Business
Bureaucracy Today
Loopholes In India's Education Policy And The Way Ahead
The Indian education system today is all about studying and not learning. The question one can ask is, are we doing what we intend to?
3 min |
June 1 - 31, 2017
Bureaucracy Today
The Entrepreneur Who Broke The Glass Ceiling
In the male-dominated communications industry of the United Kingdom, it needs iron will for a woman, that too of an Indian origin, to make a mark. And Natasha Mudhar has done just that. At a young age of 33, she is heading the globally renowned, multi-awardwinning business and communications consultancy, Sterling Media, as its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director. In an interaction with Bureaucracy Today, Mudhar shares her life’s mantra, the projects she is handling, her most challenging assignments as well as how she has coped with gender issues.
5 min |
May 01 - 31, 2017
Bureaucracy Today
The man Behind the Successful Crackdown on Black Money Syndicate
Taking India a step closer towards making it a fully tax-compliant nation and unravelling the thick layers of the tax evasion circle, an Indian revenue Service officer, Dhruva Purari Singh, took upon himself the task of conducting a project based investigation under which he collected the database of money launderers, identified bogus companies and conducted a nationwide search to turn the “income Disclosure Scheme, 2016” into a grand success. While the nation was aware as to how Prime Minister Narendra Modi cracked a whip on tax defaulters, not many Indians knew about the intricacies of the undertaking by Dhruva Purari which makes it all the more pertinent to put him on the Cover Page of Bureaucracy Today.
6 min |
November 01 2016
Bureaucracy Today
Restructuring Entrepreneurship And Employment System
With every passing year, the Skill India Mission is taking steps forward in strengthening its skilling agenda in collaboration with industries, training partners and other stakeholders. Important steps which have brought some groundbreaking changes include the PMKVY scheme and the establishment of multi skill centres, the introduction of vocational programmes at government schools and the implementation of the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) that standardizes the quality of training and connects with job roles in the industry. Based on the NSQF individuals can progress through education and training with multiple entry and exit options since the Framework paves the way for interoperability. A large amount of money and energy has been invested in the skilling and vocational education which in our country is still at the nascent stage. However, much more is desired to give it a sharper edge and greater quality, especially in terms of developing pedagogic procedures and implementation at the ground level.
4 min |
April 1 - 30 2017
Bureaucracy Today
It Takes Hercules To Cleanse Augean Stables, Mr FM
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s this year’s budget speech lacked the fireworks that some might have expected. However, he managed to beat the monotony by raising the issue of political funding and proposing initiatives to cleanse its Augean stables in India. The initiatives do reveal the positive intent of the Government to introduce transparency in a system which presently remains shrouded in clandestine opaqueness. However, the policy proposals of the Finance Minister fail to pass muster and it would not require too much of an insight to pronounce a verdict: “too little and too misdirected”.
5 min |
April 1 - 30 2017
Bureaucracy Today
A Strong Case For Chennai's Rental Housing Market
Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, has grown exponentially in recent decades. Employment, education, opportunities and lifestyle are the magnets that keep pulling people into Chennai from all directions of India. This naturally has a profound impact on the demand for rental housing in the city.
5 min |
April 1 - 30 2017
Bureaucracy Today
PCMC Townships Save The Day For Pune's Home Buyers
Townships are a new property mantra in India, and for the bigger cities they’re without any doubt the sole remaining hope for good quality living standards. Slowly but surely, the residential quality of life in cities like Pune is on the decrease, and township property is rightfully getting increasing importance as the most logical response to the increasing need for quality-based living.
2 min |
April 1 - 30 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Cracking down on dodgy developers
In recent times, the Indian real estate developer community has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. The good news is that the “black sheep” of this family are being brought to book, simultaneously increasing the contrast between unscrupulous operators and transparent, honest builders who have hard-won reputations to protect. The fact that law is coming down heavily on unreliable builders is very positive, as it prevents the entire community from getting maligned. Also, consumers now know that their grievances will be heard and acted upon.
2 min |
April 1 - 30 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Is it a Crackdown or Creation of New Lords of Black Money Hoarders?
On the night of november 8 this year, Prime minister narendra modi appeared on national television to declare his Government’s decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, with a window of 50 days for a smooth transition. no doubt the move has hit those who have accumulated unaccounted black money. the Bureaucracy Today magazine analyses whether the move will stop the hoarding of black money in time to come.
10+ min |
November 16-30, 2016
Bureaucracy Today
A Paradigm Project for the Future
What makes for a great development project in Morocco? Which qualities imbue an initiative with longevity and sustainability, enabling it to meet a whole range of interconnected material and emotional needs? Is there a single concept applicable to a specific geographical location that exceptionally embodies those qualities?
4 min |
November 16-30, 2016
Bureaucracy Today
Minority Shareholders 'Short-Changed' At Bombay House
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has turned down a request from Shapoorji Pallonji Group (SPG) vide its investment outfits, viz, Sterling Investment Corporation and Cyrus Investments, to initiate action against Tata Sons for the “oppression of minority interest and mismanagement”. It was done on the ground that the petitioner does not have the required minimum shareholding of 10%.
3 min |
June 1 - 31, 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Should You Buy Your Dream Home Now?
The RERA or the Real Estate Regulation Act has finally become a reality. Though there are still plenty of hiccups and it will obviously take some time for the industry to absorb all the facets of the Act, it should be kept in mind that the RERA is a process, not an event. Meanwhile, the foremost question in property buyers’ minds is - should they wait until the RERA process is streamlined, or can they go in for home purchase now?
3 min |
June 1 - 31, 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Can Fintech Companies Replace Traditional Banking In India?
This is one of the most exciting times for Indian banking and financial services industries. FinTech or financial technology companies have emerged as a new crop of firms which have a high growth potential and many opportunities for disruptive innovation. They can complement the traditional banking services and help in financial inclusion. In some quarters, they are seen as competition to the classical banks also. FinTech, a very trendy industry for start-ups, has the potential to take away 4.7 billion dollar of revenue from traditional financial services, according to a US-based Finance firm, Goldman Sachs. FinTech has evolved from startups that want to take on and compete with incumbents to a broader ecosystem of different businesses that are, in many cases, looking for partnerships. Bureaucracy Today analyses the pros and cons of this new financial phenomenon.
7 min |
June 1 - 31, 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Indianising The Bureaucracy
The subjects listed in the Civil Services Examination are colonial. Their syllabus was mostly suitable to the British regime to make an in-depth study and research to deal with various sections of Indians in different geographical zones.
2 min |
June 1 - 31, 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Why The Black And White View In Banning Ilmenite Exports?
Any picture depicting India would have hues of Holi and vibrant colours of the bazaar. So it is surprising that the ban of ilmenite exports has been done with a black and white view thereby robbing the Indian paint industry of its sheen.
3 min |
June 1 - 31, 2017
Bureaucracy Today
How Progressive Policy Has Enabled The Evolution Of Indian Automobile Industry
The stepping up of the Indian automobile sector began when the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises announced the Auto Policy 2002 to promote its integrated, phased, enduring and self-sustained growth. For the first time a national level policy support was declared to promote the sector as a lever of industrial growth and employment and to achieve a high degree of value addition in the country. However, the period of 2006-2016 was a step further from Auto Policy 2002.
3 min |
February 01 2017
Bureaucracy Today
What Makes Real Estate Investment Location Lucrative?
The year 2017 should be for residential real estate investment as the Government is ensuring low interest rates and a slew of incentives via schemes such as the Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana. So, interest in and appetite for real estate investment is back in force – but where should one invest? After all, successful real estate investment is proverbially driven by “location, location, location”.
2 min |
February 01 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Are We Punching Above Our Weight?
International diplomacy is about Games Nations Play. This title of the celebrated book on world politics suggests that the success and failure of a country in the international arena will be determined by how good or bad it plays the game of politics at the global level. Like any other game, diplomacy is also about the calibre, skill and strength of the players which will decide the outcome of the game. In this context, we are talking here about the Ministry of External Affairs which is mandated to project India in the comity of nations and promote national interests by a sound mix of depth touches, dexterous policy measures and a bold declaration of official intent.
5 min |
May 01 - 31, 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Does India Need More Doctors And Engineers Or File Pushing Bureaucrats?
Every year the UPSC, India’s highest constitutional recruiting agency, faces the biggest challenge while selecting trainee officers for the highest Civil Services in the country. More and more technocrats, doctors and surgeons appear for the most prestigious Civil Services Examination, go through tough interviews and are finally selected for top bureaucratic jobs. No doubt, in a democracy every citizen must have the freedom for choosing his or her career but the abilities of an increasing number of enormously skilled and trained technocrats and doctors get wasted in the file pushing duties of bureaucrats. This is practically the case for all the 24 shades of the higher Civil Services the UPSC is recruiting every year.
3 min |
May 01 - 31, 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Are Public Works Immune From Competition Law?
Public procurement of goods and services, including public works activities, constitutes about 30% of India’s GDP, with the total annual expenditure of about Rs 15-20 lakh crore and that for the Union Government alone it is in the range of Rs 2.5-3 lakh crore. The requirement of public works is large and entails a huge expenditure of the Government. It is imperative that public procurement should be executed with economic efficiency and with a minimal cost to the public exchequer. This can be ensured only when the 27 Central PSUs involved in construction and consultancy business are made to compete with each other and also with private players. No one doubts their expertise and experience but the excessive service charges recovered by the PSUs from the user or buyer departments in the absence of competition are a matter of concern.
4 min |
May 01 - 31, 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Will Recent Finance Bill Amendments Unleash Tax Terrorism?
The NDA Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi made history by getting the Finance Bill passed before the commencement of the financial year 2017-18. The Opposition cried foul for overriding tax law amendments in the Rajya Sabha and a few other changes in the Finance Bill. Apart from diluting the procedure for appointments to a few tax Appellate Tribunals and merger of such quasi-judicial bodies, the major point of the Opposition attack pertained to amendments to Section 132 of the Income Tax Act relating to the search and seizure of property.
3 min |
May 01 - 31, 2017
Bureaucracy Today
At WTO India Gets Platitudes, No Permanent Solution
At a meeting of the Agriculture Committee of the World Trade Organization (WTO) held on March 28, 2017, the developed countries lambasted India on its Minimum Support Price (MSP) programme for wheat and other key commodities such as sugarcane and pulses. While Australia raised concerns over an increase in India’s MSP for wheat since 2006, the US and the EU questioned the subsidies on sugarcane, the buffer stock of pulses and price support for both rabi and kharif crops. But there was little movement on“permanent solution for legitimizing its food procurement subsidies”, an issue of great concern to India.
4 min |
May 01 - 31, 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Is The Merger Really Worth?
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has taken an in-principle decision to divest 51% of the Union Government’s shareholding in Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) – a downstream Central public sector undertaking – in favour of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) – a PSU in the upstream segment. A Group of Ministers (GoM) under Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has been set up to work out the modalities of the merger which is expected to be completed within the current year. But is the merger really worth?
4 min |
September 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Kill 19th Century Bureaucracy To Keep India Alive
On Independence Day this year, Indians heard Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that his Government’s motto “is to reform, perform and transform”. On September 1, the US- headquartered think-tank, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, noted: “India’s economy has grown rapidly in recent years, but the country’s bureaucratic quality is widely perceived to be either stagnant or in decline.” I think it is time to relook at overhauling the bureaucracy if we wish to realize the vision of Modi’s idea of India. Our country needs speed, efficiency and effectiveness in its entire chain of command. This is the prerequisite for realizing the vision of the greatest statesman of India.
4 min |
October 16-31, 2016
Bureaucracy Today
A Visit To Pakistan
A retired Indian Revenue Service officer, SK Goyal, reminisces here about his visit to Pakistan way back in 1978 and talks about the complex realities of the ties between the two nations.
3 min |
October 16-31, 2016
Bureaucracy Today
India As An Oyster Of Global Dairy Industry
At present India is the largest milk producing and consuming country in the world with a compounded annual growth rate of 5%. The Government has been implementing the National Dairy Plan Phase I (201217). Its focus is on the development of the dairy industry for increasing its productivity, improving the village level milk procurement system and giving greater access to markets. However, it is also time for private sector players to provide extension services to farmers.
3 min |
November 01 2016
Bureaucracy Today
Breaking the Glass Ceiling
The inspiring Usha Sangwan needs no introduction. She is a technocrat who has shattered a major glass ceiling by becoming the first woman Managing Director of the State-run Life Insurance Corporation of India, a feat achieved in the insurance behemoth in its nearly six decades of existence. Under her leadership, the LIC has scaled amazing heights. Her glorious journey of rising to a position that for decades has been a male bastion is an inspiration for crores of women in a world which stereotypes the finance sector to be a men’s domain. As the world celebrates International Women’s Day this month, Bureaucracy Today speaks to Sangwan about her journey to the top, her life’s philosophy, her work and the recent trends in the insurance sector of India.
9 min |
March 01-31 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Was Modi's Demonetisation A Flop Show?
When the demonetisation of Rs1,000 and Rs 500 notes was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016, the expectation was that about Rs 350,000 – 400,000 lakh crore out of a total Rs 15,44,000 lakh crore (embedded in these notes) would not come to banks. This was taken to mean tremendous success of this policy decision. On the one hand this would tantamount to sternest punishment to hoarders of black money (via junking all of their illegal wealth – accumulated over the years – to a worthless piece of paper) and on the other this would give a bonanza to the Reserve Bank of India by way of extinguishing its liabilities to the extent of amount not returned. Eventually, the money will flow into the coffers of the Union Government – being the owner of the apex bank. Now that almost all cash held in these currency notes has come to banks, critics have flayed the policy decision as a monumental failure. But it would be premature to jump the gun.
3 min |
March 01-31 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Preparing For A Cyber Attack
As disruptive innovations and new business models transform organizations and communities around the world, their sustainability is threatened by a plethora of cyber risks. We are already a witness to one of the largest cyber-attacks recently with “WannaCry” impacting the lives of many individuals and enterprises. Indeed, criminals and nation States are increasingly attacking the technology assets of individuals, organizations and Governments, stealing and selling valuable information, and in an alarming trend, paralyzing critical infrastructure. With Governments and enterprises increasingly leveraging the Internet for mission-critical cyber security continues to remain a top imperative across the world.
3 min |
July 2017
Bureaucracy Today
Too Early To Look For Jobs
On completion of three years in office even as Team Modi is disseminating its achievements to the public at large, Opposition parties, mainly the Congress, have projected a counter-narrative. The most damning indictment relates to the generation of a few hundred thousand jobs as against the BJP’s promise of creating 10 million every year. This is based on Labour Bureau data on eight sectors. These cover the workforce of just about 30 million (besides, there are methodological flaws in the estimation) as against the total employment of 470 million, including that in agriculture and the informal sector. Therefore, any inference using these numbers could be misleading.
4 min |