Making ‘New India’ real

I am in total agreement with your inference that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged unchallenged in the 17th Lok Sabha elections . In his second term, he must focus on translating his dream of making a New India into reality. To do so the Modi government must set Indian economy on the right track . According to an estimate, India’s GDP growth fell to 5.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2018-19 . It was just 2.9% growth rate in our crucial agricultural sector . The growth in core sector output fell to 2.6 per cent . The unemployment record was 6.1 per cent in 2017-18. Private investment is not taking off.
The Government would do well to go beyond populist measures to something concrete for the empowerment of the people. It must make an effective growth model and devise strategies for reducing poverty, spreading education and providing healthcare . The government must make its ‘Make In India’ strategy real . India has a labour surplus. Production can be made less capital-intensive to accommodate more people in the organised sector.
Most importantly, the Modi government must see to it that minorities in our country feel safe. After the results of the 17th Lok Sabha elections were declared, several attacks on minorities have reportedly taken place . It is good that Prime Minister Modi declared that his new government would be inclusive and create confidence among all sections of the people (sab ka saath, sab ka vishwas). He must honour it.

Gyanendra Upadhyaya
Varanasi

Focus on efficiency

Ajit Doval The Modi government has done well to reappoint Ajit Doval as National Security Adviser. Doval has now become the first NSA to get Cabinet status . Previously , he had the stature of a Minister of State (MoS) only. A Cabinet rank will facilitate his strategic interactions with the most senior officials in other nations . He is our Special Representative for boundary talks with China . There had been a mismatch between him and his Chinese counterpart in this dialogue . His Chinese counterpart is a State councillor of Cabinet rank . China had raised discomfort about the mismatch.

S. Jaishankar Our new Foreign Minister is S. Jaishankar. It is believed that Doval and Jaishankar have had differences on various foreign policy issues. In 2016, the latter was our Foreign Secretary. After Chinese dissident Dolkun Isa was granted a visa (later cancelled) to attend a conference in Dharamsala, Jaishankar had shot off a terse letter to Doval asking him to consult the Foreign Ministry on such matters.
Jaishankar may now focus on India’s ties with leading democratic nations. India and Japan are parties to the ‘Quad’ dialogue process that includes Australia and the U.S. Recently, he had a telephonic talk with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono.

Kavya Menon
Cochi

Prasar Bharati

Prakash Javadekar It is heartening to learn that the Government does not intend to tamper with the state broadcaster Prasar Bharati’s autonomy. After launching highdefinition DSNG (Digital Satellite News Gathering) vans at Doordarshan Bhawan in New Delhi last month, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said , “Autonomy of the Prasar Bharati is important and one must remember it gets its autonomy from an Act."

Surya Prakash It was an ugly scenario in the recent past. There was friction between former Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Smirti Irani and the state broadcaster. Prasar Bharati Chairman Surya Prakash rejected certain directives issued by the I&B Ministry. He sought to remind the government that the organisation was an “autonomous” body and deciding on its behalf would amount to the contempt of the Prasar Bharati Act. The Prasar Bharati must remain autonomous . Today there are many channels in the country but DD and AIR command the highest credibility. They have the highest numbers of viewers and listeners too.

Christopher K.
New Delhi

Great expectations

Prakash Javadekar Andhra Pradesh is under a new government led by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. The new government has a four-fifths majority in the Assembly. There are great expectations of it. It has several challenges ahead . The state has sustained high public debt. It reached 28.79% of the State GDP. The previous N. Chandrababu Naiduled Telugu Desam Party government in the state had gone on a populist spree . This aggravated the State’s debt situation. The new government has to control it. The TDP government wanted a grand new capital at Amaravati. The new government needs to scale back the plan and save funds for other purposes . The state needs to focus on industrialisation. The state needs special category status.

K. Pashupathi
Visakhapatnam

Waste plastics

Norway deserves applause for leading a coalition of countries that seek to place trade controls on waste plastics. Plastic is literally choking our oceans today. Most of the plastic enters the sea in developing countries. Europe, the United States, and Canada are said to be dumping millions of tonnes of plastic waste on developing countries . They should better recycle it.

Krishna Chatterjee
Bardhaman



		EDITOR'S MAIL EDITOR'S COMMENT WATER CRISIS FRANKLY SPEAKING GRASSROOTS SUPPORT INDIA & NEIGHBOURS BANK NATIONALIZATION-50 YEARS REALPOLITIK KASHMIR WATCH ANDHRA POLITICS A PERSON OF SUBSTANCE KERALA LEFT MP POLITICS GREAT PLAYWRIGHT & THINKER CHANDIGARH DIARY HITS & MISSES PITIABLE CONDITIONS NOTEBOOK DEATH OF A PRESIDENT AMERICAN WATCH BOOK BAZAAR SIGNS OF THE TIMES A PAGE FROM ANCIENT INDIA REMEMBERING THE HISTORIC DAY ART OF LIVING Issue:June' 2019 Subscribe Now	EDITOR’S MAIL Making ‘New India’ real I am in total agreement with your inference that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged unchallenged in the 17th Lok Sabha elections . In his second term, he must focus on translating his dream of making a New India into reality. To do so the Modi government must set Indian economy on the right track . According to an estimate, India’s GDP growth fell to 5.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2018-19 . It was just 2.9% growth rate in our crucial agricultural sector . The growth in core sector output fell to 2.6 per cent . The unemployment record was 6.1 per cent in 2017-18. Private investment is not taking off. The Government would do well to go beyond populist measures to something concrete for the empowerment of the people. It must make an effective growth model and devise strategies for reducing poverty, spreading education and providing healthcare . The government must make its ‘Make In India’ strategy real . India has a labour surplus. Production can be made less capital-intensive to accommodate more people in the organised sector. Most importantly, the Modi government must see to it that minorities in our country feel safe. After the results of the 17th Lok Sabha elections were declared, several attacks on minorities have reportedly taken place . It is good that Prime Minister Modi declared that his new government would be inclusive and create confidence among all sections of the people (sab ka saath, sab ka vishwas). He must honour it. Gyanendra Upadhyaya Varanasi Focus on efficiency Ajit Doval The Modi government has done well to reappoint Ajit Doval as National Security Adviser. Doval has now become the first NSA to get Cabinet status . Previously , he had the stature of a Minister of State (MoS) only. A Cabinet rank will facilitate his strategic interactions with the most senior officials in other nations . He is our Special Representative for boundary talks with China . There had been a mismatch between him and his Chinese counterpart in this dialogue . His Chinese counterpart is a State councillor of Cabinet rank . China had raised discomfort about the mismatch. S. Jaishankar Our new Foreign Minister is S. Jaishankar. It is believed that Doval and Jaishankar have had differences on various foreign policy issues. In 2016, the latter was our Foreign Secretary. After Chinese dissident Dolkun Isa was granted a visa (later cancelled) to attend a conference in Dharamsala, Jaishankar had shot off a terse letter to Doval asking him to consult the Foreign Ministry on such matters. Jaishankar may now focus on India’s ties with leading democratic nations. India and Japan are parties to the ‘Quad’ dialogue process that includes Australia and the U.S. Recently, he had a telephonic talk with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono. Kavya Menon Cochi Prasar Bharati Prakash Javadekar It is heartening to learn that the Government does not intend to tamper with the state broadcaster Prasar Bharati’s autonomy. After launching highdefinition DSNG (Digital Satellite News Gathering) vans at Doordarshan Bhawan in New Delhi last month, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said , “Autonomy of the Prasar Bharati is important and one must remember it gets its autonomy from an Act." Surya Prakash It was an ugly scenario in the recent past. There was friction between former Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Smirti Irani and the state broadcaster. Prasar Bharati Chairman Surya Prakash rejected certain directives issued by the I&B Ministry. He sought to remind the government that the organisation was an “autonomous” body and deciding on its behalf would amount to the contempt of the Prasar Bharati Act. The Prasar Bharati must remain autonomous . Today there are many channels in the country but DD and AIR command the highest credibility. They have the highest numbers of viewers and listeners too. Christopher K. New Delhi Great expectations Prakash Javadekar Andhra Pradesh is under a new government led by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. The new government has a four-fifths majority in the Assembly. There are great expectations of it. It has several challenges ahead . The state has sustained high public debt. It reached 28.79% of the State GDP. The previous N. Chandrababu Naiduled Telugu Desam Party government in the state had gone on a populist spree . This aggravated the State’s debt situation. The new government has to control it. The TDP government wanted a grand new capital at Amaravati. The new government needs to scale back the plan and save funds for other purposes . The state needs to focus on industrialisation. The state needs special category status. K. Pashupathi Visakhapatnam Waste plastics Norway deserves applause for leading a coalition of countries that seek to place trade controls on waste plastics. Plastic is literally choking our oceans today. Most of the plastic enters the sea in developing countries. Europe, the United States, and Canada are said to be dumping millions of tonnes of plastic waste on developing countries . They should better recycle it. Krishna Chatterjee Bardhaman