Whispers Forum

I have been just signing my lunch bill at India International Centre ( where I and the spouse spend our day in the library ) without check .Today I specially carried my specs to see what impact the GST has on my food bill. It was hilarious to find many members doing the same .What amused and confused us was the different rates of GST levied on different items of consumption. Nimbu Pani was taxed at 18% while nimbu soda was taxed at 28%. Is it because soft drinks and soda are within 28% bracket. Confusing ? Is it not ? As for my bill I found 9% under CGST and another 9% for SGST. Is it for establishments to divide the tax between Centre and States ? Then like many unreasonable institutions, IIC levies 10% service charge even though Consumer Ministry has termed the mandatory nature of it wrong. The waiters here expect the tip too even though you pay the service charge. What upset many of us today was levy of GST at 18% on the service charge. I think they are wrong to do so. Teething troubles ? Not withstanding that we welcomed what a friend termed as ushering in a United States of India.
Aarti Khosla

PM Modi's tour to the US has been hugely successful. President Trump regards both countries as “true friends “. Several deals have been inked. First, one-on-one meeting. More security, energy and economics- related benefits will follow,as we go along. An Israel daily has lauded Modi as the most powerful Prime Minister of the world.
India’s image in the comity of nations, has never been so high. All by virtue of Modi’s charismatic persona and uncanny capacity to build personal rapport with world leaders.
China and Pakistan have started showing signs of jealousy, fidgetiness,jitteriness, anger, helplessness. This could trigger monstrous reactions from the desperate countries ready to press the panic button. Syed Salahuddin is the latest to join the UN / US sanctions lists of global terrorists like Dawood Ibrahim, Anis Ibrahim, Chhota Shakee, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Aziz Moosa and Shafi Armar et al.
Now is the time to test the Indo-US camaraderie in their joint fight against Pakistan - sponsored terrorism and China’s expansionism in their war of attrition against India.
The country is sick of daily killings and stone-pelting in Kashmir. The political Opposition is expected to behave responsibly, refrain from politicking in the larger interests of the country.
China's audacity in blocking Kailash-Mansarovar yatra, instead, making regular incursions into Sikkim and AP, Non-stop air-space violations, issuing verbal threats, are grave provocations violating India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Amarnath yatra, has already started under shadow of terror.
Indians looks forward to PM Modi for initiating concrete steps after taking into confidence the Armed Forces chiefs, HM, NSA,MEA ,MOD et al.
Following suggestions are also for considerations of GOI :--
(a)Enhance India's military presence at LC,LOC IB. Our Armed Forces will take care of the rest. Launching surgical strikes regularly, not once or twice , but many times over. We trust them.
(b)Accord diplomatic recognition to Nationalist China,open an office and post a regular diplomat at Taipeh. No more dual-charge consular arrangement.
(c) Indians must stop buying sub-standard Chinese products. GoI must stop procuring Chinese products at throw-away prices, by invoking anti- dumping laws.
(d) Expedite operationalisation of India-Afghan Air corridor as antidote to CPEC/OBOR.
(e) Keep Indian Ocean under constant surveillance.
(f) What has happened to India's support for freedom movements in Baluchistan, Sindh,POK and Gilgit-Baltistan ?
(g) Gwadar port in Baluchistan is being developed by Chinese engineers and labour. Unemployment among the locals leads to frequent clashes between Baluchi and the Chinese labour on the lines of Gilgit-Baltistan. Similar skirmishes will take place between the poor local Baluchis and Chinese labour, in case of CPEC, passing through several countries.
A K Saxena (A retd civil servant)

There is an urgent need of defining the farmer. Is s/he an unskilled labourer? Is s/he a semi-skilled, skilled or highly skilled labourer? Is s/he a qualified trained professional who knows the job requirements for a farmer, like preparing the farm, deciding the crop, obtaining seeds, arrange fertilizers of the needed kind and quantity, sowing, weeding, watering, tending the crop, harvesting, packing, taking the produce to the market, sell it and do accounts to see if it was profit or loss. If profitable, nothing to worry. But loss makes it necessary to examine the return on investment. At the moment, the perception seems to be that s/he does not get even the wages of an unskilled worker. That is sad, if true. Actually, the farmer is an entrepreneur. S/he makes the necessary investment, takes the risk and wants profit. So far, s/he has not been considered an entrepreneur. Moreover, this breed of the entrepreneur sets up business in the backward areas (no roads, schools, hospitals, banks, police station or drinking water supply) and should qualify for all the concessions available to industrial entrepreneurs like loans at low rate of interest, transport subsidy etc. The farmer is the biggest employer in the country on a sustained regular basis. S/he has suffered financially due to unproductive schemes like the MGNREGS as the cost of farm labour has risen to the prescribed minimum but the farmer is not entitled to any remuneration at that rate. His income works out to be less than that of a MGNREGS labourer.
M L Gupta
Good Governance, Statistics & Statistics Day
The Hon’ble President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, graced the function of the celebration of the Statistics Day, 2017 at Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata giving the impression that the Government of India is attaching due importance to Statistics, a basic tool for Good Governance. But a deeper analysis of the events show that this is just opposite.
During the Celebration, the Chairman, National Statistical Commission, the Apex Body on Statistics, was not given a place on the Dias and in violation of the protocol, the Secretary, National Statistical Commission was accommodated at the Dias simply because as Ex-officio Secretary, MOS&PI, he wields administrative power. It was sad to see that none of the dignitaries objected to this open insult to the Statistical System.
It was not surprising for the insiders. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, under the present Secretary, has relegated the NSC in the background and shifted the Commission from the Sardar Patel Bhawan, New Delhi to an inconvenient place.
He has also shifted all important statistical offices, except one, from the Sardar Patel Bhawan to the inconvenience to the system.
A. K. Verma, ISS (Retd.)
Ex-Secretary, ISSA (EC)

Regarding Presidential election in July, everyday, we are reading in the newspapers that A Dalit V/s A Dalit. Can't we mention it with that An experienced educated person V/s An experienced politician. Would our society ever forget the Dalit word. It is stigma on the person of repute who is well versed and sitting in high place and enjoying all sorts of comforts for themselves and by mentioning them as Dalit is a vote catching manner. Our media rather should mention or write about their capabilities, experience and their past working and in future what would be beneficial for India as President & head of the Country. Hope our media and political parties will avoid using the word a Dalit.
Ram Kumar Garg
Pay parity - Motivated fashion ?
Indeed this has become motivated fashion these days. These officers want the security of govt service and salary of private sector. Let them opt to be daily wagers like private sector first where they can be terminated without notice. Then let them demand parity. It should then be extended to all PSU and govt jobs. Wat is so special about banks !
S Chatterjee

The best and exclusive coverage as usual on movement of PSU top brass in the website besides other news is credible and updated.
Rajeev Singh
BJP is right
BJP has rightly said that it was not in support of separate Gorkhaland state. What good governance they provided in the divided states? Only loot/scam taking place.
Every politician wants to become Chief minister and so they want to divide the country. Why the princely states were joined? What good governance these people will provide? See corruption index of India. Who will pay for the additional expenditure ?
RD

Political Sociology, Economic Sociology & Sociology of Religion A book titled “The Burning Forest: India’s War In Bastar” has stirred a controversy in the academic circles in Delhi. The subject is stated to fall in the genre of “political sociology”. However, it can’t be studied in isolation and out of the context. Born in the west, political sociology has grown from Christianity, Marxism, Socialism, Atheism, Secularism and Modernism. The rich Indian legacy on political power is not covered in these studies. Can any study in political sociology be of any relevance to India without understanding the economic sociology as practiced in the organisation of caste and sociology of Varna structure and power guided by Dharma only? Picking up a short study of Bastar and superimposing some foreign ideas or conclusions on it is an exercise in dogma and cult to serve a specific purpose. Actually, we urgently need “A Social History of India” (in addition to the work of Sadasivan). So far, India was importing only political ideology; of late it has also started attracting “verbal FDI”. A combo of politicians, journalists & academics has overtaken all the intellectual space in the country. So, mediocrity easily passes off for great scholarship. But monopoly and control of the academic field in the name of progressive ideas is political academics only. If the progressive forces seek to prescribe one kind of books to students, the university must also prescribe all relevant books by Karl Marx, Max Weber and several other scholars. Students are entitled to learn the fundamentals of every subject without prejudiced mind in the most objective manner and dispassionately. Books meant to arouse passions or incite social tensions are scripts for stoking political upheavals so that resulting violence ending in heavy casualties can be harvested for many years. Hope the M/o HRD is alert so that facts don’t get distorted sullying the image of the country as Bastar is a predominantly tribal area.
M L Gupta
WIC should restore previous system
WIC should restore previous system of Right click for copy-paste should be restored. By stopping it, you are shutting out genuine readers and contributors who want to disseminate the whispers widely or retain it for future reference. Fully agree with the correct feedback of Ramajays.
K P Singh

Pradeep Kumar is a very competent, mature and knowledgeable person. It is very good selection for this kind of assignment. our best wishes....
R K Tyagi
WIC should Resort to old practice !
The reason for your disallowing copying or disabling right click is not understood. The noble idea of this site to be seen by millions of people is defeated. When people pass on interesting news to others by copying interesting information that creates interest in the mind, they invariably start coming to this phenomenal site. Right now my spelling Phenomenal is not correct. Kindly resort to the old practice that enabled copying and right clicking. Thanks. Last but not the least is reading your code to send which is quite an Herculean task.
Ramajays
An apt choice !
An apt choice for the slot of Home Secretary. However, Rajiv Gauba is requested to alert the concerned officials dealing with NDMC (pertaining to activate the ground work in Khan market, as numerous communications in this regard to Naresh Kumar, Chairperson have had no effect and fallen on deaf ears). All the best in his new assignment in August.
Kishore Dudani

Even honest officers have not been empanelled. They just ask “What is their fault”. Is this because of 360 degree assessment.
R C Nigam
NDA govt taking tough call on CIL !
I guess this time their lobby has not worked for them. NDA govt is at least taking tough call on CIL where Board Director consider them self as a Demigod as local economy depend on Coal so there are getting the a lot of respect of locals and which made them arrogant as well as senior management i.e. GM and DGM give them more value than what they deserv. Managing politican and Trade union does not work this time. unfortunately Coal India looses very deserving officer for the position N. Kumar Director (Tech) CIL, he would definitely be best the best option if he would be alive
Rishi
It would be disastrous
Bringing in Coal India Limited an IAS officer as CMD, would be disastrous. IAS officials are never loyal to any subjects. It will be appropriate to appoint a senior IRTS officer Babu, who deals with the subject of coal day in and day out, as CMD-CIL.
B B Srivastava
Indianise the litigation system
Abpoout 3.1 crore cases are reported to be pending in courts. The major cause for the huge pendency is the costly system of dispensation of justice borrowed from abroad. When it has been accepted that alternate dispute settlement system is a very efficacious mechanism, why have we not gone for an alternate system of filing cases, hearings and disposal? Why should every case be accompanied by an affidavit? It should suffice if the petitioner(s) sign an undertaking which forms the text of the affidavit, dispensing with the Notary/OC signing it for payment? Should the plaint run in to thousands of pages when the issues can be raised in a single page? Why can’t the judge go through the material on record and dispose it off after one or two hearings if required for any clarification? Parties to the case can raise their objections in one go rather than innumerable hearings going on for years even in the simplest of cases? The poor litigant is being robbed “lawfully’ by the system which benefits only the lawyer, Notary, stamp vendor, typist and others associated. It destroys millions of trees by wasteful use of millions of tonnes of paper!During the Licence Raj, this used to be fate of applications for an industrial licence which pended for decades!
M L Gupta

360 degree assessment
Infact, retired bureaucrats settle scores with their juniors in this exercise. Their views should also be cross-checked.
Narsimhan
“ Coal miners receive PESB sentence badly”
Apropos of WIC’s input dt June 20, 2017, it is surprising that none of the four internal candidates ie CMDs of four Coal subsidiaries, was found suitable for the post of Chairman, Coal India Ltd ( CIL), the Holding company.
Reasons must be analyzed by experts, independent of Min of Coal. I had a long stint as Secretary, PESB. Rejection of candidates could possibly be attributed to following factors :-
(a)Absence of succession planning ;
(b) Lack of Vigilance clearance in respect of 4 candidates ;
(c)Poor track records of all 4 candidates ;
(d) Plan to bring an outside professional , as a wild card entry.
(e) Deliberately fixing high bench mark ostensibly to bypass the professionals and misuse this as a ploy to force bureaucratization of the Maharatna by the backdoor. Bringing in Sanskari babus with zero field experience in coal sector has always been disastrous.
During the UPA era, top posts in coal sector (and coal mines,too ) were auctioned. The then de jure PM used to merely formalize the decisions taken by extra-Constitutional authority . The unethical practice has been done away with by PM Modi.
A K Saxena (A retd civil servant)
Subtle attempt to scuttle disinvestment and remain "sarkari"
A very subtle attempt to scuttle disinvestment and remain "sarkari" I am sure by not serving salad and inflight magazines the airline will turn around.
Amitabh Agarwal

Both plus and minus points.
Raju
Masterstroke of BJP
The selection of presidential candidate by the BJP, has been a masterstroke ! BJP has ensured that an rss man is selected, and rightly so, having got the peoples mandate, at the same time by selecting a dalit, have shut the mouths of all secularists and pseudos.The congress and left must be seething in impotent rage! Serve them absolutely right!
S Chatterjee
PED or PSD ?
The Indian cricket team seems to be on PED and PSD in intervals. That is the only explanation for their victory over Pakistan first and defeat later. They were on performance enhancing drugs earlier and performance suppressing drugs later !
M L Gupta

With regard to your question I find it rediculous to sought information regarding integrity of the officer concerned from officers,serving or retired whose integrity itself highly questionable
Dr G Sudhakar
Priyanka has the potential to revive Congress !
After Indira, who has the potential to revive Congress? Only Priyanka Gandhi.
Sonchita Yadav
Conduct impartial probe
Huge land scams in Telangana this is in reference to huge land scams which have occurred in Telangana. It looks as though the govt is trying to cover up all the issues as it looks like it involves some of its own prominent leaders. What else can happen if honest officers are sidelined in the administration. Earlier days it looked like the CM was a no nonsense person. But somehow I don't have the same opinion now. I am of the serious view that there must be an impartial probe by someone who understands the land management and not juts any police organization. serious state of affairs in Telangana. God save Hyderabad.
Vijay