CCS Internship

'Beautiful' parks for the 'makaanwalas' at the cost of toilets for slum dwellers...

2008-07-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

This is a little about a slum area in Jhilmil Colony, beyond Shahdra in Delhi.
A Block basti area:
This basti area has a small population of just about 150-200. The basti area is adjacent to an area where the ‘makaanwalas’ (people with proper brick houses) live.
At present, there is no toilet facility for the people of this basti area. Earlier, there was a proper toilet complex where the facility of toilets and bathing was there. There was proper water supply, all the basti people were very happy. The facility was run by the MCD. Each person had to pay a mere Rs. 5 for the month for to use the toilet. But, about one and a half years back, the toilet complex was broken down and it has been replaced by a park.
I happened to meet the ‘pradhaan’ of the area – he was a ‘makaanwala’ (a resident of a proper, brick house. He bluntly told me that the ‘survey’ that I was doing was of no use. And that everyone is very happy in the area; no one has any problems in the area. (Sure! – He was representing only the ‘makaanwalas’ while saying this).
The women and children of the basti area tell me that about 2 years back the ‘makaanwalas’ went to the area councilor and told him that the toilet complex was of no use to them and that it must be removed and it MUST be replaced by a beautiful park – and that is exactly what has happened. (the remains of the toilet complex are still lying in the park – broken wall parts etc.)
So, where do people from the basti area go to relieve themselves at present? None of the basti people have latrine seats at home. They either go to the forest area which is just across the road from the basti area or “lineon par jatein hain” (“we go to the railway lines”). The railways lines are (of course) very dangerous, no one is sure whether they will return home when they go to the railway lines to ‘go to the toilet’. (They told me that very recently; five people were killed, run over by a train when they had gone to the railway lines to go to the toilet). I am just imagining the plight of the girls and women; they can't go alone - as they are scared of sexual harassment and being laughed at (in case seen 'doing it' in the open on the railway lines).

ALL THE BEST to everyone!

-Shahana.

Things I learnt after visiting the BMC 4 times.

2008-07-01T03:29:00.000-07:00

I needed an official BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) report for the last part of my paper. I’ve been trying to get it for the past so many weeks by constantly visiting the BMC office and running around the Hydraulic Engineering department. Last week I finally managed to obtain it and in the process also learnt how to get your work done at the BMC office. Firstly, at the BMC office, 5 minutes = 1 hour. So if someone asks you to wait for 5 minutes, don’t bother. The first 2 times I went, I actually did wait and now I feel really stupid about it. While I was waiting, I just saw random people walking in to meet the very person I had scheduled an appointment with. It took me 2 visits to figure out that if you want your work to be done, wait for 5 minutes as requested and then just enter the person’s office. Surprisingly they do not consider it rude. Oh well, I feel stupid about waiting for so long and wasting my time. So last week, I didn’t bother, I just entered the concerned person’s office and got my work done in 15 minutes.

2) Marathi helps. Recently, the use of Marathi in all administrative work of the BMC was made compulsory. No Hindi, no English, just Marathi. So, the first 2 times I walked in I spoke in Hindi....didn't get a very positive response. The moment I let Marathi words flow out of my mouth, the people were just helpful.

3) The peons and office boys are your best friends. That’s right. If you can become friendly with the peons, they’ll make sure you get into the right office and meet the right person in the least amount of time. In this case too, Marathi helps.

4) People don’t care what you’re doing in the BMC office. Last week, when I finished my 15 minute work, I decided to take a walk in the Hydraulic Engineering department to see if I could get more information from any other BMC officer who was free. It was quite literally comparable to a stroll in the park. Nobody questioned me. No one asked me why I was just randomly walking around the department and making notes. I just thought that that was really strange. So anyone could just walk in and do whatever they want ?

Well, I have what I need now and I’m back to typing out my paper. I realise that I haven’t explained it that well in my previous post. I’m analysing an attempt by the World Bank to privatise water management in a certain area of Mumbai. There are a thousand reasons why they shouldn’t have. Ultimately, approximately 4 crore rupees were spent on trying to initiate this project (which was paid to a private consultant) and nothing fructified. The contract was signed not with the BMC but with an international private consultant named Castalia. The study that Castalia did, for which it was paid 4 crore rupees, was based entirely on BMC data. Fearing a lot of resistance from local activists and residents, the BMC kept changing the project’s name and tried its best not to use the word privatisation. But if one looks at the contract, it’s clear that privatisation was indeed on the World Bank’s agenda.
There have been examples all over the world of water privatisation gone bad..... And why not ? Water is a recognised human right. It is essential for survival. Privatising water would only limit its accessibility and deprive people of this basic human right. The private sector can no doubt improve efficiency, but with profit being an important motive, the ability of the private sector to provide basic amenities like water to the poor is questionable.
In fact, the BMC is quite efficient as well. It is one of the best municipal bodies in this country and the Hydraulic engineering department actually serves as a consultant in various other countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A lot of the BMC performance ratios are also similar and in some cases better than those in “world class” cities like London and New York.
I now begin to wonder what prompted the BMC to act so passively when the World Bank interfered. The BMC definitely has scope for improvement, but not in this manner. Anyway, after this privatisation attempt went down the drain, the BMC introduced its own project title the “Sujal Mumbai Abhiyan”. A very controversial part of this project is the concept of pre-paid water meters which the BMC wants to introduce. I have no idea who equated water with cell phones. The pre-paid funda doesn’t make sense for water, because the moment you use up the amount on your pre-paid card, and if you don’t have money to buy a new card/recharge it, you essentially have no water. Again, water is a human right !!!!!!! One can’t just be denied the access to clean, potable water.

Anyway,I hope all of your papers are going well. It’s really interesting to read about all your projects. Some of them are things I had never before thought of. 2 weeks more :)

Rupal

Are they really getting it right?

2008-06-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

This is a little about my visit to Savda Ghevra:

Savda Ghevra is an upcoming resettlement colony. It is believed that it is the Chief Minister’s baby (“Shiela Dixit ji ne Savdha Ghevra ko apni godh mein le liya hai”). It seems that it is an effort by the Government of Delhi and the MCD to make ALL efforts to make sure that all goes right with this resettlement colony – given the blunders that they have committed with regard to other resettlement colonies around Delhi. (the Government of Delhi and the MCD is aiming at making Delhi slum-free by the 2010 – the year of the Commonwealth Games).

The following is a small observation:

While I was in Savda Ghevra; I happened to have the “privilege” to visit the same place at which our Mayor Arti Mehra had just been about an hour back. (She was supposed to arrive at 11:00 am, and so were we, but I guess both ‘parties’ got late and when we got off the DTC bus just outside the Savda Ghevra JJ Resettlement colony at 11:30 am, Arti Mehra’s motorcade zoomed past us). She had come to lay the foundation stone for a community centre in G – Block. The plot of land, at present, lies empty. In the middle of the plot of land I saw two grey bricks that had been laid down by the ‘lotus-like’ hands of Arti Mehra (as the granite stone said). Just a few metres beyond the ‘auspicious’ bricks was a whole row of the ‘cubicles’ built by the resettled people (these thatched cubicles - made with sticks and old plastic sheets or bamboo - are used by women and girls so that they have some 'privacy' while having a bath - only one of the Community Toilet Complexes - CTCs - I visited has an arrangement to bathe - charging Rs. 2 for each bath and the remaining CTCs had bathing cubicles but NO water supply in them!). So, we are to think that our Mayor comes to lay the foundation stone for something as important as the community centre, and due to the poor maintenance of the CTCs, the cubicles that have been set up by the residents for the women folk to bathe (and maybe go to the toilet as well) are NOT NOTICED by this woman (our respected Mayor), nor by any of her ‘supporters’ (?)

There is NO water supply in people’s houses. Some residents have dug up and installed hand pumps but many of them are lying dry and rusted now, as whatever water they could have extracted from the ground, they have already extracted! The DJB tanker is their lifeline in every sense. The water that they fill from the DJB tanker has to used by them for everything - drinking, washing clothes, washing utensils, cooking, having a bath and going to the toilet (often they go to the open fields to go to the toilet, carrying water in jerry cans/bottles as the 'functional' toilets require them to pay for usage of the toilet).

That's it! (ARE THE AUTHORITIES REALLY GETTING IT RIGHT??)

Thanks Tvara for that 'special mention' - I am happy someone is reading what I am writing.. :)

ALL THE BEST to everyone!

-Shahana.

wel finally heres something from me!!

2008-06-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

hello.. i guess i wud be the last one to be posting their first 'kinda hello' blog but then well am lazy (even the rather sketchy weekly updates are a pain!!) so here goes the formal bit.
hello ppl.. i am tvara misra, currently (hopefully!!) completed my 2nd yr B.A.(H) in Geography at Miranda House and over the summer am desperately trying to prove that the performance, both academic and non academic for the students who enter an institute through a reserved criteria is not at par with the general candidates therefore there exists a basic flaw in this affirmative action policy of the government (ofcourse everyone knows its more vote bank oriented than for social justice) and something needs to be done to improve it so as to make it more viable and effective. it really does not help much if half the students who are admitted into an institute are thrown out as they do not perform up to the mark and the other half is dying of the pressure to cope up. as per the analysis rite now, only a handful actually can actually perform at par with the average and slightly above average general candidates of their batch and none so far have been seen to excel. seeing this trend so far i am currently analysing the causitive factors to identify the reasons for this existing gap and perhpas come up with a alternative model or some suggestions to improve it(you guys are welcome to post your views on this!)
and this has been a mammoth task since i am doing this analysis by a case study at iitk and the academic offices are busy with summer courses, convocation details, admissions etc etc etc, students are home or slogging at some intern (ahem.. does that ring a bell ppl?!!) and even the campus is in a sluggish slow mode what with most ppl out for holidays (ofcourse the ahem ...lovely muggy weather here aids to the process)... but still am the optimistic sanguine sloth clinging on to the work and yes jyotika i am trying to get some useful work done.. sometimes i feel that jyotikas untiring efforts to patiently remind us of the work (the unassuming mails are rather threatning sometimes!!) we are supposed to do are the reason (well mine for sure) for the internship going on this wel(i believe am not being too presumptuous here).. its her egging emails which make me yes.. come out of my usual stupor and do some work so that i have something to write in the weekly progress report.
wel thats enough bout my work.. what i was wondering was how did the mid term presentaion go??? i didnt come across ne entry which addressed tht except for (well again) jyotika reminding the externs to take some tips from the interns.
and a special mention for sahanas topic.. man... thats really interesting.. and by the (length and) content of the frequent blogs i think thrs gr8 progress too.. cool.
neway... i think thats sufficient for now... ill (hopefully) post some more to keep you updated (and yes socialize!).. happy working ppl!!!
cheers!
tvara

The politics of provision of a BASIC NEED

2008-06-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

I met three sanitation inspectors from the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) last friday evening (and I must thank Nikhil for coming along and saying that filmy style 'main hoon na..' - which made me feel reassured (?))... The meeting was quite an interesting experience.. and all the interns know about it...
The following is an important point, they made, regarding the difference between how the MCD (under which, they claimed, there is about 95% of the Delhi area) and NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Corporation - which accounts for about 3% of Delhi area- according to them and Delhi Cantonment accounts for roughly 2% of the entire Delhi area) would deal with an issue as basic as building of toilets. “The work culture of the two and the mobility of funds for the MCD and NDMC cannot be compared”. If, the MCD asks for certain funds, then the MCD – which is BJP-led will first have to give the request to the Delhi Government – which is Congress-led, which, due to political repulsions and because they don’t want BJP to ‘get what they want’ as that will lead to implementation of some part of the BJP agenda and so BJP will score higher on the political report card and then, the Congress, is scared that next time around they ‘may be thrown out of power’ (!). And so, quite naturally, some ‘cuts’ are made by the Delhi Government in the request. Then the request goes to the Centre, which also is also Congress led; so, there will be further cuts there. ( it seems the more the hierarchy, the greater the chance of political repulsions and so BIGGER ‘cuts’)
On the other hand, an NDMC request for funds goes directly to the Central Government. The disbursal of funds for the NDMC can be expected overnight where as the amount of time that it would take for disbursal of funds for MCD cannot be predicted! Over and above this, the politically influential people live in the NDMC area, so a request which is ‘pushed’ by this ADDED political influence only gets returns much faster!
(This is probably what is responsible for the GREAT difference between the public toilets in the NDMC area and the MCD area – its sad that a BASIC NEED such as that of public toilets is getting neglected due to political reasons!)

Blowing my cover.

2008-06-13T09:08:00.002-07:00

Three email warnings from Jyotika and some pointed invitations to join the CCS blog have finally prodded me into action. I'm Naomi, i'm a certified lurker, its fun to read what everyone's getting upto in their respective parts of the country:).

I'm working on the impact of the NREGS on rural-urban migration. Its kind of a duh hypothesis, that in a region where the NREGS is implemented properly, migration will decrease. I'm assuming migration isn't good, because men get separated from their families-studies show most rural-urban migrants are men- and they migrate because of the lack of opportunities in their villages, and also they often dont have enough money to send back as remittances, so the theory that the remittances could help the village develop wouldn't really hold. If the NREGS provides a steady source of income for them, then they will have a strong economic incentive to remain in their villages. I'm linking migration with the spread of AIDS so am hypothesising that by decreasing rural-urban migration, the spread of AIDS-migrants are a high risk group- can be slowed down. The reason why i want to do this is to get actual empirical proof, that in some places where the act is implemented well, its doing a lot of good. I really believe that this act is one of the more worthwhile efforts to target poverty..Anyway am pretty excited because the field work will start from monday, and i'm crossing my fingers hoping i'll get up to date migration data.

Back to lurking:)
Naomi

intro

2008-06-13T02:15:00.000-07:00

Oh, btw i just finished my 2nd year Eco hons. from St Stephen's College, Delhi. Hoping to scrape through to next year. There are actually 4 stephanians doing this internship...all of us as externs...where are the other 3? wait. i will force them into posting something too.

2008-06-13T02:10:00.000-07:00

Some Interesting Links

2008-06-12T23:09:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I found some good articles at http://www.southasianmedia.net/, http://www.indiauncut.com/ and Mint:

An Artist's Freedom, The Tribune: "http://southasianmedia.net/articles/articles_detail.cfm?aid=138404&country=INDIA&category=CIVILSOCIETY"

Road test for commuter etiquette: "http://southasianmedia.net/articles/articles_detail.cfm?aid=138054&country=WORLD&category=CIVILSOCIETY"

Salil Tripathi on P. Sainath: "http://www.livemint.com/2008/04/30225139/Media-and-moral-outrage.html"

Matunga racket, Amit Varma :"http://indiauncut.com/iublog/article/the-matunga-racket/"

Even if you don't read all of them, do read the last one (it's sad & scary to say the least)!

Note that in this entry, Amit Varma says, "We can choose not to gamble or to do drugs, but sexual orientation, like the colour of our eyes, is something we’re born with." Or is it?

I am not too sure about that (that is not to say I have anything against gay men/women or find them weird though!).
What do you think?

Paying for toilets in a Slum/Resettlement area

2008-06-11T23:57:00.000-07:00

I went to the JJ Resettlement colony in Bawana day before yesterday and here's something that I was just working out... may be you would like to read this....
Having found out about the monthly income of an average household (with a maximum of Rs. 3000 in a month) and the charges of using the public toilet (Re. 1 for using the toilet, Rs. 2 for bathing and Rs. 2 for washing clothes).. I was just trying to look at the income and expenditure of each family on this basic need. On an average the household size is 5, the man of the house being the only earning member of the family (as after being relocated from elsewhere to Bawana, the women who were earlier domestic helps in various houses, now don’t have close by ‘middle class’ or ‘upper middle class’ or rich households to work in and are not skilled enough to be employed in the close-by industrial area).So, there is the husband, wife and 3 kids – all of whom are above the age of 5 years. (the toilet usage is free only for children upto the age of 5) Each day, each of them would use the toilet about 5 times, each paying Re. 1 for each usage (the bias towards women in terms of a once a day payment was found only in one toilet – so, mostly everyone HAS to pay every time they use the toilet – and of course the NORM that women are not supposed to be charge for usage is completely forgotten), and they would be bathing also, at least once a day (each paying Rs. 2 for a bathing). And the woman of the house would also be washing clothes once in the day (paying Rs. 2 for washing clothes). So, the total expenditure on usage of the public toilet, by the family, would work out at about Rs.25 + Rs. 10 + Rs. 2 = Rs. 37. Assuming that the man is a daily wage worker and gets the LEGAL minimum wage i.e. Rs. 100; so one can say that about 37% of the earnings are being spent solely on the use of a public toilet by the family – which is, of course a large proportion of the entire income.

And, I was just search on the net and I found an article on th same issue in a slum area in South Delhi.

Here it is....

Will you spend Rs. 30 a day on using the toilet? – an article from the Satark Nagrik Sangathan (a NGO which works on the use of the RTI) Website

Can a person who earns Rs. 60 a day to support a family of 6 afford Rs. 30 a day for using the toilet? These seemingly absurd questions are everyday struggles for the residents of Jagdamba camp. Lack of a sewer system in this slum settlement makes it impossible for individual homes to have toilets, rendering the residents totally dependent on a public toilet run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The MCD sub-contracts the operation and maintenance of this toilet to an NGO. The contractor (NGO) demanded Re.1 per person every time anyone used the toilet. Even small children, who need to use the toilet more frequently, were required to pay Re.1 every time. The prohibitive cost of this facility left most people with little option but to defecate openly, which became a health concern in the area. Asma, a slum resident, says, “Bachchon se kehta tha paise do nahi to maroonga. Dar ke bachche jate bhi nahi the. ” (He used to threaten to beat the children if they didn’t pay. The kids refused to go to the toilet out of fear). When the camp’s Mahila Mandal (women’s self help group) approached SNS with these issues, SNS volunteers used the Delhi RTI Act to ask for a copy of the contract awarded by MCD for the operation of the toilet. They also sought information regarding the penalty to be imposed on the contractor for violating the terms of the contract in addition to asking the name and designation of MCD officials responsible for ensuring proper functioning of the toilet. The information obtained in response to the RTI application clearly stated that as per the contract signed between the MCD and the contractor, children below 12 years of age are to avail the facility free of cost, and the toilet is to be maintained by the NGO on a no-profit no-loss basis. This information was publicised among residents of the camp and published in SNS’s newsletter Apna Panna, causing uproar. People were furious to know that for over ten years, they had been cheated into paying for the use of the toilet by children below 12 years; and that the non-governmental agency which was supposed to run the facility as service to society had been earning profits of about Rs.50,000 a month! Empowered with this information, residents approached the MCD Slum department which is responsible for the functioning of MCD toilets in slums and registered a complaint. The community’s pressure resulted in the contract being cancelled and given to another NGO which is now running the toilet properly. Residents, particularly members of the Mahila Mandal, are also insisting that the NGO display the terms of the contract on a board outside the toilet so that no one can be fooled again into paying more for the use of this essential service. Armed with information about their rights, people are not only better prepared but also more willing to stand up to defend them. Sabina, another resident, exemplifies this change, “Pehle aise mein hum dar jaate the, chup ho jate the. Par ab jab jankari ho gayi hai to hum bhi lad jate hain.” (Earlier we used to get intimidated and keep quiet. But now that we have information, we can also stand up for ourselves and put up a fight).

So the estimates aren't very different I guess!

third world rocker

2008-06-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I'm Pascal-I don't have a gmail account nor shall I get one ever,-avoiding being gregarious is my Irish pride- so I borrowed someone elses to talk about Nikhil Joseph my Research partner...

Now, not only does this guy seem to be born in the wrong Country, India and wrong region, Kerala but he seems to have got wrong somewhere on the time scale too. In a ideal world, he would have been born in 1960s-1970s America, tripping on LSD and talking about a revolution. He actually seems to live for Western Rock despite everything, he tries every morning to grow a ZZ Top-style beard in the mirror (chin forward in effort) but the result is disappointing, only a pre-pubescent shade appears.

So this rocker Research partner dreaming of his guitars in stead of tripping on Variable Tension Monocords from Rajasthan is really an ok guy but his hypocrisy leads him to doubt every day whether he is a closet socialist or a libertarian at heart. Even his studies ("development studies" whatever that may mean) seem to lead him to a confusion about Life on Earth and extraterrestrial spontaneous lifeforms.

In a few words,a weirdo,but a nice one to work with nevertheless. Oh and he's got a strange passion for USSR in the pure Janis Joplin/Jane Fonda style...

So yeah for the "hardcore libertarian who believes in blogs as being a communist threat" I certainly have my equal as a research partner.

This internship is getting ever weirder with him!

What happened yesterday?

2008-06-10T03:37:00.000-07:00

Hi

2008-06-07T01:54:00.000-07:00

Hi I am Vishishta and I am one of the externs from Kerala.

As part of my individual project, I am looking at the implementation of the Vishakha guidelines in universities across Kerala.

The Vishakha guidelines are a set of guidelines that the Supreme Court of India laid down way back in 1997 to protect women from sexual harassement at workplaces. The guidelines are just a framework given by the Court and I feel that each university should frame individual guidelines keeping in mind the structure of the institution. Sadly enough little has been done about this issue.

I am trying to cover three universities in Kerala on geographical parameters they are as follows: Kerala University (south), Calicut University (north) and Mahatma Gandhi University (central).

I started the project in my own university. To my surprise the Kerala University framed fancy guidelines in 2001 (which I obviously had never heard of). They framed it for sure, put it down on paper for sure but somewhere down the line they just forgot to implement it properly. This is what I had jotted down in my blog at the end of the first week

“The first week has been crazy.

Going in search of the Kerala University guidelines on sexual harassment is not as easy as I had thought it to be. I’m not amazed at the reservations that the UniversityOfficials have expressed in handing over the documents, but you know, there is a world of a difference between foreseeing something and actuallyexperiencing it.

Bureaucracy and the subsequent paper works that followed it, managed to dampen my spirits a bit. By Thursday I almost felt like killing someone. In the middle of it all I kept thinking to myself as to how difficult it would be for anyone one to come forward and even register a complaint with the sexual harassment committee at this rate. Guidelines, circulars, notifications that are published by the University every year, these very documents that are put on every notice board only to be taken off with the passage of time when the ink runs off the paper, What is so classified about
these documents??? Sadly enough, for something that should be given maximum publicity, the university officials were just cringing at the idea of even handing over the files for a quick read.

And it didn’t really help when one particularly unrelenting committee member made a statement as follows
“we try to settle all the matters amicably otherwise people might end up losing their
jobs”
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I didn’t even know how to react to that statement
First rule of conducting an interview, never express your opinion. And I didn’t, atleast at that point in time

I need to keep a check on myself.

But it just took a toll on me, by the end of the week; I must have looked like someone on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I was partially lecturing another committee member but she was kind enough to give me a good hearing and STILL give me the history behind the formation of the committee and its functioning. We
talked about the social outlook on such issues and the reasons for the
ineffectiveness of the committee. But I won’t forget what she said as I
got up to leave
“we have to make the guidelines and the workings of the
committee more known. But we also have to shape the mindset of a whole
generation. There has to be a greater sense of civil society and greater
responsibility of consciousness in civil society, like witnesses should not turn
hostile when asked to testify a victim’s claim before a committee. And I feel
that the most responsive lot are the students themselves, we should make an
effort to start a change with them”
Amen”

That was three weeks back, now with the questionnaire prepared and a few interviews conducted in the Kerala University I ventured into the Calicut University campus last Wednesday.

The university came under a lot of flak in 1999-2000 for mishandling P Usha’s case. (I hope you guys find this link interesting http://www.sacw.net/2002/FeministPolKerala.html). I had been warned before hand of hostile committee members but man were they rude.
One committee member asked me not to contact her at all. The other one got up half way through the interview on the pretext of urgent personal meeting. Yet another committee member refuses to speak to me till I get the registrars permission.... its insane but its true. I am presently dealing with a bunch of ********.

All this really helps considering the fact that the Calicut university does not have separate guidelines. Everything from the appointment of the committee members to the final outcome of the case is so arbitrary and stepped in political overtones.

The journey has just begun.

MAKING EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS!!!!

2008-06-06T05:44:00.000-07:00

HI EVERYBODY!!

It goes for the externs specially....
We had a session today on " Making effective Presentations"
It would be great if you ask you friends( Interns) about their key learnings
from the session. And ask them as many questions as possible.......!!!!
I would just give you an introduction., What do you mean by Presentation?
A. It is a summary of ideas...................................................................................

Find the rest of the story from your dear Friends!!!!

keep blogging
Jyotika

How not to order Lunch

2008-06-06T02:02:00.000-07:00

For all those who take it upon themselves to order lunch for everyone, a few pointers:

Count the number of people.
Count again.
Write down the number.
Count again.
Confirm.
Count again.
For those who aren’t very vocal about their preferences, ask again. And again.
Count one final time and write it down.
Call any one dabba wallah.
Place the order for the final figure that you wrote.
Don’t call some other dabba wallah.
Count when the order arrives.

On liberty and suchlike

2008-06-06T01:50:00.001-07:00

Hi,

I'll skip the irony in being 'forced' to post on a blog meant for a bunch of 'libertarians'. :) But I guess it's a good way of getting to know the externs. So hello externs, and hello people sitting across the room.

I'm Nikhil, and I'm doing my primary research project with Pascal, who's a hardcore libertarian from France who thinks blogs are a part of a global communist conspiracy and therefore doesn't fancy posting anything.

Our project is on how individuals can offer solutions in the provision of low cost housing to the urban poor. So far we've done quite a bit of reading on what sort of policies the Delhi govt. has implemented in this regard, and where they've failed. We've also talked to a prominent Architect & Urbanist who helped us understand the problems in the way cities have been planned in India, and the various drawbacks in the policies that aimed to provide housing for the urban poor, such as housing them in resettlement colonies. We've also visited a slum nearby to get a first hand perspective into life in a slum. We've also talked to people from NGOs who've worked in slums and with the urban poor in general. In the coming weeks we hope to visit more slums in areas around Delhi, and also visit the Slum and JJ Department at the MCD.

My other project is.... well... I'll get back to you on that.

In Liberty,
Nikhil

Hi everyone...!!

2008-06-06T00:47:00.000-07:00

I'm Ujjwal, doing Economics honours at Ramjas College, DU. So far, it's been a wonderful experience interning at CCS.

My first topic (the major one) is the "Analysis of the loan waiver in the Union Budget 2008". I would be looking beyond the pros and cons of the issue and looking into the alternate use of government resources. The R Radhakrishnan committee report recommends that rural indebtedness is not the major cause of rural crisis and it is just a symptom, but the Finance Minister in his speech assumes indebtedness to be the major cause of this crisis. Also, he says that around 75-79% of the credit disbursed to farmers is by the commercial banks and rural banks but the committee report gives importance to the role of the moneylenders.

My other project is on the "Private outsourcing of monuments in Delhi". I started my project with the plan of giving recommendations for outsourcing the work at monuments in Delhi, but I realized that private outsourcing(for conservation) is already going on at some of the monuments and there are plans for extending it to other monuments as well. So maybe now I'll be looking at the outsourcing prospects of maintenance of monuments (which includes basic facilities) and even the cost analysis while we consider outsourcing as an option. I had a talk with the Superintendent Archaeological Engineer, Delhi circle and he said that outsourcing the work to private players would be like following the model of MCD, which is quite inefficient i guess!

So I guess its still a long way to go...!

Hey!

2008-06-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

Hey! This is Vasundhara Sharma. I am doing Economics from Hans Raj College and the focus of my project is on exploring alternative market structures in the judiciary. The point of my project is not to highlight the causes and reasons behind the inefficiency prevailing in the judicial system, nor is it to emphasise the flaws in the system and recommend policy reforms. I want to question the rationale behind public provision of law.

There exists no market for justice as it is largely taken to be a public good. But in many cases such as commercial or trade disputes, and particularly Lok Adalats, where cases are amicably settled and decisions taken are consented by both the parties, adjudication is a private good. Asking the taxpayer to pay his hard earned money for mediating the conflict between two arbitrary parties, both of which agree on a common decision, which is tailor-made and hence sets no precedents for him or the rest of the country, is preposterous.

Of course, arguments in favour and against the entire idea are plenty. My focus is on how we can allow arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to come up in a big way so that there is lesser backlog of cases, less corruption in the judicial markets, and courts can focus on priority cases. I wanted to see if privatisation of some aspects of the judicial process is the solution, and if it is, is the idea feasible. Particularly I wanted to focus on the commercial, corporate and trade dispute aspects and see if we can allow arbitral tribunals to come up in a much bigger way in order to ease the current backlog.

I was also wondering if the idea of outsourcing Lok Adalats to private enterprises would help make justice accessible to the poor, and to those whose cases are strong, rather than the current system which tends to be biased towards those who are politically and financially strong.

Would love your feedback.

Vasundhara.

An Introduction

2008-06-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

Hello there! I’m Sandhya Srinivasan, a first year student of Business Studies at the College of Business Studies.

My first project is about Futures Trading in Agricultural Commodities, where I’ll be studying whether or not the recent ban on futures trading in chickpeas, potatoes, rubber and soy oil makes sense.

My second project is on for-profit education. Vasundhara and I are working on it together. Basically we want to study the feasibility of a for-profit education model for FMS after studying the business model of comparable B-Schools that operate as for-profit educational institutions.

2008-06-05T21:42:00.001-07:00

I'd like to begin writing on the blog by congratulating NIMIT on his highly audacious behavior, for which he surely might get kicked by Jyotika( I wish he does.. haha)

Okay now on a more serious note..
Hello, I am Joyeta, who like most others out here, has taken the horrendous second year examinations in Economics. I am from the Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University.
Initially I fumbled quite a bit with the topic of my project, which took almost 3 whole weeks to decide. I finally decided to go ahead with the question that was creating a menace in my head... After I met this particular psychologist, who was a complete elitist every possible way, my topic for research stood right it front of me, glaring at me for an answer.
What began, with trying to explore the External Support System and how it works at curbing the High Suicide Rates in Youth, by providing helplines, psychologists, counseling, rehab facilities,etc, finally came down to only one question, ARE PSYCHOLOGICAL and PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS, ONLY A RICH MAN'S DISEASE..??

Where each psychologist, or psychiatrist, charges nothing less than 1500 bucks for an appointment, and lakhs are spent on treating depression etc etc, can a person from the lower economic strata of society even think of affording such a lavish treatment??
On asking a few psychologists about whether they are catering to these sections of society, the only answer I got was, " there is a lack of demand for counselors, psychologists,etc in the lower economic strata of society". And why is that so, on further probing, these psychologists replied saying that the poor have a HIGH THRESHOLD OF TOLERANCE and therefore they do not require counseling, therapy and are strong enough to withstand 'alll" life's challenges...
What surprised me, further was that there was no mention of exceptional cases, are there facilities for those who do seek counseling and treatment.. Do they know helplines exist? and they can calll these helplines in times of need.. Apart from the 100 no, what effort have other made to reach out to these people..???

I, thus look for answers to the questions that shocked me..!
Please feel free to give suggestions on the same, I'd be very grateful!

On why I decided to do the project on Public Toilets from a Gender Perspective.

2008-06-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

Hi! This is Shahana. I have just taken my second year Economics Hons. exams. I am studying at Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi.
I am doing one project on "Public Toilets in Delhi from a Gender Perspective- with an emphasis on 'facilities' in the slum/resettlement colonies".
The following is a little on why I decided to do this project. I hope it is interesting to read!

People often call me a feminist, I wonder why, because I am not very expressive about women’s issues, it is probably because I study at a "well known" girls’ college in Delhi which is often labeled as a feminist institution. I always wonder, what exactly does feminism mean (and further whether an institution can really be labeled as “feminist”)
The idea of the paper on “Public Toilets in Delhi from a Gender Perspective – with an emphasis on the ‘facilities’ for women in slum areas of Delhi” came up rather vividly. During our first few days with CCS, we “had to” come up with our topics for research. I could not think of what area to pick up which would require some interesting primary research. I was on my way back home from CCS, traveling in a bus on the Yusuf Sarai road and was looking out of the window. When an MCD public toilet caught my attention, it was one of those with old white tiles (many of them were broken!), it was divided into two equal sized cubicles. Though it had not rained that day, I observed that the toilet was full of filthy, mud-coloured water (the height of the water was probably one foot) A man was peeing just outside the toilet. And there was a woman – old, frail, she looked like a beggar; who had a ‘seek ki jharoo’ in her hand and was desperately trying to clean the toilet. What an irony I thought – “She’s cleaning the toilet for men who can anyways pee anywhere they like" (I must make it clear here that the width of the cubicles was only enough to stand and pee - clearly not-at-all female friendly) And further "She can't even use this toilet. What does she go when she wants to relieve herself?" Further down the same road, I saw one of the new, red-brick wall toilet ("jan suvidhaayein" / public convenience - it says).
A typical paid toilet which has a red brick wall charges Rs. 2 per usage of the toilet by a female and Re. 1 per usage by a male (both these for just peeing). However, men can pee virtually anywhere but women CANNOT! It is absolutely essential for them to use a closed area to urinate so they would definetely use a public toilet IF AVAILABLE CLOSE BY TO THEM! But a man has options! A woman, therefore will use and so will have to pay. What a contradiction - "public convenience" for a profit motive!
The issue of public toilets effects, I believe, the poorest women (who live in slum areas) the most. Other women (and of course all men) have options at their homes, workplace (and walls?!) but what about a woman in a slum area?
Further, I wonder; should I be branded as a 'feminist' because I believe that something as basic as a toilet NEEDS to be provided especially to those women in our society who are economically backward?
It is ironical that in Delhi where both, the Chief Minister and the Mayor are 'highly qualified' women who talk about women's empowerment.
And is the issue of public toilets for women isolated? No, there are issue of communicable diseases (one well knows that women are far more vulnerable to UTIs, RTIs and STIs), sexual harassment (women in slum areas, typically tend to relieve themselves at late hours of night or early hours of morning - which makes them all-the-more vulnerable to rape, molestation etc.). "Holding on" for most of the day in a tough task and must be very tough during menstruation.
So, why do we not discuss this issue of public toilets for women? Why are fancy malls (I am not denying that there are toilets in these malls where people like you and me can pee) far more important to us than the basic necessity of public toilets? Is there a policy issue involved? Lastly, we talk alot about "women's empowerment" and "feminism" (I think everyone has their own definition for these two terms!) but what is the worth of all this talk if you can't even provide basic sanitation facilities for the poorest of poor women?
Ok... so that's it!
ALL THE BEST to everyone!
-Shahana.

A Report Less Ordinary: Part 1

2008-06-05T02:41:00.000-07:00

Warning:This report may contain many offensive references to many offense-worthy people; so don't imagine submitting this to your Internship Coordinator, chances are she may kick your ass (yeah, even you get the same feeling when around her, huh?!)

Report: Field Trip- 27 May 2008

To: Jyotika Taneja Date: 27 May 2008

From: Nimit Kathuria

Agenda:

1. Visit the State Transport Authority office at Rajpur Road and/or Burari & find out the no. of buses at various routes, their owners & other related information.

Expectations:

I planned to just barge in to the State Transport Authority office at Rajpur Road and have a talk regarding the problem with the competent officer in charge of the Blueline buses & also ask him for the relevant statistics, while at it.

Actual Findings:

Every thing seemed to go according to the “plan”- I walked into the office, talked to a few people (bureaucrats by the way- but surprisingly very helpful!), who finally directed me to the Secretary-cum-Jt. Commissioner of Transport, Mr. S.S. Sodhi (Pascal, you are going to like this: he was/maybe still IS a Sardarjee btw; not that it matters. Much!). While waiting for him outside his office, my spirits were buoyed by the fact that a lady who was also waiting to meet him in relation to the extension of her bus permit (more on that later) told me something to the effect, “Oh! You’re here to meet Sodhi sir? Very sweet man, he’ll tell you all you need to know! Very sweet man!” Oh yeah! Thanking God (To picture me doing that, watch any of the Amitabh Bachchan movies where he talks to God. If you don't know where to begin: simply watch Deewar (salute to Salim-Javed) or Naastik), I read the sign at his office that announced “Visiting Hours: 12 pm (sic) to 1 pm”. I congratulated myself on reaching there at 12:30. But little did I know then that I’d be kept waiting for another half an hour, apparently because, “Saahab abhi chai pee rahe hain!” Chalo! Jaisi unki marzee! Afterall, pushing files all day long can get tiresome and even they need there chai (;sorry Mr. Vijay Mallya!). When finally allowed to go inside by the peon outside the room (who told a befuddled me, “Don’t tell saahab that I sent you in”), I found a meeting going on. Naturally he was annoyed to find me barging in like that, & needless to say I was embarrassed too! But then it was too late now (Murphy's law, anyone?)! When he had finished looking at me from head to toe & I had finished mumbling my purpose of visit, I got scared! Lol for all you want; you think you are invincible, eh? Try going to that sweet Sardarji Soddhi's office during a meeting; or at least don't make fun of me! Please.

End of Part 1

Keep watching this space for more...

Hello

2008-06-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone...

Its great to finally have this blog and I'm really excited to meet all of you. I'm an extern from Mumbai and I'm working on the issue of privatisation of water management systems here in Mumbai. I would really like to get to know all of you and your research areas. I do feel like I'm missing out on a lot of interaction with the interns in Delhi, but I'm sure that this blog will serve as a wonderful alternative. It has been 3 weeks into this internship already and I'm really looking forward to the remaining 6 weeks. Happy Researching !

Rupal

Internship

2008-05-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

hi!
Hope to see u all....
wishes

Check in

2008-05-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

Just Checking if it is working fine.

Chech in post

2008-05-19T03:53:00.000-07:00

Check in.

Democracy versus Dictatorships!

2007-06-25T06:10:00.000-07:00

Over the past 15 years, economies ruled by dictators have grown two and ahalf times as fast as the economies of democratic countries, according to amuch-discussed article posted on American.com, an online “magazine ofideas,” as it calls itself. If this claim is true, should people living inthe grip of despotism therefore ditch their aspirations for politicalfreedom? Not according to Independent Institute Senior Fellow Alvaro VargasLlosa. Rapid economic growth under dictatorship, he argues in his latestsyndicated column, does not provide an economic justification ofdictatorship. In addition, reports of fast growth under dictatorshiptypically paint a distorted picture of the underlying realities. “Any political system, free or unfree, that removes some obstacles toentrepreneurship, investment and trade, and makes a credible commitment tosafeguard property rights to a certain extent will trigger a virtuouseconomic cycle,” Vargas Llosa writes. However, removing anti-growthobstacles can at most create a short-term economic growth spurt; long-termgrowth requires strong pro-growth institutions—such as secure propertyrights, incentives to save and invest, and a culture of entrepreneurship—notedicts issued from on high. “First, history indicates that the combination of political, civil andeconomic freedom is a better guarantee of ever-increasing prosperity than acapitalist dictatorship,” Vargas Llosa continues. “Second, there aresufficient examples—Portugal or the Baltic countries—of underdevelopedcountries that have generated stable and reliable environments throughpolitical freedom to invalidate the notion that a country should be kept inpolitical and civil infancy until it reaches economic maturity.”

<http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1984> “AreDictatorships More Successful Than Democracies?” by Alvaro Vargas Llosa(6/13/07) Spanish<http://www.elindependent.org/articulos/article.asp?id=1984> Translation

Ministries we don't need!

2007-06-11T23:03:00.000-07:00

Hi interns!

I am attributing the lack of activity on the blog to the fact that you are probably keeping busy with your internship research and field work!

From now on, the blog will be more abuzz with activities as we get started with more weekly readings and internship experiences!

To get you started, why don't you read up the coverstory in the latest India today about the ministries that we don't need! You could put your comments about improving the system on the blog! :) The issue is available in the CCS library, and for those who want to read it online, the subscription ID will be emailed to you!

Also, EXTERNS, we want to know your experiences during field research, people you have met, situations you were in and so on, so why not, update us on the blog?? INTERNS in turn will share their experiences too!

Happy Blogging!

Renu

3 Points

2007-05-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

Since it's 4 in the morning, i am just writing what i can write in sleep: my 3 points for a good research paper.
1. What are the questions?
2. Don't get it right, start writing.
3. Tell me your story.

these do seem a little inconsistent in the way they are worded, may be i need to spend a little bit of waking hours to figure out a consistent phraseology.

A Review on ‘People are People: The Elements of Public Choice’

2007-05-21T02:44:00.000-07:00

‘People are People: The Elements of Public Choice’ deals with what Public Choice is and its effect upon democratic processes. The author thinks of Public Choice as a relatively new discipline, the students of which, contrary to the traditional view, hold that the government does not seek to maximise the welfare of the nation as a whole; instead it serves the individual interests of government officials. Collective welfare of all the citizens in a nation is merely a by-product of the process by which private individuals and government officials maximise their interests in commodity, factor and ‘political’ markets.

The author traces the historical roots of this assumption. From the time of Aristotle and Plato, it was believed that political economy was the science of “right” action. Businessmen and civil servants were told what was morally correct and they had to do it. David Hume and particularly, Adam Smith removed this moralistic perception. They held that private individuals, at any rate, maximised their own utility in the market place. However even Smith held that public interest governed public policy. This was the difference between homo politicus and homo economicus. Homo politicus thought of maximising the public interest. A contradictory bifurcated view sprang up. This held that the same people that participate in market activities engage in public policy making as well- either directly or indirectly. Thus government officials too maximise their own interest in formulating public policy.

This assumption is far more realistic than that held in traditional thought. It follows that the government isn’t altogether efficient and is no champion of equity and equality. This also implies that government intervention isn’t a necessary cure for market failures. Unfortunately, the author does not investigate as to whether market failure is a sufficient condition for government intervention, which it may as well be, especially in case of what Sen and Dreze consider as ‘errors of omission’.[1] For instance, in the case of a famine that has originated due to a lack of purchasing power to buy food grains, the market has committed an error of omission. It hasn’t generated enough purchasing power. Thus this is a sufficient condition for the government to start an income and employment generating relief programme. As far as Public Choice is concerned, students of this discipline will hold that politicians would propose this programme in order to get re-elected. It is in their self interest. This assumption is a practical one.

The author holds that the asymmetry of information problem is far more acute in the case of political markets. While one is likely to research the features of an automobile one would like to buy, one’s vote would merely be one in a million while electing a political leader. Thus one would not have an incentive to research the integrity and efficiency of that leader. While markets target well informed consumers, politicians target badly informed citizens. This deduction has an inherent flaw- it has not considered the role of the media. After all, the media provides a fairly researched insight into the activities of various political figures. If a politician is caught taking bribes or politicising economic decisions (locating PSUs in their own constituencies) the media is quite likely to inform the public of it. However, it may sensationalise facts to serve its profit motive but this will only bring short-term profits. In the long run and in a fairly competitive market, the media’s consumers will not like being misinformed.

The author gives the impression that students of public policy are cynical about the role of the government. Thus they believe that government functions should be privatised, as in, contracted out. Also they should be decentralised. Instances of each have been provided. The efficiency of contracting out is evident in that the United States’ privatised military procurement has proved to be more efficient than the military’s production of its own material. This is possible even in India and is now being carried out in the form of PPP (Public Private Partnership). As per decentralisation, a lot of community members often get together and take decisions on the administration of the community schools, hospitals etc. They also decide upon issues like how late an individual may play music or what colour each individual should paint her fence. This internalises externalities and would be particularly effective in India. If the teachers of a rural school were responsible to the parents rather than to the State Ministry of Education, teacher absenteeism and poor teaching quality would be greatly reduced.

Thus Public Choice is a discipline with a largely realistic outlook. However, it is far too cynical about the government. In a country like India, government investment is highly important, especially in fields like education, health and infrastructure provision where there is scope for positive externalities and where the asymmetries of information are many. A poor woman, who takes her child to a not-so-well-known private clinic as she cannot afford to go to a private clinic or hospital of repute, may not know whether she or he is being injected with plain water instead of vaccine. Surely, it is in the interests of the clinic to inject the child with plain water as this minimises costs. In case of a government clinic however, the treatment is more likely to be of a particular standard. Thus government investment in improving the condition of these clinics is a must.
[1] See Sen and Dreze, ‘Development and Participation’, Chapter 2.

Ruchira Sen

The Advent of Delhi Metro in Chandni Chowk

2007-05-21T02:42:00.000-07:00

One would think that the metro line through Chandni Chowk would have brought in streams of shoppers and tourists. After all, it makes the famed Chandni Chowk far more accessible-even to those from areas as far away as Rithala and Shahadara, Dwarka and Indraprastha, Central Secretariat and Delhi University- incidentally, the metro terminals as of today. Earlier the lure of kaju paranthas, kareem kababs, phirni and desi ghee sweets could still be passed over in lieu of massive transportation trouble and costs. However, considering the new accessibility of the famed paranthewali gali, jewellery and sari markets, as well as Red Fort and Jama Masjid, it is a wonder that business in the transport and food markets has not boomed.
It is of course, not surprising that ‘Phatphat Sewa’ has seen a 50% decline in revenue as per the estimates of the van drivers. Though this stream of taxi vans, which picks up various passengers along established routes, provides a cheaper travelling alternative to passengers from Shahadara, Maujpur, Krishna Nagar, Selampur, Bhajjanpur and Connaught Place, it is far slower and less comfortable than the Metro. The Phatphat Sewa line of taxi vans that once ran from Connaught Place to Chandni Chowk had to be disbanded altogether due to lack of demand. Evidently, commuters prefer the Metro.
However, a rickshaw puller claimed that his returns have increased so much so that he earns Rs. 20 more than he did before the ‘Yellow Line’ became operational. This is primarily because rickshaws complement the Metro unlike Phatphat Sewa, which acts as a substitute. Most commuters leave their vehicles behind in metro station parking lots, take the metro to Chandni Chowk and then climb into rickshaws. Thus this approximate increase of Rs.20 per day in returns, and hence profit on the part of the rickshaw puller is a small wonder indeed.
As per the food market, one particular trend may be observed. The shops closer to the metro station have by and large, experienced larger increases in returns than shops that are further off. Chaina wala may have been recognised as the best sweet shop in 2006 by The Times Group and it may have won the Times Food Award for three years in succession, but it has experienced no significant increase in returns. Bikanervala which is slightly closer, reports a 2-4% increase. However, the far more proximate Vishal Mava Bhandar estimates a 25-30% increase, despite the fact that it is only 20 years old while Bikanervala is 44 and Chaina wala, 59. Another beneficiary, in terms of returns, is Tewari and Sons which has estimated a 10-15% increase in profits. However, it is a deviation from this trend as it is closer to the Metro station than Vishal Mava Bhandar, and just as old. Of course, this observation need not hold true at all, as the profit figures might have been either overestimated or underestimated by the shopkeepers, for various reasons. The owner of Bhikarams chose to lay the blame for his less than significant increase in returns upon the fact that Chandni Chowk has far too much rush and bustle and far too many strikes, to attract customers. According to him, there shall be no increase in business until there is a change in the state of affairs.
It may seem odd that Kanwarjis, the famous 125 years old, desi ghee sweet shop has seen no significant changes in returms. Paranthewali gali on the other hand, has received scores of visitors. ‘The Power of Paranthas’ owned by P.T. Gaya Prasad Shiv Charan estimated a 20-30 percent increase in revenues. Of course, this shop dates its origin to 1872. Yet even the merely 95 years old Babu Ram Parantha Wale has earned a 50% increase in returns. Kanwarjis have not been as successful as their prices are too high and they cater only to an exclusive clientele.
It is however significant that even those shopkeepers, who have not acquired a significant increase in revenues, add that Delhi Metro has been a huge convenience. It has caused a decrease in congestion as people no longer park their vehicles in Chandni Chowk . They take the metro and then, find a rickshaw. Even shop assistants, employees and owners can easily commute to their work areas in Chandni Chowk and no longer need their cars and scooters, leaving the narrow galis to pedestrians. Parking space, however, is to be increased, which shall reduce congestion even further. As per strikes, as the owner of Bikanervala put it, “Strikes don’t happen all the time.” Most shop-owners estimate a future increase in returns-even if they aren’t too high at present. They estimate that with traffic regulations and a lesser wastage of commuting hours, business shall soon boom in Chandni Chowk.

(Just a little primary interview based survey taken long back. Hope it can be of interest.)
Ruchira Sen.

The Great Rilaway Bazaar - My Take

2007-05-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

Since everyone is posting their reviews here, here's mine

Oh and what are the topics that have been floated ... also if ppl could just let us know the topic they would be working on, it would be great !

____

Undoubtedly a very well researched article. A very quintessential example of how obscure government policies can be. If I extrapolate a bit further the recent spat over reservations in institutes of higher education quite rightly points out the skewed outlook of our policy makers. Reservations were meant (as proposed by Dr. Ambedkar ) just for the first 10 years post independence … but it has continued even after more than five decades ! Arguments of the HRD are based on some 30 yr old census which is of no consequence today. Policy makers hence need to open up and need to take a more sensible, mature and rational stand on issues, instead of just continuing with old norms and laws thereby making a mockery of the entire system !

I would also like to add that this “license fee” system is not new to me. I feel it is the socialist and the communist outlook that is very strongly instilled in people – especially the middle class. If we analyze, we would realize that it is the “job security” and the perquisites that people are running after. They are ready to pay a hefty sum just to ensure they land up in a govt job and settle comfortably in the lethargic system. I have seen people paying huge amounts of money to secure a government job.

Regarding the current article, there are still some questions that are left unanswered, or rather have raised some questions in my mind-

Is this phenomenon prevalent just in and around N.Delhi? Has the demographics got something to do with it?
What is the background in terms of educational qualifications of those offering to be porters?
Are the perquisites same across all railway divisions?
If railways is such a profitable organization, what then are the bottlenecks in increasing thenumber of porters and granting them employee status?

Sunmay Shivadekar

Oh and what are the topics that have been floated ... also if ppl could just let us know the topic they would be working on, it would be great !

Is privatization the solution!!!

2007-05-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hii Everbody,

I was surprise to read Porters article as it elucidated the legalities pertaining to aforementioned class in general. I was taken aback by the topic, as I never thought of such niche segment in general. However, this one article seems to be paradoxical. Though on one hand porters are not employed on Government of India’s payroll but the same is licensed (controlled) by the railways to earn a livelihood by offering his services to railway passengers for transport of their luggage.

As like all other policies, people have found ways to go around it and have been successful in finding the gaps, which exists, in the present framework. All I suggest is that at least porter policy should be privatized which will result in better functioning with some degree of control over the price charged and number of hours worked by the goverment. For instance: Toll Tax collection on Delhi borders which was rendered in private hands few years back have resulted in better collection and operation. It’s even a good method to measure the effectiveness of policy thus changed, as management of porters must have been left to a private agency. Though this is not a casting stone solution and there might be other ways to puzzle out this challenge.

My thoughts though!!! Anticipating your comments!!!!! Cheers!!!

Hey !

2007-05-17T05:41:00.000-07:00

Hi ppl !

I am Sunmay from Bhopal studying in Mumbai. All set to start work here as an extern. C'mon people lets get to know each other ... while we finalize our topics .... I am sure we shall have lots to discuss !

Why government's??

2007-05-16T03:37:00.000-07:00

As many of his ilk, Reed in the 'Twenty Principles of Sound Public Policy' fails to distinguish between the negative and the positive roles of the government. Most critics of the government fail to appreciate the positive role of the government, i.e. the role of the government in complementing markets or in compensating for the errors of ommissionof markets. Such market complementary operations are essential for the smooth functioning of an economy... An illustration is the provision of income-generation schemes for famine affected people by the government, which has been shown to be an effective method of famine prevention.

There is room for government mediation even in the normal functioning of markets and this is provided for through the 2nd theorem of welfare economics which states that any pareto-efficient allocation of goods can be sustained by a set of prices in a competitive market equilibrium... The allocation of goods is left to an agency likethe government and to its perception of what equity is. There is no such thing as a perfectly competitive market. In reality markets are plagued by externalities, assymmetric information, imperfect-competition, existenceof a class of non-excludable and non-rivalrous goods (public-goods, ex:defence)which may lead to their non-existence or their failure. In cases of market failure there is room for the existence governments and their market-excluding operations to compensate for the errors of commission of markets. However, even though it is possible to think of a system of public intervention which will lead to a pareto-superior outcome, in reality government's and PSE's are not models of efficiency and its is generally more beneficial to allow the private provisioning of such goods (except public goods) subject to regulationby the government. In case of a market failure, should a government take over the provisioning of the good or not?! For this the 'Double Market Failure criterion' is really useful! A government should only interfere when a)the existence of market failure and itsrecurrence has been credibly proved, and b) there is absolutely no scope for a more efficient outcome by private provisioning of the good, subjectto government regulation.

Even free markets need a regulatory and judicial framework for theirsmooth functioning. The fulfillment of contracts cannot be left to the spirit of cooperation or the 'fundamental-goodwill' of free people. Only the disincentive of judicial action and a credible judicial framework can lead to the smooth functioning of markets.

The government plays an important role in initiating, creating, moulding and sustaining markets. An example is Japan, where the ministry of InternationalTrade and industry (MITI) undertook considerable R&D activities earlier in 20th century and provided the enormous technical know-how and the phenomenal technological and knowledge base which enabled Japanese firmsto excel in the production of cars and the like and gave Japan the competitive edge they have in global markets.

Thus economists while criticizing the negative role of the government should also account for the positive role of the government. The need for intervention in the provision of social infrastructure (health, education, etc.), public goods and certain types of public infrastructure shouldn't be overlooked.

This Makes a Lot of Sound

2007-05-13T05:18:00.000-07:00

Debatable.
That’s the word that comes into ones mind after reading Lawrence W. Reeds’ “Seven Principles of Sound Public Policy”. Skim through it and you might call it gibberish, like I did. Give it a thorough reading and you’ll realize that the extremity of his views is somewhat moderated by the logic in what he says.
I find many of his remarks, well, remarkable biased in favor of free markets and economics thereof. Their primary premise being the superiority of Market economies over welfare states, he proclaims this assumption to be a ‘settled truth’ among the intelligentsia.
Some of his principles actually make a lot of sense, such as the ones which emphasize the consideration of long terms impacts and policy effect on incentives while the formulation of any public policy. Whereas, at some points, his views simply fall short of convincing.

His first principle is attractively titled ‘Free people are not equal, equal people are not free’. The word ‘ Free’ and ‘Equal’ having serious economic interpretations only. Therein, Reeds makes an unfair compromise between social and economic equality. He says that in free markets, the economic outcomes are different for different people as they represent their individuality and free markets should be left at their own devices. He consider these economic disparities to be benign but obvious consequences of market dynamics and are emblematic of the different virtues, choices, abilities and talents of the people. He insists that unequal people should not be equalized.

He goes on to credit the failure of any welfare state ( He uses the example of the Soviet Union ) to the differential treatment meted to public and private property. He says that Common property falls into derelictions and disuses whereas Private property is much coveted and well taken care of. His perspective towards socialism is summed up in this witticism and I quote:
‘While socialists are fond of explaining that’s you have to break some eggs in order to make an omelet, they never make any omelets, they only break eggs.’

Agreed, Welfare states have invariably been socio-economic nightmares, but to say that free markets are all peaches and cream, would be gross over exaggeration. Beyond a point, its just not possible to justify the widening economic disparities and concentration of economic power in the hands of the elite few by saying that individual abilities and talents are the sole determinants of economics. Just because people are not equal, does not imply that they have to suffer a raw deal for no fault of their own. It were life scenarios like these that lead to the emergence of Marxist theories and the social revolutions that followed. When any society reaches a stage where there are only 2 classes, the rich and the poor, one realizes the lethal impact of uncontrolled markets. A contemporary example is that of life saving drugs, most AIDS/Cancer medicines are exorbitantly expensive. Is it not unfair then to not let governments intervene and let these essentialities reach the people who need them? Or are we too elitist to believe that poor people don’t have a right to live?

Reeds says that governments are spendthrift, callous, corrupt and costly. He believe that a free and independent people do not require governments for their sustenance, but someone should tell Mr. Reed, that an economically oppressed and dependant people do. Perhaps this statement is a misfit in Contemporary Indian politics, but then I assume governments to be welfare oriented, not just bureaucracy.

Please cease from thinking that I am a left agent or supporter of sorts. I am all for the free markets and minimization of deadweight losses caused by government policies. But to believe that pure free markets are THE solution, does not go down too well with me.
No society can exist in extremes, Socialism collapses. Free markets might not, but they are like a boiling pot of economic frustration, which lead to eventual implosion.

Ketan Kapoor.

PS: Looking forward to working with intelligent and bright people like you all. The very best.

Au Revoir

i need 4 lakhs to become a coolie!

2007-05-13T01:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, wow! thats my reaction on reading the article by mayank and gaurav on the railway coolie article.
Licensing here?? in 2007, when licensing is suppposed to be word of the past, it exists and that too in the most unlikeliest of places, a railway station for coolies!Not that this is licensing with the same negative effects which led to pre 1991 but in essence the basic facts are still the same.
In reply to the two previos posts is see, even i did not find anything in the article about the status of unlicensed coolies in the stations. However, im inclined to hink that they would be very little in no. 2reasons for that:
1. Illegal and hence possibilty of railway authorities clamping on them
I agree this is an idialistic reason as one would expect bribrery and corruption to take care of that.
2. This is much more practical. Lack of assistance by unions for the unlicensed due to liabilities and obvious reasons and moreover, no participation for them in the cartel work division aspects.
In any case the fact that coolie profession could yiled 15,000 INR a month with additional railway benefits astounds me. But it certainly makes the reason for a 4 lakh premium on a license obvious!
In any case, this nexus has to be broken. Whether or not a new system is to be imposed, is a matter of debate. Personally , i feel that amenments are sufficient to this present system. I dont say do away with licensing, i say make licensing only relevant for accepting applicants for employment and a certain psychological control over the employment procedure and give order to it.
Cut away the premiums and corruption and we would have a pretty effective system!

Hi

2007-05-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

I have been really excited about my very first internship in the last few weeks; this blog is a wonderful platform to get to know the rest of the interns, many of whom I suppose I will be meeting in a few days from now in Delhi. Thank You, Renu!

I also read the articles on the coolies in Delhi railway stations. I do not know if there are unlicensed coolies in Delhi, but there are many in Bangalore's railway stations. The large number of licensed coolies in Delhi, and also the fact that there is a Union of these workers goes to say that it is very difficult for the unlicensed workers to make a place for themselves here. In Bangalore, however, there is a comparitively lesser number of licensed coolies, and therefore also a comparitively larger number of unlicensed coolies.
Does that somewhat explain the large cost of the badges in Delhi?

Maybe I can make some enquiries as regards the prices of these badges in Bangalore stations...

Hi

2007-05-12T03:33:00.000-07:00

Its really great to be a part of CCS and im sure we are on a journey which will be highly enriching and a wonderlul learning experience.My visit to Safdarjung Hospital to get to know something about the waste management was really interesting.Thanks CCS! Looking forward to many more exciting activities.

I read the paper on the licensed coolies in the Delhi railway stations.it revealed the sorry state of affairs.there was something which came to my mind,are there non-licensed porters in the those stations? i think there are, and if they do exist then there arises another side to the whole thing.the competition significantly increases and therefore the income comes down,does it then explain why someone should fish out 2 lakhs for the shabby metal badge round the arm?

What do you think?

hey everyone!

2007-05-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

firstly, to all my fellow interns out there, Hi!

I'm sure its going to be a pleasure working with everyone.
Its a whole new experience to be researching reality as in effectively life itself.
Existentialism apart, it feels great to be doing an internship with CCS.
A few more libertarian organizations like this would make all the difference
is today's differential world!
The only way to ensure growth, and when i say growth i mean wholesome growth,
economic, social, the whole 'doo-dah' and of course, individual is to enliven the train of
thought called unbiased freedom and CCS intends to do just that.
I look forward to an extremely enriching and eventful internship.
Oh, and @Renu; Thank you for the blog! Finally, i'm blogging again!

2007-05-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Renu,

I appreciate your effort for providing us with a platform where we can discuss and share our experiences which will , surely, add value in our learning curve and help us in profound understanding of the issues encompassing the society.

Cheers
Saurabh

Welcome to the Blog!

2007-05-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Welcome to the CCS Blog!

Write! Comment! Criticize! Suggest! Review! Interact! Share!

We give you the space for all of this and more!

You can start by posting about the articles in the “Internship Reader”; we want to know your opinion.

Cheers

Renu