. With international trades and commerce, the world become a global village where the suppliers and demanders are living hundreds of kilometres away from each other but they are in need of each other to run the consumers world.

Some of the developed countries like Japan, US, Germany, etc, are trying to outsourced the manufacturing industries abroad as the cost of production at home is higher. Therefore, some of their entrepreneurs started a "Service Company" that recruit selected manpower to handle international trades and communications. There are manufacturers of the products and there are purchasers of their goods. The service company patent the product in demand, sign secrecy agreement with the manufacturer and get them produce through the manufacturer as per its terms and conditions. The Service Company is a bridge between the Consumer and Supplier but ensure quality production from the manufacturer and smooth payment from the receivers. The brand image of the Service Company matters more. The manufacturers are unable to find the customers directly are in need of such intermediators. The service company carry customers in their net, therefore prescribe parameters of quality of goods from the manufacturers. The manufacturers otherwise unable to find customers on their own agree to the terms of the company and trade their business through the service company only. 

It is win win for all but the best win for the Service Company as they make profit by investing small cost on establishment. The bridge build money through the toll tax!!! For example, the chemical dyes and intermediates business, the market price of the dye is $ 20/kg, the Service Company buy it at $12/kg from the manufacturer, add its profit of $5/kg and leave $3/kg for the distributors. There is a clear savings of $8/kg for the buyers if they buy directly from the manufacturer but the trust and quality assurance allow the Smart Service Company to play its role and charge high profit for tying the note. After all, if the middle men are away, then how could the economy activities are multiplied? Economy is nothing but multiplying the economic activities to rotate the money circulation in more hands so that more employment opportunities are generated, purchase power of the people increased and the GDP of the Nation rise up. 

It is a Smart Business of the Smart People.

Punamchand
31 May 2016

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Heatwave gone

Heatwave gone

Northwesterly winds from deserts of Rajasthan and Pakistan was the reason of the Hearwave in Gujarat and other parts of the country from 10th May to 21st May. 

Now the winds direction changed and become Westerly and South Westerly, coming from the Arabian Sea. It is an indicator of the onset of monsoon season over Gujarat in the third week of June. However, pre monsoon activities will give showers in some parts of the State. Al-Nino is dead now and condition like La-Nina will prevail.

However, Bay of Bengal is yet to start its full fledge activities of building system of rains for Gujarat and other parts. Lord Varun Dev is busy in building clouds that carry rains and Lord Vayu Dev is getting ready with his chariot to transport Varun Dev towards the land of India and its neighbours.

Monsoon has been delayed for a week on Kerala coast, likely to onset on 7/6/16, thereafter over Mumbai by another 5 days and over South Gujarat by 17 June. Gujarat rains are not dependent on the Kerala system, but the Bay, the Ocean and the Sea take a kick start these days to shower rain over the creatures and the land. They will give us water and food, the basic necessity of life to survive.

The digestion system will go down, therefore reduce intake and follow chaturmas upvas to make the system more efficient to build the health bank in Winter. Don't worry, chaturmas will begin after 36 days. Lol.

Welcome rain. Rimzin ke tarane leke.....

Punamchand 
30 May 2016

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Rainbow v/s White

Rainbow v/s White

Before Newton, most scientists believed that white was the fundamental colour of light. When white light passed through a prism, it's colours appears. Similarly when a light being refracted when entering a droplet of water, it creates Rainbow. The spectrum has many colours but it has been divided into 7 main colours (violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, red) to the analogy of 7 musical notes and 7 days in a week.  

White carries all colours and all colours when merged become white.

USA Presidential election this year, likely to be fought amongst the colours. America the country of immigrants have more than 65% white voters and 35% other colours voters.

Presidential candidate from the Republicans, an American businessman, Mr. Donald Trump has played a 'White Card', as his main trump card of Capitalist economy. Trump drew attention to domestic issues such as illegal immigration, offshoring of American jobs, the US national debt, and Islamic terrorism, in a campaign strongly emphasized by the slogan "Make America Great Again." He has attracted the Americans through his policy views and the media through his bold rhetoric statements.

As elite jobs of America is fadding away in the hands of colored America, dominant white middle class is squeezing day by day, insecurity for there next generation is grave and growing concerning around dinner and coffee shops gathering during this election season across America specially in Mid-West were American Dreams are fadding away for had working Americans in the middle class. Visible progress of Indians and Chinese and the lower strata are with the Mexican and other immigrants are looked as invasion and dilution of American values, the whites are wondering for their placement. And therefore, Mr. Trump speaks only for the Whites  working middle class. He made it very clear that he is there for the interests of the whites. He has enough wealth and he is not contesting for money like others who have more wealth against their legal sources of income. Have you seen his signature?

America made history when Mr. Obama, the first black won the Presidential election in 2008. Now it is another chance to make history to make the first Female President of the country. Strategically, Mr. Obama scientifically planned his campaign to win. Leaving the hard cores republicans apart, he has concentrated on swing voters and the young voters. The swing voters were turned into favour mobilizing self interest group such as Teachers and the 50+ age group of AARP. The youngsters were managed through the social media. At the end, he manage the 35% share from the whites and the rest all from all colours and became the first black president of the world leader USA. 

Will the lady Mrs. Hilary Clinton can manage such a massive campaign with an organise strategy and actions to make another history for the Nation Is big question being trust deficits in genral among American women voters. Famously debated across media outlets her action of communication using personal mail address while working as Secretary of State in Obama administration. 

Education, Health care and Shelter are the three major rights of the citizens recognised in America. 51% of the population survive with "Food Stamps". The Insurance policy (affordable care/ Obamacare), instead of solving health issue, made it more complex. Trump favours the "free market plan" and wants more ROI for American Foreign Policy. 

When her democrat rival Sen. Bernie Sanders declared that  he will make the College education free, he started leading in some states. The younger generation want free education. Passing a college need $120,000. Loans are available but that will take  15 years to repay after graduation along with good paying job which is fading away in colored America with combination of lower pay and  growing trend of shipping jobs off source. He said, "I don’t believe government should take over the grocery store down the street or own the means of production, but I do believe that the middle class and the working families who produce the wealth of America deserve a decent standard of living and that their incomes should go up, not down. I do believe in private companies that thrive and invest and grow in America, companies that create jobs here, rather than companies that are shutting down in America and increasing their profits by exploiting low-wage labor abroad."

Entrepreneurs and Capitalists major motive is profit, but they are confuse to find out a way from the socialist acts of the government. They all will support the capitalist agenda. For them not the oratory style, but the solid agenda of their future matters.

Only few months are there to see the outcome of the election in November this year. One of my friends explained the status of mind of the people in his words: Americans are crazy and may go crazy in election this time".

Let us watch the democratic fight between Mr. Trump and Mrs. Hillary. White colour will take away the colours of the Rainbow or the Rainbow will refract from the droplet of water. November 2016 will answer.

Punamchand
29 May 2016

NB: The article is based on the opinion of my friends in America and the facts on net.

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Who is responsible for his untimely death?

Who is responsible for his untimely death?

He was passing through the same road for last 1 year. His job was very simple, just to make tea for the CA company staff for two times in a day: at  10.30 am and 3.30 pm. His salary was ₹5000/month. After 15 years job in a Ashoka Textiles mill, when the mill closed down, he retired  with a service money of Rs. 5 lakh, that he had kept as FD in the bank. His father left a house for him in a chawl where he was living with his wife and widow mother. His three brothers were taking care of them periodically. The couple didn't bless with the children. His nephew kid was filling the gap of their emptiness. Except, the child part, they were living a simple life of Ahmedabad city with small income in the house where his father started his life as a textile mill worker in 1942. 

The distance between his house and the office was approximately 5-6 kms, which he used to commute by a bicycle everyday. But after attending the simantonayan Sanskar of his eldest brother's daughter in law last month, he was upset mentally, now people presume. He didn't share his feelings with anyone but at 46 years age, suddenly the emptiness of life without children started disturbing his mind. Just 15 days ago, he made it sure that his bank account and other papers carry the name of his wife.

On Sunday 22nd May 2016, the couple went to their native village to attend a Path Pooja and on return, his wife went to his mayaka village nearby to meet her parents. He came back home with other brothers on Monday morning. His mother went to the house of the eldest son due to the heatwave. In the evening, he attended a funeral of an old man, died in the chawl. He spent half the night of Monday at their place. After a small nap of the night, on Tuesday (24th) morning, he took his bicycle, and as usual to his daily routine, happily meeting the people of the line, left for the office timely. His office day starts at 10 amand the destination was just across the road (ashram road) away, he was passing through the lakkadiya pull (Eliss Bridge) at 9.45 am. Suddenly he applied break on the bicycle, kept it aside and jumped into the water of  Sabarmati from the corner where the wire fencing was not done. AMC has done wire fencing to both the sides of the bridge but the agency has left out some part, that he was watching for many days. He used the space and filled up the emptiness of his life with the water of Narmada-Sabarmati. People saw him jumping into the water, but couldn't save. He went into the water alive but returned dead. His story of 46 years, living in urban slums ended just with a wild thought of suicide and with an act of few seconds. His wife become widow, widow without income. She has a small shelter in a chawl in Rajpur, but her colour of the life has gone forever. God knows, he has been insured for the Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Yojana.

There are many Kanti, who just born and disappeared in the Ocean of the Cosmic Universe leaving behind the poor families. Whom to blame? The society? To him? Or to the Contractor and Supervisors who left a small room in the fence that allowed the execution of his decision in few seconds?

Life is full of uncertainty. RIP Kanti.

Punamchand 
28 May 2016

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