Tag Archives: #democreacy #good_governance #maheshzagade

Restoring the Independence of Politics: Breaking Free from Capitalistic Forces.

Over the past few decades, politicians around the world have increasingly become subservient to capitalistic forces. Many political leaders and parties have willingly aligned themselves with the interests of corporations and wealthy individuals, often at the expense of the common people. This trend has resulted in a loss of independence of the political arena and has weakened democracy.

One of the main reasons for this subjugation is the immense financial power wielded by corporations and wealthy individuals. They use their vast resources to influence political outcomes by funding political campaigns, lobbying politicians, and even establishing their own political parties. This often results in policies that favor the interests of these wealthy donors over the needs and desires of the general public.

To restore the independence of the political arena from the clutches of capitalistic forces, several steps must be taken. The first and most important step is to establish strong regulations to limit the influence of money in politics. This includes limiting the amount of money that can be spent on political campaigns and the amount of donations that can be accepted from corporations and wealthy individuals. Additionally, politicians should be required to disclose all sources of funding, so that the public can be aware of any potential conflicts of interest.

Another important step is to increase transparency in the political process. This includes making all political decisions and negotiations public, as well as ensuring that all meetings between politicians and lobbyists are made available for public scrutiny. This will help to prevent backroom deals and ensure that politicians are accountable to the people they represent, rather than to their wealthy donors.

Finally, it is essential to strengthen the voice of the common people in the political process. This can be done by increasing voter participation and making it easier for people to access information about political candidates and issues. Additionally, it is important to promote the development of grassroots organizations that can advocate for the needs and desires of the common people.

In conclusion, the subjugation of the political arena to capitalistic forces is a serious threat to democracy and the well-being of the people. To restore independence to the political arena, it is necessary to establish strong regulations, increase transparency, and strengthen the voice of the common people on the lines of DiEM25 movement in Europe. Only then can we ensure that our politicians are truly working for the benefit of all citizens, rather than just a select few.

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The future-enabled generations.

The importance of education in shaping the future of any nation cannot be overstated. With India’s growing population and rapidly advancing technology, it is imperative that we take steps to ensure that our schools and colleges are preparing our youth for the challenges and opportunities of the future. To achieve this, we must re-evaluate our educational system and update our syllabus to be more forward-thinking and innovative.

The current education system in India is based on a traditional approach that focuses on rote learning and memorization of facts. While this may have worked in the past, it is no longer adequate to prepare students for the challenges of the modern world. To compete in the global economy, our students must have a solid foundation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The future of work will be dominated by automation and artificial intelligence, and our education system must adapt to prepare our students for this reality. We must prioritize teaching skills that are in high demand, such as coding, data analysis, and digital literacy. Our syllabus must also include courses on entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation, so that our students can become leaders and innovators in their respective fields.

In addition to STEM education, we must also emphasize the importance of social sciences and humanities. Our students must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to understand the complex social, political, and economic issues facing our world today. Courses in history, political science, economics, and sociology will help students develop a broader perspective and become informed and engaged citizens.

To achieve this ambitious goal of creating a futuristic syllabus, we must prioritize investments in teacher training and infrastructure. Our teachers must be equipped with the latest pedagogical techniques and have access to technology and resources that will enhance their teaching. Our schools and colleges must be equipped with modern facilities and resources to create a stimulating learning environment.

In conclusion, the need for a futuristic school and college syllabus in India is urgent and cannot be overstated. Our education system must adapt to the changing needs of the modern world, and we must invest in our teachers and infrastructure to make this a reality. Let us work together to create an education system that will prepare our students for success in the 21st century and beyond.

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Post-Retirement Appointments.

It is a well established practice that officers of the All India Services as well as senior officials of the State Services and judges are appointed after retirement to various Tribunals, Statutory Commissions/Boards/Authorities or for that matter to any entity created under the Constitution or statutes including the posts of Governors of the states. This is generally done with a view to making use of these retired officials by accessing their immense knowledge base, matured experience and vision for the larger public good.

As the bureaucratic and judicial apparatuses are extremely important for the robustness of democracy, the sanctity of these administrative and judicial tools needs to be maintained in an impeccable manner by making it politically neutral. This aspect becomes even more important in an environment of overpowering culture of strong political parties , intensely vying with each other to maintain their supremacy through a culture of no holds barred to capture power.

In this context, the officials looking forward to get appointed to the post-retirement assignments mentioned above may become vulnerable to the political machinations of the party in power and lose neutrality in decision making or toe the line of the government even if the decisions are not tenable under the Constitution or the Statutes or not good for the people. It’s seen, barring some exceptions, the officials close to the political leadership tend to attract preference for such post-retirement assignments, notwithstanding the competencies or suitability. This is denting the robustness of the democratic ecosystem.

On this background, in my opinion, this practice of appointment of the above mentioned retired officials be stopped forthwith and healthier practice of appointing them during their final five years of service be established. The officials can be give option of opting for such post-retirement assignments at the age of 55 years with a condition that they will have to exit the service once they join the assignment. The government can think of making provisions for additional posts by increasing the cadre strengths on the lines of the Central Deputation reserves.

Such a system would ensure the neutrality of the administrative and judicial machineries as well their experience and knowledge could be utilized for the posts mentioned earlier.

This aspect needs wider discussion.

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