Indian cities today are a prime example of haphazard, unplanned growth. The local planning bodies and councils are hotbeds for corruption. Local governments are weak, and have little say or budgets to play with. We have millions of people living in "illegal" slums and other unauthorized housing developments. One reality of modernizing India is that our cities are amongst the ugliest in the world.
In many cases, large number of "planned" and approved dwellings have cropped up, without adequate provisions for the traffic and connecting roads, schools, parks and other such public spaces. In some cities, there is a strong nexus between the developers and politicians. IAS officers, who have no professional qualifications in Urban Planning, take major decisions in various local bodies. PWD has a very corrupt way of developing public buildings and roads.
1. We basically have one qualified urban planner per 100,000 urbanites, and these people are not in a decision making roles they deserve to be in. Further, the quality of our manpower in this field does not compare very well with the international levels.
2. We need to have a system where only professionally qualified people are given the decision making planning roles in the urban bodies. Further, number of such professionals needs to be increased at least ten-fold, i.e., one planner per 10,000 people.
3. With the RTI act, we need to make the tender process more transparent, and have more involvement from the civic society. Further, we need local residents to have more say in an appraisal process for the technocrats. (e.g. we could have a system so that if >50% of the residents show dissatisfaction with the quality of a recently constructed road, the engineer/contractor in charge of the project automatically get investigated). Similarly, contracts for other civic work could be allocated/renewed based on a direct appraisal by the people.
4. Cities should develop master plans for projected growths in next few decades, and develop zones in accordance with the international standards.
5. For instance, waste collection for cities can be done more enthusiastically, if the people doing it were really interested in getting more waste processed. If, for example, all the rag-pickers of Mumbai were to form a co-operative organization, which had a facility to process waste using some more advanced machinery, and then take all the things such as paper, plastic and metal which could be salvaged to earn money, and leave all the bio-degradable waste to be recycled to create biogas or fertilizer, it is likely to work more effectively than the waste collection services run by the BMC (Greater Mumbai's Municipal Council).
Housing for Urban Poor
Urban Poor constitute about 25% of total urban population, and the absolute numbers are expected to be around 80 million (Source UNDP) , or roughly 20 M households. Poorly planned urbanization has meant that they live in slums. If proper urban planning is done, and land acquired for housing for the poor, then it is the question of achieving the goal of providing a bare minimum level of a dwelling unit with water and electricity supply, and proper sewage to these households at the lowest possible cost. The preparatory investment required to do so, is of course huge, but we immediately see the dividends in terms of better sanitation (less disease), more revenue from regularized electricity supplies etc.
If the government can subsidize and encourage investments in cheaper housing technology, (recycling old shipping containers, bamboo or plastics based prefab materials, or whatever), and we can get cost of a house down to 100,000 rupees, we would need to spend about 2 Trillion Rupees (40 Billion Dollars).
Think about it, its do-able.
A one-off investment that erases the blots from our urban scenery, and some continued investment (with hopefully better urban planning in the future) , for creating such new houses as per the future needs.
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
7 Agricultural Markets
Roughly 60% of India’s households depend on agriculture.
Any reform which improves efficiency and liquidity of the agricultural commodities markets will improve the lives of the largest chunk of Indian populations.
Since the Sixties, the agri commodity markets have had a very high level of Government intervention. While the intentions of some of these actions might have been honorable and good, (and at other times populist), they have failed to achieve the desired goals. Agriculture today is the most repressed sector of Indian economy, burdened by the red-tape and restrictions at every level. A large number of farmers have been committing suicide recently.
Restrictions and ceiling on land ownerships have resulted in very small and unsustainable farms. Additionally, lack of an efficient distribution system, and transport infrastructure means that farmers are compelled to grow basic foodgrains to feed their families, even when inefficient, rather than perhaps growing a cash crop and then buying the foodgrains, had they been cheaply available in the remote villages.
How can we change things?
0. Improve water management (see Item 6) - too many farmers in India are dependent upon the monsoon.
1. Reduce the role of the government.
2. Liberalise the markets fully, encouraging various derivative products to reduce risks. This will also encourage more investments in storage facilities, to benefit from the calendar spreads of spot and future prices, thus reducing the large amount of wastage.
3. Government should merely play the role of a regulator in the market, keeping a tab on bad market practices.
4. Use IT/Telecom solutions to provide maximum information and price transparency to the farmers.
5. Encourage private investment in retail sector - this shall promote more efficiency in the supply chain.
Any reform which improves efficiency and liquidity of the agricultural commodities markets will improve the lives of the largest chunk of Indian populations.
Since the Sixties, the agri commodity markets have had a very high level of Government intervention. While the intentions of some of these actions might have been honorable and good, (and at other times populist), they have failed to achieve the desired goals. Agriculture today is the most repressed sector of Indian economy, burdened by the red-tape and restrictions at every level. A large number of farmers have been committing suicide recently.
Restrictions and ceiling on land ownerships have resulted in very small and unsustainable farms. Additionally, lack of an efficient distribution system, and transport infrastructure means that farmers are compelled to grow basic foodgrains to feed their families, even when inefficient, rather than perhaps growing a cash crop and then buying the foodgrains, had they been cheaply available in the remote villages.
How can we change things?
0. Improve water management (see Item 6) - too many farmers in India are dependent upon the monsoon.
1. Reduce the role of the government.
2. Liberalise the markets fully, encouraging various derivative products to reduce risks. This will also encourage more investments in storage facilities, to benefit from the calendar spreads of spot and future prices, thus reducing the large amount of wastage.
3. Government should merely play the role of a regulator in the market, keeping a tab on bad market practices.
4. Use IT/Telecom solutions to provide maximum information and price transparency to the farmers.
5. Encourage private investment in retail sector - this shall promote more efficiency in the supply chain.
6. Water Management
As I type this, there are floods in Assam, and there's a drought in some other parts of India.
And this seems to happen every year.
India has seasonal rains, 60% of the population is dependent on Agriculture, and that largely depends on the Monsoons.
We have already seen serious intra-state disputes between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over Kaveri water. With growing population, water will become a more precious commodity in near future, and this would only grow and potentially constitute a serious threat to national security if we continue to neglect it.
Now, I am not necessarily talking about grand man-made rivers or canals running all the way from Assam and North Bihar to Rajasthan and Gujrat. (These could also be considered, but after careful ecological impact studies).
At least we could address the issue of the same place facing water shortages and then floods within a span of a few months? (E.g. Mumbai, till late Jun 2009 was facing water shortages, and got flooded after the monsoons arrived)
Why cannot we invest a small amount in local storage solutions to at least deal with that?
(Added Aug 2009) - Now, we simultaneously have both floods in North Bihar, and Draught in the south parts of the same state!
Bihar's plain is divided into two unequal halves by the river Ganga that flows through the middle from the west to the east into the Bay of Bengal. The topography of the state slopes from north to the south and the monsoon rains flood all the eight rivers of the north Bihar that flows down from Nepal to meet the Ganges in the south. As a result 15 districts in north and central Bihar remains water logged. The floods affect about 56.5 per cent people of the state every year. If North Bihar remains under the grip of floods, south and central Bihar falls under the rain shadow area. There are 10-12 districts that face draught like situation due to inadequate rains. The draught and rain creates water management challenges and needs to be addressed for agricultural development of the state.
Clearly, there has to be a solution to this annual ritual? If our capable engineers can build a large storage for the excess water in the north of the state, and then a canal to pump it to the south, and maybe to other nearby states such as MP, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh
And this seems to happen every year.
India has seasonal rains, 60% of the population is dependent on Agriculture, and that largely depends on the Monsoons.
We have already seen serious intra-state disputes between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over Kaveri water. With growing population, water will become a more precious commodity in near future, and this would only grow and potentially constitute a serious threat to national security if we continue to neglect it.
Now, I am not necessarily talking about grand man-made rivers or canals running all the way from Assam and North Bihar to Rajasthan and Gujrat. (These could also be considered, but after careful ecological impact studies).
At least we could address the issue of the same place facing water shortages and then floods within a span of a few months? (E.g. Mumbai, till late Jun 2009 was facing water shortages, and got flooded after the monsoons arrived)
Why cannot we invest a small amount in local storage solutions to at least deal with that?
(Added Aug 2009) - Now, we simultaneously have both floods in North Bihar, and Draught in the south parts of the same state!
Bihar's plain is divided into two unequal halves by the river Ganga that flows through the middle from the west to the east into the Bay of Bengal. The topography of the state slopes from north to the south and the monsoon rains flood all the eight rivers of the north Bihar that flows down from Nepal to meet the Ganges in the south. As a result 15 districts in north and central Bihar remains water logged. The floods affect about 56.5 per cent people of the state every year. If North Bihar remains under the grip of floods, south and central Bihar falls under the rain shadow area. There are 10-12 districts that face draught like situation due to inadequate rains. The draught and rain creates water management challenges and needs to be addressed for agricultural development of the state.
Clearly, there has to be a solution to this annual ritual? If our capable engineers can build a large storage for the excess water in the north of the state, and then a canal to pump it to the south, and maybe to other nearby states such as MP, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh
Saturday, 16 May 2009
5. Education
We Indians like to think we are doing great on Education.
On the higher end, this might be true - our best are the best of the world.
On the lower end, we need to hide our heads in SHAME. Our lowest are similar, and sometimes lower to sub Saharan africa.
Various studies show that increase in literacy of the workforce has a very high positive correlation with the GDP.
We in India need to provide basic education to all our citizens, PERIOD. It can at least start with a system of free channels showing high quality teaching material for schools which is telecast nationally. Even a kid in a village from the lousiest school with the perennially absent teacher can at least learn something good.
Since government run Primary schools have not delivered, (apart from the Kendriya Vidyalayas etc), maybe we should look at the option of public-private partnership model in education sector.
For example, maybe it is time we explore a coupon based delivery model for welfare services.
1. Every kid from poor background gets a "education card" which can only be used to pay school fees, and towards other educational expenses. Government tops up some fixed amount on this card every year.
2. Trusts, companies or NGO's could be awarded the contract to run government schools. They can charge freely from the pupils who can afford, and the poorer kids pay via their cards.
This shall ensure their is an incentive for the schools to perform well, and attract more students, as they get paid more.
What we save from any administrative waste avoided, must be spent on education and healthcare for the citizens of India.
Spending on education also comes with other related reforms, of course. We need to make all our universities truly autonomous and free from political interference.
This does involve the question of merit and reservations, and in the long term, the task of social engineering should best be dealt by the government, not the academia. In an increasingly global market for skills and education, our universities cannot afford to debase their entry requirements.
On the higher end, this might be true - our best are the best of the world.
On the lower end, we need to hide our heads in SHAME. Our lowest are similar, and sometimes lower to sub Saharan africa.
Various studies show that increase in literacy of the workforce has a very high positive correlation with the GDP.
We in India need to provide basic education to all our citizens, PERIOD. It can at least start with a system of free channels showing high quality teaching material for schools which is telecast nationally. Even a kid in a village from the lousiest school with the perennially absent teacher can at least learn something good.
Since government run Primary schools have not delivered, (apart from the Kendriya Vidyalayas etc), maybe we should look at the option of public-private partnership model in education sector.
For example, maybe it is time we explore a coupon based delivery model for welfare services.
1. Every kid from poor background gets a "education card" which can only be used to pay school fees, and towards other educational expenses. Government tops up some fixed amount on this card every year.
2. Trusts, companies or NGO's could be awarded the contract to run government schools. They can charge freely from the pupils who can afford, and the poorer kids pay via their cards.
This shall ensure their is an incentive for the schools to perform well, and attract more students, as they get paid more.
What we save from any administrative waste avoided, must be spent on education and healthcare for the citizens of India.
Spending on education also comes with other related reforms, of course. We need to make all our universities truly autonomous and free from political interference.
This does involve the question of merit and reservations, and in the long term, the task of social engineering should best be dealt by the government, not the academia. In an increasingly global market for skills and education, our universities cannot afford to debase their entry requirements.
4. e-Governance (in Indian Languages)
This is related to the administrative reforms. Lets say I need to travel,
A . I have to buy a train ticket, I go to the reservation centre, stand up in the queue for an hour, and buy the ticket.
OR,
B. I go to the Indian railways website, figure out the best journey option, and buy the ticket.
A involves wastage of my time, and a waste of time for the railways. Clearly, B is more efficient. However, despite our claims of being the "IT Superpower" of the world, we Indians actually have pathetic statistics when it comes to IT penetration within our own country. (Side-note: YES, I know that Indian Railways has a website where you can book tickets, but it is almost always too busy, we still have long queues outside the reservation centers)
It's al-right to earn money fixing the IT system for Canadian railways, or automating the system for Timbuktu railways, but our society will only change when IT becomes an agent of change inside India.
IT need not be an "export only" item. If we can help systems in South Africa and earn Dollars from that, maybe its time we also change systems in India, and earn rupees out of it.
Our expertise in English language has helped us develop IT based industry in India that serves the rest of the world.
To serve India, we need to talk in the Indian languages, and provide solutions in the languages the majority understands. Before our readers start dismissing this as impossible, I'd urge them to see various open-source translation efforts. (and maybe contribute to the ones ) For bulk of the work we need to to provide to the masses, we dont need expensive technology, this could be very inclusive open-source software based solution.
A . I have to buy a train ticket, I go to the reservation centre, stand up in the queue for an hour, and buy the ticket.
OR,
B. I go to the Indian railways website, figure out the best journey option, and buy the ticket.
A involves wastage of my time, and a waste of time for the railways. Clearly, B is more efficient. However, despite our claims of being the "IT Superpower" of the world, we Indians actually have pathetic statistics when it comes to IT penetration within our own country. (Side-note: YES, I know that Indian Railways has a website where you can book tickets, but it is almost always too busy, we still have long queues outside the reservation centers)
It's al-right to earn money fixing the IT system for Canadian railways, or automating the system for Timbuktu railways, but our society will only change when IT becomes an agent of change inside India.
IT need not be an "export only" item. If we can help systems in South Africa and earn Dollars from that, maybe its time we also change systems in India, and earn rupees out of it.
Our expertise in English language has helped us develop IT based industry in India that serves the rest of the world.
To serve India, we need to talk in the Indian languages, and provide solutions in the languages the majority understands. Before our readers start dismissing this as impossible, I'd urge them to see various open-source translation efforts. (and maybe contribute to the ones ) For bulk of the work we need to to provide to the masses, we dont need expensive technology, this could be very inclusive open-source software based solution.
3. Adminstrative Reforms
Administrative procedures in India today are a legacy of the British Raj.
The British were not very trusting of the natives, and hence created procedures that tended to err towards the side of caution. A fair idea, but carried too far.
In UK today, you fill in a form, sign a declaration, and that is the end of it. If you lie, law will take its course and punish you. For a vast majority of law abiding citizens, this is fine.
In India today, when you fill in a form, (you have to submit it in triplicate, and not in red ink) you are treated with suspicion carried out from the colonial times. So, you have to submit 5 other signed and attested documents merely to support who you claim you are. Land records and other such things in India are hopelessly complicated due to the lack of the use of IT.
Pre 1947, A White British ICS officer did not trust the natives.
Post 1947, a Brown Indian IAS officer does not trust his own countrymen.
For a vast number of poorer people, independence of the country has made little difference, its just that Gora Sahibs have been replaced by the Brown Sahibs. The attitude of the police officers and bureaucrats in dealing with their own countrymen carry an attitude and an air of colonial arrogance, instead of public servants whose salaries are paid by the tax payer.
We cannot change attitudes of hardened bureaucrats overnight, what can be changed (and vastly simplified) are the procedures so that such arrogance and lethargy in dealing with citizen's concerns is punished.
So, here's the idea:
1. All citizens, who eventually are the customers here, paying the taxes that run the administration, have some ID.
2. All administrative staff have a workflow based system, each case they come across is registered on some central computer system. Any slippage is tracked and flagged.
3. The Administrative staff have a bonus based incentive to resolve more cases, and are punished in career progress for failing to resolve outstanding issues.
The British were not very trusting of the natives, and hence created procedures that tended to err towards the side of caution. A fair idea, but carried too far.
In UK today, you fill in a form, sign a declaration, and that is the end of it. If you lie, law will take its course and punish you. For a vast majority of law abiding citizens, this is fine.
In India today, when you fill in a form, (you have to submit it in triplicate, and not in red ink) you are treated with suspicion carried out from the colonial times. So, you have to submit 5 other signed and attested documents merely to support who you claim you are. Land records and other such things in India are hopelessly complicated due to the lack of the use of IT.
Pre 1947, A White British ICS officer did not trust the natives.
Post 1947, a Brown Indian IAS officer does not trust his own countrymen.
For a vast number of poorer people, independence of the country has made little difference, its just that Gora Sahibs have been replaced by the Brown Sahibs. The attitude of the police officers and bureaucrats in dealing with their own countrymen carry an attitude and an air of colonial arrogance, instead of public servants whose salaries are paid by the tax payer.
We cannot change attitudes of hardened bureaucrats overnight, what can be changed (and vastly simplified) are the procedures so that such arrogance and lethargy in dealing with citizen's concerns is punished.
So, here's the idea:
1. All citizens, who eventually are the customers here, paying the taxes that run the administration, have some ID.
2. All administrative staff have a workflow based system, each case they come across is registered on some central computer system. Any slippage is tracked and flagged.
3. The Administrative staff have a bonus based incentive to resolve more cases, and are punished in career progress for failing to resolve outstanding issues.
2. Citizen Database
This is linked to everything else, and a pre-requisite for everything else.
Currently, Identity and address of a person is difficult to establish and prove. This hampers distribution of welfare at the lowest levels, and access to credit at at the middle class levels.
We can spend more of education and social welfare without raising taxes only if we can reduce the wasteful expenditure on administration.
We can only reduce expense on administration if we can computerize it to a workflow based system. (See Administrative reforms)
And that, could only be achieved if we have some common way to identify a person electronically.
There needs to be a common ID which becomes the common citizen ID in India. (Yes, we do have voter ID, but not everyone votes; we do have PAN Card, but not everyone is a Tax Payer; We do have a passport ID, but not everyone is a passport holder)
This common ID can then be used to simplify the Judicial and Adminstrative tasks enormously.
(Added Aug 2009) I am very happy to note that Nandan Nilekani is now heading a Unique ID project for India, hope he reforms the way the babus in India treat the "natives".
Currently, Identity and address of a person is difficult to establish and prove. This hampers distribution of welfare at the lowest levels, and access to credit at at the middle class levels.
We can spend more of education and social welfare without raising taxes only if we can reduce the wasteful expenditure on administration.
We can only reduce expense on administration if we can computerize it to a workflow based system. (See Administrative reforms)
And that, could only be achieved if we have some common way to identify a person electronically.
There needs to be a common ID which becomes the common citizen ID in India. (Yes, we do have voter ID, but not everyone votes; we do have PAN Card, but not everyone is a Tax Payer; We do have a passport ID, but not everyone is a passport holder)
This common ID can then be used to simplify the Judicial and Adminstrative tasks enormously.
(Added Aug 2009) I am very happy to note that Nandan Nilekani is now heading a Unique ID project for India, hope he reforms the way the babus in India treat the "natives".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)