murali772's blog

DAKSH (a registered civil society organization committed to enhancing citizens’ engagement with issues of democracy, governance, and equity) undertook a review of democracy and governance in Karnataka, as a way for a citizen’s group to engage with the democratic structures and processes at a state level.

Mining, like defence contracts, is prone to corruption. Extracting resources from the ground does not lend itself to the usual rules of competition. A mine is a natural monopoly and the state, which gives the right to mining, is also a monopoly. The two come together in the backroom and you get crony capitalism. What is the answer?

Growth accelerated with tentative reforms in 1980, and shot up to 9% after reforms deepened in the current decade. How much lower would infant mortality, illiteracy and poverty have been had India commenced reform a decade earlier, and enjoyed correspondingly faster growth and human development?

Here's a peace of information for commuters who are used to that `blind wait' - without a clue on the arrival or departure schedule - for BMTC buses. Keonics in association with Siemens Information Systems is running a pilot project for BMTC to introduce global positioning system (GPS) devices on its fleet.

The Mysore City Corporation (MCC), which has privatised solid waste management in 48 wards of the 65 wards in the city, has bagged the Icon City award for best solid waste management. The award has been instituted by the Centre for Quality Management System, Jadhavpur University, Kolkata.

Even after Home Minister V S Acharya had recently explained the formation of the Police Establishment Board (PEB) to ensure that transfers are done without “external’’ pressure’’, there seems to be no end to political interference.

The 20km long Calcutta Metro Railway completes its 25 years next month, unwept, unhonoured and unsung. It has never had a derailment, no fatality or no structural collapses. It carries 4.2 lakh passengers a day that is three times of the Delhi Metro which is more than thrice as long. It is faster too.

The following is the letter addressed to Shri Prem C Jain, Chairman, IGBC (Indian Green Building Council), CII – Sohrabji Godrej Green Building Centre, Hyderabad, by Jaigopal.G.Rao, Principal Designer and Managing partner of ‘Inspiration’ (www.inspire-india.com), and an architect by training.