IIPA NEWSLETTER/APRIL 2014 1

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Vol. LVIII No. 4 April 2014

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INSTITUTE NEWS

The IIPA fraternity extends its greetings to all its readers for Ram Navami, Mahavir Jayanti, Vaisakhi and Easter

IIPA at Sixty

Though IIPA has done commendable work, thereis much more that can be done to increase itsimportance as a catalyst for change in publicadministration, observed Shri Pranab Mukherjee,President of India, while inaugurating the DiamondJubilee celebration of IIPA on March30. Shri Mukherjeeemphasised that democracy is the soul and the core ofour nation-building; no meaningful growth or governancecan be achieved without the preservation and nurturingof this basic grid of our polity. He mentioned that all thethree structures of governance, the Legislature,Executive and Judiciary would need to continue strivingto strengthen the democratic foundation and in thiseffort, the quality of public service plays a crucial roleand it can only be delivered by a civil service thatrecognises this reality. As the people are demandingbetter and more efficient administration, the Presidentobserved that for inclusive growth and development,the importance of the quality and efficient delivery ofpublic services cannot be exaggerated. Shri Mukherjeeexpressd that though the term, good governance,appeared more frequently in the development lexicononly about two decades back, its importance wasrecognised since ancient times. He mentioned aboutMahatma Gandhi’s concept of Purna Swaraj or theidea of strong and prosperous India is based on thefoundation of good governance. According to him,adoption of good governance practices across theentire domain of the government machinery isnecessary to bring the tangible benefits of developmentprogrammes to the people. Shri Mukherjee emphasisedthat if we have to achieve a faster growth trajectory,

there has to be equal urgency in decision-making; butthat does not imply that decisions have to be taken inhaste or without adequate debate and discussion. Heexpressed hapiness to note that IIPA has assignedcritical importance to social sector issues, behaviouralsciences, ethical administration, urban habitatmanagement, environmental and climate studies,gender policy and budgeting, knowledge management,and e-governance in its training curricula. Earlier, Dr.Tishyarakshit Chatterjee, Director of IIPA, in hiswelcome address showcased IIPA’s role and highlightedthe Institute’s exemplary performance in training andresearch activities in the sixtieth year of its existence.Tracing the genesis of the Institute, Shri T.N. Chaturvedi,Chairman of IIPA, shared the initial dreams andaspirations as well as the future expectations for theInstitute. The Chairman also mentioned the importantpublications and programmes of the Institute that have

Shri Pranab Mukherjee delivers the inaugural address

2 IIPA NEWSLETTER/APRIL 2014

Fear not those who argue but those who dodge — Dale Carnegie

contributed policy inputs over theyears in government. During theprogramme, Shri Mukherjee e-inaugurated the exhibition on “SixtyYears of IIPA” by click of a button.Two commemorative publications ofIIPA Indian Governance Report 2012by Governance Resource Centre ofIIPA and Jawaharlal Nehru andIndian Administration By T.Chatterjee and R.K. Tiwari werereleased by Shri T.N. Chaturvedi onthe occasion and their first copiespresented to the President. Shri B.V.Krishna Kumar, Chairman ofDiamond Jubilee Committee,proposed the vote of thanks. Dr.Usha Mujoo Munshi, Librarian,coordinated and compered theprogramme.

Programme on RemodelingMunicipal Taxes for ResourceGeneration

Sponsored by the Ministry ofUrban Development, the programmewas conducted at IIPA by its Centrefor Urban Studies from March 3-7.The objectives of the programmewere: (i) efficient exploitation of theexisting sources of revenue; (ii)exploring and tapping of newsources of funds; (iii) improvementsin the work practices, identificationof leakages through bettermanagement and controls; and (iv)suggest measures to improve thefinancial position of themunicipalities. Programme facultycomprised guest speakers and in-house faculty. Prof. Rakesh Guptaand Dr. V.N. Alok coordinated it.

Ujjal Kumar Ghosh MemorialLecture

The Institute teamed up withthe Purnujjal Papiya GhoshMemorial Trust and the Centre forStudies in Civilizations in organisingthe captioned programme on March

4. Lt. Gen. S. K. Sinha, formerGovernor of Assam and Jammu &Kashmir, delivered the memoriallecture on “Governance ofInstitutions”. He expressed concernover the steady deterioration ofinstitutions over the years despite astrong institutional legacy of theBritish. He addressed the issuesconcerning the institutions ofParliament, governor, judiciary,police, military and media. He citedmany instances from his personalexperiences and related the pastwith present in terms of governanceof institutions and institutions ofgovernance. He concluded that ifIndia has to be a superpower, thereis a need to mend our mistakes andturn a new leaf. Shri T. N.Chaturvedi,Chairman of IIPA, presided over theprogramme; and Dr. TishyarakshitChatterjee, Director of IIPA waspresent. Dr. T. Kumar, ManagingTrustee, Purnujjal Papiya GhoshMemorial Trust proposed vote ofthanks. Dr. C. Sheela Reddycoordinated the programme.

Professor S. Saroja MemorialLecture

The Institute organised the firstProfessor S. Saroja MemorialLecture on March 1. Ms. IndiraJaising, Additional Solicitor Generalof India, spoke on “Delivering Justiceto Survivors of Violence against

Women”. She provided an overviewof the high levels of violence againstwomen and the Nirbhaya case thatwas a wakeup call for action. Sheobserved that the unequal powerrelations between the accused andthe victim that created potential formanipulation. She emphasised thatthe reluctance of women to accessjustice as the systems lead tosecondary victimisation and theneed to identify and address barriersto justice. She stated that foremostamong these were biases at manylevels. In his presidential remarksShri T.N. Chaturvedi, Chairman ofIIPA, noted that Ms. Jaising hadgiven us a very perceptive, analyticaland informative lecture that clarifiedthe laws; lacunae that neededattention, including inimplementation and the manybarriers to access to justice forsurvivors of violence against women.Also speaking on the occasion, ShriM. Subramanian (Prof. Saroja’shusband) said that it was a greatprivilege for them and to Prof.Saroja’s memory that the firstmemorial lecture had been deliveredby a woman who rose to the highestlaw office in the country. Prof. AashaKapur Mehta coordinated theprogramme.

Dr. Ambedkar Memorial Lecture

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Chair inSocial Justice at IIPA organised theDr. Ambedkar Memorial Lecture onMarch 10. Shri K.R. Venugopal,former Secretary to the PrimeMinister, and Special Rapporteur,National Human Rights Commission,delivered the lecture on “InclusiveGovernance and Social Justice:Concerns and Strategies “.Describing Ambedkar as a greatpersonality, Shri Venugopal statedthat he took up the task of social

Lt. Gen. S.K. Sinha, delivers thememorial lecture.

IIPA NEWSLETTER/APRIL 2014 3

Winning is not everything, but the effort to win is — Zig Ziglar

change at a very difficult time andshowed us a path which wentthrough education and successfullyled to social transformation.Welcome address was delivered byDr. Tishyarakshit Chatterjee, Directorof IIPA; and Shri T.N. Chaturvedi,Chairman of IIPA, presided over thefunction and shared hisreminiscences about Dr. Ambedkar’sspeeches which he had theoccasion to hear and also his studyat Columbia. The event wassponsored by Dr. AmbedkarFoundation, Ministry of SocialJustice and Empowerment. Prof.Dolly Arora coordinated theprogramme.

International Women’s Day

On the eve of InternationalWomen’s Day, DoPT organised aprogramme at IIPA to celebrateInternational Women’s Day onMarch 7. Dr. Syamal Kumar Sarkar,Secretary, DoPT, inaugurated theprogramme. Dr. TishyarakshitChatterjee, Director of IIPA; Ms.Mamta Kundra, Joint Secretary,DoPT; Ms. Indira Jaising, AdditionalSolicitor General; Ms. Jeet Kaur,Counsellor Art of Living; and Ms.Bharti Ali, HAQ, addressed thegathering. The event was organisedby DoPT in coordination with Prof.Sujata Singh and Prof. Aasha KapurMehta.

Workshop on InclusiveGovernance and Social Justice:Concerns and Strategies

Sponsored by Dr. AmbedkarFoundation, Ministry of SocialJustice and Empowerment, theprogramme was organised at IIPAby its Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Chair inSocial Justice on March 10-11. Prof.S.K. Thorat, Chairman of IndianCouncil of Social Science Researchand Director of Indian Institute ofDalit Studies, delivered the inauguraladdress. Shri T.N. Chaturvedi,Chairman of IIPA, presided over theinaugural session. Shri SudhirBhargava, Secretary, Ministry ofSocial Justice and Empowerment,delivered the special address. Theworkshop brought together a galaxyof academics, administrators andactivists to share research andexperience and to strategise aboutways in which these could berealised. Shri Sanjeev Kumar, JointSecretary, Ministry of Social Justiceand Empowerment and MemberSecretary, spoke on the challengesand future possibilities. Shri VineyKumar Paul, Director of Dr.Ambedkar Foundation, also gavehis observations towards the end.Prof. Dolly Arora, presented thetheme note and coordinated it.

Programme on HigherAdministration and Legal Matters

Sponsored by the Central PublicWorks Department, the programmewas conducted at IIPA for EE (Civil),CPWD from March 10-21. Apartfrom comprehending the dynamicsof public administration andunderstand its changing nature, theprogramme was designed to: (i)integrate the various legal provisionsapplicable in administrativefunctioning; (ii) understand the limitsthat the law places on their decision-

making powers; (iii) appreciate theintricacies of judicial procedure ingeneral and the requirements offairness and reasonableness in thefunctioning of administration; and(iv) develop effective leadership forbetter administration. Programmefaculty comprised guest speakersand in-house faculty. Prof. P.K.Chaubey and Dr. Sachin Chowdhrycoordinated it.

Provisional Training Programme(PTP-14)

Sponsored by the Ministry ofExternal Affairs, the captionedprogramme, part of Indo-Afghanpartnership for strengthening sub-national governance in Afghanistan,was conducted at IIPA for the Afghandelegation from March 11-22. Apartfrom providing the participants witha broad understanding of variousfacets of public administration, theprogramme was designed to: (i)expose them to various goodpractices in India and to drawlessons from them; (ii) equip themwith knowledge and skills to bettermanage conflicts and disasters; (iii)enhance their capacity in managingdevelopment programmes/projects;and (iv) develop soft skills forenhancing their performance.Programme faculty comprised guestspeakers and programmecoordinators, Prof. Vinod K. Sharma,Prof. K.K. Pandey and Dr. C. SheelaReddy.

National Consultation onRepositioning Tribal Question forPublic Policy

In an attempt to holisticallyreassess the issues pertaining totribal rights, a two-day programmeon the captioned topic wasorganised at IIPA on March 19-20.Prof. Felix Padel, SocialAnthropologist, criticised the Indian

Shri K.R. Venugopal delivers thememorial lecture.

4 IIPA NEWSLETTER/APRIL 2014

Caution is the eldest child of wisdom — Victor Hugo

system of education as promotingcultural genocide for the tribals. Hequestioned the developmentalparadigm as imported and imposed.He recognised the tribal knowledgesystem and emphasised on findinga natural system of replenishment.Dr. Usha Ramanathan, Member ofHigh Level Committee on TribalStatus, challenged the idea ofeminent domain and stated thatconstitution is about limitation onpowers of state. She furthercriticised the notion ofmainstreaming as it will move thetribals away from resources. ShriRamnivas, former DGP ofChhattisgarh, spoke about thegeographical vastness of redcorridor in India and stated that theForest Act has put so manyrestrictions on the tribals. He alsotalked about administrative vacuumand called for strengthening ofground level administration.Following thematic issues werediscussed: (i) Constitutional andStatutory Affairs: Is it possible anddesirable to look beyond Fifth &Sixth Schedule? (ii) Tribal Ecologyand Development: Is it possible anddesirable to let sustainability andbio-cultural diversity overridedevelopment agenda? And (iii)Social Anthropology: Is it time towholly reconfigure concept of tribe,and ST classification? About 35participants including experts,development practitioners,administrators, policy makers, socialactivists and tribal peopleparticipated in the programme. Dr.Nupur Tiwari coordinated it.

Seminar on Youth and Governance

The Institute teamed up withthe Office of Public Affairs, Bahá’ísof India in organising the captionedprogramme on March 19 at India

International Centre. The seminarhighlighted the capacity of youngpeople for positive social changewhich was attended by people fromacross the domains. The ChiefGuest Shri T.N. Chaturvedi,Chairman of IIPA, mentioned thatdiscourses on youth andgovernance must pay attention tothe guiding principles of justice,equity and collective trusteeship inall relationships between individuals,communities and institutions. Ninepanelists discussed issues relatedto both the role of youth ingovernance as well as the impactof governance on the lives of youth.As Prof. Shivaji Sarkar, Editor ofHindustan Samachar, questionedthat although we expect somethingfrom the youth but what is ourcontribution towards them? ShriVimlendu Jha, Exeuctive Director ofSwechha, mentioned thatgovernance systems and processesmust create an environment whereyouth can feel a sense of ownership,stewardship and leadership for theprogress of the country. Ms. AshrafPatel, Co-founder of PRAVAH,focused on the need to createempowering spaces for youngpeople to be able to take controlover the decisions that impact theircommunities and individual lives.Ms. Patel mentioned that focusingon the role of youth in governanceis not about creating falsedistinctions between young and old,but about ensuring that our habitsof mind do not prevent us fromevolving and questioning currentstructures and plans. Ms. FaridaVahedi, Director of the Bahá’í Officeof Public Affairs, stated that thereare no short-cuts or simple solutionsto creating good governancesystems. She emphasised that thediversity of human societies and

their ever-increasing complexity andgrowing interdependence requiresgovernance systems thatcontinuously evolve. Deliberationsalso benefited from presentationsby other panelists including Dr.Prasanna Kumar, former AdditionalChief Secretary and FinanceCommissioner, Government ofHaryana; Shri Sanjeev Gupta,Managing Director of Accenture; ShriK.G. Suresh, Director and ChiefEditor, Global Foundation forCivilizational Harmony; and Ms.Preeti Jha, FA&CAO, NorthernRailways. One of the importantlessons learned in the seminar wasthe need to question the underlyingassumptions of the nature of socialand economic development andcritically analyse whether a narrow,consumer-based conception ofgrowth and development meets theneeds of India’s youth. Prof. V.K.Sharma and Dr. Usha Mujoo Munshicoordinated it.

Faculty News

� Prof. P.K. Chaubey, Professorof Economics (EconomicAdministration): (i) was apanelist on the programme“Bebak Bahas” of TV ChannelOne on Rail Budget and InterimBudget 2014-15 on February 12and !7 respectively; (ii) delivereda lecture on “Structural Changeand Interdependence in theIndian Economy through Use ofInput Output Tables: Post GreenRevolution Period” in secondRefresher Course for CSO/ISSofficers from States onConstruction of Regional Input-Output Tables and CapitalCoefficients Tables of Fixed,Working and Replacement inService Life Capital Goods inStates/UTs of India on February

IIPA NEWSLETTER/APRIL 2014 5

Prejudices are what fools use for reason — Voltaire

22; (iii) delivered a guest lectureon “Micro-economics andMacro-economics of SomeEconomic Policies in India” onFebruary 25; (iv) spoke aspanelist on “Sahara Episode onNewline of TV Channel One onFebruary 28; (v) deliveredvaledictory address in thenational seminar on “FinancialInclusion and Poverty Alleviationin India”, organised by D.S.College, Aligarh on March 2;and (vi) delivered two lectureson “Fiscal Federalism in India”and “Union Budget: Structureand Analysis” in InvertisUniversity , Bareilly on March 3.

� Dr. Charru Malhotra, AssociateProfessor of e-Governance andICT, was invited on behalf ofSAARC countries, especiallyIIPA, India to collaborate on aninternational research project on“Open Government:Transparency of PublicAdministrations and Citizen

Participation” by President ofInstitut du Monde et duDéveloppement (IMODEV),University of Paris. In this visit,she was also requested to chaira session on “Transparency andAccountability at the OpenGovernment Era” as well asshare her research findings on“Role of Social Media inPromoting Transparency in anOpen Government Era inSAARC Countries with specialreference to India”, in the relatedsymposium on “OpenGovernment: Transparency ofPublic Administrations andCitizen Participation” fromFebruary 10-13 conducted inParis. Her participation hadbeen fully funded by theUniversity of Paris. Therespective session as well asher paper was also well receivedby the participants of 16 otheruniversities including Universityof Colombia, Elon University

(United States), University ofMexico, University of Sydney,University of Lodz (Poland),Judges Academy of Sao Paulo(Brazil) and so on. Withdiscussions underway for thedesired collaboration in theproject, it will help to open upIIPA’s relationship with all theseinternational institutes especiallywith the eminent University ofParis in the emerging area ofOpen Governance, which isactually a logical extension ofInstitute’s mandate of publicadministration and also itsrecent stint in e-governanceactivities related to NEGP.

� Prof. Aasha Kapur Mehta,Professor of Economics(Economic Policy), was adiscussant in the session on“Poverty” at an internationalsymposium organised in honourof Prof. Y.K. Alagh by theInstitute of HumanDevelopment.

Corrigendum

IIPA Newsletter, February issue: page 3, column 3 under “Book Review Discussion”, please read: Gp.Capt. Arun Saklani was the panelist in the discussion.

Assam Regional Branch

The branch organised a meetingon March 22 to review thefunctioning of one year of its twoyears term and chalk out theprogrammes to be taken for fruitfulfunctioning of next year. At theoutset, the meeting condoled thedeath of Shri Tafazzal Hussain, IAS(Rtd). Thereafter, a lecture-meetingwas organised on “Myanmar” byShri Bhaskar Baruah, IAS (Rtd).

NEWS FROM BRANCHES

Bihar Regional Branch

The branch organised a seminaron “Role of Public Administration inthe Development of Bihar” on March21 at Nalanda Open University,Patna. Shri V.S. Dubey, former ChiefSecretary of Bihar and Jharkhand,was the Chief Guest. Prof.Rashbihari Prasad Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda OpenUniversity, prersided over theprogramme. Dr. Navanit Sinha,

Secretary of the branch, read outthe theme paper.

Budaun Local Branch

The branch organised a seminaron “Protection of Human Rights:Focus on Women Empowermentand Rural Development” onFebruary 10. Prof. Mushahid Husain,Vice-Chancellor of MJP RohilkhandUniversity, inaugurated theprogramme; and Shri BrajeshKumar, Chief Convenor Rural

6 IIPA NEWSLETTER/APRIL 2014

The Newsletter, published in the first week of every month, generally covers news of the previous thirty days. While all reasonable precautionsare taken regarding the authenticity of the items included, IIPA is not responsible for any error or inadequacy therein – Editor.

Bad excuses are worse than none — Thomas Fuller

Development, presided over theprogramme. Prof. Husain stressedthat in the age of globalisation andscientific development, it isnecessary that each citizen shouldbe sensitised about protection ofhuman rights. Shri P.K. Chaturvedi,Distt. Civil and session Judge,Budaun, in his valedictory address,stated that for the successfulfunctioning of the Indian democracy,it is necessary that the dignity ofeach man is recognised in society.Dr. R.B. Mathur, Joint Secretary ofthe branch, convened theprogramme. On February 23, thebranch organised the Model VillageDevelopment programme. Shri HariOm Verma, Distt. Yoga Coordinator,presided over the programme. Dr.Har Swarup, Secretary of thebranch, convened the programme.The branch also organised aseminar meeting to study theproblems of the village panchayatand role of the civil society. ShriRanvir Singh Chauhan, husband ofSmt. Sita Rani, Gram Pradhan,presided; and Shri Hari Om Verma,Yoga Coordinator, convened theprogramme. Dr. Har Swaroop,Secretary of the branch, was theChief Guest. He stressed the needfor restoring the old chaupal cultureof the villages, where the localpeople should meet once a monthto discuss their common problems.Dr. Om Veer Singh Chauhanexpressed his heartiest thanks tothe the branch for visiting the villageand giving valuable guidance andsuggestions for speedy developmentof the village.

Howrah Local Branch

The branch jointly with RotaryClub of Howrah organised a seminar

on “India: Where It Stands in GlobalCorruption Scenario” on February26. Rtn. Dilip Kumar Das, Chairmanof the branch, delivered the key-note address. He stated thatcorruption, in short, may be definedas misuse of public power for privatebenefit. Rt. Bibekananda Ghosh,Club President, presided over theprogramme. Earlier, the branchjointly with Citizens and Rate PayersCommittee of Howrah organised aseminar on “Digital Revolution andParticipatory Public Administration”on February 15. Rtn. Dilip KumarDas, Chairman of the branch,presided. Prof. Ashis Ray, Secretaryof the branch, gave an introductoryaddress; and Shri Samir RoyChowdhury, Educationist, spoke onthe topic. Shri Niladri Banerjee,former Brand Manager of AnandaBazar Patrika, gave the key-noteaddress. He emphasised on brandconsultancy, digital marketing andparticipation of public administration.

Jammu and Kashmir RegionalBranch

The branch organised a seminaron “Safety of Women in Workplaces”on March 12. Prof. Poonam Dhawangave the key-note address. Shegave an overview of the issuesrelated to work environment at theglobal level and the issues of sexualharassment. She called forinstitutional systems to be put inplace so that women can feel safeat workplace. Her address wasfollowed by a presentation by Dr.Savita Nayyar on “VishakhaJudgement and Developments afterVishakha Judgement”. Earlier, Prof.Rekha Chowdhary, in her welcomeaddress, focused on the need torecognise women as persons ratherthan as sex objects.

Karimnagar Local Branch

The branch jointly with theKarimnagar Consumers’ Councilorganised a workshop on“Consumer Protection” on the eveof World Copnsumers’ Day onMarch 15. The branch jointly withLoksatta organised “Voters’Awareness” meeting at Vegurupallyand Nallagarda villages.

Karnataka Regional Branch

The branch teamed up with IIMAAlumni Association, BangaloreChapter and Indus BusinessAcademy, Bangalore in organisinga dialogical workshop on “CorporateSocial Responsibility” on February22. In his inaugural address, Dr.Samuel Paul, Chairman of PublicAffairs Centre, Bangalore,emphasised the need for broaderunderstanding of needs of thesociety before deciding on CSRactivities. He stated that more focuson CSR should be given in terms ofmode of planning and its executionas well as how well delivered. DrSubhash Sharma, Director of IndusBusiness Academy, provided atheoretical perspective on CSRthrough the metaphor of four lionsrepresenting four forces—force ofmarket, force of state, force ofpeople and force of self. Shri AjeetSaxena of Southern Railways spokeon his new concept of corporatespiritual responsibility and itssignificance in contemporarycorporate context. Earlier, in hiswelcome address, Shri S.Ramanathan, Chairman of thebranch, explained why CSR hasassumed importance, highlightingthe current scenario, recentamendment to Indian Company andan assessment of comparative

IIPA NEWSLETTER/APRIL 2014 7

The present is the living sum-total of the whole past — Thomas Carlyle

Edited by Dr. Tishya Chatterjee and printed and published by Sunil Dutt for the Indian Institute of Public Administration, I.P. Estate, Ring Road,New Delhi - 110 002. Printed at Dee Kay Printers, 5/37A Kirti Nagar Indl. Area, New Delhi - 110 015, Ph. (011) 2538138.

status of Indian CSR and CSR ofWestern countries.

Madhya Pradesh and ChhattisgarhRegional Branch

The branch organised adiscussion-meeting on “AAP and theNew Politics” on January 18. Thediscussion was initiated by Shri AtulSinha, former Secretary toGovernment of India, who describedthe circumstances in which the newparty has come up. He said thatgiven the dismal state of publicaffairs in India, the party can improvethe polity but, unfortunately, it iswasting its opportunity to make ameaningful contribution. The talkwas followed by a vigorousdiscussion in which over a dozenmembers participated. It wasemphasised that India needs a thirdalternative to the two main nationalparties. AAP has generated a lot ofgoodwill and can play this role if itdoes not fritter away its energy inminor squabbles. In February theseminar was held in Raipur,Chhattisgarh incollaboration with the Director,Technical Education and SCERT.The discussions centered on theskill development programmes. Thefield workers from the governmentand NGOs joined in the discussion.The discussions brought out thedifficulties being faced by thepractitioners including the provisionwhich required registration and otherinformation to be uploaded tointernet which was often down andled to irregular payment to theorganisations which conducted thetraining. The lack of response fromthe independent examiners also ledto delays and some frustration. In

March, the discussions were aboutthe ethics in governance. Shri Dani,Director General, MP Academy ofAdministration, led thediscussions where anotherprominent speaker was Shri RajeshGupta, OSD of BudhhistInternational University, Sanchi. Theconsensus was that the teaching ofethics must startat home with the parents andcontinued in the primary schools.All the seminars were presided overby Shri Kewal Krishan Sethi,Chairman of the branch.

Rajasthan Regional Branch

The branch in collaboration withPrakrat Bharati Academy andManagement DevelopmentAcademy organised the followingprogrammes: (1) Dr. N.H. Gupta,former Principal, University LawCollege, Jaipur, delivered a talk on“Lokpal: Powers and Potential”. Hefocused on the major provisions ofthe recently enacted legislation onthe Lokpal. He cautioned that theselection of competent and judiciouspersons as members of the Lokpalwill be a prerequisite to theirsuccess. (2) On March 8, a seminarwas organised on “Lokayukta”.Justice Panachand Jain, formerJudge, Rajasthan High Court, in hiskey-note address, maderecommendations concerning thecrucial provisions on structure,functions and powers of Lokayukta’sin various states. Shri M.L. Mehta,former Chief Secretary, presidedwhile Justice S.N. Bhargava, formerChief Justice, Sikkim High Court,gave his suggestions to strengthenthe institutions of Lokayuktas inIndia. (3) On 10 March 10, Dr. G. D.

Sharma, former Dean, Faculty ofCommerce, University of Rajasthandelivered a talk on “Excellence inLife : The Ultimate Objective.” Heobserved that individual excellenceas well as societal excellence shouldbe made primary concerns incontemporary India. (4) On 12March 12, Prof. Ramesh K. Arora,Chairman of the branch, reviewed abook, Focus: The Hidden Driver ofExcellence by Daniel Goleman. (5)On February 14, the branch incollaboration with Rajasthan AdultEducation Society organised alecture on “India’s LiteracyProgramme: A Critical Evaluation”by Shri Rajendra Bhanawat, IAS(Rtd.). He stressed upon the needto enhance the coverage and qualityof adult education in the countryand banish illiteracy from the nation.(6) On February 15, the branch incollaboration with Centre forAdministrative Change and PrakratBharati Academy organised VishnuDutt Sharma Memorial Lecture on“Towards India’s Greatness” by ShriRajendra Bhanawat. He emphasisedthe need for promoting innovation,creativity, R & D, application oftechnology in health and education,universalisation of education, healthfor all, developing superinfrastructure, multiplying powergeneration, making drinking wateravailable to all and ensure genuinesocio-economic justice. Shri D.R.Mehta, former Chairman, SEBI,presided, while Prof. Ramesh K.Arora dwelt on the life andcontribution of Shri Vishnu DuttSharma. (7) On February 27, thebranch jointly with ManagementDevelopment Academy organised a

Quotable Quotes:

� The truest characters of ignorance are vanity, and pride andarrogance—Samuel Butler

� Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eatand drink only to live—Socrates

� Prose—words in their best order; poetry—the best words in theirbest order—Samuel Taylor Coleridge

� Life is like a play; it is not the length but the excellence of theacting that matters—Seneca

� Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledgewithout integrity is dangerous and dreadful—Samuel Johnson

� A civilized society is one which tolerates eccentricity to the pointof doubtful sanity—Robert Frost

Editor : DR. TISHYA CHATTERJEE

Asstt. Editor : SUNIL DUTT

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lecture-meeting, in which Prof. J.L.Bansal, former Dean of ScienceFaculty, spoke on “The Essence ofGeeta”.

Tirupati Local Branch

The branch jointly with RastriyaSanskrit Vidyapeeta, Tirupatiorganised a programme on “WorldConsumer Rights Day 2014: Fix OurPhone Rights” on March 15. Prof.C. Uma Shankar, Registrar ofRastriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeta, wasthe Chief Guest; and Shri S.Venkoba Rao, AGM of BSNL,Tirupati, was the Guest of Honour.Shri M. Subbarayudu Naidu,Member of Consumer Forum,

Nellore was the special invitee; andShri P. Raja Reddy, President ofConsumer Council, Tirupati was theprofessional expert. Prof. V.R.C.Krishnaiah, Vice-Chairman of thebranch, presided over theprogramme.

West Bengal Regional Branch

To commemorate 150th birthanniversary of Sir AsutoshMookerjee, the branch teamed upwith GLF Business School, Kolkatain organising a seminar on “SirAsutosh Mookerjee—theEducationist and he Jurist” on March1. Dr. Kausik Gupta, Vice-Chancellorof West Bengal State University,

inaugurated the programme. ShriR.N. Ray, former judge of AllahabadHigh Court, highlighted the brillianceof Sir Asutosh as a jurist and lateras a judge. Prof. Pranab KumarChatterjee, former Director of StateArchives, West Bengal, set theeducationist Asutosh against thecontext of cultural nationalism andeducational freedom that once madeBengal the centre of IndianRenaissance. Earlier, Dr. SibranjanChatterjee, Secretary of the branch,introduced the subject; and ShriAbhijit Banerjee, Director of theSchool, gave the welcome address.Prof. Syamal Kumar Roy presidedover the programme.