Random Thoughts May 2016

• You know Narendra Modi led BJP Government has done a stellar job during the past 2 years when the anti modi English Press becomes very silent. The 'presstitudes', who hardly lose a chance to criticize Modi (has anyone in our memory been criticized for so little as Modi?) has totally ignored the anniversary, which is a good sign. There has been few sounds from the totally discredited Congress, but that is to be expected. In any case, no one listens to them any more.
• What is it about Hillary Clinton and American Presidency? During the 2008 election, she was the front runner for Democratic nomination, and by virtue of it US Presidency, when Obama raised the pitch, and won an unlikely nomination. Come 2016, Hillary was way ahead of other Democrats, and Republicans were in shambles with Trump being let loose amongst other pigeons. It was expected that Hillary will sew up the nomination much earlier than Trump, who many thought had a fight in his hand in the Republican Convention to get the nomination. But it was Trump who closed his nomination first, while Hillary has to face a stiff resistance from Benie Sanders. It is likely that she will still scrape through, but with Trump leading her marginally in opinion polls, and with his street smart ways, I wouldn't bet against a Trump Presidency, with Hillary again getting the wooden spoon.
• Age finally is catching up with two great tennis players. Federer withdrew at the last minute from French open with a back injury, and Nadal followed suit with a wrist injury in the first week. Though I wont miss Nadal much, I certainly will miss Federer. There are few better sights in sports than a Federer in full flow. It looks like the end is near for his playing career. Though I have been preparing myself for this the last few years, it still leaves me with profound sadness. And the next set of exciting young talent is nowhere in the horizon, to carry the baton of Borg, McEnroe, Samprass, Federer, Djokovic, Nadal....
• Talking of carrying the baton, Virat Kohli has started catching our imagination with his passion,drive, fitness and classical cricket strokes. A worthy successor to Gavaskar, Vishwanath, Sachin, Dravid and Laxman. He is such a consummate team man, and his energy levels are astounding. Not for him to stodginess of Dravid. He is passionate, wears his emotions up his sleeve and shows it. And he is so pleasing to watch while batting. And unlike the worthies mentioned above, he is a superb out fielder. He has also taken an uncompromising stand on player fitness. A classic example is him giving the boot to the unfit, overweight Sarfaraz Khan, the talented RCB/Mumbai batsmen who played a gem of an innovative cameo earlier in the IPL. Kohli leads by example, and his running between the wickets shows the hours he has put on the gym.

 

 

 

No NEETHI in NEET

There is lot of discussion going on about NEET, the Common Entrance Test for Medical Entrance in India.

 

Our esteemed Supreme Court first stuck down Common Entrance Test 3 years ago, which was a folly. Frankly, it was downright corruption, as the then CJ signed this bizarre order on the day he was retiring, and there were murmurs as to how genuine the verdict was.

 

 

That was mistake #1.

 

Mistake #2 was for the Supreme Court to implement NEET this year, within one week of it giving its order, and when lot of States has already conducted their Entrance Examinations.

 

The SC steadfastly refused to hear the genuine grievance of students who were totally unprepared for NEET this year. They took an Ostrich like stand and their Ego ruled roost.

 

This is what happens when SC and its judges are allowed to dictate policy.

 

They could and should have upheld the principle of NEET and asked the Government to come up with a reasonable time frame to implement, perhaps from 2017.

 

It is a known fact that many of the State level Medical Entrance Test and those conducted by Self Financing colleges are farces. But what is the guarantee NEET will not be a farce. Education is in the concurrent list, and there are many syllabuses across the country. Till such time they are not unified, NEET may not be effective.

 

It would be worthwhile to explore the option of conducting NEET, but making it optional for Colleges and States to join in. The States can be allowed to conduct their own Medical Entrance, on the proviso that those who pass out as Doctors are only Licensed to work in that particular State. In the event of they having to work outside the State, they will have to undergo a rigorous qualifying examination at All India Level and only those scoring 70% above should be given the license to practice all over India or Abroad.

 

Someone who has undergone a MBBS course plus House Surgeon program should be in a position to prepare and take the All India Licensing examination at the end of his course, and not before.

 

But who will bell the Supreme Court Cat?

Election Commisioners or Election Confusers?

It was under T N Seshan that the Election Commission started baring its teeth. Though for many T N Seshan is a hero, he definitely showed Autocratic tendencies, took advantage of the political weakness of the various parties during the unstable 1990-1996 era. Though we can give a benefit of doubt to Seshan, who wanted to clean the Augean stables, his successors while demonstrating the same 'my way or highway attitude' have remained bureaucratic nincompoops, who just wanted to flash their power without upsetting the apple cart.

 

Let us review some of the key decisions implemented by them over the past two decades;

 

Electronic Voting Machines : It is admirable that EVMs are being used all over the Country. But in reality the only advantages we have had are 1) Saving reams and reams of paper and 2) Counting is faster. But serious reservations remain about the EVMs integrity. It has been demonstrated that EVMs can be tampered with, but the EC has taken an Ostrich view of things and refused to believe this. Clamour for the EVMs issuing a paper receipt is only being considered now. The old system was cumbersome, but its integrity was never in question. Regarding the second point of the counting being faster, the advantage is lost when we get to count the votes after 45 days of the votes being polled in some cases

 

Election Schedule spread over weeks: We used to conduct polls across India in a single day and the paper votes being counted within 48 hours. But now, even with EVM, the election is spread over 4-6 weeks and we have to wait for ages to find the result. The purported reason is the need to move paramilitary forces across the country. Frankly, the country has not deteriorated that much over the past few decades. What is good for 1980s is good for even now.

 

Model Code of Conduct: EC imposes Model Code of Conduct at least 2 months before polls are held. Though the purpose is to prevent the ruling party from announcing largesse on poll eve, in reality all this has done is to hamper even routine government decision making. Since the ruling party knows MCC will be implemented any way, they do still announce largesse before MCC comes into force. When candidates violate MCC by making remarks based on religion, all they get is a slap on their hands and a diktat to behave well in the future. This is a joke.

 

Declaration by Candidates of their Assets: Every single candidate lies and reveals only a fraction of their assets. And no one has been disqualified for this.

 

Curb on Election Expenditure: Show me one candidate who has been disqualified for spending more than the limit. The EC puts some ridiculously absurd low limits without even indexing for inflation, and encourages every candidate to use black money. Another pointless exercise.

 

Inability to created a system for NRIs to vote: India has a vast NRI population, who are citizens of this country. Despite Supreme Court directive, the EC has not been able to develop a system whereby the NRI can vote either online or in the country where he lives. A few years back NRIs were allowed to be registered as voters, but has to visit his constituency on the polling day to vote. The insensitivity of the EC towards NRIs is a mystery.

 

Reviewing Electoral Malpractices: Now a losing candidate has to seek redress from the Courts to get a rival, who has won by malpractice, disqualified, and this takes ages. The classic case is of P Chidambaram, against whom there is a case filed post the 2009 election. PC became both the Home and Finance Minister, is accused on indulging in corrupt practices, and the case hasn't even come up for hearing, even after the next election. It is a moot point why we should have an EC, who pokes their head into all the other aspects of the election, but don't want to touch something as crucial as this.

 

All the EC has done over the years is to create confusion without tangible benefits.