Palna - WCD Initiative

In a bid to stop the alarming rate of feticides in India WCD (Women and Child Development) has come out with a scheme- palna. There will be a cradle or palna in every district. If you are expecting a girl child and you don’t want to raise her you can simply leave her at the palna in your district. Later if these people have a change of heart they can take the child back. Full news here (1, 2, 3)

Now there are some positive aspects related to it.

• It is aimed at correcting the skewed sex- ratio in India. Sex ratio (females per 1000 males) as per 2001 data is 933 with Haryana, Punjab and Delhi far worse in these figures.


• It has been declared as an extension of ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services Scheme).


• I am not aware what percentage such children would have made of total orphan children. But such children if at all born and left to fend for themselves in hospitals can’t be brought up in normal orphanages. They need more secured environment which palna may just be able to provide them

But there are some reasons as to why I am a bit ambivalent about it

• Firstly because how would this palna differently from Rajiv Gandhi Creche Scheme.


• Now there are already so many ailing orphanages in India. Some districts don’t have any. So wouldn’t obviously the govt. should have first strengthened its network of orphanages.


• “The govt. will take care of the girl child” is a very ambiguous phrase, since if the govt. means that govt. will make these girl children self-reliant and self-sufficient then I think its old wine in new bottle. The govt. has been aiming the same in orphanages but the success rate of such schemes is quite less.


• While ICDS is a very innovative idea that aims to empower the mother by making her aware and self-reliant, since this is a new idea of its own dealing with children who can be empowered only after careful bringing up, it becomes very imperative that an NGO will good track records takes this up. Else it will just be another torn feather for govt.’s cap.


• Would it not promote the culture wherein parents may simply not want to take responsibilities of their children? It shouldn’t be a precursor to opening up of palna for another child.

While it is quite clear that the intentions are noble but the execution part is always the most difficult one and in countries like India where govts’ small follies are highlighted more than its huge success, it is very essential that govt. is very clear what they wish to achieve and how are they going to.

Not Such a 'Hard Talk'!!

The Interview:

I was eagerly looking out for this interview (termed as Hard Talk) on The Devil’s Advocate. It could well have been termed as a good watch, with Mr. Murthy a person of impeccably clean image and Karan Thapar not letting go of any opportunity to challenge, provoke and accuse on any front. One led his business very well and another does his research with sheer brilliance unearthing reports and facts. I expected it to be different.

However the interview was as interesting as to predict in what digits are Sehwag and Sachin are going to score these days in a match. When I read the whole transcript, I found that Karan mainly talked about the following points

• Capitalism and entrepreneurship


• Governance Issues


• Public-Private partnership


• Importance of privatization


• Lack of political will and vision


• Why does NRM not want to join politics?

Now I think the media as a whole need to do a better job at interviewing when it comes to NRM. Abhishek and Ash wouldn’t have been thrown as many questions on their relationship as Mr. Murthy has oft reiterated:

• Success story of Infosys with particular mention of seed capital of 10000 Rs borrowed from Mrs. Murthy.


• “Those days”, with Infy as just a start-up.


• The whole saga of transformation from Marxism to capitalism following an arrest


• “Breaking-up” with GE Money, one of the biggest customers of Infosys.


• ………

Soft Grounds:

There are so many troubling issues which Karan didn’t even come close to.

• One of them as pointed out on Reality Check, the issue of seemingly perpetual tax-holidays for IT sector.


• Issues like haphazard expansion of SEZs and STPIs, for example.


• Some probing questions like blind hiring rate which seems to mask otherwise high attrition rate of Infosys would have been a food for thought for audience.


• If he sees that current Infosys model is efficient enough to insulate it from the growing threat because of the shift that Google is bringing in.


• Some questions related to socio-corporate issues as to how is Infy going to take initiative on reservation issues, skewed ratio of women in top management etc.

These questions are not what I want to ask but I feel Karan would have done a good job by watching the Quarterly Town Hall (event in which Infy declares its results and CEO addresses employees) and heard what questions are generally asked there(Here is the Nandan’s interview aired on the day Infy declared the Q3’07 results). Not all of them are very relevant to general Indian audience but some of them do make a compelling case.

From the transcript available, it seemed Karan either seemed intimidated to challenge or just chose oft-repeated questions to put forward to. In another interview of Ratan Tata (the only link I could find was this. NDTV, it seems doesn’t publish the transcripts of interviews; something which they should) taken by Barkha Dutt, she was forthcoming in challenging his position on Singur, his position on Corus deal and realizing that Ratan Tata is far more reserved than this wonderful orator, DA didn’t do justice to the task at hand.

Whose Govt. Is It Anyway??

This question popped into my mind today. I’ll tell you the reason but let me first ask you to guess the first answer that came to your mind: UPA’s, ministers’, bureaucrats’? Well I don’t think so I think it’s the Supreme Court’s govt.

Well this thing became evident and the extremely controversial debates judicial activism would be revived with increased fervor. In some landmark judgments today Supreme Court revoked the “sanctity” of 9th schedule, set stage for police reforms.

Definitely some of them are compelling examples of judicial activism although with a grain of salt. The Parliament is entitled to make laws by a vote of chose representatives of India but it seems that Supreme Court is out quashing them if they seem to be violating fundamental rights of any party thus granting it a level above Parliament. SC can hardly be said to be running a parallel govt.

This also makes the Indian Supreme Court the most powerful govt. as it has now powers to repeal any law (of course, which violates basic structure of Constitution) which is in the 9th schedule which was designed by Constitution as a safe area which so far could not be reviewed by the courts. Nearly every state has contributed to 9th Schedule by framing its own sets of labor laws, govt. contract policies and the most contentious TN’s reservation policy. So SC suddenly has a magic wand which if it wields may bring about a political, social and perhaps economic turmoil in the country

Now the grain of salt is here: How would it be received by the public at large. As far as the 9th Schedule is concerned, it may depend on case to case basis depending on the size of the parties affected in each law but the second would be welcomed by almost everyone. But I can safely assume that there won’t be much organized resistance from the aam junta, which clearly is indicative of the balance of democracy inclining away from the executive arm. Although the above two judgments are cases of judicial activism but the recent decisions (read Jessica Lal murder trial, upholding tainted MP’s expulsion, convicting bureaucrats’ for murders)of courts in taking govt at task have ignited in people high quantum of hope and respect for judiciary.

Just a week back Rajdeep Sardesai wrote about the same, equilibrium shifting against the govt Barkha Dutt puts a different angle on those sitting in judgment asking who would judge the judges!! Read more about 9th Schedule here.

P.S.: Update 1: Some different views but nonetheless a landmark decision accd to me.





Update 2: Probably above video is not loading... will fix it up asap

VCism '06 From My Eyes

I was just seeing ContentSutra for updates on what companies are getting funded by Venture Capitalists (VCs) and angel investors. Check out this article on companies getting funding in 2006. I am sure you might have heard of many of these start-ups. Nearly 98% of these start-ups are dot-coms serving on retail or wholesale basis.

The amount of funding that these companies get versus the idea that they are pursuing, made me take a few observations:

1. Ideas in most of the services are not very creative/original or hitherto unheard of but infact such services have already been provided by some other provider across the globe in well-of countries eg: Burrp, Seventymm, Carwale.


2. They don’t provide unique service but instead most often they are directed at the general psyche/inclinations of the people. TutorVista hits at the psyche of every parent to get the best education for their wards at cheapest prices available; Carwale, solves the problem of asking agents, car mechanics to look for a second hand car.


3. These companies haven’t sprung overnight and claimed success. They have been around for at least 2-3 years. Like any other businesses these ventures too have challenges; if not competition then dynamics of predicting the trend a fickle consumer group will take. Because most of the businesses are aimed in areas which are still in nascent stages (such as IPTV, selling second hand cars on portals etc) or very limited in few areas.


4. The one big advantage (according to me) is that this business, although run by professional companies elsewhere, is still unorganized in the sense that not all such discrete services are provided by one giant service provider. This is a great comfort to any investor since the risk of stronger competitor/hostile-takeover is greatly mitigated.

Some of the ideas may seem too farfetched to be successful and may be dismissed with a wave of cynicism such as saying Indians ka koi bharosa nahin- jab dukaan ki CD nahin waapas karte to online waali to nahin hi karenge (for 70mm.com). But it’s the eye-popping figures which are noteworthy.

When we talk of globalization I think that not only all the companies are shifting their operations to India but the increasing polarized social status, probably increasing tendency of people to have one-stop-shop for most of the chores and easily accessible (hmm, internet) avenues of service is the reason people are taking cues from outside and implementing them locally. May be it’s this part makes the effect of globalization more complete and complement win-win argument.

P.S.: While I write this, I view these from the aspect of a user/ virtual partner and probably with a naïve sense too since I have no expertise in any of these areas. I am not even sure about the business models for these portals. Most of the portals are just fun to hang out (Mauj) or are just search portals (such as Burrp), so is the revenue model just advertising (Ad-sense, eh?)?

Tag of the (New) Year

Don't think too much..... just hop on and write how you celebrated your last year New Year eve, how you plan to do it this time.... and a few more easy questions...

1. How did you celebrate last New Year eve (at least two unforgettable things of the occasion)

2. What were your New Year resolutions for the last year (hope you’d made at least 2 resolutions for last year)

3. How successful were you in any/each of them?

4. How do you plan to celebrate them this New Year eve (any crazy wild plans are most welcome!!)

5. So any resolutions for this year(hoping again that you’ll at least make two resolutions this year as well)

6. What do you think are the chances of those succeeding?

7. Tag at least 3 people to know better about them

1. With friends in Goa for 3-4 days:

Most of the time was on beaches followed by some awkward but memorable incidents:

First I lost the bike key, then when we got a new key my friend Ankit was demonstrating to me how to keep the key safely in trouser pockets and instead went away to city with the key and leaving me and my friend Soumya feeling helpless with a bike beside but no keys!!

Then some small fights with autowallahs and roaming and late night driving in lonely roads of Goa.

The extremely bumpy and uncomfortable ride back to Bangalore by bus

2. a) To quit procrastination

b) To be more honest with few things in life which earlier I think I was not.

c) To be not tempted or moved by short term gains and view things in long term perspective.

(d) To wake up early morning and do some physical exercise.

3. a) I have procrastinated quitting procrastination.

b) I think I have done justice here….so may be my life is better because of this one thing

c) A little justice I can say but still confused over it.

(d) Quit on that the very next day, now I know these adventures are not for me.

4. No special plans… going to Bangalore so may be just another night of drinking and crashing out.

5. a) To quit procrastination …again!!

b) To work for an NGO for at least a couple of months.

(c) To travel to some parts of India, something which I have deprived myself of greatly…

(d) To do some physical exercise combined with some meditation

6. a) I think I can do it… I just need to be reminded of it. The only problem is I can put reminders for this in each nook and corner but how would I be reminded to put the reminder.

b) I think the possibility for this is fairly good, considering some thinking I have done because of Last Year Resolution No. 2. So I think I can take out time to work for NGO’s something which I have wanted to do for a long time.

c) I think this should be done fairly ok too but again I will need to be reminded. For the past 2 years in Mysore, I had never been to the Mysore Zoo thinking it to be a collection of dying animals in dilapidated shacks. This time when I visited the Zoo, I got the shock of my life. It was one of the best zoos I have seen in India.

Another evidence of bad record in this. Having stayed in Delhi for more than 4 years I have never visited Lal Quila, Qutab Minar !!

(d) Since this is New Year resolutions, I don’t want to spoil the mood by commenting negatively on this. Diplomatically, this too stands a good chance.

7. Sid, Amrut, Cuckoo, Jat, Arun, Avishek and anyone and everyone who would like to join in.

And How can I leave without saying that May all of you have a rocking New Year and may you all achieve what 2006 denied to you.