tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59774374917084639622024-03-13T21:20:38.092-07:00Understanding GovernmentPerspectives of government servants!Captain Manivannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05752711093286978181noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-40764484793502008332019-04-02T04:58:00.001-07:002019-04-02T23:21:17.753-07:00Ethics an introduction <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>What is ethics? How is it different from words like culture, values, principles, morals etc.?</b></div>
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Let’s say that you are traveling in a city bus. All the seats are full after you take the last seat available. In the next stop, an elderly person boards. You offer your seat to the person. Is it because you are ethical? Or is it in your culture? Or is it because of the values you have? Or is it one of the principles that you learnt? Is it moral? Let’s understand the meaning of these terms as applied to the above incident...</div>
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‘Giving respect to elders’ is a VALUE.<br />
It is such a value that is the basis for the rule ‘to give seat to the elder’. The rule is the PRINCIPLE.<br />
If such a principle is learnt by you from ‘your family or community or any larger social group’, then it is in your CULTURE.<br />
Since it is the right thing to do, it is MORAL.<br />
The act of standing up and giving your seat to the elder, is the ETHICAL BEHAVIOR.</div>
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Ethics is the moral principle that governs a person’s <u>behavior</u>. </div>
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In the above situation, you can exhibit different types of behavior based on the same ethic / moral principle. Say, you can request a younger passenger near you to offer his/her seat. Or asking the elder politely, if he/she would like to take your seat. There can be many such acceptable or debatable behaviors based on the same ethic. What makes you chose a particular behavior is another value or set of values. Let’s say you hold ‘practicing what you preach’ as a VALUE. Then you will decide to give up your seat rather than asking another person. The final behavior hence, is driven by one or more moral principles based on one or more values, as the case may be. </div>
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There can be more than one ethical behavior for any given situation. Choosing one among them by an individual is dependent on the set of ethics he/she has. It is easier to decide in cases where it is clear what is moral and what is immoral, like female feticide, where in it is easy to categorize it as an unethical behavior. It is tricky when it comes to ‘gray’ areas where in, some of the values clash, resulting in an ethical dilemma. For example, euthanasia – ‘compassion’ and ‘right to life’ have a clash. Abortion – who has the right to the life – child or the parent? In such cases, what you decide is defined by which value you cherish more than the other. This can be due to the influence of the personal experiences you had in your life. Hence the ethical decision in these situation may differ from person to person.</div>
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Let’s take another example. Assume that you are a vegetarian by family culture. You are traveling in a tour group where the rest all, incidentally, are non vegetarians. In a particular situation, after a tiring day of tour, you end up in a village where there is only one restaurant that can provide you dinner. But they have only non vegetarian food. You are dead tired and extremely hungry, as are others. You have an open mind on food habits as you don’t consider non vegetarianism as immoral. What will constitute an ethical behavior on your part?</div>
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In this situation, there are at least two values which are in play. One is very explicit in the question and the other is not so explicit. The value which is explicitly mentioned is that you don’t consider non vegetarianism as immoral. So having non veg food in such a situation can be an ethical behavior for you. The other not so explicit value is that you are vegetarian by family culture. It means that you hold value for following family culture and hence you had continued to avoid non vegetarian even if there is no moral dilemma personally. The value that you hold for following the family culture is not so explicit. Nevertheless that is the dilemma you need to tackle to decide on the course of action further. Say, going ahead with non veg food for one day only. Or remaining hungry even if it is extremely tough on the body.</div>
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The decision here may be easy for you to take. But situations can be much more complex. Hope the understanding on what is ‘value’, based on which a rule is made called ‘principle’, which you follow when it the right thing to do (‘ethic’), resulting in an particular behavior will help you to come to a decision on what constitutes the ethical behavior for you.</div>
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The values held in the constitution like liberty, equality, secularism, socialism, are binding on a civil servant. These values are not negotiable when you are deciding as a public servant. Your personal values if in conflict, take a second seat while you take a decision in such situations in your official capacity.</div>
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B.Ravichanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220985163268376624noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-42317459761945400392019-03-29T03:05:00.001-07:002019-03-30T19:04:32.756-07:00Why space technology? <p dir="ltr">Should government spend so much money in space technology?  Especially when there are other crying needs like food, education, health etc.  <br>
Why at all Humans need to go out of earth?  We need more than a lifetime to see all the places on earth – land, let alone oceans and their depths which is more than twice as that of land.   Put together as a whole human race also, we haven’t yet seen the whole earth.<br>
Are we wasting time, money and energy in developing space technology?</p>
<p dir="ltr">These are some of the questions that come to my mind when I think about space technology.  To answer them, I need to go into a hypothetical illustration.  Let us offer a person all the food, cloth, shelter, essential home gadgets including TV, mobile (which are of course using satellites incidentally).  Let’s also allow the person to socialize.  The only condition/rider to that person is that he/she should not do anything new.  After a point of time, it will suffocate the person !!!<br>
Pioneering has always been an integral distinct instinct of Humans.  Inquisitive minds have resulted in discovering new worlds in both micro and macro levels.  We have ripped open matter into elements, atoms, protons, electrons, photons, bosons etc. and still literally continue splitting.  We have understood solar system, galaxy, super galaxy, universe etc. and still expanding the outer boundaries.   Some humans dive deep into the ocean, but others see through microscope and telescope.  There is no doubt that space technology is a natural corollary of the inquisitive human mind.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Now coming to the government spending on space technology… among other things, History shows that war is the time when a group of people come together and spend all that they have in building weapons of attack or protection.  Also, peace and stability happens ironically when one player emerges bigger than all others.  In the post cold war era, in a nuclear world, a country becomes a player when it has Inter Continental Ballistic Missile - ICBM capability.  Cryogenic engines and rocket launching with pay loads have defined that capability.  By investing in these technologies, a country gets the dual benefit of defense as well as space capabilities.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Though nowhere imminent, it also provides us a scope for finding an alternate place to live, in case of any disaster or complete exhaustion of all the resources in the earth.  The stories of Indian spice and el dorado has long attracted discoverers and voyagers.  Though no such stories about space are there as of now, we are trying to hear some such things through the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence – SETI.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Satellites are the most used products of space technology as of now.  If a satellite remains static vis a vis the earth’s rotation, they are called geo stationary satellites. With three such satellites, we can cover the entire earth and can triangulate any reference point in the earth.  That is called the GPS – global positioning system. In order to achieve stationary positioning and coverage, they need to be at a particular height where there is little or no effect of earth’s gravity.  Hence, these satellites are farther from earth surface and launching them needs higher capacity rockets like the GSLV – Geo stationary Satellite Launch Vehicles.<br>
There are other satellites which are launched to orbit at lower heights.  Though these are predecessor for the geo stationary satellites, they are required even <u>now</u>, to get data about the atmosphere and earth surface.  They are generally used in weather forecasting and remote sensing.  Such satellites are called polar satellites, launched by lesser capacity rockets like the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles – PSLV.  Since they are in lower heights, they are subject to pull of earth’s gravity.  They continuously fall towards earth in a spiraling orbit and finally get burnt in space.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The most visible positive impact of space technology is the quantum improvement in the speed of communication.  While the first marathon runner had to physically run the distance to deliver the news about enemy movement, we can now share the distance run by us with our fellow marathoners around the world on a real time basis.  The world indeed has become a global village !!!</p>
B.Ravichanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220985163268376624noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-28080935967135450372019-03-29T00:16:00.001-07:002020-08-04T03:41:24.203-07:00Introducing the subject of Economics<p dir="ltr">In order to really learn about something, it is desirable to understand it’s relevance to our life. In other words, it is easier to understand a thing if we know how it helps in our daily life.</p>
<p dir="ltr">When it comes to ‘subjects’, I used to wonder what is ‘Economics’? It is not a natural one like Physics, where one can see the effect of gravity on a jumping ball, or like Biology, where there are living things that grow and multiply. It is not a primary tool like Language which is used to communicate with others, or Mathematics which is used to count and count faster.</p>
<p dir="ltr">‘Economics’ hence appeared to be a man-made subject. But things like money, prices of goods, savings etc. have been directly affecting our lives and we can ignore them only at our own peril.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I think the best way to understand economics is to see it as a language we use to communicate regarding ‘how much we value things or acts’. Some communications are understood only by the giver and the receiver – say a birthday card. The same item does not present the same value for a third person – you cant pass on the card to other person. So the language that will be common to all will be a ‘currency’ or ‘money’. </p>
<p dir="ltr">When someone sells a product for say Rs.100/- they communicate that it holds a value of Rs.100/- in their perception. When a buyer declares that the thing is cheaper/costlier than its worth, the perception changes. If the seller sticks to the value he/she thinks it is worth, and doesn’t change the price, it is termed cost/supply driven. If the seller changes the price based on what the buyer thinks it is worth, then it is termed market/demand driven.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In other words, in a cost driven scenario, if a person sells a product for Rs.100/-, he/she communicates that Rs.X/- is the cost incurred and Rs.(100-X)/- is the value that he/she thinks has been added by making the product. In a market driven scenario, a person may be ready to buy the product for Rs.90/- and not any more because he/she thinks that the product is only worth that much, immaterial of the cost incurred. In such a scenario, the seller has to find ways and means to bring down the cost to Rs.(X-10)/- in order to get the value he/she thinks is deserved.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Either way… ’Economics’ should have helped the Humans to achieve lesser cost of living… so that poor people can afford at least the basic necessities of life. But we commonly hear our elders saying something like… in our days, 1kg of tomato was Re.1 !!! For all the fancy terms, definitions that this subject has, it has never brought down the price of the products apart from few exceptions and that too mostly items of luxuries. ‘Economics’ as a subject appears to favor the rich rather than the poor ?!?</p>
<p dir="ltr">Theoretically, it is possible for every one to bring down their prices resulting in products becoming cheaper than what it was. A person with Rs.1000/- could then be equivalent to a millionaire of today. Such a thing is not happening because it requires each and every one to do it and even if one person does otherwise, the scheme falls off. Also, it is not easily understood by all. While the reverse is easy to understand !!! A person spending 10 out of 100 rupees for food can continue spending 100 out of 1000 rupees for food. Inflation is hence naturally sought after.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Okay, but see what the government is doing? Prudence says that one should not spend more than one’s income. We do need to save or keep some money for unforeseen emergencies. But the government is always spending more than what it has !!! some fancy term ‘deficit financing’. At the same time people cry that ‘fiscal deficit’ should be under control. Why should government spend more at all? Let it keep a ‘fiscal excess’ !!! The country’s credibility will grow ?!?</p>
<p dir="ltr">To understand this, one needs to see where does the government spend the money. If it spends on infrastructure or public goods where no private investment is coming up, but the projects will help many businesses to grow, then it is okay to do ‘deficit financing’. The government also expects people to bring in new products or services to the market and people will need more money to buy those things. The government then can ‘print’ more money and ensure that the prices don’t soar. Thereby the government can bridge the deficit too. Two birds in a stone !!!<br />
However the following two questions come in mind….<br />
1, Why doesn’t the government print money and give it to the poor directly? <br />
2, Inflation is good but why government doesn’t want the prices to soar? </p>
<p dir="ltr">The most likely reasons are…. If the government needs to give money directly to the poor, the mechanism of identifying the poor has to be water tight. Even then, it will be counter intuitive, as there will be reward for being poor and doing nothing. In a country like ours, with large population of poor, the total amount required will be humongous. With regard to inflation, a little bit of inflation is okay but if prices soar, the poor are likely to be the worst affected persons.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And like the Chinese proverb, it is better to teach a man about fishing rather than giving him a fish. So expenditure in improving the skill set of the people is a good place for the government to invest even with ‘deficit financing’.</p>
<p dir="ltr">(This is an attempt to open up the subject ‘Economics’ and understanding how it affects daily life and governance. Feedback is most welcome <ravichanderirts@gmail.com>)</p>
B.Ravichanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220985163268376624noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-79814570298719266422018-11-05T12:56:00.004-08:002018-11-05T12:56:47.406-08:00The story of the Collector/District Magistrate: Part 1<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<br />"Aunty, tell me about the ‘Collector’. Why is that post so much coveted? Who can become a collector? Only IAS officers? What are the power and responsibilities? Why they are called as DM in some states and as DC in some states?”</div>
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“I am glad that you asked this question Raju! Many of us don’t ask questions that are around us! Now let me explain!</div>
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Let’s go into a bit of history, as history helps us to understand things better! In 1764 AD, after the battles of Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764), The East India Company (EIC) got vast area, encompassing the present states of Bihar, West Bengal and Bangladesh, under its control. You can see in the attached map how vast it was!</div>
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Now, what is the use of huge land under your control?! Simple! You get so levy and collect tax!! Remember what we discussed about tax last week? Now, in the place of the king who used to levy and collect taxes, we have the EIC. And that would mean huge amount of money for the company! However, unlike a small village, we have huge area almost covering 3 states! So, how do you put up a mechanism to collect taxes?</div>
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If you had been the chief of the EIC in India, how would you have gone about it?!”</div>
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“Simple Aunty, I would have divided the huge area in smaller areas and appointed one person for each zone for collecting the taxes!”</div>
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“Good! That’s what EIC also did! The chief of the EIC in India at that time, called as the Governor General; by name Warren Hastings, divided the area into 6 parts, called them as ‘districts’, and appointed one officer each, to collect the taxes! That officer was called as ‘Collector’.</div>
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“Oh, I got Aunty! But, then how it become DC or DM?!”</div>
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“That was much later! Almost after 100 years! In 1858, the British government took over the administration from the EIC, and started administrating India directly.</div>
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They appointed one senior officer at each province (which is equivalent to the present state), and made him incharge for collecting all taxes and also for land administration. This officer was called as ‘Commissioner for revenue collection’, or simply, as ‘Revenue commissioner’. And the collectors at the districts were brought under his control. Hence, they came to be called as ‘Deputy commissioner’ or simply, DC! Please note that DC is NOT district commissioner, as some refer to!</div>
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“Ok! Then what about the name DM? How did that come?!”</div>
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“DM means ‘District Magistrate’. The word magistrate means, an official who is given the power to arrest and punish anybody. In the year 1861, the British govt passed a law, called as Criminal Procedure code, (CrPC), that defined the procedures for dealing with crimes.</div>
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This act mandated the govt, to appoint magistrates who can arrest the suspected people. There shall be also a magistrate for the entire district, and he/she shall be called as District Magistrate. He will be responsible for law & order of the district, and will have the control of the police in his district. He was given the powers to arrest any suspect and keep in in the jail. He was also given wide ranging discretionary powers to ensure nobody revolts against the British or creates any problem to peace.</div>
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The then British govt, instead of appointing a separate officer as district magistrate, asked the collectors to work as District Magistrates too! Because, they had good understanding of the land administration and also had the police force with them. So, they made perfect choice for district magistrates.”</div>
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“Ah! No doubt that the collector is seen so powerful!! Aunty, these powers are still with the collectors, even after 100s of years?!”</div>
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“Interestingly, all the powers still exist even now, as still we are using the same CrPC even now! Thus, the collector post combined with the District magistrate post, has enormous legal authority. On the issue of collection of tax, the collectors no more collect any tax. Because, tax on agriculture has been abolished. The other taxes are collected by separate depts. However, the term ‘collector’ remained."</div>
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“Got that aunty! The collector also is the head of all the officers in the districts? How does that work? And why is only IAS are appointed as collectors?</div>
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“Ok, I will explain the duties and responsibilities of the present-day collector in the coming week!”</div>
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(Thanks to my batch-mate in 1998 batch IAS, who reviewed the historical facts.)</div>
Captain Manivannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05752711093286978181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-47316233481704034092018-11-05T12:55:00.004-08:002018-11-05T12:55:37.376-08:00What can you do for India?<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Nandan Nilekani, in his book ‘Imagining India’, published in 2008, talks about ‘demographic dividend’ in India.</div>
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Demographic dividend, in simple words, is the advantage a country gets during a period of time, when the people in the working age group are much more than its population that doesn’t work like children and old persons.</div>
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For example, in India the population between 15 to 59 years is about 65%, children 27% and above 60 years is 8%. (As per data of 2015). This would mean we have 6 persons earning to support 4 persons! This is a clear advantage, as we will have less expenditure and more savings. This saving can be invested in markets leading to fast growth of the economy, putting the country in a positive cycle.</div>
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So, what happened? Are we in the positive cycle? The answer is No. Because, as you would have guessed, the savings will come ONLY if all the 6 are employed! They are not! The market didn’t grow as we expected. We still have huge unemployment. Clearly, we failed Nandan’s predictions. Why?</div>
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Enter Professor Tarun Khanna, who has travelled around the world, intimately observed both the developed world and developing world, and who teaches at Harvard Business school. In his just published book, ‘Trust: Creating the Foundation for Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries’, he tackles this question.</div>
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And he hits the bull’s eye.</div>
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Prof Khanna convinces us, beautifully, how India and other many other developing countries are not able to show expected robust economic growth, due to the absence of a very critical component. That is, the ‘Eco-system of Trust’. It’s interesting that we hardly notice this bedrock on which the market and the society operates.</div>
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Think about it for a minute.</div>
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Think how developed countries do their business. They do it on Trust. Millions of credit cards are swiped daily trusting that nobody will take their money away. Amazon just leaves the package at your door, and doesn’t call you, trouble you and demands your signature on the invoice. If you have an emergency when you travel, all you need is to call 911. You don’t need to hesitate to call the local police. You don’t think ten times before filing a case in the court. You simply trust that there is a system that stands by you, when you need it.</div>
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Such a system is either absent or dysfunctional in India. And still we expect the people to be more productive, transact more business and push the economy up! We don’t have the basic foundation, but expect a building to come up fast! How naïve!</div>
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Prof Khanna quotes from Adam smith, on the importance of trust in the eco-system.</div>
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“Commerce and manufactures can seldom flourish long in any state which does not enjoy a regular administration of justice, in which the people do not feel themselves secure in the possession of their property, in which the faith of contracts is not supported by law, and in which the authority of the state is not supposed to be regularly employed in enforcing the payment of debts from all those who are able to pay. Commerce and manufactures, in short, can seldom flourish in any state in which there is not a certain degree of confidence in the justice of government “(WN, p. 910).</div>
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This explains why India is not able to perform. There is no eco-system of trust here. Whom do we trust? I remember reading a survey on whom the people of India trust. Apart from the Army, they don’t seem to trust any other institution!</div>
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So, we need to build trust. It can be thru building institutions that we trust. Prof Khanna talks about the institutions that build trust. He gives examples form both, private entrepreneurs and the govt. He calls entrepreneurs to ‘create conditions to create’.</div>
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He quotes the phenomenal growth of Alibaba, which actually created an environment of trust between the buyers and sellers in China. Or take the case of Amul, the brand people trust in India, or Narayana Hrudalaya of Dr. Devi Shetty, which has earned the trust of the common man. These are entrepreneurial solutions to the socio-economic problem of mistrust.</div>
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But, what is the govt doing? Prof Khanna talks about Aadhar, which tried to bridge the trust deficit. He also talks about the 'Oportunidades', the Mexican govt direct cash support programme to the poor families in Mexico. (It’s my pure guess that such programme may soon come to India too!)</div>
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But, the question remains. Why the govt is not able to invest and set right the system? Why can’t our institutions become trust worthy, and thus create an environment of trust? Why should our govt wait for the entrepreneurs, when the Chinese govt is fast making its institutions trust worthy?</div>
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That brings me to what I have been suspecting all along. The govt is not working on this problem, because, the people are not demanding it! Remember, a democratic govt has to listen to the voice of the people, when it is loud and persistent. Even noble laurate Amartya Sen said the same, that a democratic govt can’t afford to be silent to the voice of the people.</div>
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So, why the people are not demanding something, that will ultimately make them better? Why even a movement like India Against Corruption fizzled out soon. Even if 0.01% of the population, demand the govts for good governance, wont the govts be forced to make amends? Remember how the govt changed it new policy on garment workers in Bangalore? The roll-back happened in a day, after lakhs of people raised their voice. But such unity doesn’t sustain itself.</div>
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In my twenty years of govt service, I have observed one thing. People in India hardly unite! They almost never come together! Bad things continue to happen because, people never question it, together. Why is it so? How come we never had an uprising in India against bad governance, when it happened world over, even in partial democracies?</div>
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The answer seems to be in our sociology. The way our society works. Feudal, hierarchical. Though we live in one country, we are passionate about our different identities, based on religion, language and caste. These divide us crisscross, leaving very chance to unite.</div>
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Particularly caste, which Dr Ambedkar called as the original sin. His words in 1936 sound so apt even now, “Turn in any direction you like, caste is the monster that crosses your path. You cannot have political reform; you cannot have economic reform, unless you kill this monster.”</div>
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We need to tackle these complex issues. Prof Khanna in his earlier books talks about billions of entrepreneurs from India and China who will change the world. Will these entrepreneurs change our country for better? Will they create systems that connect the people crisscross, instead of dividing them, and raise a strong ecosystem of trust? Will they slay the monsters and liberate our nation from the chains?</div>
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Read Prof Khanna’s book. Who knows, you could be the next Kurian or Nandan or jack Ma or Dr Devi Shetty. The nation awaits entrepreneurs who can ‘create conditions to create’!</div>
Captain Manivannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05752711093286978181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-34186091146827662772018-11-04T12:36:00.000-08:002018-11-04T12:41:28.062-08:00Sabarimala Verdict, for the uninitiated! <div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
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“Aunty, what is this about Sabarimala temple? I never knew that women are not allowed there. Why so Aunty?”</div>
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“Raju, the reigning God in Sabarimala, Lord Ayyappa, is a 'Naishtik Brahmachari', means, someone who have vowed to be a celibate all his life. Men who are celibate normally stay away from women. So, it’s understandable that women were not allowed into the temple.</div>
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Secondly, some of them say that, one has to do a hard vrata (penance) for 41 days before entering the temple thru its 18 steps. They feel that women can’t do that vrata for 41 days, and hence they can’t go.”</div>
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“Why can’t they keep the Vrata for 41 days Aunty?”</div>
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“Raju, you know about menstruation. Some of our people feel that women are unclean during those days. One can’t observe vrata when one is unclean. Thus, they can’t do vrata for 41 days continuously. As they can’t do the 41 days vrata, they going to temple doesn’t arise at all.”</div>
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“Oh, I didn’t know this! But, do people think its unclean? It makes no sense for me. As long as they take care of their personal hygiene for those 4-5 days, which I am sure they do nowadays, what’s anybody else problem? “</div>
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“Raju, you are right! This is purely a matter for personal hygiene. Its sad people think of a natural physiological phenomenon as unclean. Indeed, there is evidence that women used to visit the temple earlier. It has been stopped since 1991.”<br />
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‘Ok aunty! I get the background. Now, why people are upset with Supreme court? Is it because they feel that Supreme court has no power to interfere in temple affairs, or they feel that SC has the power, but, it has given a wrong verdict?”</div>
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“Let’s see it one by one Raju. The first objection is that, Courts can’t interfere in religious issues. But, our constitution is very clear on this. It didn’t make Religion outside the ambit of the state.</div>
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Indeed, Dr. B R Ambedkar wonderfully said “the religious conceptions in this country are so vast that they cover every aspect of life, from birth to death. There is nothing which is not religion and if personal law is to be saved, I am sure about it that in social matters we will come to a standstill.”</div>
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So, from 1954 case of Lakshmindra Thirtha Swamiyar of Shirur Mutt, (1954), till the famous Triple Talaq case, the courts have adjudicated on religious issue. So, the first objection makes no sense!</div>
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Let’s see the second objection. Did the court err?”</div>
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“Aunty, they say that: Not allowing women of age 10-50 is a tradition. The court erred by stopping a tradition. Because, some of the traditions are so old, and at times, we are too small to understand it implications. For example, the tradition of cremating the dead. Now, we can’t stop it saying that cremation causes pollution.”<br />
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“Wonderful Raju! I like your logic! Ok, let’s see what the court says on this. The court agrees that there is no need for the court to interfere in traditions, but only, as long as the tradition doesn’t clash with the constitution. If it clashes, then court has no other option, but to interfere.”</div>
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“Hmm. That makes sense aunty. Else, any group can do anything in the name of tradition. Simple example is Human sacrifice! I know that its tradition in some Hindu cult. But, can it be allowed? It can’t be! So, I see a logic in saying that all traditions can’t be continued.”</div>
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“Yes, Raju. You are right! The court says the same thing! It says that, unless a tradition fulfills the below mentioned two conditions, it can’t be continued.<br />
1. Is the tradition continuing for long time without any interruption?<br />
2. Is it an essential part of the religion, that if it’s stopped, it will alter the nature of the religion?</div>
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In case of Sabarimala, we saw, there are instances when it was broken. Secondly, court came to conclusion, that it’s not an ‘essential tradition’ of Hinduism to discriminate women. Thus, it fails both the conditions. So, court declared such a tradition of discriminating women is unconstitutional.”</div>
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“Oh ok! Fair enough aunty! Now I understand. But, few of them are saying that, Ayyappa devotees are a ‘denomination’ of Hinduism, and hence, as per the constitution they are allowed this tradition?”</div>
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“Oh, you know a lot Raju! You are right! But, the court held that Ayyappa devotes, unlike the Vaishnavites or Anand Margis, have nothing common, except the 41 days vrata. Indeed, even Christian and Muslims do vrata and go to the temple. This Ayyappa devotes can’t be called as denomination inside Hinduism.</div>
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“Oh ok! I got it! But, aunty, can the court every time go into what is the essential tradition in the religion? More so, for Hinduism, which has so many sects and practices? What is essential to one may not be essential to another!”<br />
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“A good question! This is a moot point! The court has to every time decide if a tradition is essential to the religion of not! I don’t see any other alternative as of now! The other alternative is to keep away from religion, which is worse than going into the essential question”</div>
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“Oh, ok aunty! I get your point. But, tell me one thing aunty. Didn’t the court know that people will be upset with the orders? What was the harm if the tradition was allowed? Was it affecting anyone?</div>
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Will not it be left to the social reformers to convince the people and slowly bring a reform?”</div>
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“Very good question Raju! Our history says that humans are social animals. We used to live as tribes. We continued to live in our local society, and social norms mattered more than individuals. The individual rights were subservient to the society. But, slowly, particularly during the renaissance period, the rights of individuals become more important.</div>
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So, individual rights are critical in a forward-looking society. We need to ensure that nobody is discriminated based on gender, religion, language etc. That’s what Article 14 of our constitution says.</div>
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Keeping women out of temple, is nothing but discriminating. What sin she committed by being born as a woman? Is that a curse?</div>
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If social reformers come and make change in the mind of the people, that is the best thing to happen. But, then, we can’t leave such important decisions to chance. These issues have long term impact.</div>
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If courts keep quiet, then people will lose trust in the state. They will think it’s better to obey the religion, instead of obeying the Constitution. That can lead to dangerous consequences, including balkanisation of the country on the basis of religion etc!</div>
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That’s why the court interfered in the Triple Talaq case and declared it as non-essential tradition, thus declaring it as unconstitutional!</div>
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So, the interference of the court in this is timely and appropriate in the long-term interest of the country, thus, all of us! Get my point Raju?”<br />
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“Of-course aunty! And I fully agree with it! Also, I feel happy that court has declared that discrimination of women is NOT an essential part of Hinduism! Actually, Hindus must celebrate this verdict!</div>
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“Of course, Raju! Most of us are happy about the verdict. It upheld the respects women that Hinduism stands for. I am sure our 3000 years Hinduism will continue to reform itself and be relevant for all the time to come!</div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Foot notes: </span></b></div>
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BTW, i must mention that, i wrote this post not just because i respect the Supreme court and its verdict on this issue, but also because, I respect many aspects of Hinduism. Being student of Indian History, i have exposure to Vedas, Upanishads and some of the shastras. I see Hinduism as a highly philosophical religion, that equates individual to God. 'Ahaṁ Brahmāsmīti' (Devanagari: अहं ब्रह्मास्मीति). It gives so much respect to individuals, which NO other religion that i know can even come closer. And how can such a religion keep women away from God?! And Hinduism is open to reforms and ideas. That has been the reason why Hinduism is relevant even after 3000 years! It will remain relevant, for another 30,000 years, unless, few regressive, self-appointed people around us try to straight-jacket Hinduism. I grew up in Srirengam, and seen how forward looking people Hindus can be! Salutes to them!</div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Saranam Aiyappa! !</span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">[Thanks to members of civil service telegram group (டீ கடை ), <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=100001860743597&extragetparams=%7B%22__tn__%22%3A%22%2CdK-R-R%22%2C%22eid%22%3A%22ARDR_KsSXK9OEacLS0qiBbjeQk6mBH0-86YKZSYibq35riQgK9WpUiup02tpgh2XgNyniY-K_sa1tlLn%22%2C%22fref%22%3A%22mentions%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/raghunandan.tr?__tn__=%2CdK-R-R&eid=ARDR_KsSXK9OEacLS0qiBbjeQk6mBH0-86YKZSYibq35riQgK9WpUiup02tpgh2XgNyniY-K_sa1tlLn&fref=mentions" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;">Raghunandan Tr</a> Tr sir, Twitter friends for their inputs]</span><br />
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Captain Manivannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05752711093286978181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-33846356341237654952016-01-07T20:52:00.003-08:002016-01-07T20:52:50.769-08:00LAYMAN SERIES: How the State functions? Judiciary and courts of law in India: Part 1: Criminal Justice system:<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Courts always intimidated Raju, not because Raju did anything wrong, but because Raju could never understand how things proceed in the Courts! So, he decided to ask his ‘All knowing’ Vani Aunty about how things happen in the Court!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Aunty, when police arrests somebody, why can’t they punish the criminal? Why do they have to go to a court? And why do the courts take so many years to hear the lawyers? Can’t they just do everything in few days? And why the procedure in the court is so intimidating?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vani Aunty looked at him smiling! “Good, when you start asking about courts and judiciary, I know you are growing up! Else, small boys are more bothered about ‘Kalla & Police’ only!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raju, before I tell you about the court, I will tell you in simple words about the system of justice followed in our country.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Infact one of the original function of the State is to ensure people obey law, and hence there are no fights between individuals or organisations. Fights or conflicts (a more refined term!) arise when there is a difference of opinion or disagreement between two individuals. It is desirable that differences are sorted out and we move ahead in life, as disagreements may cause harm at times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, how do we avoid difference of opinion or disagreement? Easy! We make rules and ask everybody to follow that! Rules are like the Traffic signals! They tell people what to do and what not to do! If everybody obeys them, then there are no conflicts! Everything will be smooth!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, if anybody violates? Then we need to reform or punish that person. Otherwise, everybody will start violating the law and the purpose of law will be defeated!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh yes Aunty! It’s clear to me! How do they punish the violators? Like the police issue challan and collect fine for traffic rule violations?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes! Just that, there are different punishments for different violations. Traffic violations are different from physically violating somebody or even murdering somebody! Isn’t?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, the law has categorized the possible violations. The violations are called by a technical term ‘offence’, and commonly called as ‘crime’. The basic law which categorizes the offences and the punishment for them, is called the ‘Indian Penal Code’, or in short, IPC. This law book lists most of the crimes and the punishment for the same! The punishment varies from Rs 100 fine to death sentence!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oops! That’s what the Judges refer to in the movie court scenes, when the Judge says, ‘Under IPC section 302, the accused shall be hanged till death?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Exactly!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ok!! Then what is CRPC Aunty? I hear lawyers talking about it often!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It’s not CRPC, it’s written as ‘CrPC’. It is another law book by the name, ‘Code of Criminal Procedure’. Lawyers refer it to as, ‘Criminal Procedure Code’, and thus its short form ‘CrPC’. This is nothing but the law, which gives the details of the procedure that is to be followed before punishing a person as per the IPC!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh yes, I think I get that! We follow the procedure outlined in CrPC to punish a person under the provisions of IPC?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Wow! You will become a good lawyer Raju!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ha-ha!! Now, tell me in brief what the procedure is as per the CrPC?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The procedure is different for different offences committed Raju. You can easily understand the logic; for example, an offence of stealing a pencil is different from an offence of murdering somebody! For both offences we can’t have a common procedure! The offence of murder needs to be dealt in detail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are so many procedures outlined and explained in the CrPC. Following the procedure ensures that no mistake happens in imposing punishment, whether on the person or on the quantum of punishment! For small offences the procedure is simple. For major offences, the procedure is long and complex. And we have different courts to look into different types of offences."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh ok! So it’s the CrPC which tells that police can’t punish anybody, but take them to the court?!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes Raju! The CrPC tells who will do what! It also delegates some power to the police too! For example they can levy fine for small offences, where the offender pleads guilty, as in the case of traffic violations. But, if the individual doesn't agree that he did the offence, then, police has no other option but to take him to the court!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is done to ensure that police do not punish an innocent, intentionally or by mistake!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, those offences where the police can see the crime committed clearly, like murder, theft etc, the police are given powers to immediately 'take note of' the offence and investigate into it! Such offences are called as 'Cognizable offences'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the police is not able to come to conclusion if the crime is committed or not, then they can't take any action, but need to go to the nearest court and narrate the incident and seek the permission of the Court (judge) to initiate and investigation! These are called as 'non-cognizable offences' (NC offences).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In cognizable cases, the police can arrest a suspected person without any approval from the court!. But, in NC offences, they would need the approval of the court! This approval, given in writing, is called as 'warrant'."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Wait aunty! Please explain me the steps! What is arrest? What is FIR? What is investigation? What is a charge sheet?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Raju, when any crime or offence occurs, it shall be informed to the nearest police station. Then the police officer registers the information in his diary. This diary entry is called as FIR or First Information Report. As this is an important information, it’s entered nowadays in the computer! For NC cases they will not generate this FIR. Instead they will make a 'NC entry' and then inform that to the court, and ask permission to write the FIR and investigate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the police officer enters the FIR, then the officer has to start the investigation to find out the nature of the offence, who committed the offence, on whom, how, why etc. The officer will take 1 or 2 months to complete his investigation. This is called as ‘Police investigation’ or simply as 'investigation’.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">During the investigation time, the police officers has the power to call anyone to police station to enquire about the crime! The person who is doubted to have committed the crime is called as an ‘accused’.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the Investigation is completed, the police officer will know the details of the crime. With those details, the police will prepare a detailed report called as ‘Charge sheet’. This charge sheet is then submitted to the court. This charge sheet will be the basis on which the accused will be enquired in the court.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The procedure of enquiry in the court, regarding the crime committed is called as ‘Trial’.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the trial, the police officer, with the help of a lawyer, will present the charges on the accused and ask the court to impose the punishment as per the IPC. This lawyer is called as ‘Prosecution lawyer’. Because, he is prosecuting the accused! The police and prosecutor will team up and work together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However the court will not blindly believe the prosecutor/police department! The court will give a chance to the accused to give the version of the accused. The accused person may accept the mistake and plead guilty or the accused person can reject the charges on him, and say that he is innocent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And he can take help of a lawyer to argue on his behalf. This lawyer is called as ‘defence lawyer’, as he is defending the accused!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Okk! Now things are getting clearer to me Aunty! But, why lawyers are required? Can’t the court hear just the police and the accused and decide?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes, that is possible if the accused is well learned and he knows the law! But, that is not the case with every citizen. Isn’t it? So, what to do? That is why the accused is allowed to get a good lawyer for him to argue on his behalf! And, when one side has a lawyer, then the other side also should be given a lawyer. Isn’t?! That’s why lawyers are allowed on both sides!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Aunty, that means, it’s actually becomes a fight between two lawyers!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Haha!! Raju, of-course their knowledge in law and how they present the case matters! But, the facts can’t be changed! These facts are called as ‘evidence’, when the lawyers place those truths and facts before the court.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The court is headed by the Judge. The Judge will listen patiently to both the lawyers, analyse the evidences given by both the lawyers, and then decide who is right and who is wrong, as per law!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the Judge comes to a conclusion that the accused indeed did the crime, then the Judge will go ahead to impose the punishment under the provision of IPC. Else the judge will release the accused as a free-person. This is called as ‘acquittal’.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ha-ha! So, that’s how Salman Khan got acquitted Aunty?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Raju, now you will get me into problem!!! Run away from here! Haha!!”<br />---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Part 2 on this topic will be on civil justice.)</span>Captain Manivannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05752711093286978181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-45069989365062852212015-02-20T20:53:00.007-08:002021-07-09T01:09:40.928-07:00FIGHTING CORRUPTION – The Battle starts within<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What ails our country? It has all the
natural resources, man power, cultural values and ethos, yet it has poverty,
illiteracy and poor socio economic development. One reason that comes across is
that “everyone in our country knows what to do but not able turn ideas into
actions”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Acting decisively is not a simple task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Situations arise every second, where one ends
up taking right/wrong decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
difficulty level of making a decision increases with the number of variables
that have to be factored in, apart from the limitations in knowledge and
information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The individual who has to
take the decision is indeed operating in an unenviable situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One does take wrong decision at times and
learn from it. In fact, very often, learning how to do a job comes only ‘hands
on’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To err is indeed human.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">In a perfectly understanding environment,
persons will not hesitate to make decisions and act on it. The increased levels
of transparency and activism in various levels, however, have posed challenges to
the decision maker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is definitely a
major factor that weighs in the thoughts and action of the decision maker and
unfortunately leads to a status quo approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, how does one differentiate between genuine errors of judgment
from the deliberate/corrupt ones?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hence
‘somehow ideas are not implemented’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
vacuum created unfortunately allows corruption to grow.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In such a scenario, turning ideas into
action requires persons with integrity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is integrity? An old Tamil phrase comes to my mind for defining a
person with integrity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When roughly
translated, it says a person with integrity has erect posture/gait, straight
vision, fearless principled living… Such values make an individual strong and
competent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One such
individual was the father of our nation. His autobiography “My experiments with
truth” illustrates living with integrity.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It shows that the character of an individual is built not only by the
sturdy bricks provided to him/her by birth but also by the brittle ones picked
up on experience.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is mostly these brittle
ones which define the “make or break” of an individual’s integrity.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Every child is born equal but only some are
able to become Mahatma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To maintain
integrity, one has to have a clear mind/thought process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such a quality can be obtained by training
our mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Momentary clarities in thought
have to be converted into consistent ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Such consistency will enable one to act without fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such acts will enable our country to weed out
corruption and bring improvement in all spheres of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first battle against corruption is the
one within.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
B.Ravichanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220985163268376624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-14853857695812274672015-02-06T02:02:00.002-08:002019-03-30T19:08:36.996-07:00How to form opinions? (for civil service aspirants)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Opinion forming is very easy !</span></span><br>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is more or less like
'breathing'.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are doing it, even now.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">
</span><br>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Yet, there is a need for such
a blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Because though everyone
'breathes' all the time, breathing techniques need to be corrected for
activities like exercise, martial arts, swimming etc. !!!</span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">
</span><br>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Likewise, for any civil
service aspirant, normal 'opinion forming' is not enough.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">There are four steps in
forming an opinion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1, Reading<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>/
Listening</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>2, Internalising</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>3, Speaking / Writing</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>4, Reading / Listening</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>1, Reading / Listening</strong></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To form an opinion on anything, you have to 'know' something about it.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You get to 'know' something<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by 'reading' about it or by 'listening' about it.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">More often than not, what you 'read' or 'listen to' is already 'opinionated'.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hence, for the purpose of CSE, the best read is always NCERT books, Government websites and NBT books.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even if you read or listen to other sources, just absorb the facts and leave out the opinions.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 49.65pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>2, Internalising</strong></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is the most important step in 'forming' an opinion.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You already have your own thought process, by which you internalise the facts on any issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is unique to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has developed as you grew up.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every individual is unique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means, for 10 different individuals, there must be 10 different opinions ?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No, because the thought processes are like streams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the streams merge on their way and finally join a single pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, 10 different individuals can have an identical opinion on an issue !!</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If I already have a thought process & I am making opinions already, what is there to do? Should I change it or stick to it ?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Like 'breathing', you need to control, modify and stream line your internalising thought process.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">What is this 'thought
process', 'internalising' ?</span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(These jargons are going above
my head!)</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Imagine your thought process as a 'filtering mechanism'</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The primitive water filters where earthen pots filled with charcoal in one, sand in other, gravel in another and stacked one over other with a hole that allows water to drip down through !!!</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Your 'thought process' is the 'filtering mechanism' & 'internalising' is the act of getting pure water at the end of filtering !</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Calibri;">What are the pots in my
filtering mechanism?</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span><br>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You have 'values you cherish' as the 'pots'</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since everyone has different levels of cherishing different values, the pots are different for everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus making the 'thought process' unique !</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For example - I cherish a value 'helping the poor'.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now this is one of my pots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So anything that is 'equal' to rich and poor will get stuck in this pot and I will form an opinion, that the issue is not good !</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You will now see that there can be 10 pots
stacked or more ?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You will now see that they can be arranged in
any order ?</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span><br>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Calibri;">How to suit my thought process
to CSE?</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You just need to re align your pots to the Constitution !</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That's all !!!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sovereignty, Democracy, Justice, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, Secularism and Socialism.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If an issue, as per your understanding will erode the country's sovereignty, it get stuck in the pot and your opinion about the issue gets formed as 'not good'! </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hey, you formed an opinion fit for a CSE aspirant !!!</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>3, Speaking / Writing</strong></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What is the need for a third step ?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have already formed an opinion !</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You need to understand that opinions bound to get changed when</span></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">additional information comes - in this case, someone clarifies that there is no erosion of sovereignty.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">you re arrange your pots - in this era of globalisation, you start tolerating a little bit of loss of sovereignty and the pot goes to the bottom !</span></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is nothing wrong with changing your opinion based on additional knowledge and changed values !!!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In fact, it is good to have an open mind on any subject.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oh, then will I look like a person with no conviction ???</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is where the third step comes in.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Forming an opinion is important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An equally important job is to find the right way of expressing.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is ideal to express an opinion with a qualification.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the last case, it will be like 'in my opinion, the issue is not good because it erodes the sovereignty of our country' !</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Much better than 'in my opinion, the issue is not good' !!!</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, what do I do ?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You 'debate' with co aspirants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not write down in a piece of paper and give it for someone to evaluate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If neither is possible, speak/write to yourself and evaluate !</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If it holds water, then you not only formed an opinion fit for CSE but also expressed it in a convincing manner !!!</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"></span><br>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>4, Reading / Listening</strong></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Opinion forming like any other education, is a continuous process !!!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read more on the subject</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Listen more on the subject</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are going to cover all topics, similar issues will be covered to improve upon your opinions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So don't waste too much time on an issue.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then follow the four steps.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">T</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">he more number of cycles an issue goes through your thought process, the more informed and convincing your opinion will be !!!</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"></span><br>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">When should I start forming
opinions ?</span><br>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Surely prelims, mains don't
need them ?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In
mains, you need to discuss all angles on a subject and give a balanced ending
statement and not an opinion !!</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">So I need to start doing this
only after mains ?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">No</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Start doing it from now on !</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You will see it not only
increases the number of cycles an issue passes through your thought process but
it will also help in keeping things in your memory !!!</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">If the blog is too heavy</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Take a deep breath</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">You just made an opinion now
:-)</span></div>
</div>
B.Ravichanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17220985163268376624noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-36011798911247450192015-02-05T16:18:00.003-08:002015-02-05T16:18:49.666-08:00Budget (Contd)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ha-ha! Ok Raju! You know learnt the expenditure side of the Budget; but, if you want to ask smart question to the Finance commissioner, you should know the income (revenue) side too! That is about the taxes, duties etc”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “Yes aunty, I know that! The ‘direct tax’ is imposed by the government on the individuals and companies on their income, and the ‘indirect tax’ levied on the products/commodities sold in the market!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Very good Raju! You are right! We get our revenue from taxes and duties, like excise duty, customs duty etc.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Waittt aunty!! Where did these excise and customs come from? Why so many different types? Can’t we have just 2 categories? Direct tax, and indirect tax?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes, it could have been simple as that. But the system of revenue collection evolved as per the need. When the expenditure of the government increased, say, due to war etc, then the government used to explore ways to get more revenue thus introducing a new type of tax! Thus, taxation grew from simple to complex over a period of time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To start with, ‘customs duty’ was the earliest income to the king! When the traders used to travel and sell their produce in different kingdoms, they used to meet the King and seek his permission and support in selling their ware in his/her kingdom. Needless to say, they used to give a small part of their ware to the king as goodwill.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later this goodwill almost become a custom, a norm, and soon become a compulsion, or a duty! Kings issued order on how much to collect and how to collect as ‘custom duty’! ‘Customs officials’ were appointed to collect it at the entry points of the kingdom!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thus, when the goods or commodity comes from outside the kingdom/country, then this ‘customs duty’ is imposed on the goods at the entry point itself! That’s how you will find ‘customs’ offices at all the entry point of the state, like the ports, airports, road borders!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Interesting Aunty! I understand the ‘customs duty’ now! Next is about the excise duty. What is it? Is it some additional customs duty?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“No Raju, it is not in addition to Custom duty! But, it is the local version of Customs! Meaning, that, it is the duty imposed on the goods manufactured inside the country!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“But, then Aunty, are we not levying sales tax on them when they are sold?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You are right Raju; we are indeed levying sales tax on most of the goods sold. But, in addition to that, we also impose a levy on some of the goods, as and when they are manufactured! This is call ‘excise levy’. The government ‘excises’ it’s right to collect a portion of what is manufactured within the country too!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And interestingly, while the ‘sales tax’ is a percentage of the cost of the good or commodity, the ‘excise duty’ is not on the value, but, it is on the total quantity manufactured!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example, if a packet of 100 gm coffee powder is sold at Rs.100; the sales tax may be 10% of it, that is, Rs. 10. Whereas, the ‘excise duty’ will be collected at the rate of Rs. 3 for every 100 gm of coffee manufactured! So, the excise duty is normally based on quantity and not on its cost!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Interesting Aunty! Smart way of collected revenue! It will also mean that government gets ‘excise duty’, irrespective of whether it’s sold or not! Aunty, is there any connection between ‘excise’ and ‘alcohol’? Why these two words, ‘excise’ and ‘alcohol’ are always associated?!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh that! That is because, the alcohol industry, what is called as ‘liquor’ colloquially, is one of the major commodity that pays ‘excise duty’, to the extent that the government keeps a officer posted to each distillery to collect the ‘excise duty’! That’s how excise is closely associated with liquor business!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ok aunty! I get it! So, it means, all the commodities either manufactured inside or imported from outside are under either under excise or customs net?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes. Almost! But, there are some exceptions. Items, which are consumed by the common man, like vegetables, fruits etc are not taxed in any manner. And in the direct tax, farmers are no more taxed! It’s only on individuals who have high income and companies that make profit!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Got it aunty! And, if the government wants more revenue, it can tweak the rates and thus get a higher share? Or it can bring more commodities under excise or customs?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “Wow! Now you have started talking like a real king!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Don’t make fun of me Aunty! I am just learning! I also guess that if more taxes are there, it will make people unhappy. Isn't?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes, my dear! People will get unhappy when the taxes are increased, as they have to pay more. And if the taxes are very high, people will start buying less, or at times, start cheating the on the tax, by trading secretly!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh, I understand! It’s like the shopkeeper selling without bills! That sale will not be reflected in his accounts, and thus he need not pay tax for that part to the government?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You are 100% right Raju! Many do that! But, it does not start and stop with the shopkeeper! Even the manufacturer has to agree to sell it to the shopkeeper without bills! You get me? The whole cycle of manufacturing and selling has to happen secretly, without accounts!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh, yes, I get it! And the same can be done with ‘customs’ too! That’s how he had smugglers smuggling the goods into the country evading the ‘customs duty’! Thus they are able to sell it at a cheaper rate and make huge profit!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes, remember, the dons you see in Hindi movies?!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Lol! Yes, aunty! How can we forget them?! So, if taxes are exorbitant, then it leads to non-compliance and associated smugglers and dons?!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that, taxes and duties have to be balanced to ensure that they are complied by the public willingly!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes my dear! Then you will be a good king!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh thanks Aunty! Let me be an average king, then I will think of becoming a good king!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am now quite confident! Shall I call the finance commissioner? You think I can decide on the ‘remission’ I have to make in the ‘revenue’? If at all I agree for that, how much I can reduce Aunty? And to counter that loss, do I increase some tax or I reduce my government expenditure?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You are growing intelligent Raju! You first check what are the expenditures planned and details of tax you have imposed on the public. Then we can decide it. Also, your finance commissioner will give you some good suggestions!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raju winked at Aunty! “Are you sure that he will give me a good advice?!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aunty laughed! “Haha, let’s check your luck! Call him in now, I will sit quietly and observe you both”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Some useful links:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://newint.org/features/2008/10/01/tax-history/"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://newint.org/features/2008/10/01/tax-history/</span></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://www.econlib.org/library/YPDBooks/Lalor/llCy341.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://www.econlib.org/library/YPDBooks/Lalor/llCy341.html</span></a></div>
Captain Manivannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05752711093286978181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-42611853976092115452015-02-02T18:24:00.003-08:002015-02-02T18:24:46.927-08:00Perumal Murugan issue – What the Collector should have done?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have discussed this issue many times over. But, still,
one aspect has not been analysed fully, and that is the role played by the
district administration (Collector) in this case.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What did the district administration do in this? What was
the right thing to do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To start with, the Collector wears two hats; one is that of
the collector, head of the state administration in the district, where he is
under the superintendence and control of the State government. Second is that
of the ‘District Magistrate’ (DM), under the CrPC (Code of the Criminal
Procedure), where he is not answerable to anyone, except law. Nobody can give
him instructions when he acts as a DM; not even His Excellency, The president
of India, leave alone anybody else!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is as a DM, that the collectors are seized of the issues
regarding law and order, peace, public nuisance etc. The DM, in such cases, applies
the law, acts as a court and pass orders. If his orders are perceived as bad by
anyone, they can appeal before the District Judge or before the High court.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, let’s see what happened in the case of Perumal Murugan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were widespread protests against the book authored by
Perumal. Certain people wanted police to book a case on the Author. There
appeared to be a possible law & order situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this situation, the district administration interfered
and called both the sides; the agitating people on one side and Perumal on the
other side. The meeting was called as ‘peace meeting’. The meeting ended with
Perumal giving an unconditional apology letter, and the agitating side agreeing
not to agitate further.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This may appear to be acceptable to many. That an issue has
been handled in the best interest of peace. But, alas, what happened was
neither legal nor in the interest of the society!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Hon’ble High Court of Madras, very rightly pointed out
in the PIL filed on this issue; that, the collector office has no business to
call for such ‘peace meeting’. There is no legal provision to do such
‘panchayat’. There are other legal provisions to handle such situations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, if anybody is creating law and order problem, the DM
can summon them to his court and ask them to behave themselves and give
undertaking not to disturb the peace, and if they do, get them arrested. That’s
created credible deterrence. Secondly, he could have allowed the FIR to be
filed against the author, and thereby allowed the author to defend his book
before the Court.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That would have led to both the parties taking the fight to
the proper forum, the court. If the court has felt that the book is indeed
offensive, it would have passed necessary orders banning the book. If the Court
has found the book to be ok, it would have again ensured that Perumal is
protected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That would have prevented the death of the writer in
Perumal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The district administration, by mismanaging the issue, has
send wrong signals as below:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. If anybody is unhappy with something, the best option is
to take law in their hands, and stone the bus or create law and order problem.
That would ensure an invitation to the collector office, where compromise will
be worked out! Why go to court or have detailed arguments on what is right and
what is wrong, as per law? So, ‘might is right’! Hell with law and justice!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. The freedom of expression, guaranteed by the Constitution
of India, has been conveniently throttled by the very officers of the
constitution, under the guise of law and order issue. Is not the same officers
who take oath to work as per the constitution? What a let-down?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am glad that somebody filed PIL before the Hon’ble HC of
Madras. I hope the Hon’ble HC of Madras comes up with such decisions that will
act as guide to the collectors and other officers on this country, who are duty
bound to protect the guarantees given by the constitution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Else such misadventure and transgression will undermine the
foundations of our country, and weaken them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Indeed, in this age of information, ideas rule the world.
Ideas flow freely only when there is freedom of expression.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Curtailment of the freedom of expression will be a costly
mistake, and can be only at the peril of our future; the future shared by our
children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let’s hope better sense prevails and there are no more
deaths, like that of the writer in Perumal Murugan.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Captain Manivannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05752711093286978181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-64125944988238777862015-01-28T22:43:00.000-08:002015-02-02T18:25:43.715-08:00Land Reforms in India<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">"Aunty, I
read something called ‘Land reforms’. What is that Aunty? What do they reform
in Land?”</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ha-ha,
Raju! I am glad you asked! This is not about reforming the land! It’s much more
important! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me start
with a question; we eat rice daily. How much you buy it for in the market?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Aunty, it’s
around Rs. 40!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Good, now
will it be good, if it’s Rs 20 per kg?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Of-course
Aunty! Its 50% discount! We would save lots of money! Why, is the price of rice
going to come down?! ”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ha-ha, I
wish it comes down! Then we can get soon get you the one-plus one mobile! Lol!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ha-ha, then
do some magic and get it reduced aunty!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It’s not
magic Raju, it’s simple economics; if the supply of rice is more, then its
price comes down in the market! Isn’t? So, we produce more rice, then cost
comes down!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, guess
how much rice is produced from say, from land measuring a hectare?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(A hectare
is 10,000 sq meters, .i.e. a square of 100x100 meters. It is 2.5 times of an
acre)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“No idea
Aunty! May be some 1000 kg?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“2,000 kg is
the average Raju. It varies as the soil and climatic conditions vary widely in
India! Dindugal in Tamil nadu produces around 4,000 kg/hectare, whereas in
Rajasthan it’s less than 1000 kg! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, now, how
much we were producing in 1950s? Around 600 kgs! So, there is an improvement of
around 250% in last 60 years! This may look good! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, during
the same time, other countries improved by 450%!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Needless to
say, higher the ‘yield per hectare’ (called as productivity), better is for the
country!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I get it
aunty! I am sure all those in the govt must be raking their brains to increase
the productivity of rice, as it’s a staple crop in India! Why just rice, they
must be working to increase the productivity of every crop! I have read about
the green revolution Aunty. Technology must be helping them!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes Raju,
technology does help. But, then there are other issues too.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Raju, you
have been asking for an i10 car for you from your dad? Isn’t? Now, imagine your
dad gives you a new i10 tomorrow! But, then he says that, it has been hired for
a year, and you have to give it back the owner after 2 years. And you can use
this as taxi, but, 50% whatever you earn goes to the owner. And all
expenditures are yours!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Lol! Aunty,
So, I use it as taxi, and also for my personal purpose? Why can’t he just buy
and give me one?!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ok, that we
will see later. Now, can you tell me why you feel that you want your own car?
Why can’t you use this hired car for 2 years? After all it’s the same i10?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh no
aunty, it will not be like my own car! Then I will love it and take care of it
better! If I have to return it after 2 years, why will I invest more on
maintaining? I will use as taxi for getting my minimum to put petrol and pocket
money! Anyway, rest 50% goes to the owner! But, aunty, above all, I won’t feel
the same happiness or enjoy the status of owner of a car, that could boost my
confidence!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ha-ha! Well
said Raju! You talked about almost all important the aspects of land reforms
now!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Replace the
car with land! What happens? If you are given land for agriculture on rental
basis, you tend to do the same! You don’t maintain it well, as it will go back
to the owner! You don’t put that to best use, as anyway 50% goes to owner! And
above all, you don’t feel the status and confidence!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oops!
Aunty! Great! Now, don’t tell me that, most of the land in India is under this
hiring scheme!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Raju, yes,
most of the land in India is under this hiring scheme. It’s called as tenancy.
Farmers take the land on one or two year lease and work on that. They give a
portion to the land lord and keep the rest to them. Almost 90% of the land was
cultivated this way before independence. Now, it may be around 50%!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Goodness! I
have read that, land should be given to the tiller, and that is the best thing
to happen. Why still we are keeping 50% land under this tenancy? Can’t we make
laws and give the land to the tillers permanently?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We have
laws Raju! Almost all the states and the governments passed law on this; called
as land reform laws. They also executed the law. But the results are not so
good! Prof. M.L. Dantwala observes; ‘By and large, land reforms in India
enacted so far, are in the right direction; and yet due to lack of
implementation, the actual results are far from satisfactory’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me
explain! Indeed, the land reform has four basic components: first, to give the
land to the tiller! This can be done, only if the owner has large tracts of land,
so that we can give away all lands except a minimum that he needs for his
survival. So, the govt made a law that, one family can own only 10 hectares of
land, and rest of them have to be given to those who are actually tilling the
land on rent basis. This is called as ‘ceiling act’, and it fixed a ceiling on
the quantum of land that can be held by any individual.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Second, is,
about the improving the agreement conditions between the tiller and land owner.
This is required, as still there will be owner-tenant relationship, in cases
where the land lord holds land within the ceiling, but unable to cultivate
himself due to various reasons. These are called as ‘tenancy reforms’.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The third
was on consolidation, which meant consolidating small holdings of land. This
was required, as consolidating will help in better use of technology like
tractors etc. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fourth,
(some call this as first!) was, setting right the historical wrong; that is
abolishing the system, where there were many intermediaries, like Inamdars,
Jagirdars etc., who used to hold 1000s of hectares of land, on the behalf of
govt, and fleeced the tillers to cultivate and give huge share to them! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These four
components were implemented across the states with different success rates.
Needless to say, those states where the govt are more committed to land reform
did well.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Aunty, all
these four concepts look so good! Why where they not implemented? What were the
obstacles?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Raju, the
fourth one; abolishing the intermediaries was done! But, for others; people
by-passed the ceiling law, retained huge tracts of lands, by just showing that
the lands are owned by many! (benamis!) Regarding the reforms in the tenancy,
it’s still ineffective, as most of the transactions in rural India are informal
and thus, less chance of regulation by law. On consolidation front, we did some
1600 lakh hectares were done. Still lot to go.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The obstacle
seems to be lack of political will to drive the implementation. In a democracy,
political will matters a lot!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example,
so many land issue are pending in various courts. The governments have not
created enough land courts or officers to clear the pendency. No strict action
was taken to identify the <i>benamis</i> and
seize the land. The land reform agenda appear to have been put on the back
burner now!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Why Aunty?
Why will the governments do that? Won’t it get them good will from all?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Raju, in
the democracy, the governments are formed, based on the votes. Unless all the
illegal ways of getting votes are closed, the political leadership will try to
earn the votes by dubious means, which include use of muscle and money power.
And both these come from the landed aristocracy, who own huge tracts of land
under<i> benami</i> names! “<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Hmm. I
understand Aunty! Hope elections get better or good parties come to power to
complete the unfinished task of land reforms”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“yes Raju!
Indeed, Naxal movement is strongest in those places where less is done in land
reforms! Look at other countries like Philippines, which went for a
comprehensive reform, where they supported the new land owners with farm
inputs, capital and marketing. We need innovation and strong will be make the
land reforms succeed in India. May be youngsters like you will one day complete
this unfinished agenda!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes Aunty!
I hope too. Because, unless we make the foundation strong, and ensures the
productivity increase, how can we become a super power? How can a farmer
lacking motivation and confidence, contribute in making our country great?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Well said
Raju! I hope these words reach the hallowed halls of the Parliament!” </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Authored jointly by Shri. Ezhil Buddhan, ITS and Shri, Manivannan, IAS.</span></div>
<br />
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Captain Manivannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05752711093286978181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-3917942677574915682015-01-20T23:56:00.002-08:002015-01-20T23:56:37.682-08:00Black Money<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Aunty, what is Black money? What is the black market? I keep hearing so much about it. Why is it said to have been stashed away in Swiss banks?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Raju, I am glad you asked! Indeed when I was a child, I thought black money referred to the colour of the note or currency kept in some black box! Ha-ha!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To understand these, let’s assume a village ruled by a good king, with a population of 1000. He has a small army of 50 horsemen, and 50 soldiers and a small government with few officials.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, salaries have to be paid to the army and the officers? In addition, there will be other office expenditures too? To maintain all these, the king did what all other kings used to do, that is, collect a share from what the citizens produced. This share collected by the king or his government is generally called as Tax.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was collected in the village market, when the citizens came to sell their grains or products they manufactured. This was called as ‘sales tax’. The king got Rs. 60,000 in this.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, the king came to know that, there are some items that were not produced in his village, but imported from neighbouring villages that were also sold in the same market. The king imposed a tax on them too. This was called as ‘customs duty’. This gave him Rs. 20,000.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The king also came to know that some items manufactured in his village were not sold in his market, but taken out of the village to be sold to other villages. So, the king taxed them at the place where they were manufactured. This was called as ‘excise duty’. This gave him another Rs. 10,000.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then the king also taxed the rich people in his kingdom. This was called as ‘Income tax’. This gave him Rs.10, 000. Thus he got a total of Rs.1 lakh, and his revenue and expenditure was thus balanced. He could run his government efficiently and keep people happy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, the following year, a problem arose. The income came down to just Rs.70, 000. The worried king tried to find the reason. The reason was simple: his officers showed records where sales in the market had dropped. But, his intelligence department said that, production had actually increased, but it’s not coming for sale to the market!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It meant that some of the products were being sold secretly outside the market. What was sold outside the market was not known to government officers, hence not taxed, and thus the government lost the tax! Besides, absence of correct information about the quantum of produce and sales, led to wrong policies from the govt.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, the king sent his officers to search and arrest all those who sold products outside the market. It was a difficult task, as people sold it secretly in every place possible, like their own homes, fields, roads etc. All these illegal trades happen in secret and is called as ‘black market trade’.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thus ‘black market’ is a collective term used to describe any location, where any illegal transaction happens. It could be any place, including homes, offices, even open roads or cars where such illegal deals are struck and goods exchanged!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The unaccounted money that is earned in such transactions is called as ‘black money’! Black money is nothing but normal money, but is earned by illegal means by cheating government officials and accounts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The money earned in this manner cannot be deposited in the bank, as the government can verify the bank account and easily identify illegal money! So this black money remains as cash only!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, soon, the black marketers started sending the money to banks outside the village, which was beyond the control of the king, where no one asked for accounts. One such ‘village’ is Switzerland, where the source of bank accounts are not questioned, and hence many black marketers have deposited their cash there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few black marketers, make false entries in their account books, and show black money as legally earned money. This is referred to as ‘money laundering’. If this false accounting is done involving someone from another country, then it is referred to as ‘Hawala transaction’, where our black money is exchanged for currency of another country.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now you understand ‘black money’ and ‘black market’ issues, Raju?!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Very well Aunty! Can government not stop this black marketing and black money?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It’s very difficult Raju. Can the government monitor 24x7 what every person is selling or buying? So, as long as people transact without billing or accounting, there will be black money. Therefore, unless people demand a bill for every sale or purchase made, black money can’t be controlled.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Does it mean that in any transaction we have, we should insist on bill and not do anything without bills?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes Raju! Because, every bill generated is a document and it helps government officials calculate taxes due correctly. For every bill not given, some black money is created!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What imposes a danger to the country is that such black money can be used to buy from mercenaries, items that are banned by government like guns, illegal drugs etc. Now do you realise the dangers of having black money in the country?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh yes Aunty! I understand. From today onwards I will do my bit to reduce black money. I will insist on being given a bill for every transaction, Aunty!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vani aunty smiled at Raju. She wished that every youngster in the country does the same. </span></span></div>
Captain Manivannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05752711093286978181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-47526679249936486542015-01-20T23:52:00.000-08:002015-01-20T23:53:18.041-08:00Budget!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Aunty, what is this budget thing? Is this something similar to what Amma talks to Appa about monthly expenditure?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You are quite close! Budget is about writing down the expenditure you are likely to incur in the future. Thus, it’s planned expenditure. Expenditure can’t happen without income! So, you write down both: expenditure and income. In short, it’s about your wallet! How much money will come there, and where it will go! In-fact the word ‘budget’ comes from the French word -<i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">bougette</span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">, which means ‘purse’!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Okk! I never understood this budget! They present it in the parliament and keep raising the taxes on all, and everybody gives their comment on that!! Why it is so important Aunty?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It’s important for all, because, unlike the house budget, the country’s budget, will tell where the government is spending money! It will also tell where the government is getting the income! As the expenditure is done on public benefit and income is also taken from public, it’s important for us, the public!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You mean, our income and expenditure also will be affected by that?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes, it will be! For example, if you are planning to buy your dream bike, Yamaha, its cost may go up or down depending on the budget! If it’s cost is 50,000 rupees now, and if the sales tax is increased by 5%, then your cost goes up to 50,000 plus 2,500, this 57,500! So, your dad has to make provision for that in his budget!!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ok aunty! I got it! So, budget is all about planning the expenditure and income for the coming year!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes, my dear! Govt also plans lots of things! Like building dams, roads, hospitals etc. The expenditure associated is called as ‘plan expenditure’. Some people call this as ‘capital’ expenditure, as it creates an asset/capital!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“All the money of the government goes on such capital works every year?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“No, it goes on something called ‘non-plan expenditure' or its also called as 'revenue expenditure'.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“What is this ‘non-plan aunty? You just now said all is planned in the budget, and now you say 'non-plan'!! And what is this ‘revenue expenditure’?! Looks like a perfect oxymoron!!!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aunty laughed out loud (LOL!)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Well said Raju!! There is no scarcity of oxymoron in the government! But, seriously, this ‘non-plan’ is about all expenditure that is recurring, and which is consequent to your plan expenditure!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Like?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Like, once you buy your Yamaha, you would want additional money for petrol every month?"<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Of-course, aunty! At-least 15 liters! And, if I get lucky this year to woo that pretty Zoya, then it's 30 liters!!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Bad boy! First get good marks in the college and get a job! Then all girls will stand in queue for you! Else, this Zoya also won’t come near you! And you won’t have enough money to maintain even your Yamaha!!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Lol! Aunt, leave that! You better teach me Budget!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“What to teach now?! You have already learned! You have planned expenditure, like buying a bike, and then the expenditure that you did not ‘plan’, but which comes along, the cost of ‘petrol’, called as ‘non-plan expenditure’, which is recurring in nature.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Funny aunty! That’s all is Budget?! Only ‘plan’ and ‘non-plan expenditure’?! And you never told me why the oxymoron ‘revenue expenditure’ for the ‘non-plan’ expenditure!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh yes! The name is because, traditionally, the governments used to balance the ‘non-plan expenditure’ with that of the ‘revenue’ they used to get by taxation! So, it was called as ‘revenue-expenditure!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“If the tax money goes to only 'non-plan', then, where will the money come for planned expenditure, like buying Yamaha?!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Dear, for that, the government generally borrows money!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Government borrows?! Why? I thought they have all the money in the world and they can print more notes if they want money!!!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“They have lots of money which comes from taxes, but the expenditure is also huge Raju! Imagine the huge army, air force and navy! Police, government offices, hospitals, roads, ports etc! So, they taxes are not enough and you can’t keep increasing the taxes! So, the government borrows!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Okk! But, whom does it borrow from? World Bank, Asian Development Bank etc?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">“You are right! It borrows from them also, and it also borrows from the public, by issuing bonds! Public buy the bonds,and thus the money goes to </span><span style="line-height: 27px;">government</span><span style="line-height: 23px;"> I will explain later how government raises funds by bonds. I will also tell you, how printing rupee notes endlessly are not a solution and how it will lead to everybody having lots of money and thus the cost of commodity will go up!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh yes! All that later, now only as much as required to ask some smart questions to my ‘Finance commissioner’ and impress him!!!”</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ha-ha! Ok Raju! You know learnt the expenditure side of the Budget; but, if you want to ask smart question to the Finance commissioner, you should know the income (revenue) side too! That is about the taxes, duties etc”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “Yes aunty, I know that! The ‘direct tax’ is imposed by the government on the individuals and companies on their income, and the ‘indirect tax’ levied on the products/commodities sold in the market!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Very good Raju! You are right! We get our revenue from taxes and duties, like excise duty, customs duty etc.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Waittt aunty!! Where did these excise and customs come from? Why so many different types? Can’t we have just 2 categories? Direct tax, and indirect tax?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes, it could have been simple as that. But the system of revenue collection evolved as per the need. When the expenditure of the government increased, say, due to war etc, then the government used to explore ways to get more revenue thus introducing a new type of tax! Thus, taxation grew from simple to complex over a period of time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To start with, ‘customs duty’ was the earliest income to the king! When the traders used to travel and sell their produce in different kingdoms, they used to meet the King and seek his permission and support in selling their ware in his/her kingdom. Needless to say, they used to give a small part of their ware to the king as goodwill.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later this goodwill almost become a custom, a norm, and soon become a compulsion, or a duty! Kings issued order on how much to collect and how to collect as ‘custom duty’! ‘Customs officials’ were appointed to collect it at the entry points of the kingdom!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thus, when the goods or commodity comes from outside the kingdom/country, then this ‘customs duty’ is imposed on the goods at the entry point itself! That’s how you will find ‘customs’ offices at all the entry point of the state, like the ports, airports, road borders!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Interesting Aunty! I understand the ‘customs duty’ now! Next is about the excise duty. What is it? Is it some additional customs duty?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“No Raju, it is not in addition to Custom duty! But, it is the local version of Customs! Meaning, that, it is the duty imposed on the goods manufactured inside the country!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“But, then Aunty, are we not levying sales tax on them when they are sold?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You are right Raju; we are indeed levying sales tax on most of the goods sold. But, in addition to that, we also impose a levy on some of the goods, as and when they are manufactured! This is call ‘excise levy’. The government ‘excises’ it’s right to collect a portion of what is manufactured within the country too!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And interestingly, while the ‘sales tax’ is a percentage of the cost of the good or commodity, the ‘excise duty’ is not on the value, but, it is on the total quantity manufactured!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example, if a packet of 100 gm coffee powder is sold at Rs.100; the sales tax may be 10% of it, that is, Rs. 10. Whereas, the ‘excise duty’ will be collected at the rate of Rs. 3 for every 100 gm of coffee manufactured! So, the excise duty is normally based on quantity and not on its cost!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Interesting Aunty! Smart way of collected revenue! It will also mean that government gets ‘excise duty’, irrespective of whether it’s sold or not! Aunty, is there any connection between ‘excise’ and ‘alcohol’? Why these two words, ‘excise’ and ‘alcohol’ are always associated?!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh that! That is because, the alcohol industry, what is called as ‘liquor’ colloquially, is one of the major commodity that pays ‘excise duty’, to the extent that the government keeps a officer posted to each distillery to collect the ‘excise duty’! That’s how excise is closely associated with liquor business!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ok aunty! I get it! So, it means, all the commodities either manufactured inside or imported from outside are under either under excise or customs net?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes. Almost! But, there are some exceptions. Items, which are consumed by the common man, like vegetables, fruits etc are not taxed in any manner. And in the direct tax, farmers are no more taxed! It’s only on individuals who have high income and companies that make profit!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Got it aunty! And, if the government wants more revenue, it can tweak the rates and thus get a higher share? Or it can bring more commodities under excise or customs?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “Wow! Now you have started talking like a real king!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Don’t make fun of me Aunty! I am just learning! I also guess that if more taxes are there, it will make people unhappy. Isn't?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes, my dear! People will get unhappy when the taxes are increased, as they have to pay more. And if the taxes are very high, people will start buying less, or at times, start cheating the on the tax, by trading secretly!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh, I understand! It’s like the shopkeeper selling without bills! That sale will not be reflected in his accounts, and thus he need not pay tax for that part to the government?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You are 100% right Raju! Many do that! But, it does not start and stop with the shopkeeper! Even the manufacturer has to agree to sell it to the shopkeeper without bills! You get me? The whole cycle of manufacturing and selling has to happen secretly, without accounts!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh, yes, I get it! And the same can be done with ‘customs’ too! That’s how he had smugglers smuggling the goods into the country evading the ‘customs duty’! Thus they are able to sell it at a cheaper rate and make huge profit!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes, remember, the dons you see in Hindi movies?!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Lol! Yes, aunty! How can we forget them?! So, if taxes are exorbitant, then it leads to non-compliance and associated smugglers and dons?!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that, taxes and duties have to be balanced to ensure that they are complied by the public willingly!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes my dear! Then you will be a good king!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Oh thanks Aunty! Let me be an average king, then I will think of becoming a good king!</span></span></div>
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Captain Manivannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05752711093286978181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977437491708463962.post-38150269093248124702015-01-20T23:35:00.001-08:002015-01-20T23:54:07.908-08:00Introduction!<div style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d;">This blog is an attempt to understand the government and how it works in India, and make it relevant to the citizens. This blog is to help the youngsters, civil service aspirants and others, who want to understand governance, participate in it, and make it work for people. Thus, this is also a small attempt towards good governance! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-style: inherit;">This blog is authored by civil servants, from different services, who have come together to demystify the government, and give their perspectives of the government. As they are still learning, there perspectives may change over time! The views and </span>perspectives<span style="font-style: inherit;"> are personal and does not refer to any person or particular government. This is for purely academic purpose,, and a step towards adding knowledge to the subject of 'Public </span>administration<span style="font-style: inherit;"> in India'. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-style: inherit;">We would request </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-style: inherit;">and encourage the readers to ask questions, debate and even correct us in our perspectives! </span></span></div>
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Captain Manivannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05752711093286978181noreply@blogger.com4