Opinion Bipolar budget
As expected,the latest issue of CPM mouthpiece Peoples Democracy was harsh on the Union Budget....
As expected,the latest issue of CPM mouthpiece Peoples Democracy was harsh on the Union Budget,with as many as nine articles criticising the various aspects of the Budget. Headlines saying inadequate to tackle recession,discredited neo-liberal model in action,Budget neglects child welfare,economic survey proposals inimical to peoples interests and mass organisations oppose tilt towards khaas aadmi sums up the partys conclusion of the budget.
The lead editorial says the budget reflected the contradiction that was born along with the UPA-2 government. That contradiction,it said,was the concerns of the aam aadmi on whose strength the Congress returned to form the government on the one hand,and the basic desire of the big bourgeoisie to push forward neo-liberal reforms,on the other.
Already during the first four years of high growth during UPA-1,the number of Indian billionaires in dollar terms increased from 9 in 2004 to 53 in 2008. The assets of the top ten corporate houses tripled from Rs 3,54,000 crores to Rs 10,34,000 crores. It is this process that they wish to consolidate through this budget as well, it says. It points out that abolition of commodities transaction tax would result in hiking of the prices of essential commodities due to speculative trading… While the allocations for the much tom-tommed flagship programmes are much too less to achieve inclusive growth,the budget was inadequate to meet the challenges of recession and growing job losses.
Schools of thought
Another article titled A curious mix of autonomy and authoritarianism dwells on the Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal clubbing the reports of the Professor Yashpal committee and National Knowledge commission on higher education.
It says the Yashpal committee report is a curious document in many ways. But Sibals hasty acknowledgment of the report as his Bible for reforms along with National Knowledge Commission report on higher education and his ominous assertion that reforms cannot wait give little respite for such idle curiosities.
But,despite Sibals camaraderie with Yashpal and Sam Pitroda,the article argues that the two veterans share little common ground in education.
Yashpals vision is the very opposite of Sam Pitroda. The vision of NKC is fragmented and divisive .It sought to divide disciplines,institutions and academics into different categories. It prioritised new generation disciplines with commercial prospects over traditional disciplines and national level institutions of excellence from state level universities.
It wanted to divide the teaching community into different categories on the basis of the market value of their disciplines. Obviously the Yashpal committee report cannot be implemented along with NKC report. The recommendations of the National Knowledge Commission have already been acted upon by the government in part by incorporating its proposals in the action plan for 11th five year plan.
The setting up of numerous IITs,IIITs and IIMs as institutions specialising in their respective disciplines reflect priorities different from that envisaged by the Yashpal committee. Implementation of the recommendations of Yashpal committee would thus necessitate a rethinking on the priorities and programmes of the 11th Plan. Such a step is very unlikely to materialise. But the report could be compromised and co-opted. Unfortunately,the seeds for such cooption have inadvertently been sown by Yashpal himself through his half-baked notions of NCHER, it says.
Compiled by Manoj C.G
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