Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Eight points which must be followed

Sompal Shastri puts eight points which must be followed if something has to done

Thirdly, thoroughly researched models of integrated nutrient and pest management based on use of organic matter and biological controls have to be promoted through out the country.

Fourthly, a comprehensive livestock and biodiversity policy aiming at conservation and improvement of native breeds and varieties through selective breeding must be put in place and form part of the integrated farming systems.

Fifthly, the price policy, which has so far been favouring only a few crops such as wheat, rice, sugarcane and cotton, and neglected the coarse grains, that are more nutritious and can be grown with lesser water, needs to be redesigned to make their cultivation equally profitable, if not more. Terms of trade for agriculture too warrant a correction.

Sixthly, all restrictions on trading, stocking, financing, movement and processing of agricultural products must be removed forth with to make India as one integrated market. Seventhly, the numbers dependent on agriculture have to be reduced by creating alternative job opportunities in rural areas and establishing facilities for technical and vocational education for enhancing skills and employability of rural youth.

And lastly, the multiplicity of Indian agriculture must be protected at all costs. We must be self sufficient in almost every item. Food security has to be an integral component of national security. Use of food as a weapon in international politics is not an unknown phenomenon. Our own experience tells that whenever we have deficit, prices in international markets go up.

On the international trade front, we must remain firm that unless the rich countries remove subsidies of all types to their agriculture, we shall continue to insulate our farmers against unfair foreign competition.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

RIO DE JANEIRO: OLYMPIC BID

Brazil is on track to host the 2016 Olympics, but it must also focus on developing more world class athletes

Europe has already hosted 30 Olympic games, while Asia has five. Oceania has hosted two and North America has bagged 12, including eight in the US alone. Rio also hosted the Pan American Games in 2007, which has led to a lot of positive change in the city. Even the local public support was higher for Rio as per the IOC poll. Around 67% locally supported Chicago, 56% locally supported the Tokyo and 85% locally supported the Games in Rio and Madrid.

Lula knows that along with a huge games infrastructure, Rio needs a complete re-fabrication of its transportation system. To ease the chaotic traffic of the city, Rio is planning to make roadways through granite mountains (from Ipanema to Barra da Tijuca). Rio also plans to upgrade its bus rapid transit or BRT systems. With the poverty graph moving southwards and offshore oil deals paying off the county well, things are indeed looking up for the company. Out of the total planned investment of $14.4 billion, around $11.5 billion will be spent on building/upgrading infrastructure. As per Brazil’s sports ministry, the games are expected to rake in 120,000 jobs each year across Brazil until 2016 and an additional 130,000 jobs per year for the following 10 years.

The biggest predicament for this nation now is preparing its athletes, especially in the country that is known as Holy Grail of football, but not so much for other sports. China spend millions on development of its athletes, while UK is doing the same for the London Olympics in 2012. Just like China, Brazil will want to showcase its growing might to the world in every possible way through these Olympic games. And an inspired performance by its own athletes may just be the icing on the cake it needs.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Monday, October 29, 2012

Tango is only about passion, oomph and attitude then think again!

If you thought tango is only about passion, oomph and attitude then think again! 

In order to communicate, you have to listen to your partner so that you know how to lead. Both as a leader and a follower you need to listen to the other person, you need to be present. It is the same as having a conversation on the dance floor. Even when you are leading, you have to be very respectful to the person you are leading. The first time some old people came for their tango class, they came in their baggy pants, T-shirts, etc.

Gradually they became little nicer, after a few times they were wearing nice shoes and women started to wear little jewellery, some make-up. To me, it says a lot about how you feel about yourself and to me that was a fantastic thing.”

Says Dr. Suman, Associate Professor, Neurology, “All these forms of dance therapies and other forms of music therapies relax the patients, help in improving the blood circulation and thereby, when one is happy, it also increases the neurotransmitters in the brain, which are essential for normal functioning of the body. Maybe in that manner there is an increase in the acetylcholine and dopamine, which are the two neurotransmitters responsible for Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. This may increase and thus help these patients”.

Tango requires a person to apply their mind, which might just enhance one’s memory, but even if the experts are wrong, it will at least add a dash of spice to one’s life!


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Sunday, October 28, 2012

Long live Capitalism?!

B&E’s Pawan Chabra peeks into the dissatisfied lives of Bajaj Auto workers who opted for VRS at the Akurdi plant

It’s has been almost two years now since Bajaj Auto Ltd. was hitting headlines for all the wrong reasons. It was in 2007 when the company decided to stop manufacturing at its 47 year old 165 acre Akurdi plant in which took the whole Maharashtra and more importantly the then Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar by surprise. Despite all the stiff opposition from the state government, Bajaj went ahead with its decision to stop production at the Akurdi plant and offered a Voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) or jobs in Bajaj company to its 2,700 workers. Almost 2,300 workers opted for VRS and the rest are still working in various departments of the company. Interestingly, the company incurred a one time expense of Rs. 61 crore (as per the second quarter results of FY’09) and promised to pay workers their monthly salaries till they reach 60. A report released by HSBC Global Research in 2007 claimed that the total VRS package would cost the company around Rs.170 crore.

But why bear such huge cost? The reason was simple. Bajaj wasn’t getting any tax benefits like excise holidays, concessional sales tax and zero Octroi at the Akurdi plant unlike the case with its other facilities in Chakan, Waluj and Pantnagar. But isn’t all that history now? Certainly not for the workers who spent a lifetime working with the company.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Friday, October 26, 2012

Give up using toilet paper, and save the planet!

Americans, reportedly, are totally averse to switching from the softer to coarser environment friendly wipes.

While in European and Latin America about 20% of the toilet paper rolls sold have recycled content, only 2% of the 36.5 billion rolls of toilet paper sold in US are completely composed of recycled fibres. Says NRI Ruchika Chawla, “From the time Americans are born, wiping is the only concept known to them for cleansing themselves. Washing is not introduced in childhood as it’s in India, so although the consequences are grave, Americans can’t do without toilet paper. I believe they’ll recycle more cans to make up for the damage, but not give up their toilet paper!”

While countries keep haggling over the Kyoto Protocol, we as concerned and responsible citizens need to keep track of our carbon footprint ourselves. It would take very little effort from Indians to forego the roll and opt for water bidets, which use a jet of water to clean, especially since the use of water has so far dominated the toilet habits of Indians. Hopefully, Americans too will discover the utility of the bidet and perhaps limit their use of tissue paper only to dry off. Seventh Generation, producers of recycled toilet paper, estimates that one million trees could be saved if every US household substitutes just one packet of the soft napkins with 100% recycled ones. Clearly, flushing away old habits is the way forward…


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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V. M. PANDIT, former senior C.B.I. official,

“The problem comes when the CEO or his family members move out of their homes...”

B&E: Is there a security threat to CEOs and their families today?

V. M. Pandit (VMP): Definitely there is this fear today. I have worked for the CBI for 26 years, but since 1993, I have been completely involved with corporate investigations and my experience tells me that there is a big threat to CEOs and their families, as organised crime has grown and kidnapping has become a big business today. The general scenario of crime in India is that law and order is not doing enough to keep everyone protected from harm, not even the privileged class. And the fact that these criminals can boast about political connections, they get great shelter in all aspects. So they can commit such crimes, and these crimes are generally committed by organised bodies. Thee criminals keep a tab on the rich people of the community and those who are vulnerable to kidnapping, including the CEOs and their families.

B&E: When are the chances of getting kidnapped the highest?

VMP: The problem comes when the CEO or his family members move out of their homes, i.e. in transit. That is the term which makes them vulnerable - in transit. On their part, all CEOs also cannot afford escorts and bodyguards for all in their family. Moreover, their family members follow fixed routes, to school, to office, to the market. They frequent the same restaurant, the same club, and that too at fixed hours. So the criminals select a particular target after conducting a brief survey – the survey can be anything, right from who is the courier boy who most frequently delivers parcels at a particular location to who the security guards are, their shifts, etc etc. In the process of knowing more, they come to know which market and clubs they flock to and which schools or colleges their offsprings are linked to. So that is the first step of any kidnapping activity.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The education system in India

The latest Union Budget has given ample scope to HRD Minister Kapil Sibal to realise his grand dreams to completely revamp and restructure the education system in India. In an exclusive interview to priyanka rai, Sibal lays down a road map for how he will do to education what Manmohan Singh did with the economy in 1991. B&E wishes him Godspeed.

B&E: Did you harbour any desire back then to bring about a change in the education system?

KS: As a young boy you don’t usually think about such things.

B&E: How pressing really is the need to change the education system?

KS: India cannot wait anymore. Time is running steadily out. We just cannot afford to set up committees and wait for their reports. It is time to act now. We need to move forward with three mantras: expansion, inclusion and excellence. That translates into access, equity and quality. You must expand opportunities in education. Therefore, you must not depend only on the government or the private sector. You must think about new structures to deliver learning to the people. It must be inclusive because at the heart of it is the fundamental duty of the state to ensure that the underprivileged have access. Once you have access and there is equity you cannot compromise with quality. So you must deliver quality education at all levels. My focus is mainly primary and secondary education. I think once you increase the gross enrollment ratio then you will have enough stock to take care of higher education.

B&E: So you are essentially thinking about a bottom-up approach.?

KS: It has to be the bottom-up approach. At the moment, out of every 100 individuals who go to school, only 11 graduate. No country can move forward with this kind of gross enrolment. I also wish to remove trauma from education. I don’t want parents and children to be traumatised as they move up the ladder. School education must not be a traumatic experience for parents and children.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Monday, October 22, 2012

The brunt of underwater tourism

Joining the list of species affected by man, stingrays bear the brunt of underwater tourism

Intrusion of man in the habitat of the wild has almost always caused the animals harm, and with quite a few species appearing in the ‘endangered’ list, it’s about time that we realise that some precautions if taken now, can prohibit additions to that list in the future. Wildlife has always been an attraction for tourism, but along with it, it’s also imperative to protect and preserve the species. “Such cases have simple solutions. Either stop contact with customers or create more awareness among operators to incorporate the right methods to maintain the health of such species,” says Upasna.

Many of us would want to visit Cayman Islands or other such places in order to catch a glimpse of such unusual species. Watching the antics of stingrays is indeed an amazing sight, but is it fair if it’s at the cost of jeopardising their very existence? Seeing the stingrays approaching the beach, flapping around in the azure waters is one of my most treasured memories, and I’m sure of many more who’ve seen stingrays. In some years, I would want to go back and still find them there. If that requires me to give up feeding and frolicking around in their vicinity, I certainly would… Wouldn’t you?


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Sunday, October 21, 2012

62 years after Independence

Mr. Prime Minister, congratulations! We, the 456 million paupers (living below the miserable poverty line, for information), feel delighted that 62 years after Independence, India has you as our Prime Minister, for a second term...

So what should the actual parameter be for deciding who in God’s name is below the poverty line? Angela Gibson-Kierstead, Chief Economist, the Canadian Council on Social Development, spoke to us, “As far as the calorie-intake method is concern, it is so adrift of people’s own perception of poverty, which is more based on asset ownership. Imagine a ‘not poor’ person who has had his quota of calories but still doesn’t have a roof on his head...” William R. Cline, Senior economist, Center for Global Development, commented, “There cannot be a single approach to calculate poverty threshold. For example, the $2 limit might work properly in a developing society but fails miserably in developed countries. Similarly, in North Africa and West Asia, the calorie calculation method falls flat because of eating habits...”

Not that the government is blind to the per capita income format. The National Commission for Enterprises in Unorganised Sector, commissoned by the UPA government – with Arjun Sengupta as Chairman – had presented its findings on poverty to our Prime Minister Mr.Manmohan Singh just a handful of years back. The two major findings were not that dissimilar to the World Bank report:
(a) Over 395 million workers (more than 85% of the working population and 78% of the unorganised workforce) live at an income that is Rs. 20 of less a day.
(b) 88% of SCs and STs, 80% of OBCs and 85% of Muslims belong to the “poor and vulnerable” category, again earning less than Rs. 20 a day. And these figures represent current times. In 1990, China had more than 60% of its population living below the poverty line. In 2015, this figure will be below 6%, as per World Bank estimates. There obviously is something that the supremely dictatorial China is doing that our brilliantly intellectual and pathetically democratic MPs and PMs seem to be not doing, and that too despite poverty ostensibly being the number one policy issue for every government since Independence till date.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Saturday, October 20, 2012

Mesopotamia dying

How America under Bush killed a nation

War can never lead to any solution; rather it further aggravates the problems. The so called super powers of the world United States and United Kingdom have unabashedly used this weapon to destroy and abolish any emerging threats to their supremacy citing lame excuses. But they forget the fact that their selfish motives lead to the heinous crime of ruthless killings and mass destruction of resources. The attack on Iraq by America and Britain in 2003 is a living example of one such mistake.

In the Second Gulf War, Iraq was invaded on the basis that Iraq’s alleged possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and was believed to be supporting Al-Qaeda. It comes as no surprise that the United Nations weapon inspectors dismissed all these claims as it found no evidence of any WMD in the victim country. The on going invasion surely led to the end of the autocratic reign of Saddam Hussian but along with it according to conservative estimates nearly 85,000 civilians have lost their lives. Moreover according to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, till April 2008 about 4.7 million Iraqis (nearly 16% of the total population) have been uprooted and nearly two million civilians have fled to neighbouring countries.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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No money, no jehadis

The jehad needs money from diverse sources

A writer from Pakistan put it well when he said that jehadis wanted to destroy everything foreign except the AK 47 and internet. He may have added that they adore various kinds of international currencies as well, making full use of modern banking systems, against which they rail in public. The question asked most frequently in the aftermath of 26/11 was whether jehadis who attacked Mumbai could have done so without a local network, in other words was it Dawood Ibrahim’s network in his old city that helped in the havoc? Now Rand Corporation, US’s leading think tank, has confirmed what Indian agencies always insisted: Dawood Ibrahim has moved into full fledged terrorism from merely being a top notch gangster. “He is siphoning off millions of dollars earned from film piracy, drug-running and other crimes to finance his operations,’’ Rand says in its latest report. How does his function operate? According to insiders, the moment a film is released in Mumbai, the ‘D-Company’ develops camera prints and sends them to Karachi or Kuala Lumpur where millions of DVDs are made and marketed across the world. Terror is well paid for. Investigators probing funding for 9/11 attackers in the US say jehadis spent somewhere between $400,000 and $500,000 to plan and execute the attacks. The hijackers and their financial cohorts used the anonymity provided by the huge international and domestic financial system to move and store their money through a series of unremarkable transactions.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Where’s the ammo, Chief?

Expensive acquisitions have dented the group’s financial position

Hunger for growth and expansion should be in-built in the DNA of an ambitious business corporation, for only then can it make the cut. It is indeed a trait we would want the Tatas to retain. After all, their role in the evolution and growth of India Inc. since the early 20th century can hardly be overestimated.

However if ambition is not combined with prudence and a clear understanding of the competitive landscape, it can lead to terrible consequences. Tata’s over-ambitious acquisitions of Corus, Jaguar & Land Rover have landed this business giant in quite a bit of bother. If the purchase of the Anglo Dutch steel manufacturer, Corus (in 2007) catapulted the combined entity, Tata-Corus (worth $8 billion) to the position of the fifth largest steel producer in the world; it also brought along a debt burden of $6 billion.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

INTERVIEW: PRIYANKA GANDHI

B&E's Priyanka Rai in an exclusive one on one with Priyanka Gandhi
 
B&E: Why is it that the young nation like India is lead by people who are mostly above 60/70? Don’t you think its high time political parties should allow the youngsters to come forward? PG: I certainly think that more and more young people should join politics and more and more young people should take up these responsibility.

B&E: But it is not that easy for youngsters to come forward. PG: My brother has started a drive for young people to join the Youth Congress. I think it is a really good and hopefully more youngsters will come forward to join politics.

B&E: Don’t you think there should be a retirement age policy for politicians as well? PG: It is really not for me to say. I am the youngest among them and I am not even a politician.

B&E: The opposition considers you a bigger threat than Rahul Gandhi? PG: Then they don’t know Rahul (says it very sternly).

B&E: But don’t you think your participation will be more beneficial for the Congress party? PG: I am participating.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Madgascar III: Coup d’état

Madagascar faces an uncertain political future

In the African scheme of things, what is better than a coup d’état? A bloodless coup d’état! Watching the regime of Madagascar's ex-President, Marc Ravalomanana, come to an end was like sitting through a Sophocles tragedy in all its acts and nuances. In Madagascar, the protagonist – the king – deliberately turned a blind eye to the aspirations of his subjects and deaf to those aides who unsuccessfully tried to convince him that he was in deep mess.

Ravalomanana, too was warned in advance. But he didn't pay much heed. It is not that there was no case against the incumbent. He used his office to secure a near-monopoly of the dairy business in Madagascar and started to carve out an empire in tourism. In fact, the largest hotel in the country – constructed by the Chinese – was owned by him. That was too much for a nation, where 70% of its populace lives on less than $1 a day. But that does not necessarily mean that the power snatcher, Andry Rajoelina, had the mandate of the people. Experts believe that this ex-disco jockey is an untried leader who is too full of himself and is evidently disapproves of democratic establishments. At 34, he is full six years short of legal age for becoming President. Rajoelina, who doesn't even have two years of political exposure, led a rebellion in the capital Antananarivo that forced Ravalomanana to vacate office, after a majority of the army turned against him. “He is a non-starter. An upstart with little political experience; he also lacks the support of any political party,” says Stephen Ellis, an African affairs expert at the Free University Amsterdam, while talking to B&E.


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Monday, October 15, 2012

Confused , Misleading & Profligate

A B&E analysis of the various failings of the UPA and the truth behind their tall claims

I know, I agree with you. Dalal Street gyrations are perhaps not the best way to measure the gap between promise and performance of any government; leave alone the UPA regime that still swears by the so called aam aadmi. Yet, how Dalal Street has behaved since May 17, 2004 till now is evocative, poignant, metaphorical and pithy when it comes to singing an ode to the UPA. The markets first crashed when Manmohan Singh became Prime Minister and subsequently rose to dizzying heights and crossed 21,000 points by January, 2008. The Sensex crashed again – many months before the global financial crisis and languishes below 10,000, despite many smart rallies in recent weeks. Sure, you could say that a jump from 4505 points on May 17, 2004 to about 9,000 points on April 1, 2009 shows commendable growth. But how do you explain the peaks of 21,000 plus and the subsequent depths of despair?

That has been the story of the UPA government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and politically navigated by Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. It had the resources (thanks to unprecedented growth in tax revenues and investment inflows), the mandate and the people (naïve analysts still talk nostalgically about the troika of Manmohan Singh, P. Chidambaram and Montek Singh Ahluwalia) to transform India’s landscape. The tragedy is the manner in which all this was transformed into a pantomime of an age old proverb, which says that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Many subsequent stories in this special package will provide numbers and incisive analysis to show how the UPA government and the CMP actually meant Confused, Misleading and Profligate when it comes to tackling poverty, unemployment, the agrarian crisis, terror, inflation, health, education and deficits. Let me confine myself to the big picture and lament the really BIG failures of the UPA regime.

The biggest failure of Manmohan Singh has been either his inability or unwillingness to stop the gross misuse of institutions and processes that are critical for the success of a democracy. I know public-and media-memory is terribly short nowadays. But can you forget the disdainful and cavalier manner in which the government used pliable governors to make a mockery of voters’ mandates in Bihar, Jharkhand and Goa?


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Sunday, October 14, 2012

STEVEN PHILIP WARNER takes a closer look...

Do their M&A predictions really work? And is there some ‘secret learning’ even they know nothing about?
 
research be damned!

We started with the yet to be published book titled, Winning in Turbulence, by Darrell Rigby of Bain & Company (thanks to Harvard Business Press). After statistically analysing more than 24,000 deals between 1996 and 2006, the book notes that, “acquisitions completed during and right after the last recession (2001–2002) generated almost triple the excess returns of acquisitions made during the preceding boom.” The book conclusively proves how those companies that are active dealmakers even during downturns, finally outperform those that are not, in the long run! Dr. Sotirios Paroutis, Asst. Prof. of Strategic Management, Warwick Business School, puts his thoughts in a few lines as, “Deals born in recession will be much more robustly constructed as reduced optimism should result in lower prices paid and more emphasis being placed upon certainty, scrutiny and cost-cutting efficiencies.” The ‘secret to success’ was revealed by Pankaj Karna, Partner & Head, M&A, Grant Thornton as, “To focus on strengths and core competencies and your target. Price of the deal is also important as typically deals during a downturn would be largely based on the fundamentals and with limited liquidity...” Well, strong words there, but they weren’t still enough to convince us. And who in the world will believe that deal making is sensible during downturns, especially when even shareholders have shed all optimism about stock-swaps?!

We took a first-hand look at numbers, and were completely taken aback by the difference in opinion... So what was our claim? That companies did not indulge in splurging cash for assets during recession? Well, here are some numbers that we analysed – if we told you that $1.25 trillion and $1.23 trillion are figures that represented deal totals during two equal time-periods, one of which was recession and the other one an upturn, which one would you associate with which cycle? Confusion prevails… but obviously, the higher investments should represent the crest of the macroeconomic wave, right?


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A shameless nation of freeloaders

 Many of you must have barely read or heard about the latest shenanigans stalking Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) – the Mecca, Medina, Vatican and Chaardham of Left wing civil service aspirants masquerading as activists and wannabe academicians. One student even earned his 15 minutes of fame by threatening to jump to his death. Many student leaders have been rusticated for disrupting the sale of prospectuses for the academic year 2009-10. They, and their supporters, have declared war on the JNU administration. Why? Three ostensible reasons. First, JNU wanted to 'commercialise' the campus. Second, it wanted to install electricity meters in hostel rooms. Third, it increased the cost of the prospectus by a 'staggering' Rs.80 to Rs.200 each. This hike comes after 10 years. When student leaders launched an agitation, JNU announced that there will be no electricity meters and no 'commercialisation'. It also announced a free prospectus for a candidate below poverty line. But the student leaders were adamant. They insisted that 'poor' students cannot afford Rs.200. The stalemate continues.

This brouhaha reveals two deeply disturbing things about India – the farce that is higher education in India and the shameless manner in which middle class Indians crave for freebies. Of course, the political class happily exploits both to suit its ends; ensuring that 'quality' higher education becomes a slave of 'patronage' and the real poor of India get lemons; while the middle class and the rich walk away with all the freebies (subsidies). Take JNU as the classic example of these symptoms. Are the student leaders serious when they say that aspiring students cannot afford to pay Rs.80 more for a prospectus? Out of curiosity, I went to the JNU website and checked out the fee structure. Hold your breath; even you can't believe this happens in India!

If you are a B.A (Hons), M.A, M.Sc or M.C.A student in JNU, the total annual fee that you pay is about Rs.330 – inclusive of fees for sports and cultural activities, I-card, Library use, et al. That works out to less than Rs.30 a month. If you are an M.Phil, M.Tech or Ph.D student in JNU, the total annual fee is a princely Rs.355 or so; still less than Rs.30 a month. This island of ''academic excellence'' and bastion of socialism also has many fine hostels where the admission fee is a mind boggling Rs.5. The annual fee, including electricity, water and other facilities for a student opting for a single room is about Rs.700. That works out to less than Rs.60 per month. So you have a JNU student pursue higher studies at less than Rs.100 per month – including a stay in the hostel use of library, newspapers, electricity and what not.

Sure, many poor students come to JNU for a degree. But then, JNU offers them an array of fee exemptions and scholarships. What about the thousands of middle class Indians who come to JNU? Are you telling me that they cannot afford to spend more than Rs.100 a month on higher education?


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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