Rahul's hugging the PM after his no-confidence motion speech,was frivolous and poor histrionic.

Even, PM Modi was stunned by his childish behaviour.

Rahul's outburst was without substance and acting / rhetorics uninspiring, de-motivating, jolting the conscience of the common man. Goaded by his cheer leaders and like-minded friend such as Scindia,he was misled to believe that he made a good speech. In excitement, he went to hug PM Modi and trivialized the level of debate.

Without pre-checking facts , Rahul merely commited blunders.

His reference to parleys with French President ( claimed by him but without proofs) about secrecy clause in Rafael deal was thoughtless,immature and irresponsible.

The ruling political dispensation is justified in moving a privilege motion against Congress’s stupid stormy petrel.

Surely, he is not the material for Congress Presidentship, let alone, PM material.

Unfit even to be even a stand-up comedian

As per Media reports ( ET, HT) Reliance Foundation's  Jio Institute gets Institution of Eminence tag from GOI ( HRD). 

The institute will get financial assistance up to Rs 1000 crore over a period of five years. Further,it will reportedly use Rs 9,500 crore in capital expenditure on the proposed institute that will be located in a 'fully residential university city' in Pune."

The moot point is : How could GOI evaluate the Jio institute even before it is set up ? The country particularly its tax payers want to know the truth.

The motion is partially correct. But, a sweeping generalization would be unjust and unfair.There are  outstanding officers in civil services,who are worthy of inspiring emulation. Criticism of senior bureaucrats of MP by one Deepali Rastogi,a 1994 batch IAS officer, is well-deserved. In another recent instance, one Shah Faesal,IAS ( 2009 , J&K) lambasted his seniors and the system for not exercising freedom of conscience. His offence is far graver as he labelled India as “Rapistaan”. The Govt of India is within its right to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the two officers by invoking  the statutary Conduct Rules.These emotional outbursts arise out of intolerance and impulsive nature.

The pliability and malleability of senior bureaucrats  to please politicians has been there all along. The tendency gathers pace as bureaucrats approach retirement. They please corrupt politicians during service period in order to get coveted post-retirement assignments like governorships, nomination to legislatures, memberships UPSC, CEC, ambassadorial assignments ,heads of  superfluous committees and commissions etc. No one is willing to come out of comfort zone.They get addicted to a particular life style and they can go to any extent to maintain it. Such Politico-bureaucratic- nexus exist both at Centre and the States.All bureaucrats are unanimous on this. The retired ones, who are academically inclined, prefer to pen down their unsavoury  experiences with politicians.They  open their third eye and write memoirs cursing politicians.

Whatever one may say, the civil servant must learn to say no to politicians and take all precautions to effectively defend their career interests instead of blindly carrying out orders. Sudden outbursts by  relatively junior civil servants,will pass off with time. They will be show-caused and awarded penalties invoking  Conduct Rules. Politicians are incorrigible and will always remain supreme. All things considered, we require a strong political Will to cleans the       “Animal farms “ of all sorts of dodgy characters.There is a need to do away with all discretionary powers enjoyed by the political masters and bureaucrats in collusion with big business houses.

A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

Horrible memories of  those draconian days. PM Indira Gandhi declared the state of  internal emergency on June  25,1975 across India citing threats of national security and bad economic conditions. This led to  arrests or detention without trials. No external aggression , no armed rebellion. All for retaining power by the then PM- illegally, undemocratically.

Fundamental rights were suspended and any person who opposed the govt. was either detained or arrested without the right to appeal to courts. Article 352 of the Indian Constitution that gave extraordinary powers to Indira Gandhi was misused. Elections , civil liberties were suspended.

Correspondents of foreign media were expelled. Severe censorship was imposed on local and national media. MHA informed  the Parliament in May 1976 that 7,000 persons had been arrested  for circulating clandestine literature opposing the Emergency. Lakhs of people were arrested in rural and urban areas.The Congress leaders found it an opportune time to settle scores with their personal and political adversaries.

Total  Media censorship of national media. Editorials spaces of mainstream media blanked out by censoring authority. BBC was the only source of news stories.

Indira Gandhi was ubiquitously visible anywhere, everywhere on big posters and cut-outs and  on Doordarshan, the captive national TV.

Pre-dawn  swoops by the police were order of the day. Large scale arrests/ detention of leaders of opposition , political workers, journalists, government employees, serving and retired. Information regarding  third-degree tortures of  detainees in jails kept filtering out. There was a constant fear of imminent arrests by the police.Judiciary was frightened into silence and subservience.

Fortunately, subsequent  governments introduced checks and balances to  ensure that the posterity does not  have to pass through the same nightmare once again. Prior sanction of Parliament is now obligatory for imposing emergency. The Cabinet does not have the right to impose emergency.

Governments at the Centre and States and their associates in the country are the largest litigants. Ironically, they are also the largest losers. No one  seems to bother about the resultant loss of  revenue to public exchequer.

Government cases are usually defended in courts by standing counsels empanelled Min of Law at Centre and States. Selections involve use of discretionary powers.Subjectivity is bound to creep in. Private lawyers’ track records,success rates,merit, non-compliance of prescribed criteria and guidelines tend to get ignored for extraneous considerations. Political interference sidelines merit. Standing counsels, more often than not,fail to attach importance to government cases,giving more time to their private clients. The govt counsels  are over-awed by presence of distinguished lawyers engaged by the opposite parties on payment of hefty fees ( in cash). All government payments are made by cheques.This acts as a deterrent.

Things are not hunky dory. Situation in States far worse,shameful. A reality check and corrective measures are necessary to arrest further deterioration.