Haryana can become a truly ideal state

Haryana has come a long way from being a nondescript laggard of the united Punjab days. From being a civilizational, economic and political back-of-the-beyond the state is ranked among the most progressive in the country today.

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 Systemic transformation it ought to be!

Indeed, the entire governmental edifice is crying for renovation. It will take strong political will, statesmanlike vision and unstinted support from the civil society to usher in a systemic change...

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 Stem the rot!

Over a period of time governance seems to have lost steam. The enthusiasm with which institutions were built by the makers of India's constitution and sought to be strengthened by the Nehru regime is on the wane now. In fact, the rot had set in during the later years of Nehru's tenure but it manifest itself in all its ugliness during Indira Gandhi's regime when institutions were not only sought to be marginalized but also subverted with impunity.

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 Realizing the Great Indian Dream: multi-pronged approach needed

Even as the country strides towards economic superpower status it faces several challenges that can be broadly classified into socio-economic and sectarian. Spiraling social unrest, epitomized by Naxalism, caste wars, sub-cultural turmoil and sectarian violence threaten to subvert India’s tryst with destiny. In order to counter these threats effectively there is an urgent need to develop institutions and instruments, not to mention political will.

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 The past, present and future of panchayats

When one considers that, presently, India has about 2,50,000 Panchayati Raj Institutions covering its almost entire rural population one wonders at the spread and history of this phenomenon, which is so unique to our country.

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 Anna's campaign against corruption: Revisiting the elephant-blind men

Is Anna Hazare's campaign going to end up in a blind alley? Or would it open up bright vistas to good governance for the common people of India?

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 Five Year Plans: antiquated or relevant?

Do the Five Year Plans have a role in a globalized Indian economy?

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 Changez Khan, Communications and E-governance

E-governance is inevitable. Therefore it becomes necessary to upgrade various aspects of infrastructure and personnel to make it effective. There is a need for setting up e-bureaucracy that would have all the skills and powers necessary for rendering various services to the citizens of the 21st century India.

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 The Indian girl-child: Fighting for survival in a hostile environment

Religion, in conjunction with economic and other socio-cultural factors, contributes to the degradation of women in the society. Rampant materialism and, now, consumerism, has introduced the practice of dowry even into those communities and castes where it never was a custom. This has made female feticide all the more desirable in the eyes of our patriarchal society as it makes economic sense to individual families. Therefore, female feticide is being practiced as much among the poorer sections of the society as in the upper crust. Even educated and so-called emancipated women are going in for abortions in order to do away with girl-child and have sons only.

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 Upbeat about India!

This Republic Day, some famous young achievers speak out their minds on Brand India...

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 Of sports and Haryana's cultural evolution

Sports, more specifically the Commonwealth Games, have ushered in an era of modernization in Haryana's extremely conservative society. Can this be a template for change in other conservative societies, too?

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 Reconciling traditional ethos with the demands of modernization

Haryanvis have exhibited admirable dynamism while adapting to ultramodern technological progress – including gadgets and techniques in the fields of agriculture, industry as well as services sector. But the social trends present a picture of contradictions.

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 Towards a healthier, more prosperous and egalitarian Haryana

By all accounts the state appears to be aware that the prosperity would endure only if every citizen in the state becomes a stakeholder.

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 Affirmative Actions in Haryana: A Perspective

No matter how good the schemes look on paper there is a need for independent evaluation of their implementation and validation of the results on the ground of such schemes.

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 Affirmative Action: will it deliver the right results?

One of the tragedies of modern India is that most of the well-intentioned measures taken for the public good either fail to take off or somehow get distorted and misused, as tellingly illustrated by the reservation policy.

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 Reflections on the occasion of I Day anniversary

Yet one more Independence Day is being celebrated. India’s tryst with destiny has had to negotiate bumpy roads, detours, roadblocks and various other hazards to enter the present comparatively fruitful phase. Today, India is looked upon as an economic success story with military muscle to protect its interests...

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 Realising the Indian Dream

Aware of the extremely complex social stratification in India, the makers of our constitution made every effort to give it a cast-iron secular character... Identity is essential to an individual for various socio-psychological reasons. But it's not a static concept; it changes as one evolves. Today the traditional caste structure has become irrelevant to the vocation one chooses.

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 Shashi Tharoor: A Rebuttal

Shashi Tharoor had it coming...

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 To Shashi Tharoor with love: Say it ain't so, Joe

The newspapers say that that tomorrow, when Shashi lands in Thiruvananthapuram, a 'rousing reception' is planned; the idea is to give him a hero's welcome.

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 Women in the armed forces

Every year we celebrate the Navratras, commemorating Goddess Durga’s victory over various demons - especially Mahishasura. So, we have mythological as well as real life examples and precedents regarding women soldiers and generals in our society.

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