|
|
|
|
|
Growth vs inflation
Chaos around schools
|
|
|
Right to hawk
Crop diversification problem
When a flight got cancelled
A fascinating mélange for you
Shoot-ing range
Advantage love
|
Growth vs inflation
THE
RBI on Friday cut the repo rate — the rate at which the central bank lends money to banks — by 0.25 per cent. It projected a GDP growth rate of 5.7 per cent for the current fiscal which is lower than the government's estimate of 6.1 per cent to 6.7 per cent. A monetary policy review takes a call on growth and inflation. Though expected, the small repo rate cut offers a limited help to push growth. If banks pass on the benefit to customers, loans for buying houses, cars and consumer durables would get slightly cheaper. The apex bank does not want to increase money supply sharply as it fuels consumption, which drives up prices and imports. The RBI objects to unabated government spending, which has led to high current account and fiscal deficits. After crude and gold prices fell by 10 per cent in the past one month, it was hoped the RBI would give growth a bigger push by making loans cheaper. Besides, inflation has moderated. The RBI's own forecast of inflation for the current year at 5.5 per cent is in the acceptable range. But food inflation is still high. That is why the central bank continues to adopt a hawkish approach, emphasising "monetary policy cannot afford to lower its guard against the possibility of resurgence of inflationary pressures". The government, representatives of industry, investors, loan takers and pro-growth analysts all exert pressure on the RBI to take steps to bring down interest rates. However, the RBI passes the onus of growth on the government, demanding better governance, quick policy decisions, removal of supply-side bottlenecks and higher public investment. On its part, the government has improved its finances by cutting subsidies and easing foreign capital inflows. What has really helped the government is the continuous decline in the prices of commodities, especially oil, and the forecast of a normal monsoon. This led to a sharp rally in stock markets in the recent days. But the RBI's tepid response on Friday seems to have taken the steam out of it.
|
|
Chaos around schools
Traffic snarl-ups and congestion on the roads is a reality most Indians living in urban India are only painfully aware of. Sadly often, even a simple pleasurable activity like dropping and picking up children from schools can become a nightmare.
The Tribune survey aptly brought out the traffic chaos prevailing around schools in the Tricity. While The Tribune series focused on Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, the reality in other cities in India is no different or better. In and around Chandigarh, traffic jams outside schools are an everyday occurrence. This despite the fact that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had issued detailed directions as far back as in 1995 and laid the responsibility of management of traffic near the school premises right at the doorsteps of the school authorities. Yet at best schools take up limited responsibility and the Chandigarh administration too does precious little except indulge in blame game. Parents who claim to suffer the most are often found to be flouting the guidelines, the one-way traffic rule in particular. No doubt, the police, especially the traffic police, and the administration can play a crucial part in the smooth flow of traffic but it would be implausible, if not ludicrous, to suggest or assume that they can be around each school. Clearly, the school authorities need to be proactive and those which have enough space must allow vehicles to come inside the schools during opening and closing hours as some schools in Pune have done. Parents need to explore simple options like car pool and parking the vehicle a little distance away from the bottleneck point. Besides, there is need for urban India — that invariably looks at the West for inspiration — to follow pragmatic concepts like neighbourhood schools. On the surface, in a country where thousands die in road accidents, the problem of traffic congestion might not seem serious enough. But given the rising incidents of road rage in the country, there is an urgent need to mitigate the problem before it snowballs into something graver than mere inconvenience. Hazards of traffic congestion can be underplayed only at the cost of safety. |
|
|
Right to hawk
YOU
need a quick bite, just step out of your home, call out to the hawker at the street corner, and you have an instant plate of somosa and steaming chana rustled up for you! On the other hand, if you are hungry because you have no money, you can spread a mat just about anywhere and sell anything from peanuts to porn, and by the evening you may have enough cash to declare you are in business. That’s the vendor industry that thrives in the country and has fascinated many a foreign tourist, even if the samosa may give him a Delhi belly or he may be swindled of a tidy sum for a fake watch. The colour and vibrancy — and the pitfalls — of this industry are set to change. The Cabinet has approved a revised Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, which seeks to lay down procedures for mandatory registration of all vendors by panels set up for the purpose under each civic body. Members of the panel will include vendors’ representatives. Unlike other regulation moves, the vendors are not complaining. That is because in the absence of overarching guidelines, local bodies often put in place arbitrary regulatory orders, which give civic officials and policemen a handle to harass anyone plying his wares. The new law limits the number of vendors in an area to 2.5 per cent of the population there. That means there is scope for 4.5 lakh hawkers in Mumbai; at present the city has 2.5 lakh. And with licences and identity cards, you will have relatively greater confidence in the goods you buy even if there is no bill or after-sale assurance. The concept, however, may be undermined by our officialdom adept at perversely turning any initiative into a money-spinning racket. The word licence, after all, doesn’t
have a nice ring to it. The question is: Will peanuts bought from an organised system in a hitherto disorganised sector taste still the same?
|
|
|
You can never plan the future by the past. — Edmund Burke
|
Crop diversification problem THE solution to the agricultural diversification problem lies more in a rational agricultural policy than in technologies that are available from the agricultural research system of the country. Unfortunately, the input and output price structure of agricultural commodities has been distorted so much through time that today the cost of production of these commodities does not reflect their economic cost.
As a result, production patterns have gone out of alignment with the real input cost structure as well as consumption patterns in the country. Some commodities like wheat and rice are being produced more than the national capacity to manage the stocks excess of consumer demand. On the other hand, the production of commodities like oilseeds and pulses falls short of consumer demand and these commodities have to be imported at a huge cost annually. Apart from getting production patterns out of alignment with consumption patterns, this has resulted in tremendous drain on the scarce productive resources like underground water leading to the fast deteriorating water balance, besides unbearable stress on the agricultural ecology. It is unfortunate that in spite of available alternatives that can compete well with the wheat and rice crop rotation in terms of profitability based on the economic cost of production of these crops, the blame is placed almost totally on the lack of market clearance at a remunerative price and the lack of post-harvest value addition in respect of replacement crops. These are knowingly or unknowingly being used as alibis to ignore the policy aspects of the problem. Taking the case of rice production in Punjab, there are two categories of costs: one incurred by farmers (individual costs) and the other by the state and society (social costs). The individual cost is estimated through the cost of production estimates by the universities and research centres. The average costs of production so estimated for about 24 agricultural commodities are used by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) in the determination of minimum support prices (MSP). But social costs are totally ignored and are not accounted for in any manner. As a consequence, farmers do not gain from free power and water supply and other subsidies on the inputs. The benefit of these subsidies flows straight to the consumers by way of corresponding lower issue prices. The farmers serve as a sort of conduit only between the state and the final consumers without any benefit flowing to them. For the major crops of wheat and rice produced in Punjab and Haryana, the consumers are in large part outside the state. This simply amounts to these two states subsidising the consumers, especially of deficit states, not their own farmers. One wonders, why the policy makers of Punjab and Haryana are not able understand or not willing to understand this simple proposition. Since the social costs are no burden on the farmers, although they do not benefit from the largesse, they find these crops comparatively more remunerative under the extent system of market clearance, where in pressure groups and vote bank politics keeps pushing for higher and higher output prices. Often even procurement standards are compromised under these pressures. The system is economically and environmentally unsustainable. If allowed to continue, diversification so much talked about will remain the subject of table discussions only and it is bound to spell disaster on the economic, social and environmental health of these states sooner than later. In fact, the state of Punjab is already under stress on these aspects and Haryana is not far behind. No doubt, it is an admitted fact that agriculture nowhere in the world can survive without subsidies, yet the type of subsidies and the manner in which these are being delivered to the farmers do not help them in any manner. Unfortunately, farm leaders pressing for higher and higher largesse on these lines do not stop even for a moment to think and analyse whether in reality these benefits flow to the farmers or not! Such types of subsidies can benefit the producers in the competitive free market only and not under the system wherein commodity prices are fixed for government procurement in a major part based on the individual cost of production incurred by the farmers. A lot many reports on this issue have been commissioned by the successive governments of Punjab since 1985. Yet, almost no action was ever taken on any of these reports. In fact, at the level of administration, efforts in this direction were deliberately thwarted on many occasions. Governments seem to be interested more in keeping the experts engaged than taking any action outside the parameter of short-term political banalities. The recent report on diversification submitted by the committee is no different except that due emphasis has not been placed on the much-needed policy prescriptions. As one can gather, central and state experts engaged in discussions with the Punjab government too focused their effort, as expected, on the development and introduction of alternative crops like maize, sugarcane, soybean, fruits, vegetables, high-value crops, animal enterprises, etc. These are not new recommendations. However, the stress on sugarcane is misplaced because according to soil scientists of PAU, evapo-transpiration of this crop is more than that of wheat and rice put together in rotation. Yet, any sensible committee, if asked 100 times, will reiterate these recommendations. In fact, the ball lies in the court of the administration to implement these recommendations. It would be naïve to believe that Rs 200 crore allotted to Punjab for diversification will yield any tangible results. It is a pittance for providing incentives for diversification. This money can be best used only for research on developing new technologies and alternative farm enterprises. But this will yield results after a considerably long time. But the problem is immediate and demands a solution now. Punjab needs a substantial area of at least one million hectare under rice to be replaced by other eco-friendly crops that consume less water in order to maintain the underground water balance in the state. These replacements would not come by pushing the crops that do not effectively compete with a rice-based rotation. If Punjab is genuinely interested in the diversification of its production patterns and at the same time wishes to continue subsidies to the farmers, the one-stroke policy prescription to be followed is to calculate the total subsidy that costs the government in the farm sector, including that on water, power, etc, and transfer this amount or whatever amount the government wishes to pass on to the farmers, direct to the farmers through bank accounts in a focused manner either up to some limit of the farm size or on a graded basis. Then, let the farmers pay the market price for the inputs they use. This will rationalise the decisions of the farmers on production patterns based on the economic costs of production of agricultural commodities. This approach will benefit the farmers direct and subsidies intended to flow the farmers will not leak down to the consumers as is happening today. Further, farmers will get incentivised to save on cost through rational use of inputs by spending lesser than the subsidy they receive. Diversification of production patterns will become self-propelled and there will be a lot of savings on scarce production resources, including water and power (implementation details can be worked out very easily). But the question remains whether the authorities will ever move out of the grooves of their
mindset! The writer is a well-known agricultural economist based in Ludhiana. |
||||
When a flight got cancelled
I
recently travelled to London by Virgin Airline. The few minutes after the plane was taxied to the runway at10 am — the scheduled time — the flight captain announced about a technical snag and requested all the passengers to get off the plane with the promise to resume flight after an hour. One hour was adding hour after hour. About 200 passengers sustained the wait with patience and hope. The handlers periodically faced questions about what was happening. In the absence of clear answers, no food and water, the complaining crowd turned restless, adding anger when two dozens of food packets were just left on a trolley. The packets were grabbed by only a few, leaving the rest hungry and waiting. After waiting for six and a half hours, an officer from the airline announced flight cancellation till the next day, because fixing the problem needed a spare part to be brought from the UK which could come only the next day. He faced the angry crowd with questions, each drowned in the din. The one who shouted the most was only heard and the reply led to counter-questions; everybody shouting and complaining. One lady demanded why she was not informed earlier; she wanted her money back. Another woman was seen calling her travel agent to book her on another flight. The whole drama lasted more than an hour. The airline officer was apologetic, showing much concern. He left after explaining about our overnight stay at a 5-star hotel, and the time for re-scheduled flight will be announced only after 12 noon the next day. The flight cancellation meant the hassle of cancellation of emigration and return of the boarding pass, return of duty-free buys and picking up of baggage, etc. It reminded me of the advice by the travel agent for keeping a change and a tooth brush for such eventualities. The unpredictability prevailed the next day. People assembled in the hotel lobby after a lavish breakfast, complaining with eager wait. One fuming young lady said to a man with grey hair, “It is OK with you as you are retired.” He retorted, “Retired but not tired.” I still work 18 hours a day, reading and writing; writing is a serious business. She looked stumped. One counselled to be patient. Such things do happen, he said. If caught in a traffic jam, there is no choice but to be patient. Some sniggered but others appeared convinced because Delhi traffic jams, frequent power failures, water-logging during heavy rain, etc, have made us tolerant. It was around 2 pm that we were transferred to the airport for the re-scheduled flight. It meant repeating the same process of giving the luggage, emigration and security check. People were less interested in food or in any movie as we resumed our journey. Most went to sleep. Mothers were busy with their children. I mused. Had the airline officials not taken a firm decision and had they succumbed to passengers’ emotional pressure and some technical problem would have happened while taking off or while aboard or when landing, then it could have been disastrous. It is better to be calm in such unforeseen situations than crib, curse or be angry and shout. The airline people, responsible for the safety of the passengers, are already under pressure in such situations. At the end, whatever happens, it is said, needs to be appreciated and what does not happen needs to be appreciated even more because, perhaps, it did not have God’s will. The steward told me while serving tea that the fault was in the generator.n
|
||||
A fascinating mélange for you Four young talented directors, four different stories and one common thread Hindi cinema and its vice-like grip over our lives…that is Bombay Talkies, the film that will be screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and one that pays a solid tribute to Indian cinema.
Indeed, who can deny cinema is our collective consciousness, who can dispute that it plays a dominant role in our lives often deciding our dreams often making our ordinary existence fantastical and invariably taking us beyond the rigmarole of our daily routine into the world of fantasy. So, there it is cinema's all pervasive presence yet not in a language we have got used to watching. In the 100 years of Indian cinema when it's breaking new ground, when it's following new paths and evolving new formulas, none of the four stories fall into a straitjacket. On the contrary these knock down many a stereotype. Not just about what should a film comprise but the fascinating tales also challenge commonly held perceptions and helps us remove blinkers. Be it Karan Johar's short film featuring Rani Mukherji, Randeep Hooda and Saqib Saleem laying bare the issue of homosexuality or Zoya Akhtar's film that brings forth the concept of androgyny and middle class's steadfast refusal to accept it, each section deals with a subject not commonly seen in Hindi films. The sensitivity and prowess of directors in handling their individual themes is more than evident. Without a doubt all four directors have different sensibilities, sensitivities and strengths too. On the surface the stories have nothing in common either. The first story of a young couple whose lives are turned upside down when a gay enters their lives has little to do with the concluding part directed by Anurag Kashyap in which a man from Allahabad lands up in Mumbai for an appointment with none other than Big B to fulfil his father's wish. Similarly, the Dibakar Banerjee section with Nawazuddin at the centre, once again brilliant in his performance, has no thematic similarity with any other part. Yet the film on the whole has an even keel, a tangible as well as intangible common denominator, a harmonious resonance that binds them even if the one by Kashyap does turn a tad monotonous. Dibakar Banerjee's Film Star is undeniably the most compelling part bringing us face to face with aspirations of once theatre actor who rises above his mundane existence in just one brush with stardom when he gets to play a bit part in a film. Zoya's part about a young boy who dreams of becoming a dancer and finds his role model in Katrina Kaif is interesting too and Karan Johar's film, a marked departure from the candyfloss he has been dishing out so far, is riveting and biting. Overall this montage of four different cuts is certainly better than good. Unlike the mindless masala that Bollywood churns out 24 by 7, it is an interface with reality and the delusionary impact of cinema. Though those of you who are looking for paisa wasool cinema it sure isn't one. In a way it may not be 'cinema, cinema' for millions familiar with single and linear narrative style. But if you are ready for heart warming and at the same time unsettling tales cutting across different classes of Indian society for whom cinema is both a refuge and relief, an addiction as well as therapy, go for it. Peppered with nuanced acting and nuanced characters this one that packs much meaning in its many layers is worth its while.
|
|
Shoot-ing range
IT
was his butt act in Dostana that made women go weak in their knees, his oh-so-funny character in Housefull 2 gave audiences hope that if he cannot act, at least he could tickle their funny bone. His perfectly packed body, a perfect model face…actor John Abraham had it all till he hadn't gone to jail. This is where everything changed; from that droopy and puppy-eyed man who was always chasing girls for love, John was bringing down every gangster and policewala alike in Mumbai! Put your hands together for John Abraham or Manohar Arjun Surve of Shootout at Wadala. Directed by Sanjay Gupta, the movie, based on the life of the 80's gangster Manya Surve, is a must-watch for people who want to see their ex-supermodel-turned-actor-producer John Abraham act! Sanjay Gupta, the director who is apparently best with gangsters, has etched each and every character of Shootout At Wadala decently. On top of that, he made John act, John fight and good-looking John to cuss as well! Although after a while you have all sympathies for the Bollywood's good-looking actor and you want to wipe that blood of his face! Another actor-director you couldn't miss is Sanjay Manjrekar. No don't raise your hopes with this one; he is here just for laughs. With cinematography in place, men in place, fighting all over, poor Kangana Ranuat sans her exaggerated pout is lost! Now, this girl seems to have a thing for gangsters, whether it is the movie Gangster or Once Upon A Time In Mumbai, she does what she is supposed to — support the gangster, in this case John Abraham!
|
|
Advantage love
SET
in an economically backward state of Arkansas (where they say "thank God for Mississippi" because it is the last) Mud, which has for its hero a convict, is all about growing up, teenage crushes et al. "Where love has gone" is the central theme as it captures the paucity of that thing called love.
Greatly influenced by Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer in his schooldays, director Jeff Nichols at once establishes the mood of the small town, with a river running through it, and two lively, naughty teenagers Ellis (Tye Shendan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lotland), moving in their motorboat and motorbikes as if the state belonged to them. Mud (Matthew McConnaighy) is the convict, aptly named, a man of strong passions and one not always in control of them. |
||
|
Movies on tv Kabhi Khushi Kabhie
Gham... Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is a drama film written and directed by Karan Johar and produced by his father, Yash Johar, under the banner of Dharma Productions. Written specifically to evoke nostalgia among the expatriate Indian audiences, the film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor in leading roles, with Rani Mukerji appearing in an extended cameo appearance. ZEE CINEMA 7:20AM Elaan10:30AM Badla Naag Ka1:15PM Aankhen 5:00PM Maine Pyar Kiya 9:00PM Hum Saath Saath Hain STAR GOLD 8:50AM Kaalo 10:45AM Action Replayy 1:45PM Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... 6:30PM Hero No. 1 9:00PM Mar Mitenge STAR MOVIES 8:46AM Ice Age: The Meltdown 10:43AM Baby's Day Out 12:24PM Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End 3:33PM The Lost World: Jurassic Park 6:13PM Terminator 2: Judgment Day 9:00PM The Viral Factor 11:31PM Independence Day ZEE ACTION 7:00AM Kaala Bazaar: Underworld 10:30AM Aandhi Toofan 1:30PM Jallaadon Ka Jallaad 5:30PM Bhishma 8:30PM Main Tera Dushman HBO 8:25AM Ghostbusters II 10:35AM Rango 12:50PM The Matrix Reloaded 3:25PM Happy Feet Two 5:20PM Ong Bak 2 7:10PM Hop 9:00PM Due Date 11:19PM Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol ZEE STUDIO 8:00AM Cool Runnings 10:10AM A Lot Like Love 12:30PM TV Products 1:00PM Arachnophobia 3:00PM The Haunted Mansion 4:55PM Loins of Punjab 6:45PM Death Race 8:40PM Shortcut to Happiness 10:30PM King Arthur FILMY 9:00AM Mera Desh Mera Dharam 12:00PM Himmatwala 3:00PM Chachi 420 6:00PM Yahaan 9:30PM Ragini MMS Sunday
May 5 Star movies 10:02AM Independence Day is an American military science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth. The narrative focuses on a disparate group of people who converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4, the same date as the Independence Day holiday in the United States. It was directed by German director Roland Emmerich, who co-wrote the script with producer Dean Devlin. ZEE CINEMA 7:20AM Jannat 10:45AM Dharam Veer 2:15PM Salaakhen 5:40PM Judaai 9:00PM Nayak STAR GOLD 6:00AM Ab Ke Baras 9:10AM Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! 12:00PM Chup Chup Ke 3:50PM Dragon Tiger Gate 5:40PM Waah! Tera Kya Kehna 9:00PM Dangerous Khiladi STAR MOVIES 8:02AM Rio 10:02AM Independence Day 12:30PM The Viral Factor 3:04PM National Treasure: Book of Secrets 5:36PM King Kong 9:00PM Dragonheart 11:11PM Rise of the Planet of the Apes ZEE ACTION 7:00AM Insaaf Ki Awaaz 10:30AM Zindagi Ek Jua 1:30PM Phool Aur Kante 5:30PM Bol Radha Bol 8:30PM Gundaraj HBO 8:35AM Cats & Dogs 10:20AM Hop 12:20PM Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol 3:00PM Due Date 4:50PM Ong Bak 2 6:40PM The Twilight Saga: Eclipse 9:00PM Enemy of the State 11:54PM Shaolin Soccer ZEE STUDIO 8:00AM King Arthur 10:40AM The Haunted Mansion 12:30PM TV Products 1:00PM Sister Act 2:55PM Death Race 5:00PM A Christmas Carol 7:00PM Shortcut to Happiness 8:40PM Scary Movie 4 10:30PM Bedtime Stories FILMY 9:00AM Dil Maange More 12:00PM Pataal Bhairavi 3:00PM No Entry 6:00PM Chori Chori Chupke Chupke 9:30PM Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
|
||
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Moving ahead, Shootout also makes Tusshar Kapoor act. In fact, Tusshar should thank the dialogue-writer Milaap Zaveri for his unabashed lines. Based on the book Dongri to Dubai, the film presents a story, which is believable to quite an extent, with of course the directorial liberties that include shoving down Laila, the song which brings out pornstar Sunny Leone in her original 'big' avatar, and another meaningless number Babli Badmash. If you were to ignore these songs, Shootout At Wadala provides us with good dope on above average acting by seasoned actors like Anil Kapoor. who plays a shootout specialist. He reminded us of his previous film Nayak, where he was out to clean the political system. Talking about gangsters here, actors Manoj Bajpyee and Sonu Sood have done their homework well. 
Director Nichols has a way about introducing the narrative. It's a bits-and-pieces thing which adds to the suspense and we meet the protagonist well into the film. In good time we meet Junniper (Reese Witherspoon), Mud's childhood sweetheart but it looks like "love is not love which alters when it alteration finds." Then there is the enigmatic Tom Blankership (Sam Shepard) who is being referred to as 'assassin' in hushed tones. May be the second half is a tad drawn but that too can be overlooked for the depth of the story is aptly dotted with action and cinematographer Adam Stone goes to town with the visuals. Little Tye Shendan steals the show with an impeccable performance ably supported by Matthew McConnaughy and Jacob Lotland. Reese Witherspoon is wasted in a bit role and Sam Shepard is hardly noticeable in a cameo. Mud is easily one of the best of the new crop of Hollywood films. 
Star gold 1:45PM
Independence Day