Where Is My Job Card Mr. CM ?
- Part 1 -

Gitchandra S Oinam *

Recently Europe and American social media sites started enquiry, why Journalists are too educated? And, why they are authoritative? I can't comment for other people; but from my experience, journalist mind are rolling, energetic, and they have commitment and socially responsibility too.

I have the habit of studying research paper at an average of 15 research papers per month. I used to read and study about 60 research papers in the current one and half month on the relevant topic, in which I have rejected 20 research papers, I have collected relevant data and information from 30 research papers and I do approved 10 research papers as relevant to the subject matter I want to know. These are my personal extra work.

In Manipur, Late Laishram Joychandra, Editor, Prajatantra, local vernacular daily paper does the same in his life time. Well, a child can read the same but how can you capture knowledge from your studying for application is a very difficult task. When you read one research paper, you will be very attractive.

When you start comparison from one research paper to another, you will find the weakness of other research paper. If you read hundred research papers you will find many joker research papers. Therefore, Dr. X must be careful while writing and delivering your work—time has changed; you alone can't be authoritative on the subject matter.

Who are doing media research in Manipur? Mostly, library science students of Manipur University and one –two teachers of Journalism in MU do media research. But, they are happily settled after getting job. Who contribute articles to local media? Mostly teachers of economics, history and political science departments of Manipur University contribute articles.

Why working journalist can't do media research in the state? Their works are overloaded; their salary is not salary-simply honourarium. They can't do critical analysis on critical situation because it requires qualification, new skills and financial soundness. But who will get benefit after media research?

Publisher of media house—Board of Directors of media house must know this idea if they want to improve your media industry. Work culture in Manipur is vividly found in media house, private schools and private clinics; however, staffs are exploited by so called proprietors of the respective institution.

The same is happening in state administration. As a quasi-federal polity, public policy in India is made at three levels--Central, State and Local. It is true that senior level civil servants in the Government of India /Manipur appear to be constantly overworked. But this is mainly because of the heavy burden of day–to-day administrative (implementation) work, which occupies far more time than thinking on policy issues; and the high degree of centralisation of administrative powers.

How many state bureaucrats have found never pulled up to the dock of law court, explanations and disciplinary action by higher authorities in their life time before their service retirement? State bureaucrats are always in the middle between complicated court cases and cabinet decision. The narrowing of choice for the political executive in bureaucratic appointments at the Centre (to a narrower and exogenously selected pool) may be a potential source of political resistance, though this is not likely to be very strong.

The State governments may not comply with central "guidance" on career paths as it would blunt the use of transfer as a weapon to secure obedience. However, non-compliance at the state level would not mean a death blow and implementation of this even in the senior postings at the Central government level would be enough to start with.

More problematically however, the concept of 'weeding out deadwood" is likely to be judicially challenged. Even if the concept is upheld, individuals who are dropped out of the selections may challenge decisions, obtain stays and or secure re-appointment and even promotion. The approach of the Indian courts on matters of this kind has been strongly pro-employee, and the constitutional "doctrine of pleasure" has been greatly eroded.

The skills required for academic success are not necessarily the same as those required for success in public management and public policy making; the services are replete with academically brilliant officers who are poor managers or policy-makers. There are also a few instances of superb administrators with just a Bachelor's degree. This limitation can be overcome by ensuring that academic achievement is only one factor in the selection process, but it does mean that the benefit of a 'transparent basis for career progression' is diminished to that degree.

All IAS/IPS officers should spend their first 10-12 years in general management, largely in field assignments. This will provide them with a thorough grounding in field realities and in basic managerial skills, which are crucial for making the right policy-choices, O.P. Agarwal, IAS and Dr. T.V. Somanathan, IAS, have mention on their research paper "Public Policy Making In India: Issues and Remedies".

Further, Policy-making processes and structures should ensure the gathering of information on such inter-sectoral impacts, the analysis of trade-offs, and fully informed choices between alternatives after a proper consideration of effects on different sectors. It requires public opinions especially from NGOs, media and Educationalist.

Before submitting for policy approval from the cabinet, policy makers has to discuss for re-examine the matter to Policy Advisory Board/ Council. But, where is the Policy Advisory Board in Manipur? What are the amounts of quality inputs of state media, educationalist and NGOs are providing to state government?

A democratic society cannot function properly if everything in it is left only to the State or even to statutory bodies. In the absence of NGOs/civil society, the State machinery and civil servants become the dominant and the only repository of power. A large number of Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are working in the developmental fields.

But the number of such NGOs dedicating themselves to preservation of public order is limited. We can perhaps learn from experiences of some of these NGOs and recommend measures to pave the way for their greater involvement. State NGOs has to learn how to prepare innovative projects. Whatever you called projects is nothing but the scheme of government.

Problems are already identified; NGOs are simply filled up the format for financial grant for implementation. Your inputs to state government are very important for policy making. Do research work before you prepared for project writing. Only then, NGOs reputation will be recognized.

What is wrong to project implementation? Many research papers have common view, factors for delaying in project implementation like law and order problem, environmental clearance and land acquisition problem, engineering design and planning problem, work awarding problem, availability of skills and semi skills labour, soil--weather problem, cost and time over-runs problem etc. etc; among this , most serious problem is contract work awarding problem in Manipur.

For example- 50 kms long road construction work will be share by about 20 contractors. Half of contract works say 25 km will be done by one contractor and the rest 25 km work will be done by the rest 19 contractors. Because, the same work can't be done by one contractor due to financial problem/ farms turn over problem. How many contractors having turned over of Rs 50 crore do you find in the state?

Contractors often face financial crunch due to work overload beyond their financial resources limit and bills pending. Beside, small contractors want more profit. Therefore, state is facing problem while submitting project report in time. Further, Delays in submitting project detail progress reports and utilisation certificate may causes termination of project because project financers/ investor want Investment of Return (IOR) in time.

Many examples of unviable Public private partnership (PPP) projects exist in the national highways sub-sector. Three issues that hamper the viability of projects are: projects that are planned beyond their scope, dated cost estimates that lead to insufficient viability gap funding (VGF), and increased risk to the provider due to several contractual terms such as the possibility of termination of concession, if traffic crosses a threshold level.

If current trends continue over the Eleventh and Twelfth Plan periods (2008 to 2017), McKinsey & Company, Inc. Delhi estimates suggest that India could suffer a GDP loss of USD 200 billion (around 10 per cent of its GDP) in fiscal year 2017. In terms of GDP growth rate, this would imply a loss of 1.1 percentage points. In addition, India's economy could lose up to USD 160 billion in 2017, by forgoing the industrial productivity impact of infrastructure. However, there is no conclusive approach for estimating the value of such productivity impact, and hence it is not included in our estimate of the GDP loss, which is pegged at USD 200 billion. Inefficiencies in implementing infrastructure projects in India occur at all stages.

While identifying problem we face two things to remember 1) cause and 2) effect. For a critical complex problem, sometimes cause and effect of a problem are indivisible. It happens this way that the problem we are mentioning is not a problem at all, but is actually an effect of another problem.

The relationship between the three (Effect, Problem and Cause) has to be outlined in the Problem Statement of any proposal. If we have an issue, it will be a good exercise to go a step back and forth to find out its cause and effect relationship. The best way to understand the cause of an issue is to ask "Why" continuously i.e. "the why of why". This will help reveal the cause of the problem. For example, suppose there is high drug abuse and alcohol addiction in our locality which is deadly affected to our society.

Here problem is not the drug and alcohol. Real problem is abusive and addictive habit. Unless s/he were addicted in drugs and alcohol, but he might be addicted in others like eating, women, gambling etc.

Here, we fine two effects-
1) environment and moral effect which influence the person to abusive and addiction in drug.
2) Effect and influence to other people after s/he was addicted.

Confused? Environment and moral of the person may also be a cause of addiction and abused of drug/ alcohol?

But there are many other causes to influence him/her to addiction—plenty availability of drug, his/her personal tragedy- even suicidal tendency, unawareness of the bad consequences--health, moral, friend circle and environment etc. if we know the cause and effect of the problem then we will able to find a solution, for which a strategy is required.

to be continued....