• While it is true that the Planning Commission needs some reform in a post-planning era,as has been initiated by the current deputy chairman,I disagree with P. Vaidyanathan Iyers assertion questioning the relevance of the institution and suggesting an extreme makeover.
If anything,given its historical antecedents as an intellectual think-tank of repute,the present technocratic team at the helm is right to try to revert to its comparative advantage by attracting global academic and practitioner talent to pronounce in an unbiased fashion on public policy. However,as a government body which no doubt gives it a power platform and teeth the budgetary constraints and the rules of babudom under which both the institution and the deputy chairman operate do impact how successful they are in this endeavour. It is a tribute to the dynamic person heading the plan panel that despite these binding constraints,he has managed to induct lateral expertise,albeit on an informal or irregular basis,by reputation alone.
Kaveri Gill
Former Consultant,Planning Commission of India
New Delhi
Dig deeper
• This refers to No consensus,experts panel may be set up on Telangana . Any panel that may be appointed to consider a separate state should bear in mind whether a separate state will add to the general well-being of the people or merely satisfy the egos of certain leaders. Is the present state government showing a step-motherly attitude towards this particular area and neglecting its development? Finally,what is going to be the cost of the separate state?
Mool Chand Gupta
New Delhi
What action?
• The murder of Nitin Garg leads one to believe that the attacks on Indians in Australia are racially motivated. This case has also shown the hollowness of Australian PM Kevin Rudds assurances about taking firm action against attacks on Indians in his country. It seems as though Australian authorities have done little to prevent such attacks. Australia must understand that these attacks may well dent the countrys international image as a liberal society.
Manoj Parashar
Greater Noida
