Whispers Forum

In recent times, a lot of concern has been raised on the Indian Statistical System. On the one hand, there are people questioning the methodology and data and on the other hand, we have people who are questioning the withholding of data. Barring the former members of the NSC, who had the courage to resign from the NSC on the question of ethics, the majority has no concern for the Indian Statistical System. They just want to exploit the system for their vested interest. All governments, present as well as past, have paid little attention to the Statistical System. Prof. P. C. Mahalanobis, the father of the Indian Statistical System, has demonstrated that for large scale surveys, sampling is better than census because it is carried out by skilled manpower. But, NSSO was long back forced to compromise and go for unskilled manpower because the successive Governments refused to bear the cost of skilled manpower. The system of Economists being appointed as CSI further eroded the system because they were neither interested in the development of the statistical system, nor had the prior exposure of dealing with such a system. This has put the present leadership in a tricky situation where they have to defend the indefensible. It is time to assign due priority to the Indian Statistical System to ensure proper infrastructure and functional space. In spite of all the limitations, the system has scored distinction because it is based on sound footings. It just needs necessary support and importance. The Statistical System in general and ISS Cadre in particular is not getting due functional space and liberty in various ministries and departments. It is time to set this right. Otherwise, statistics as a tool is bound to fail again and again because it remains no one’s child. –
A. K. Verma, ISS (Retd.)
Der aye durast aye
At last Yasin Malik has been put in the jail and his JKLF has been banned. It is thirty years since he gunned down four IAF officers near Rawalpura on the Srinagar Airport road while they were waiting for their vehicle to pick them up for their office. Yasin Malik not only got away but had been enjoying life, getting married to a Pakistani woman as also being taken care of for his medical needs and security by the state. This was due to misplaced belief of our bureaucrats who held sensitive posts and handled Kashmir that any action against separatists would further alienate them. These gentlemen as also the so-called Track 2 gentry involved in 'solving 'the Kashmir problem thought that these separatists should be treated carefully with kid gloves to win them over. As a result they not only got money and respect from Pakistan but also from our agencies as admitted by one such bureaucrat in his book. As far Yasin Malik, I have seen him being hosted by some worthies in India International Centre where he will trot in like a hero. It angered me whenever I saw him here on quite a few occasions a few years back. How could anyone befriend a fellow who killed our Air Force Officers and was involved in other acts of terrorism. At last this Government burst his bubble. It is for too long that he was left untouched but 'der aye durast aye'.
Aarti Khosla

Your write-up is absolutely true even in the present day. Our system is so horribly corrupt that even some well meaning political leaders and bureaucrats can hardly do anything. I am a resident of the great city of Bangalore right from my birth seven decades ago and I know how money takes care of everything.
Srinivas
What media exhibits is far from reality !
I beg to disagree that Rahul Gandhi met Chinese Ambassador during Doklam happenings. The reality is no political leader especially of this high stature can meet without the knowledge of the MEA/MHA and allied agencies of MHA. What media exhibits is far from reality.
Harish Kumar

It's because they want to play for their administrative Ministry in a defensive wicket and they have no other role play for now. I heard some of the signatories in the TV channels who argues without knowing ABC of official statistics. Even they have misled so much to our Finance Minister that he claims even IMF and World Bank accepts our statistics. I would like to bring to the notice of the policy makers and administrators of this country that the international organisations like IMF, World Bank and UN bodies have to accept the official statistics provided by the sovereign states as it is, they can only manipulate, interpolate or extrapolate the statistics for those time points which have no data reported by Member States. As far as Indian Statistical System is concerned, it is not going to be cowed down by a few politicians or other professionals for long. It's a testing time for the official statistics fraternity in India and this time will pass away. But surely, there is only take away point from this debate: the institution of official statistics represented by National Statistical Commission, MoSPI and other statistical Units/Divisions in the Ministries are being weakened/bypassed and if this issue is not taken seriously, one of the best statistical system in the world would be damaged beyond repair.
PC

I have been seriously reading and enjoying your posts which are based on experience and our day to day life. But what is the remedy. It is a failure of our system whether in selection, election, nomination or postings of officials (especially those holding tenure posts as in the case of IAS ) or politicians . We elect politicians but we do'not have choice. The politicians are self proclaimed reformers and social workers who are paratroopers of political parties. They are forced on masses. Similarly, senior officials are posted with a fixed tenure. Their tenure is divisible into three parts ie initial tenure when they pick up implementable duties and study drawbacks of the system they have inherited or predecessor, second implement the programme according their wisdom and lastly get ready for next posting to repeat the same cycle else where in State or Central Government. They are not liable for any failures till they superannuation. They never ever get adverse ACRs as long as they are not head on against their bosses. Their is a strong affinity and bond among Indian Civil Servants. They believe in hierarchy more than any uniformed force. Politicians are hungry for their popularity and look deep into pockets from where they can extract pecuniary benefit. They are easily be fooled by strong officials. What is lacking in our society, as late FM SAM Maneckshaw once told, is the national character. He had defined 'character' also in a very simple way ie when you see a wrong thing and ignore it is our 'character'. We see a lot of wrong things/ doings and yet choose to ignore them. We all the Citizens will have to rise above petty gains and stop ignoring even the smallest of wrong things only then our society our villages can improve. Imposing schemes and ideas wont do any thing, we have to be self motivated whether it is government officials or politicians or a commoner.
Ravinder Pal Batra

Fully agree with the views that appeare4de in this column the other day. When India was engaged with China in Doklam, Rahul Gandhi met Chinese ambassador in their consulate. Had the country was first in the eyes of Rahul, he should have persuaded Chinese ambassador to go back and in that case he would have narrated it at every forum but unfortunately he is total silent on this issue. Moreover, he got more than enthusiastic response from China when he visited Kailash Mansarovar last year. It proves that he is propagating only those things on Doklam what China wants him to. This makes even more important for public at large to vote Rahul and his party out in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He is only making fun of Narendra Modi at Doklam totally forgetting that only cactus have grown from the seeds sown by his ancestors as far as China is concerned. But one thing I want to ask, what prevented India from declaring Azahar Masood a global terrorist from Parliament with unanimous vote ?
V K Pandey

This season of elections, people are going out of their senses. Strange gems are coming out of their mouth. One senior leader of Sangh Parivar pronounces that Pakistan would be part of India by 2025.Another saint turned politician Sakshiji Maharaj thinks this election will be the last election as Modi tsunami will see to it that there are going to be no elections in future. Does he mean that India will cease to be a democracy and will be replaced by dictatorship. Such silly remarks are coming not only from the ruling party elite but from members of every party. It seems in their desire to be in the news and win elections by hook or crook our politicians have gone berserk in throwing mud at each other as also coming out with such bizarre outpourings. They have stopped thinking before speaking. I wonder if any of them is capable of our votes.
Aarti Khosla
CAs are now subservient to PM
Chartered Accountants are no more the earlier free and frank group. They have become subservient to the PM after he chastised them in their own backyard. Spineless professionals.
Paarth

Annual government budgeting exercise often reminds me of more than three decades old incident of strange budget computations and predicament of a revenue officer, posted in not so lucrative tehsil. This officer, after release from army as Major, had been selected as Tehsildar and this event had excited his close relatives ,living in one of the most backward villages, to garland him profusely and to take him in a procession around the village piloted by a rural marriage Band. Everyone was wondering and guessing the astronomical income ,which their proud son will be earning while working as a revenue officer. After training of two years, which also included a year as full-fledged naib-tehsildar, the villagers had noticed perceptible transformation in the prosperity and the living style of the family. His first posting as Tehsildar, in spite of best efforts including political pulls, was on the sideline as Tehsildar on special duty. Since ,duty was of audit of tehsils, the lack of influence and corresponding no extra income, had not only dampened the spirit of the officer but also of the immediate relatives.
At long last, after a year of taking rounds of the politicians' houses, spending a lot on various other workers of the transfer and posting industry ,our 125 kg friend ,got posting as Tehsildar Anandpur Sahib. This highly scenic, beautiful, religious place was also a gateway to the most famous Bhakra dam. The very first week of posting saw visits of eleven dignitaries, which entailed heavy expenditure of rupees 20000,besides wastage of time and resultant harassment of public because of non-availability of officials/officers. Before joining the new station ,he had met his predecessor/s to assess the expected income at the new place. Even his discreet consultations with the tehsil officials on lucrative posts did not yield any encouraging dividends of expected illegal money. The officer was terrified. In the very first month the expenses on the high dignitaries and the state guests crossed one lac rupees. He had not only to spend the money but also had to be present to receive and see them off, as per the protocol. He wondered as to how these persons, who themselves had served the govt, could be so indifferent, apathetic and ruthlessly greedy, as not to spend a single penny on their luxurious and lavish stay at the mercy of the revenue officials. Govt provided only a fraction of the expenditure on the state guests, which was never claimed and reimbursed to the officials ,who generally spent it out of the bribe money.
After three months of posting, the debt on the Tehsil mounted to more than one lac, besides actual payments made of about 2 lacs. Tehsildar was worried that he had spent so much ,but in return no extra money was going to his coffers. He was restless not only on this account but also because of the visits of VIPs at odd times and also because of the off the cuff demands of their family members and accompanying staff. He wrote a letter to the financial commissioner revenue. ''Respected sir, i am indebted to your goodself for posting me as Tehsildar of important Tehsil and it is my privilege to serve the department under your dynamic and honest leadership. Anandpur sahib, being a world renowned religious place and Nangal Township being a gateway to Bhakra dam, lot many dignitaries visit the area frequently. Lot of money is to be spent to properly look after their boarding and lodging. There is no provision in the govt budget to incur such expenditure. No dignitary has ever paid even a single penny, even after fully knowing that they were not entitled for all the luxuries. So all the money is spent out of the fleecing of the innocent citizenry, in other words called' bribe money'. The area being very poor, even we fall short of this money, which is forcing us to resort to borrowing and getting things on credit. The income is much less than the expenditure. Sir, it is, therefore, requested that either the expenses must be borne by the govt or i may be transferred to some other Tehsil''. Financial Commissioner Revenue was about to mark the letter down without reading it, but it was written 'very very important' at its top in red ink. He was not impressed at the brazen impudent straightforwardness of the officer. He asked about the vacancy position of Tehsildars and immediately posted him as' Principal Patwar school Jalandhar'. My friend rued his tactlessness as long as he was in service as he had to languish as Principal for about 2 years, before he could get back lucrative post. The system has not changed a bit.
Surinderjit Singh Sandhu, Amritsar.

It was a tight slap to India by China after last month's bloody suicide-bombing in Pulwama by Pakistan, its dirty ally. The global terrorist Azhar Masood continues to have a free run in Pakistan.
The Security Council is ineffective in thwarting China's nefarious designs and in enforcing UN sanctions. Manifestation of dragon’s expansionist policy. The US, USSR, UK, France and other like-minded nations must jointly cripple China economically by boycotting all Chinese goods.
India, on its own, is incapable of taking on China. Thanks to its candyfloss foreign policy.
Desh-bhakt indians feeling humiliated, demoralised, outraged. Let the Desh-drohi Nehru-Gandhi-Vadra dynasty and their cheerleaders remain ecstatic at our dis-comfiture.
China remains India’s enemy no 1, not the impoverished Pakistan. Hindi-Cheeni bhai-bhai slogan,coined by Pt Nehru emboldened China to annex Tibet followed by unauthorizedly occupying of one lakh sq miles of Indian territory (Aksai Chin) from India during 1962 debacle. Nehru’s magnanimity in relinquishing permanent membership of UNSC in favour of China, made India the object of international derision.
PM Modi must rise to the occasion, forget vote-bank politics and focus on national security. Representing 130 crores indians,he must deal with China on one-on-one basis by rapidly building its own economic and military prowess.
The Tibetan and Uyeghar populations of China are ready to join the movements by the persecuted Baluchis, Sindhis and Pakhtoons of Pakistan for independence.
The lobbies supporting recognition of nationalist China must wake up.China must have the taste of terrorism. Now, the belligerent Pakistan’s latest wish is to name “ Kartarpur Sahib “ as “ Capital of Khalistan” and the station as “ Kartarpur Railway station “.
How willingly we fell prey to Imran’s googly.No time for de-escalation of tension by India. We must escalate before the situation goes out of spin. Attack, Mr Prime minister. Don't talk of peace
A K Saxena ( A former civil servant)

So China has once again blocked the proposal to ban Masood Azhar and his outfit in the UN Security Council. This is the fourth time it has done this. Obviously at the request of its all-time friend Pakistan which China relies upon for expanding its economic power as well as its hegemony across the globe. This also exposes Imran Khan's duplicity in suggesting dialogue and maintaining peace between the two neighbours. Or may be he is helpless before his rogue army who want to continue with their proxy war with India. They are surviving on Indo-Pak Conflict and do not want to become less powerful .So the first task for Imran Khan is to convince his military of his so-called peace initiatives.
Aarti Khosla