Make in India:Wishes for 2026

Posted on December 31, 2015 by indra

Instead of wishing for 2016, just the next year, I want to wish for the decade, as it takes that much time for manufacturing company to become a world class in quality and scale.

High-end Technologies: I wish four of the top industrial companies to grow as world class in manufacturing in its field, though there may be many more such as Bharat Forge: L&T in building and manufacturing of nuclear plants such as Westinghouse or Toshiba. Tata in defence planes just as Boeing. Mahindra in transport planes. Reliance Defense in naval warships. BHEL must grow as a global leader in all electric power related equipment.But all these firms, beside creating the world class manufacturing, assembling, and testing facilities, must also have to invest extensively in its own R&D too to become leaders in its areas of activities, and aim for exporting its products up to 30 percent. The joint venture of Russia’s Rostec with Indian PSU HAL for manufacturing Kamov 226T military helicopters in India will grow as the major manufacturers of all types of helicopters for domestic and global market. The agreement signed between Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group and Russia’s manufacturer of Air Defence Missile Systems, AlmazAntey, results in setting up a world class manufacturing with R&D centre of its own and starts producing the whole range of air defence missile and radar systems for the Indian defence forces and also opens export avenues.

Some already existing companies in Defense sector must excel and scale up: 1. Dynamatic Technologies that already supplying ramps and pylons to Boeing for the Chinook, and power and mission equipment cabinets for the P8-I multi-mission maritime aircraft (MMA). 2. Tata Advanced Materials (TAML) that has contracted to supply P8-I components to Boeing. 3.Tata Manufacturing Solutions (TAL) that has begun supplying ground support equipment for the C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. 4. Rossel Techsys that manufactures wire bundles for Boeing’s military aircraft. 5. Punj Lloyd has established a high-tech manufacturing facility near Gwalior to tap into this market. And the Indian companies in the prestigious (and often more profitable) realm of aerospace design: A. Hyderabad-based Cyient (formerly Infotech Enterprises) that works with aerospace multinationals on critical design-engineering products, including aero engines. B. Chennai-based Data Patterns, that has designed cutting-edge aerospace products.

All these firms will need support from the government in a big way in policies and taxation, as the vested interests in bureaucracy and services are the biggest obstructions in indigenisation programme.

Railways: The two loco engine manufacturing plants in Bihar of GE and Alstom must go in production. Both must unlike Chittaranjan Locomotives must keep on updating its technologies to remain relevant for huge sector and look for export too. The Bullet Train project will also boost the manufacturing of many input items in India. Hundreds of smaller manufacturing companies may be joining the projects as world class vendors meeting Japanese quality standards.

Electronics: India will have to move fast in creating an ecosystem for manufacturing of electronics items that may soon be the highest burden of import just behind perhaps oil. The top hundred engineering colleges with strong electronics department, research organisations such as CSIR and DRDO, the government electronics companies such as BEL must focus on developing many world class electronics products and try to find a way out to encourage and support the entrepreneurs in its manufacturing. Foxconn must succeed in its plans of setting up electronics factories and it must facilitate to set up many components manufacturing units as vendors too.

Textiles: India must aim at making this the national manufacturing sector and number one in world consuming all its cotton and with best possible value addition to suit the fashion tastes of the world.

And finally, through extensive skilling and unique entrepreneurship, every rural habitation must have a manufacturing centre where the trained men and women make something or other required by the huge market of a billion and a half.

Let India become really as (‘swachh’) clean as the other developed countries to make it all proud to attract FDI in Make in India.or

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Muslims! Requesting your reconsideration

Posted on December 31, 2015 by indra

Muslims of Ayodhya must set an example of their love of Indian culture as they are part of it. Most of them believe in the story of Rama. In many places, they play the roles of various characters of Ramayana in local Ramlila and enjoy it. Their so-called leaders such as Azam Khan with their own vested interests will never like that to happen. They must realise the fact that the most of the millions and millions of Hindus over centuries believe that Rama was born in Ayodhya and Krishna in Mathura. And they also believe that Rama and Krishna are the incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the Supreme. The Muslims of India must respect the faith of Hindus and Hindus must also respond. They must appreciate the difference between a temple at the place believed by Hindus as birthplace of Rama where one of the officers in Babar army forcibly built a masjid later on known as Babri Masjid like many in the country just to hurt the feelings of Hindus just because he has conquered India. The Babri Maszid at Ayodhya was no way connected their Prophet or any of their kin. This gesture will be a great one to bring harmony and peace in India. Perhaps many will agree with me and must be having the same views. Let us not wait for the court decision, as it may take years and till then in every December there will be a tension in the country for nothing. Interestingly a minister of UP expressing similar idea got sacked by his CM. Let the subject be taken out of the hands of the politicians and solved with understanding between the commoners of the two communities.

Muslims must also appreciate the tortures, humiliations and shocks that the Hindus and their religious places suffered because of some truant Muslim rulers over the centuries. Religious temples, statues, maths were demolished and a large number of their clans were forcibly converted. If today Muslims can not tolerate the demolition of just one Babri Maszid, what sort of tolerance is there in the Hindus to read the news of hundreds of temples vanishing in Pakistan and even in Bangladesh and why should the Muslims not appreciate it? Can’t Muslims at large appreciate the feeling of humiliation in Hindus when they visit Kutubminar a Maszid built out of hundred of broken temples? Should the history books remove the stories of large scale conversions of Hindus in the periods when the Muslims ruled the country? Further, the media keeps on revealing the data that makes Hindus in India upset. How should a Hindu react when he reads a news report that 400 plus temples have vanished in Pakistan? Similar stories of desecration of Hindu temples in Bengal keep on appearing. But hardly any Hindu, but for just few fanatics in Hindus, try to see Muslims of the country with any feeling of revenge. Let us live in harmony, when the priorities for the country is to fight with poverty and deprivations.

Muslim parents must press the government for providing their children good education, skilling and financial assistance for that. Their leaders will never do that as their existence will be in danger after that. Muslims got elated with Sachar Commission for minority. Secular parties took credit for the appointing the commission, announced a large number of programmes to help the minority before the general election, but nothing changed as even after ten years. The deprivation remained where it was. The All India Survey of Higher Education 2013-14, released last week, says that Muslims account for just 4.3 per cent of India’s higher education enrolment, from undergraduates to PhD students, while the community makes up 14.2 per cent of the country’s population. Will they cast their vote for those who do the maximum in empowering them with education and skilling? The huge lot of NGOs, cadres of political parties must also focus on the education and skilling of the minority, Dalit and tribal children, something on the line of KISS of Odisha that has set an example of large scale educating of tribals. This is the only way to bring equity and build integrity of India.

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Senior Citizens: Some Issues and Suggestions

Posted on December 29, 2015 by indra

We have been discussing about some special issues and concerns of senior citizens. 1. Right medical assistance 2. Help to reach the medical provider 3. Necessity for some to keep satisfyingly engaged and usefully 4. Problems of some who wish to get a satisfaction by giving back.

Emergency Medical Assistance: The problem of dealing with ageing poses many challenges. One is geriatric care, which is a specialisation that Indian medical providers lack badly. I doubt if all medical practitioners can correctly understand the medical problems of senior citizens and its medication. Can there be way to prepare a list of the doctors in locality who can handle the medical problems of ageing citizens, advise on right physical exercise or yoga cores, and special diets, and medication? Can the doctors in locality be persuaded to attain the older patients at home, as nowadays all the doctors do’t do that.
But there is something that is more than that and can be helped. It relates to many older couples like us who live alone with children away. In medical emergency, there may be an urgent need of a helping hand. Last month, I who lived with my wife faced a worrying situation. We had faced a medical problem late in evening. It was only a neighbour, Mr. Nauryal whom I requested for help. He was kind enough to call the ambulance. He also accompanied us to hospital for an emergency assistance, got checked, treated and brought back. His acquaintance with the hospital staffs was a big help. But what would have happened, if my neighbour would not have been there. It would have been a torturous evening. Can’t something be done for the older couples living on their own to face such emergencies? I am sure we can find a solution. We can try to find and fix some volunteers who are willing to take up such responsibilities of helping senior citizens at odd hours out of their own interest. Can some hospitals be persuaded to provide door to hospital to door services for senior citizens on reasonable payment?

Lack of Engagement: Many a times, it becomes difficult to keep oneself at this age sufficiently engaged to avoid the depression resulting out of loneliness. Many of those retired ones are in real sense the repositories of wisdom and knowledge and have skills that can be helpful to the needy in the society. Can we find a way to provide some interesting and satisfying engagement to those who are willing to work and to obtain its pleasure? Some with contacts can certainly help. The other day while attending the first anniversary meet of Meghdootam Senior Citizens Welfare Forum, I came to hear about some very capable persons. While Dr. Kaul had been a successful academician, Mr. Chaubey retired after holding the top position of a big PSU with expertise in HRD and who have also published two books published. Mr. Gupta was not only the General Manager in SBI but he is also a writer. If they are willing to take some initiative to find out the projects in which these engagements are required, something great can come out. How do we channelise the expertise and resources of those who have moved out of the job market and still ready to serve the society? But before anything! we will have create a data bank of the willing and physically capable senior citizens and their special skills and expertise where they can contribute.

Pleasure of Giving: Many of us at this age are affluent enough and have the willingness to part with some money for charity that can be used for helping the needy of various type in the society. We can create a Charity Fund for the purpose and devise a system to donate from the fund for a socially relevant cause.

There may be many more suggestions and issues. We invite suggestions from every one. It will be nice if we can form a Think Group to discuss the subjects in all communities.

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Make in India-Some Progress

Posted on November 16, 2015 by indra

India under Modi has promised “to push manufacturing to 25% of GDP, and through the Make in India initiative, Modi wishes to make India a global manufacturing hub.” Have we seen some good things happening that brings hope? Yes, I am getting hopeful. Three recent manufacturing sectors provide a lot of positive news reports.

1. Railways: Indian Railways last week awarded contracts to General Electric Co. (GE) for setting up plant to manufacture of diesel locomotives at Marhora and Alstom SA to set up factories for electric locomotives at Madhepura, in Bihar. Alstom that has already a strong footprint in engineering and manufacturing and supply chain in India, plans to procure about 80% of the parts from India. It means good business for many local vendors. It will cost Rs 2,052 crore for setting up the diesel locomotive factory at Marhora, the electric one will cost Rs 1,293.57 crore at Madhepura. What required is a closely assisted implementation plan? Both the central and state government must must facilitate to remove all usual hurdles such as the infrastructure requirements and trained human resources to complete the project in fastest time. The project can change the region totally if everything goes right.

2. Aeroplanes: Only few days ago, Boeing Co. and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd has formed a joint venture that will manufacture aerostructures for aircraft and collaborate on integrated systems development opportunities in India. The joint venture will initially create a facility to produce aerostructures for the AH-64 Apache helicopter and to compete for additional manufacturing work packages across Boeing platforms, both commercial and defence.“ Tata Advanced Systems is one of the select few in the private sector in India undertaking manufacturing and assembly of both aircraft and helicopters. The resulting scale and expertise at which the company now operates makes it well-positioned for large-scale systems integration work in India’s aerospace and defence sector.

In July, the defence division of the Mahindra Group, Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd, and Europe’s Airbus Helicopters also signed an in-principle agreement to set up a joint venture to manufacture helicopters in India. Both these ventures can take India considerably ahead in this high-tech sector.

It seems the indigenous Tejas will also get into mass production to get completed the order from IAF through outsourcing in big way to Indian vendors.

Defence will contribute the most in Make in India drive. One such may of BAE Systems, USA. BAE Systems may establish an AIT facility in India that “will lay a foundation to expand future work content in India, potentially leading to M777s for India and for possible export.”

3. Domestic manufacturing of mobile phones: Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and even West Bengal are pushing to have manufacturing clusters for manufacturing mobile phones. Foxconn has already got the allotment of the required land for the project on Pune-Mumbai Expressway in Maharashtra. It has already started assembling some brands in Sri City industrial cluster in Andhra Pradesh, and has big plans to create the ecosystem for mobile phone manufacturing. According to the MoU, Foxconn will set up one or several hi-tech industrial parks for mobile phones, computers, monitors, televisions, network devices, electronic components, automotive electronics, precision tooling, LED lights and smart-city development in different states.

A dedicated mobile handset and electronics manufacturing facility has started taking shape at Tirupati also. The facility will house brands such as Karbonn Micromax, Celkon and Lava. Lava has also started its manufacturing plant at Noida, and is going for a bigger one in an electronics manufacturing cluster on Yamuna Expressway. Videocon has started the manufacturing in Kolkata. With so many of these manufacturers, many vendors of parts will also set up their manufacturing facilities in India.

Let us hope that in next few years, Make in India gathers further speed.

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India Moving Ahead

Posted on November 4, 2015 by indra

Is it not great when if a World Bank official says, ‘It took four months in 2005 to start a business in India, but it takes only 29 days now.’? And some good news…..

1. India now ranks 130 out of 189 countries in the ease of doing business.”A forward movement of 12 spots in the ease of doing business by an economy of the size of India is a ‘remarkable achievement. Going from 142 in the world to 130, as India has done, is very good sign.” The World Bank has said in a separate box that India is the biggest reformer.

2. India is ranked 8 globally in protection of minority investors, ahead of many developed economies including the US, Germany and Japan.

3. India has moved up one position to become the world’s seventh most valued ‘nation brand’, with an increase of 32 per cent in its brand value to USD 2.1 billion. The surge of 32 per cent in India’s ‘nation brand value’ is the highest among all the top-20 countries on the list.

4. India has pulled ahead of China and the United States to take pole position as the most favoured destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), according to the Financial Times, having received $31 billion – $3 and $4 billion more than China and the US respectively.

5. India continues to top the global confidence index.

6. India will remain the world’s fastest growing information technology (IT) market in 2016 as it is expected to spend more than $72 billion on IT services, products and hardware, up from 7.2% from the current year, according to research firm Gartner Inc.

7. As the second-fastest growing and third-largest start-up ecosystem in the world, India is moving at a frenetic pace.
8. The Strategy& study found China and India recorded R&D spending growth of 79 percent and 116 percent, respectively, between 2007 and 2015.

9. The first ever global report commissioned by the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering has revealed that while just 20% of 16 to 17 year-olds from the UK and 30% from the USA are interested in an engineering career, in India the rate is as high as 80% – the highest in the world.

10. India has made significant progress in the past two years in financial transparency . According to the global financial secrecy index (FSI) report released by Tax Justice Network (TJN), India ranked 45 in the list of 92 countries in 2015 in comparison to 32 in 2013, which is seen as a big jump.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ranked ninth on the Forbes list of powerful people for 2015, up six places from last year when he was at number 15.

Another study is more satisfying for India. “In the study of 175 countries by anti-graft organisation Transparency International, India ranked 85, ahead China which came at 100, the Corruption Perceptions Index 2014 said. On a rating of up to 100, India scored 38, two points ahead of China’s 36. India’s score grew by two points over last year’s assessment.”

Are these not something to celebrate? Should we get bogged down by the intolerance debate or controversy on which the media is wasting its time? Why should we all not debate to sustain and improve on these global rankings?

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Creating Non-agriculture jobs in Rural Bihar

Posted on November 3, 2015 by indra

Will the new government focus on and ensure by creating non-agriculture employment? Unless, every family thinks of having engaged after the farming work for extra earning, poverty can’t be eliminated. What all can become part of these rural Enterprises?
I wish some younger entrepreneurs start thinking intensively for creating a large number of new micro-entrepreneurship projects in rural region of Bihar. Every village can grow as a small manufacturing enterprise for at least something or can provide opportunities for some service entrepreneurs, may be micro ones. With the policy such as MUDRA, finance may not remain constraint. However, the bank officers are to be motivating rather harassing lot.
1. Talents of the young girls who come to a village after marriage with certain skills such as stitching apparels or different items for household uses including cheap sanitary towels, or for knitting sweaters, or making stuffed toys can be exploited to create extra earnings for the families. An effective link between traders and these talented ones will be necessary in the ecosystem.
2. The Panchayats can be persuaded for getting the school buildings or the panchayat house for opening a skill centre, and schools such Usha Silai Schools can be sponsored with a sole objective of starting a cooperative business.
3. Other enterprises for young men such as maintenance services for agriculture machines such as tractors, pumps to electronic gadgets that are flooding the rural areas fast, can also have potential. Today, all the users go to small towns nearby.
4. Every village can have some tutors engaged for providing tuitions to students of different levels, some even helping for getting distant education for higher level courses. With gradual increase in earnings and increasing interest in education, many parents are today able to pay for this. For instance, my cousin’s wife has been providing the tuition against payment for a number of years.
5. Another attractive area may be small scale home based food processing such as pickles or satoos or some traditional seasonal snacks. Many traditional snacks such as bhoonja, tilwa, ladoo with methi, sonth, and haldi as constituents, that used to be a delicacy for winter season, are disappearing fast. And with good packing and quality assurance, one can thinking of selling it on line. Could any one imagine that upala (cow dung cake) are getting sold on-line in festivals season. One can explore and get into the right business. There is no point in having these production bases in urban areas. With improving road connectivity, transportation will hardly be a bottleneck. However, a mind set of extra earning rather than wasting time in watching useless serials on TV must change.
There can be hundred of ideas for creating jobs and it will be in national interests that graduates of engineering and management schools are roped to carry out the feasibility studies and suggest ways and means to create non- agricultural work in rural region.
6. One such idea is certainly for the graduates in agricultural sciences. Can’t they think of opening low cost advisory or technical assistance services for the farmers to improve their yield and earnings? What can be the way for improving the yields from the prevalent small land holdings, say 3-5 bighas? Some can advise the best combinations of crops, plantations of fruits and vegetables to maximise the earnings of the individual small farmers who are in majority today. Some graduates in science can open small labs for finding the chemical composition of the soils in different regions of a village to suggest the right type of fertilisers, and may be a switch to bio-fertilisers.
7. A similar service may engage some trained young persons for various healthcare services. A safe maternity home and maternity advisory service can too be an engagement and a future business proposal.
8. A weekly market in every panchayat may create opening for selling home grown vegetables and other eatables. With households getting nucleus, even a rural family may like to have alternative of cooking at home.
9. Some young men can think of getting into rural tourism, as many in urban India will like to spend a night in village if it provides excitement and entertainment.
10. Rural India itself can create employment and business. Organic manure from the waste generated in villages, housing, marriages etc can provide a lot of scope for creating business and employment for the local population. The need is to make the activities marketable and sell it through different entrepreneurship.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/the-good-earth/A-greener-way-out-of-farm-crisis/articleshow/49614230.cms
11. http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/amul-s-not-so-marginal-farmers-115102300023_1.html Can the new generation of Bihari farmers take a lesson from Gujarat get into dairy farming in big way? If GCMMF can enter into other states like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal bringing similar prosperity to its farmers, why can’t happen in Bihar?
Mushroom farming or government encouraged plantation on large scale on idle government land can change the fate of many poor in rural Bihar.
With the fast social changes coming in villages, many requirements of the people living there will need many services requiring some enterprises. The government must ensure a 24×7 electricity for the rural enterprises to be better in productivity and competitiveness.
http://www.ndtv.com/photos/news/kushalta-ke-kadam-aiming-for-independence-20606?pfrom=home-campaigns#photo-263178

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Make-in-India: My Outlooks

Posted on October 23, 2015 by indra

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Make-in-India: Here is a story of a traditional manufacturing hub. Munger district, along Ganga’s banks in Bihar, has a formidable reputation for being a hub for illegal gun making. Gun making in Munger is about 200-year old. As believed, ‘the British established this industry in this region during the first Anglo-Afghan war. During the first world war, these gunsmiths came into prominence for developing the cartridge gun. After 1947, the government prompted these gunsmiths to set up cooperative factories. However, due to government apathy in arms purchase and policy hassles, most of these factories quickly shut down.’ The people in gun making are already trained and can manufacture even sophisticated guns such AK-47 or better. Today, all these enterprises do illegal manufacturing and business. Manohar Parrikar, the IITian Defence Minister is smart and proactive. Can this talent in manufacturing be used to get into a respectable business enterprises through some innovative schemes? Can some influential technocrat missionary suggest ways and means to integrate these manufacturing talents to create an arms manufacturing hub of the country to produce world class arms with some technical input and meagre investment in some machine tools and testing equipment? Can some one put the suggestion to the effective decision maker?
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Wrote a letter to Indian Express today-
Make-in-India: L&T must answer some questions. As reported in Indian Express, “the bronze parts of the Statue of Unity for the memorial to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, coming up in Gujarat will be made in a foundry in China. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) got the contract from the Gujarat government for the Rs 3,000-crore project. It has sub-leased the “bronze cladding” of the statue to TQ Art Foundry, part of the Jiangxi Toqine Company in Nanchang. Hundreds of Chinese workers are also expected to arrive in Narmada to “assist” L&T in the concrete construction of the statue core. The Gujarat government expresses it helplessness over where the contractor company gets the material from.” L&T is the largest engineering fabricator in India. L&T has been suggesting time and again to put higher taxes on the Chinese imports to make Indian manufacture competitive. L&T must let the people of India know why it had to go to China for getting the prestigious statue made? Is it the lack of the facility in India for this one-off order that it mostly undertakes? Why could not it find the alternate way of making it with inputs from other Indian experts? Can we take pride in such a memorial? How will a tourist react, may be a foreigner, when the guide will tell that it was built by the Chinese? It is shameful for country that has an unique iron pillar in Delhi, a large number of highly polished Ashokan pillars, and Bahubali statue in Sravanbelgola. The executors of the pride project could have waited to make it Indian. http://www.outlookindia.com/article/make-in-china/295673

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Make-in-Bihar and Nitish: The biggest contribution of Nitish Kumar is his Mukhyamantri Cycle Yojana (chief minister’s bicycle programme. Was it his idea or that of some other minister, may be Sushil Modi, his Deputy in the cabinet. Since 2006-07, the state has recorded around 70 lakh beneficiaries to get cycles. And it laid to setting up of the cycle manufacturing companies its plants in Bihar, around Patna. However, only in the last two years, several prominent cycle manufacturing companies – Hero Cycles, Avon Cycles and TI Cycles have tiptoed to Bihar after coming of Modi’s government. Hero Cycles has invested Rs 55 crore to set up a modern plant in Bihta and employed over 250 people .Avon Cycles has a plant in Hajipur Industrial Estate. Interesting, the plant location has also because the eastern region-Bengal, Bihar, Odisha and Assam – comprises around 45 per cent of the country’s bicycle market of around Rs 9,500 crore. I wish Bihar to become the hub for cycle manufacturers. At present, Ludhiana is the country’s cycle manufacturing hub. Interestingly, over 60 per cent of the people working in Ludhiana are migrants from Bihar. Will the gain of the jobs for Biharis may be loss of jobs for the already employed migrants? However, many opine that Nitish Kumar may ride to victory with the support of the beneficiaries with his gifts of cycle on which the government has spent more than Rs 1,500 crore. I still think Nitish Kumar would have done more for the handicrafts such as Madhubani arts or Bhagalpur tussar. It had a huge potential of employment with aggressive push from the government push. While merchandise exports have been in negative territory for the 10th month in a row, some odd sectors have weathered the crisis, reports Banikinkar Pattanayak in New Delhi. Interestingly, Indian Handicrafts has outdone the global competition. Even unlike other merchandise exports, the exports of handicrafts from India are in boom. In rupee terms, handicraft exports almost tripled to Rs 18,639 crore in the five years through 2014-15. Nitish would have focused on what does not require huge resources for creating employments. I hope the new government will focus on creating more and more rural employment.

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Make-in-India: Will it happen and happen in right way? As reported extensively, ‘the chairman of the world’s biggest airplane manufacturer, Boeing James McNerney has said that it could ‘make in India’ a state of the art fighter plane. “India will get technology that can be used elsewhere in manufacturing.” Boeing plans to assemble either its Chinook heavy-lift helicopters or Apache attack choppers in India. “Large sections of the Chinook fuselage are already manufactured in India and discussions are ongoing with the Indian partners to make Apache parts.” Currently, the beams of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner which can be called the spine of the aircraft are also being made in a Nagpur facility. Chairman during this India visit further said, “We can play at the centre of ‘Make-in-India’ keeping in line with Boeing’s global product strategy. We want design and make in India for India and the world. India is now better poised to make investments for us.” It must not only be the India’s market but other parameters such as talent and skill availability aspects for setting up manufacturing plants, ease of doing business, infrastructure, vendors for components and competitiveness, must encourage companies like Boeing, Airbus, or Lockheed to own its Asia facilities in India.Interestingly, NDTV for the first time had a programme on Make-in-India. http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/the-big-fight/defence-preparedness-time-for-self-reliance/387287?pfrom=home-lateststories

You can write for any clarification to irsharma@gmail.com

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Bihar Election 2015- My Different Opinions

Posted on October 17, 2015 by indra

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बिहार के लोग अगर जाति के आधार पर भी भोट देना चाहते हों तो भी नीतीश कुमार उचित एवं बिश्वसनीय उम्मीदवार कहाँ हैं? पहले जब जीतने का मौक़ा बड़ी जातियों के भारतीय जनता पार्टी के साथ था तो उनके साथ थे। आज वही नीतीश सब कुछ ताक पर रख केवल मुख्य मंत्री बने रहने के लिये, यादवों का मत पाकर अपने घोर दुश्मन लालू प्रसाद, जिन्हें अपने परिवार से आगे कुछ दिखता नहीं, से हाथ मिला लिये हैं। लालू परिवार के बल वे कैसी सरकार बनायेंगे और चलायेंगे । यह भी छोटी जातियों को भुलावा देना या बेवक़ूफ़ बनाना नहीं तो क्या है? कल चुनाव के परिणाम उन्हें फिर किसी की सहायता लेने को मजबूर करेंगी तो इन्हें कुछ संकोच नहीं होगा । भगवान बिहार का ख़्याल रखें ! जातियों का भेदभाव केवल भा. ज. पा. ही मिटा सकती है ।यही इसके पक्ष में है बिहार बचाने के लिये ।
जाति धर्म न मायने रखते,
एक श्रेष्ठ देश अभिमान
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What Ranking in Education Means : As per a study, ‘the average income of households—where the highest education of any family member is a college degree or above—is roughly four times more than that of a household where no family member is literate (R3,35,174 versus R80,759). And Bihar stands among the last last at 10.1 PF households after a rule of 25 years of Bihar between Nitish and Lalu Prasad. Can you expect anything better when Bihar will be ruled by Nitish Kumar assisted by Lalu’s basically illiterate sons who have inferior educational qualification than their father with Misa Bharati as its political ideologue?
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Funny, Is it Prasant Kishor’s advice? As reported in Indian Express today, “Leaders from the grand alliance in Bihar today urged the Election Commission to order the removal of banners and posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah from the Patna airport.” Are the Biharis who will make them win flying these days rather than using the trains? What a bankruptcy of ideas! Perhaps, they are on loosing path.
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Shaibal Gupta, member-secretary, Asian Development Research Institute, Patna
in an article in Indian Express says ‘Double Standard in Bihar’, “Upper caste-centric alliances are not referred to as caste combines, while a coming together of marginal and subaltern castes — as in the case of the maha gathbandhan — is invariably considered a caste-centred coalition”. What is this Asian Development Research Institute? What does it do for Bihar? Is Shaibal Gupta an independent intellectual or working for Nitish Kumar as Pavan Verma does? Every real Bihari intellectual is expected to give some effective solutions to remove the social ills of caste and religion that is also one of the reasons for the lack of real development in Bihar. It is essential to drive the growth of the state to bring it in the league of the developed states of India. Will the readers respond?
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/double-standard-in-bihar/#sthash.UYUge9gj.dpuf
5
Development during Nitish Era: Liquor is the only noticeably thriving industry in recent years, thanks to his relaxed excise policy. The share of revenue from excise in the total revenues had nearly doubled from 10.33 per cent in 2006-07 to 18 per cent in 2014-15.Liquor licences in rural areas increased from 779 a decade ago to 2,360 now. Big distillers like United Breweries, Cobra and Carlsberg are the only big investment who set up distilleries near Patna in recent years. How has then Nitish promised the women of Bihar a control on liquor? Should there be no ethics and moral responsibility in politicians for the future generation?
6
Is Nitish a reliable ally? Mulayam Singh Yadav on Nitish Kumar : “When we decided to contest the Bihar polls together, Mr. Kumar supported the coalition. But when the coalition announcement was to be made, he [Mr. Kumar] quietly went to meet Rahul and Sonia Gandhi…….We kept waiting for Nitish Kumar and when I called him I was told that he was in Delhi and when I met him, Nitish Kumar said he needed to leave for Patna for an urgent work….Is it correct to lie? Is it not betrayal?”
(Further) “Injustice was, in fact, done to Lalu Prasad…he was sentenced to jail for five years but I’d ask you all who was responsible for his punishment…it was the Chief Minister (Nitish Kumar).”
7
This Bihar election will be difficult to predict. Nitish Kumar has somehow succeeded in projecting himself as Vikash Purush. But for any rational thinkers, Nitish was nowhere near what Bihar wanted from him as real development. Development of rural roads may be unique for Biharis but it has happened all over India. Growth went higher on very poor base value of 15 years of Lalu Raj. Nitish failed in creating jobs for the Biharis and higher education facilities for young boys and girls. With no skill imparted to them, a Bihari migrate only for working as menial worker from Kashmir to Kerala and Kuchh to Kolkata. Migration for higher education increased the cost of higher education for the parents. Many sell even their landed property for this. But still Nitish has better image as he with full assistance from BJP improved law and order. However, Nitish couldn’t do any thing with the rampant corruption in Bihar. It has, as some say, has increased. The win of Nitish will come only from the emotional and social unity of backward caste and will serve to satisfy their ego, but enmity between the castes will increase. It will certainly create internal bitterness with the centre that will be harmful for the state. Nitish may win but Bihar will be a great looser. With win for NDA, Biharis will be getting one more chance, though without a tested leader, for effective development with full support of the centre.
8
Today I wrote a letter to The editor, India Express:
Dear Editor,
You have published an article by Tejshwi Yadav, the son of Lalu Prasad. I shall like to know if the article has been really written by Tejshwi. Please let me know.
I am from Bihar and a graduate of IIT, Kharagpur 1961 batch. I shall be obliged if you let me have the truth.
Indra Roy Sharma
9
Mr. Nitish Kumar! Your model of progress can keep Bihar only as the last ranked state in all parameters, as you can’t give land,nor change labour laws neither you have any grand plans to create jobs or skilling Biharis for already available better jobs that can change their lives to better ones. For you education is a cycle, going to the school for midday meal, not acquiring knowledge and skill for students and a subsisted employment for teachers. Your statement “….Bihar will progress on its own efforts…” shows your arrogance. You would have taken help from one and all, if it aids to the progress of the state, and that’s what get reflected when you say, “…..What will these outsiders do? I want to ask you a question, who will take Bihar forward, Bihari or bahari?….” None of the political alliance after they win will impose outsider to take the top chair of Bihar. It will be only one Bihari who is contesting the election. Please be ethical enough and don’t mislead innocent and honest Biharis. Don’t be under a misperception that you are the only Bihari who has been born to take Bihar forward. “If a Bihari is to take Bihar forward, then a real Bihari is here before you. We don’t need any of these ahari-bahari. Say goodbye to all these outsiders…” Can you explain how are you a real Bihari, and Sushil Modi, Pappu Yadav, Jitan Manjhi, Paswan and Ram Kripal Yadav are not?
10
Litti Pe Charcha: I am excited with these entries on my tag line. It seems this wonderful endeavour of young Biharis, particularly the NRIs has come for the first time. Will it integrate the NRI Biharis in the foreign lands? As I have experienced Biharis outside desist from identifying themselves as Biharis unlike Andhraites or Punjabis. I wish I am proved wrong faster. The reported widespread popularity of Litti Pe Charcha must get expanded to give the state a good brand image. As reported,”NRI Biharis met at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, Times Square, New York city, Dallas, Texas, and Los Angeles, California under the aegis of ‘Litti pe Charcha’ -to discuss the presently ongoing election in Bihar. However, it appears persons from so-called backward group were not participating in the Charchas. I wish my conclusion be wrong.
Moreover, I would have loved to see some Bihari entrepreneur developing Litti-Chokha as cuisine acceptable to Indians of other states and to foreigners too, as many Mexican food outlets such Chipotle, Chuy. Unfortunately, because of very poor quality of education system in the states such as Bihar, there is hardly any significant presence of innovative entrepreneurship among Biharis, though many have done great in administrative assignments. I hope one day I will order my Litti-Chokha on line and enjoy the same at home in Noida.

And.

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गांधी जयन्ती और स्वच्छ भारत

Posted on October 2, 2015 by indra

आज नोयडा के मेघदूतम् पार्क में बरिष्ठ नागरिकों ने एक सफ़ाई अभियान का आयोजन किया । आश्चर्य यह था कि पार्क पहले से ही काफ़ी साफ़ था। देश में ‘स्वच्छ भारत’ अभियान का कुछ असर दिखाई देने लगा है । यह एक अभियान देश को बहुत आगे ले जा सकता है और देश की दुनिया में छवि बदल सकता है। मैंने आज एक कबिता पाठ किया पार्क में उपस्थित लोगों के सामने:

एक आह्वान

आज देश तैयार खड़ा है
रचने को नूतन इतिहास
एक नया नेतृत्व दे रहा
जुड़ने का अन्तिम आह्वान
सब बाधाएँ तोड़ देश को
प्रथम पंक्ति में आना है
और मुखौटे पहने जो हैं
उन्हें सामने लाना है
जाने सब
वे कौन शत्रु हैं
जिनसे देश बचाना है
समर एक आख़िरी सामने
माँग रहा थोड़ा बलिदान
क्षणिक स्वार्थ को छोड़
जुड़े हम और करें श्वेदों का दान
आओ मिल कर आज बढ़े हम
करें सफल अद्भुत अभियान

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Bihar: Two Rural Issues

Posted on October 2, 2015 by indra

Bihar is getting a torrential flood of promises of all types, 24×7 power, piped water, housing for all, hike in salaries, confirmations of the jobs and what not. But the question is with the Nitish Kumar’s speed of development how many years Bihar will take to be in league of leading states? I have two more relevant dreams for Bihar. Will the new government ensure that?
A. Rural Enterprises
I wish some younger entrepreneurs start thinking about intensively for creating a large number of new entrepreneurship projects in rural region of the state. Every village must grow as a manufacturing enterprise.
1. Talents of the young girls who come to a village after marriage with certain already trained skills such as stitching apparels or different items for household uses including cheap sanitary towels, or for knitting sweaters, or making stuffed toys can be exploited to create extra earnings for the families.
2. The Panchayats can be persuaded for getting the school buildings or the panchayat house for opening a skill centre, and schools such Usha Silai Schools can be sponsored with a sole objective of starting a cooperative business.
3. Other enterprises for young men such as maintenance services for agriculture machines to electronic gadgets can also have potential.
4. Every village can have some tutors engaged for providing tuitions to students of different levels, some even helping for getting distant education for higher level courses. With gradual increase in earnings and increasing interest in education, many parents will be able to pay for this.
5. Another attractive area may be small scale home based food processing such as pickles or satoos or some traditional seasonal snacks.
There can be hundred of ideas for creating jobs and it will be in national interests that graduates of engineering and management schools are roped to carry out the feasibility studies and suggest ways and means to create non- agricultural work in rural region.
6. One such idea is certainly for the graduates in agricultural sciences. Can’t they think of opening low cost advisory or technical assistance services for the farmers to improve their yield and earnings?
7. A similar service may engage some trained young persons for various healthcare services.
8. A weekly market in every panchayat may create opening for selling home grown vegetables and other eatables.
With the fast social changes coming in villages, many requirements of the people living there will need many services requiring some enterprises. The government must ensure a 24×7 electricity for the rural enterprises to be better in productivity and competitiveness.

B. Rural Schools
I wish to donate some money sufficient to put some digital aids, such as a PC or a smart blackboard or a TV set and good reading materials for the children in the school library and reading room. No one is ready to take it rather can take it. Unfortunately, under Nitish era, a large number of school buildings got upgraded, but hardly some have a boundary wall and security with gate and guard good enough to have the security of the property of the school. Unfortunately, it is not planned as a required item. Most of the schools are in the outskirts of the villages and open for vandalism. One can hardly keep something useful for aiding education and impart knowledge in interesting manner. Will the community or the government ensure the security of the school and employ a full time guard that can live in one corner of the campus? Unfortunately, the headmaster of the school has hardly some autonomy to take even the required donations for various activities that can improve the learning of the students unlike that by the government schools in US, where the parents are requested to contribute as per their means.

Will the government make each panchayat accountable to see that all the children up to the age of 14 compulsorily attend school or a skill centre, and will the government add a skill centre to every school for this? Will the government first retrain the persons, both male and female with some skills of the village and use them to provide elementary skills to the kids in the schools? Will an educationally qualified adult or a retired teacher be employed to mentor the kids of the village by starting study circles in each tolla of different castes for tutoring to make the kids interested in reading, writing and maths? It is essential to promote a culture for good education in the parents and the community. A continuous and effective dialogue between teachers and the villagers is essential to make the society conscious of the role of education for better quality of life.

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