M A I L B A G

Inflation: Let the rupee appreciate

How to check inflation has become a major problem for Dr Manmohan Singh’s government. The Reserve Bank of India should immediately initiate measures to let the Indian rupee appreciate against the US dollar and other major currencies by 10 per cent for the period ending December 31, 2004. In this context, the following points are noteworthy:

First, there will be a liberalised exim regime from January, 2005, under the WTO agreement. Consequently, it would be eminently sensible to let the rupee appreciate.

Second, the rupee appreciation will be conducive for economic growth and contain inflation. A possible fall in the prices of petroleum products will act as a catalyst for growth of other sectors of economy.

Third, we can give a big boost to our exports in finished products of gold and silver and leather items. The rising cost of medicines is due to the higher cost of imports of bulk drugs. The rupee appreciation will bring down the prices of medicines as most bulk drugs are imported by pharmaceutical companies. We can also export medicines to countries like Gulf and Africa in a big way.

JOHNSON LALL, Jalandhar

II

I endorse the views in the editorial “Inflation remains the problem” (Sept 14). The inflation rate reaching a high of 8.33 per cent in the week ending August is a matter of serious concern. The present government is in a piquant position as the erstwhile NDA government did take effective measures to keep inflation under check.

Today, it is becoming difficult for most people to make their both ends meet. Where will the common man go if price rise is not checked? Unemployment problem is also not being tackled effectively. Incidentally, the UPA government has given top priority to this issue in the Common Minimum Programme. Things have not improved so far despite the assurances of Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.

K. LAL, Yamunanagar

Mockery of law By appointing MLAs as chairmen of various boards and corporations, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has made a mockery of law. He has granted Cabinet Minister’s rank to two of them which is against the 97th Constitution Amendment. Moreover, as these boards are incurring heavy losses, the Chief Minister should have appointed professionals to improve them. MANDEEP S. KAILEY, Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh

Reforms in IAS

Apropos of V. Eshwar Anand’s article “Grooming for IAS: Reforms must go beyond recruitment” (Sept 11), the P.C. Hota Committee has suggested lowering the age-limit for recruitment to civil services from the present 21-30 to 21-24 years. Interviews of successful candidates in magazines like “Competition Success Review” show that most who clear the civil services are either doctors, engineers or post-graduates. If the age-limit is reduced to 24, how will they get time for a focussed preparation for the exam?

Moreover, preparation for civil services exam is quite different from the one for graduation and post-graduation exams. One has to work hard for an year or so for taking the civil services exam. If the age-limit is lowered to 24, when will they prepare?

Once again it is the general category candidates who will bear the brunt of the new plan, if implemented. Thanks to vote bank politics, the general category is the most oppressed one and the most discriminated against — be it civil services or admission to medical, engineering and B.Ed colleges.

ROHINI BHANOT, Ludhiana

II

Our present system of recruiting civil servants through a written exam and an interview ensures that bright and intelligent candidates are selected for the job. It does not evaluate the other personal traits like honesty, sincerity, morality, compassion, integrity and so on which are very much needed in our administrators.

If the selection for civil services are made out of serving defence officers, then, their performance will improve over the years. They will be far better than the lot we get at present. They will also prove to be better officers.

R.S. GREWAL, Chandigarh

III

The Centre’s proposal for a new recruitment system for civil services with a view to catching the future administrators young seems to be sound. If anyone can ensure successful implementation of civil services reforms, it is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

There is no dearth of brains or people of wisdom in our country. However, what India lacks is people of action, people who need to implement ideas, policies and programmes. No doubt, the proposed reforms are excellent but the question remains: Will these recommendations be actually implemented or just be forgotten after sometime? 

NONA KHANNA, Ludhiana