Showing posts with label UPA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UPA. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Raj of the satraps

The elections this year is seeing a trend' parties vying for larger pie shun pre-poll alliances

The eleventh Lok Sabha was a defining moment for Indian politics. Despite emerging as the single largest party with 161 seats in 1996, BJP could not prove its majority. Who can forget images of Pramod Mahajan talking simultaneously on two mobiles, claiming confidently of having the required numbers? They were all false claims, as BJP simply did not have allies that could help it reach the magic figure. During the next two years, the party worked hard on stitching alliances. That heralded the era of coalition politics, which necessitated pre-poll alliances.

BJP again forgot this lesson in 2004, when it entered the elections with only five allies. The Congress by then had learnt from its past mistakes. Party Chief, Sonia Gandhi, quietly buried her party’s Panchmarhi resolution to fight all elections on its own and have no alliances. She personally visited regional satraps like Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan, and forfeited own seats to have pre-poll alliance with their parties.

Cut to 2009: Both NDA and UPA are devoid of partners. Barring NCP, DMK and JMM, all UPA constituents are contesting against 'big brother' Congress. They were apparently irked by Congress’s political posturing refusing a national alliance and restricting itself to state-level alliances only. That put paid to ambitions of allies like the NCP to grow outside Maharashtra and of Samajwadi Party to grow out of UP.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
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The UPA has provided little more than lip service

India’s education system, be it the primary level or higher education, remains in shambles, the UPA has provided little more than lip service, says ANIL PANDEY

Out of the total budget allocated to the ambitious Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Mid Day Meal schemes, 70% is being paid from the education cess. To make education a fundamental right, a bill has been unsuccessfully presented six times in the Parliament during this government’s tenure. Dr. Ramakant Rai, Convenor, National Coalition for Education reasons with B&E, “Had this Bill been passed, then the government and administration would have been answerable to a lot of questions.”

Even in higher education, the UPA had made a lot of announcements, but just on paper. As per the Eleventh Five Year Plan, opening of 15 new universities, six new IIMs, eight new IITs, five new Indian Institutes of Science, Education and Research and two new SPAs was announced. But, in most cases, the government has not been able to even acquire the land. Interestingly, most of the higher education institutions have been opened in Madhya Pradesh. Of course, it’s just a coincidence that out HRD Minister, Arjun Singh hails from that state! Professor Praveen Jha of Jawaharlal Nehru University told B&E, “Neither the required infrastructure is in place nor are there enough teachers. In such a scenario, what’s the use of these institutions?” Even the Yashpal Committee, while criticising UGC and the government, has questioned the rationale behind setting up such institutions without the infrastructure. Also, there has been a substantial increase in the fees of the universities during the UPA tenure. Almost one and a half years ago, the National Assessment Councils report claimed that the quality of education in 90% colleges and 68% universities is of medium to very low levels. This goes to show that the quantity is improving but not the quality.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
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