Legislature
July 5, 2011
India's Supreme Court took over the investigation of vast amoutnof black money stashed in foreign money accounts from the compromised government.The ruling Congress party has proven to be remarkably reluctant to take action against corruption and black money despite huge pressure from the civil society and the judiciary.The government itself has ministers who are highly corrupt with a telecom minister in jail and the textile minister who may be on the way as well.Other ministers like the Agricultural Minister Pawar has repeatedly surfaced in numerous scams rocking the country.The Supreme Court has also taken the government to task for granting a retail banking license to the Swiss giant bank UBS.Note UBS had not been given a license as it was under suspicion for facilitating the movement of ill gotten money into Swiss bank accounts
July 4, 2011
India has become the third country in the world to start a National Green Tribunal (NGT) which is a judicial body exclusively meant to judge environmental cases.Note Environment has become the one of the most important issues in the country affecting the broader society.Alongwith Land Acquisition,environment has become the most frequent conflict flashpoint.There have been numerous case where large industries have been confronted by local people fighting for the environement.Recent cases like the Vedanta Bauxite smelter in Orissa,Thermal Power Plants in Andhra Pradesh,the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant in Maharashtra have seen huge controversy and protests.Note Vedanta Resources has found itself in the centre of controversy over mining bauxite in Niyamgiri Hills which are held sacred by the Dongria Kondh tribal group.With powerful political and bureaucratic patrons,Vedanta has managed to ride roughshod over Tribal Rights.
Having a National Green Tribunal (NGT) has become essential for the country so that development can proceed with peace between various stakeholders .Note normal judges and courts don't have the expertise to understand the massive complexities and intricacies involved in billion dollar industrial projects and their impact on the environment.The NGT will have each judge having an environmental expert to guide him/her on the ecological issues so that they can come to an informed judgment.
July 4, 2011
India's Supreme Court took the matter of hundreds of billions of dollars of Black Money stashed into foreign bank accounts into its own hands as the government has repeatedly failed to take any action stalling the case.The Indian government led by the Congress Party has been repeatedly blasted by the Supreme Court for not acting against corruption matters.Recently the Court in an unprecedented move took over the supervision of the CBI in 2G Telecom Scandal Case Investigation.Note CBI is under the Home Ministry and like other investigations was being tardy to take action government ministers.The 2G Telecom case has resulted in top ministers and corporate CEOs being jailed with prospects of more being convicted.
June 20, 2011
The Indian Stock Market saw a flash crash on the morning of 20th June at 10 am.The market which started weak at 9 am fell by almost 3% in 10 minutes.The main index Nifty which was trading at around 5350 crashed to around 5200 in around 10 minutes.The market recovery by 1% but is again starting to go down to the low levels fo 5200 .Note the Indian stock market has been hammered due to worries on inflation,massive endemic corruption which is facing protests from the civil society.The FIIs which are the main buyers of Indian equities in the last year or so seem to have abandoned the Indian stocks as QE2 starts ending and global risks like Greece,US slowdown,inflation and interest rates worries in emerging markets come to the fore.Note Indian stock markets are not the easiest to invest in with scams and scandals happening regularly and it at best remains a market in which you have to choose between the bad and the ugly.
May 12, 2011
BJP,the chief opposition party in India is finding it hard to fight the ruling party's widespread corruption as its leader are too compromised in land scams of their own.The Karnataka ministers of the BJP are known to be amongst the most corrupt in the country with the CM himself indulging in land scams along with his sons.The Bellary trio of Reddy brothers have amassed billions of dollars through plundering iron ore illegally and having literally bought the government in Karnataka for the BJP with their ill-gotten wealth.Karnataka’s Chief Minister has justified corruption as tradition and despite huge pressure to resign managed to survive due to unique caste politics of India .The Supreme Court has called the corruption in India “mind boggling” while the Chief Vigilance Officer had earlier called 30% of India’s population utterly corrupt.Now the BJP's ministers in the Punjab government have been accused of land scams in the state.Two of the BJP ministers Manoranjan Kalia and Swarna Ram have been implicated in a Land deal on the outskirts of Chandigarh.Kalia holds the industries and local bodies portfolio, Ram is social welfare and justice minister.
May 5, 2011
The Tata Group which is known in India for high standards of corporate governance and doing business ethically in a country steeped in corruption too seems to have fallen.Ratan Tata appeared blemished as tapes of his conversations with the now disreputed corporate lobbyist Nira Radia were published in the media.He was caught at least listening and agreeing the the open manipulation of the Indian ministries in government formation if not the architect.Tata Teleservices which was a major beneficiary of the second round of 2G Telecom Auction during Raja's tenure has now again appeared in the news for the wrong reasons.Despite denials by the Tata Group honchos,the Tata companies seem to be complicit in the billion dollar scam that has shaken the political and business roots of India.
April 25, 2011
India has lately become a nation known for endemic corruption rather than the world's poster growth boy with the ruling party members implicated in a number of corruption scams.With the government reluctant to take action against its own,the Supreme Court was forced to take over the supervision of the investigating agency CBI.In the first chargesheet top corporate honchos and CEOs were put under arrest alongwith the former telecom minister Raja and his cronies.With the ruling party under pressure from a civil society movement against corruption,the ability to manipulate the investigation process is limited.Not that the government is not trying put impediments in the court cases and top ministers and leaders indulging in character assassination of the eminent social activists like Santosh Hedge and others.This comes even as other chief ministers of the Congress like Gehlot get caught in nepotism.
April 22, 2011
The Congress Party and its leaders can't stop being caught in corruption scams and instead of trying to correct them,they slander and character assassinate civil rights activists who try to bring about an anti-corruption bill in the country.The Adarsh Housing Scandal in which the Congress Chief Minister in Maharashtra was involved had to resign though no jail time for him or for his associates.The Scam which also involved top bureaucrats,Corrupt Indian Military Generals and other sleazy officials has died a natural media death as fresh scams take their place.Not that the Opposition party BJP is any better with its Karnataka Chief Minister failing to resign despite being accused of a number of scams.Note the Karnataka Ministry of the BJP has robber mining barons as top ministers who have made billions of dollar through illegal mining of iron ore.
April 22, 2011
Indian Politicians after being forced to bend against the popular support received by Anna Hazare and other civil rights activists in the recent fast unto death […]
April 9, 2011
Anna Hazare is to end his fast unto death on April 9,5 days after starting his hunger fast demanding the implementation of a Jan Lokpal Bill to replace the toothless Lokpal Bill which has been gathering dust for the last 42 years.The massive public anger against endemic corruption in public life had made the position of the government and the ruling Congress Party extremely uncertain.After trying to defame Hazare as a RSS stooge and worse,wiser counsel seems to have prevailed.Seeing the growing popular support for this anti-corruption movement,the leaders of the Congress Party have totally capitulated to all demands made by the civil society movement.Twitter and Facebook have played an important role in galvanizing popular opinion against corruption and for Anna Hazare.It could mark a turning point for the Indian state as Corruption becomes increasingly difficult.
April 8, 2011
Tunisia's Mohamed Bouazizi was an unlikely and unknown here protesting againt the daily suffering of the high handedness of authroties while Tahrir Square in Egypt was where the regime toppled.India is still far different from those situations as there is no demand for the government to go,only for a strict anti-corruption law.However Anna Hazare and Jantar Mantar have the ability to become far more than simple a protest on Lokpal Bill.It could be the tide which washes away the abject helplessness of Indians over the corruption of the powerful and rich.Here is a short excerpt of Jantar Mantar and about Anna Hazare
April 8, 2011
The Government of India has been trying to put hurdles in the 2G Telecom Scam case right from Day 1.Its blatant shielding of the rich and powerful involved in the massive billion dollar corruption involving ruling party alliance members and top corporate houses has been apparent.The proof of the government malintentions was India's top court taking over the supervision of the investigation agency CBI with itself.This was a major slap for the government as CBI falls under the authority of the Home Ministry.With the CBI having filed a chargesheet which names the former Telecom Minister Raja and some billionaire businessmen,the government is again trying its stalling tactics.The government and its repsentative lawyers did not agree to the name of U U Lalit as special public prosecutor.Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Indira Jaising raised objections despite K K Venugopal, who has been appearing on behalf of CBI and ED suggesting his name.
April 8, 2011
Anna Hazare who is fasting unto death in the capital of India has called for Indian citizens for fill jails on April 12 as the government has refused to key demands in the formation of the Committee to write the LokPal Bill.With millions supporting Anna Hazare's agitation against corruption amongt public officials in India,the ruling Congress Party is under tremendous pressure.However it is trying to wiggle out of this situation by making token concessions like giving half of the committee to civil society but refusing to give it "Official Notification" and not giving the chairmanship as well.
April 7, 2011
Seeing the rapidly mounting support for the movement,the government has tried to cut losses sending ministers to hold talks on ending the fast.Thousands of schoolchildren,executives,college students has spontaneously joined the Anti-Corruption Movement at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and millions more in different cities across India.It was the first real chance to protest against the endemic corruption and brazen arrogant behaviour of the ruling classes.Many politicians sensing the wind were trying to associate with Hazare.Shashi Tharoor the sauve face of modern India who had been discredited by his unethical conduct in IPL too tweeted that he supported Hazare ( don't know what that means,use your position to gain money unethically in IPL and Commonwealth Scams and support anti-corruption).For now its a success for the Indian democracy but the ultimate success will be when a strong Lokpal Bill is passed.
April 7, 2011
Anna Hazare the eminent social activist fast unto death may become a major turing point in India's history with massive spontaneous support for the Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by respected members of the Civil Society.The Ruling Congress Party which tried to disparage Hazare through usual political stunts like calling him a Opposition Party Puppet has become unhinged in its respone.While 2 days ago,the Congress Spokesperson Tewari was saying that they did not really care about the hunger fast by Hazare,now the Congress Ministers are rushing to placate him.While Kapil Sibal is calling for more time ( don't know what they did for the last one year when one after another scam was revealed),Moily says that changes will be incorporated.
April 6, 2011
The Lok Janpal Bill has received a tremendous response from India's Civil Society which is totally fed up with the endemic corruption and a government which refuses to do anything as most of its ministers are caught in numerous scams themselves.One of its former ministers is already cooling his heels in Jail after India's Supreme Court was forced to take over the investigation as the government refused to take action.The Anti-Corruption Bill which has been formulated by eminent citizens and social activists has been rejected by the government (what a surprise) and the ruling party Congress has refused to talk.Here is a Guide and Summary of the Main Points of the Draft of the LokJanpal Bill.Instead the ruling party has brought in politics into the picture saying that Anna Hazare has become a puppet for the opposition.
April 5, 2011
India’s Civil Society has brought out the Jan Lokpal Bill that has been drafted has been drafted by eminent members of the civil society like Prashant […]
April 5, 2011
The Jan LokPal Bill is supposed to be the answer to India's massive endemic corruption which strikes daily in the form of a new scam or scandal.The government has proven to be woefully inadequate in taking on the corrupt politicians,bureaucrats and businessmen.This corrupt nexus has been repeatedly exposed and its structure exposed through the Nira Radia Tapes.The Indian administration has shamefully failed to take action only promising to do something without doing anything worthwhile.The Indian Judiciary has also castigated the government numerous times for its abject failure in the 2G Telecom Scam,Black Money Scandal etc.However the government instead of strengthening anti-corruption measures has only put obstacles in the way.Its no wonder when the committee meant to look after the Bill comprises of ministers tainted with a number of scams themselves.Anna Hazare has held a fast unto death to put pressure on the government to pass the draft bill but the Minister appear unconcerned.Here is a short summary and guide to the main points of the Jan LokPal Bill which IMHO deserves the support of the whole Indian civil society.
March 29, 2011
It remains to be seen whether the top corporate executives of India's topmost conglomerates get prosecuted over these wrongdoings.Essar and ADAG are amongst the top 10 conglomerates in India with wide ranging operations with billions of dollars in revenues nationally as well as internationally.The Supreme Court has been instrumental in bringing this case so far as the government seems totally coopted by corruption.It has been frequently been castigated by the Supreme Court and has shamelessly defended corrupt bureaucrats and politicians.It remains to be seen how this 2G Telecom Case ends.If justice is done,then it may provide a new chapter to India's corruption ridden story till now.
March 28, 2011
India's Supreme Court castigates ED for incompetence on Black Money Hasan Ali Hawala Corruption Case
India’s Supreme Court has become a schoolmaster for the errant Indian investigative agencies which keep showing glaring incompetence and reluctance to go after top offenders.The Indian […]
December 7, 2010
India has been plagued with numerous corruption scandals being exposed in the last few months.While a number of such scandal like the Adarsh Land Scam,Commonwealth Scams,Stock Market Scam,Stock Market Scam,Housing Finance Scam have been written about in this blog,the spate refuses to stop.With India's Chief Vigilance Officer calling 30% of Indians as utterly corrupt and even the Supreme Corrupt calling corruption in India "mind boggling",it is not a surprise.2G Telecom Scam Prime Suspect Telecom Minister Raja has come into the spotlight again for threatening a High Court Judge in a CBI case related to an eduction scam.The background relates to a High Court Judge of Tamil Nada accusing a Union Minister of influencing a decision of the court.This created a huge ruckus as the said Judge refused to name the Minister.India's Judiciary is one of the more powerful institutions in the country and considered much more trustworthy than the other 2 arms executive and the legislature.The Agriculture Minister brazenly supports favored Business Interest while another Minister was sent packing off after unethically supporting a cricket franchise