Monday, August 30, 2010

Can we choose our own pay hike?

As someone pointed on Twitter in early June, the UPA Govt did the unthinkable, or rather the Govt did what was the dream of every student, "to publish their own report card". If the ministers of the Govt set such standards, can the MPs be far behind? Around a week back, the MPs signed their own hefty (300%) pay hike!!! God how we wish we could decide our own pay hike, but then if we do have such a power would we really be as greedy as our MPs?


The Yadavs who weren't satisfied with what they looted in Bihar & UP wanted a hike in the salaries of MPs. The reason, they felt MPs were earning lesser than the bureaucrats. But who are to question that the average wealth of the MPs are Rs. 5.04 crores. What justifies the hike, when most of the MPs have just 60% attendance in the Loksabha? How come the attendance of the house was the highest when the MPs were discussing the MP salary hike, but the same enthusiasm was not shown by the MPs while discussing serious issues like price rise debate or the direct tax code (which by the way has been postponed to 2012!!).
If only democracy and the Govt functions as the corporate world does we could have expected the following:
  • MPs would be elected on probation for 6 months after an election. Their pay structure must be 50% fixed pay and the remaining 50% would be variable. Out of this variable pay 50% would be paid out based on the performance of the MP, 25% based on the performance and responsibility of the MP's political party and the remaining 25% will be paid out based on the growth rate of India.
  • The elected MPs objectives will be at the begining of the term based TOR (Terms Of Reference). These objectives have to be both qualitative and quantitative. With suitable weightage added to each objective.
  • There will be a half yearly appraisal of the MP's performance where in the MP has to approach his/her constituency and get the feedback of the people who elected him/her.
  • The MPs have to sit for an annual appraisal every financial year, where in he/she have to approach the consituency again for the feedback.
  • Each MP will be appraised and given a particular performance rating of 1 to 5 (Where in 1-Consistently exceeds expectation;2-Exceeds expectations occassionaly;3-Sticks to the expectation;4-Falls short of expectation;5-Non performer).
  • This rating will have to follow a bell curve i.e only 5% of MPs can be appraised as rating 1, 10% can be appraised at rating 2, 65% must be appraised at rating 3; 10% must be appraised at rating 4 and 5% will appraised at rating 5%.
  • MPs with rating 1 will be eligible for 100% of their variable component; rating 2 will be eligible for 90% of their variable component; rating 3 eligible for 75%; rating 4 and 5 are not eligible for the variable component at all.
  • MPs with rating 5 will need to have a Personal Constituency Development plan in place against which their performance will be monitored every month, if the MP falls short of expectation again; the MP will lose his post and by-election has to be conducted in that constituency.
I don't mean to say that the corporate appraisal method is ideal way to determine the pay hike, obviously there are loopholes in that process as well, but then it is definitely better than the way the MPs decide to sign their own hike. The "aam admi" gets the price rise, while the MPs are fested with pay hikes. But then the method I sighted occurs only in utopia, or rather utopian democracy. What we see in India today is Democrazy!!

Friday, July 30, 2010

Overcoming Reader's block

You might have heard of writer's block. Its a condition where in the write loses the ability to produce new work. There could be various reasons for this, the wikipedia link gives a very good brief on the condition.

However I am here talking about reader's block, which is something I've been suffering for quite sometime now. Which is a condition that I am sure many of you would have guessed correctly by now, is the inability to read any new work of fiction. I also do know the reason for it, my love for the Harry Potter series!! Yes guys, I am not joking! One the risks of reading the HP series is that you get so addicted to the books that you just cannot come out of it and think of reading anything new. I was introduced to the HP series very late (2004!), although I had heard of the series before I had not really got down to reading it, I was busy completing my collection of Frederick Forsyth novels. You wont believe that I took a liking to the HP story not by reading the original work of JK Rowling, but one really convincing fan fiction. I had received the ebook through mail (The Order of the Phoenix) and assumed it to be the real one and to be fair I really did enjoy the book. Thats when I decided to purchase  the first four books (assuming that I had already read the 5th) and completed reading the books in a matter of 2 weeks.

My brother was visiting us then and he had at that time just completed  reading the 5th book (which was surprising back then because my bro had never shown interest in reading novels, to be fair to him now all that has changed, he has read quite a few books now on a broad range of topics) and was discussing something on the storyline. Thats when I realized that I hadn't read the 5th part at all. I did manage to read it immediately afterwards and had promptly booked, collected and read the 6th & 7th books on the day of their release in India.

Its now 3 years since the release of the deathly hallows, but I still haven't completely recovered from the reader's block. I've tried various cures ranging from re-reading all my fav FF novels, all time fav "October Sky", tried out new authors like James Rollins (who is good btw), tried delving into sci-fi and cyberpunk genres but all of them have resulted in me coming back to square one!! I had to resort to re-reading the HP series another couple of times to satisfy my insatiable appetite for reading. I am now desperate. I need to get over this block. I hope that FF's new book thats due to release this Nov will help me get over this. But if anybody who has gone through similar feeling/condition have few suggestions/advice for me I will be very happy to hear them.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Doing a Phoenix



Been wanting to do this for sometime now and re-incarnate this blog which was long dead the second time. Suddenly decided to do this today. Found few brilliant new templates on blogger and thought of trying them out and lo...the blog has re-incarnated...but doesn't have any new content.... Need to think of something to blog now...

UK election results - A reflection of India in late 1990s



UK heading to coalition politics brought back vivid memories of the Election and Govt of India in late 90s. Guess all nations have to deal with coalition at some point of time. Maybe India can well give some lessons to UK now......

Friday, May 07, 2010

Twitter killed the (aspiring) Blogger



Not that I was a regular at blogging, nevertheless the death of the aspiration is certain. I'd have to do a phoenix to start blogging again!!!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

The Joke that is INDIAN ENGLISH MEDIA


You would have come across all this news during RG's much publicised Bihar visit...

http://www.google.co.in/search?q=rahul%20gandhi%20bihar%20visit&hl=en&ned=in&tab=nw

But what the SICKULAR media doesn't report (see below)!!

Here is something that was completely ignored by the Leftist Centre SICKULAR Indian English Media....


Bihar students force Rahul Gandhi to flee campus - Rahul Gandhi Slammed by Bihar Students in Gujarat Remarks
DARBHANGA — Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to Bihar widely dubbed as an exercise to test the waters, had to leave Darbhanga after students of Lalit Narayan Mithila University got agitated over his Gujarat remarks.
Apparently to woo Muslim students, the son of Congress president Sonia Gandhi reportedly said, “India can change only if Gujarat changed first.”

The students created ruckus accusing the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family of doing politics in university campus. They asked him to abstain from making political utterances and that the campus was not a platform for such meetings.
Protesting students shouted, “There is Congress government in Maharashtra and you also have the government at Centre, but why do you keep your mouth shut when Biharis are beaten in Mumbai. Don’t ever come to Bihar to play your cheap and hypocritical politics.”

Gandhi had to apologize as Congress leaders present at the venue failed to calm down the angry students. He, finally, had to leave the campus as students refused to listen to him.

Earlier, he arrived in Bettiah in West Champaran district and drove to Bhitharwa Ashram from where Mahatma Gandhi had launched the Satyagraha movement in 1917.
Gandhi, who is expected to address more youth meetings in the state to galvanize party workers ahead of the polls, said,”Congress will contest on its own in the Assembly elections.”
Later, he will visit Bodh Gaya in Gaya district to meet Dalit youth. In the evening, Gandhi will visit Patliputra to meet Congress leaders at the party headquarters Sadaquat Ashram.

He will interact with girl students at a college in the city.With the Youth Congress having launched a membership drive on January 12, Gandhi will interact with potential candidates at several places.
The Congress managed to win only two out of Bihar’s 40 parliamentary seats in last year’s general election.

(With inputs from Agencies)



Student -Hamreh professor saab bolrahe theh political baat nahi honi chaheye university meh, phir tum political baat kyu ker raha hai....Maharashtra meh congress sarkar hai..kya kerteh woh bihario keh leyeh....
Rahul gandhi.-"mehne galti seh gujrat boldeya sorry".watch this video..
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Student: Our professor said there should be no political talk, then why are you talking about Gujarat. A student from Bihar was killed in Mumbai. There is a Congress government at the Centre and in Maharashtra, what are you doing for students from BIhar

Rahul Gandhi: It's my mistake, I said Gujarat instead of Bihar by mistake

Student: When will Bihar improve to the standards of Maharashtra and Mumbai

Rahul Gandhi: I will tell you when it will improve, Bihar's situation will change on the day you change it

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Well done bihari student. Hats off to you.
Gujarat has highest GDP growth rate and Rahul wants to change it?
so strange. Does he wants Gujarat to stop growing ?Why cant Congress rules state develop at the rate Gujarat is developing? Lokk wat happeing to mumbai in rule of congress ...I know Rahul is uneducated(fake certificate he maded from london university az by madars high court who challenge rahul university certficate),, but he can read some magazine,journal and news paper at least.

He is just frustated as The Congress managed to win only two out of Bihar’s 40 parliamentary seats in last year’s general election.
And Bihar under Nitish rule, has become 2nd fastest growing state after Gujrat under Modi. We should always acknowledge good leadership and progressive government. Rahul, I think before he make statement just read a little bit and try to understand development because now Indian will no longer vote for “reservation” . India will vote for development.
Note - No media will report this.Our Great pro congress Media
so watch the video here-
YouTube- Rahul gandhi - Says sorry to bihari students for making anti-gujarat political rant
YouTube- Rahul gandhi - Says sorry to bihari students for making anti-gujarat political rant




Read more: http://www.unp.co.in/f46/rahul-gandhi-slammed-by-bihar-students-on-gujarat-remarks-68939/#ixzz0iV93fS5U