Amsterdam by Ian McEwan

Ian McEwan  won the Booker Prize for Amsterdam in 1998.I presumed that it was his best work .But it is not so .Atonement,Saturday and On Chesil Beach  are his three novels , which are far superior to Amsterdam .I really wonder what   made the jury of Booker Prize   to select this book for  the Award.

                         A 108 page novel  reads like a  long story of betrayals.Two friends  Clive and Vernon  poison each other in the end in Amsterdam in the most theatrical way .Garmony , the Foreign Secretary ,  finally loses his post.These three were the ex-lovers of  a woman   named  Molly .

                         I found the book shallow  and a waste of time . .It lowered my esteem for Ian McEwan and also for the jury of  Booker Prize .

                      

Ceremony by Leslie Silko

Tayo , the protagonist  suffers from estrangement and alienation , on his return from captivity to his native land Laguna Pueblo reservation in  America .He was released from the mental ward at the Veterans' Hospital in Los Angeles, having been a prisoner of the Japanese during the World War II.The search  for comfort and resolution of alienation  takes him to the past ,traditions and beliefs  of  Native  Indians in  America.He questions those beliefs and witchcraft and ancient stories and folklore.This search  itself becomes a ceremony which cures him of his despair.

              This is the first book  by Leslie Marmon Silko  , read by me .She took me into her world Laguna Pueblo Reservation , a world full of stories.

                        "  He was tired of fighting .If there was no one left to trust, then he had no more reason to live.(page 122).Nothing was ever lost as long as the love remained(page 220)."

    Ceremonies have always been changing."At one time , the ceremonies  as they had been performed were enough for the way the world was then .But after the white people came,elements in this world began to shift; and it became necessary to create new ceremonies.I have made changes in the rituals.The people mistrust this greatly , but only this growth keeps the ceremonies strong."(page126).But ceremonies need to be completed .                Was there some way to stop?It all depends how far you are willing to go.(page 230).Without friends , he didn't have a chance of completing the ceremony.(page 241).In an alien place , you doubt the ceremony.Ceremonies and stories are related.All stories fit together.The world as it always was , has no boundaries.(page 246).

."You don't have anything if you don't have the stories".The story behind each word must be told , and this demanded great patience and love.A world  is made of stories.We should feel stories happening to us.Some part of a story we have together, and some part we have alone.

 It takes a long time to tell  people the story.They ask questions about the location and the time of the day,the direction she had come from and the color of her eyes.

                   I enjoyed  reading this beautiful book.

Changing a system while being a part of it

Can a person change the "system" from within, being a part of the "system"? Many idealistic young men and women  attempt to do it.They join  the civil services with a view to change the "system" which includes not only the civil services but also the political system as also the lager society.My answer is that they cannot change the system while being a part of the very system .Why?

                 The reason is that civil servants are required to obey the  service conduct rules.These conduct rules  put several   severe  restrictions on what they can say or do in public  , and what  they cannot.Any violation of conduct rules can be punished , with suspension .These conduct rules and their alleged violations  make the civil servants quite vulnerable , and drastically reduces their capacity to  take up  fights with vested interests.

                      Further , it also raises several ethical issues including the accountability of civil servants to the government of the day.Many decisions of the government may be morally indefensible but may not be illegal.Such decisions have to be implemented by the civil servants.Under the existing scheme of things , the government is accountable to the legislature, and not the civil servants per se.

                   The moral is that if someone wants to change the  "system",he or she  needs to do it by coming out of the government .And then   he or she may  try to change the mindset of the public which  accepts and creates this 'system'.Otherwise , such attempts at change  are likely to fail.

The Joy of Books :Confessions of a Llifelong Reader by Eric Burns

Any book ,which inspires me to read  more  books, is a book worth reading .The Joy of Books :Confessions of a Lifelong Reader by Eric Burns is one such book.Eric Burns  is a former TV journalist  with NBC  News.This book was published in 1995  when there were no e-books and no Kindle.But still , it makes a strong plea for printed , literary books.

               The Joy of Books is about history of books as well as a history of reading .It makes a case in favour of  printed books  over TV or Movies.It gives an insight that books" raise possibilities",It also narrates many instances of book burning and censorship,and the psychology of people behind such attitudes.

            The author points out  the relationship between a writer and reader as also between a reader and another reader.We read books for the pure joy of reading .The author also compares how our experience is different when we  read a book for the second or third time.It is a short book of 182 pages , and is worthy of your time .

The Guide by R K Narayan

The Guide is a 1958 classic by  Indian author( late) Padma Vibhushan  R K Narayan. I read this 247 pages long novel recently  , after a gap of nearly 20 years ,after the first reading .The Bollywood  movie Guide continues to be my favourite  movie.

                   Like all of us , it is about search for identity  by Raju.What is the true identity of Raju?He finds it near the end of his life .It is the identity of a spiritual adviser.How does he find it? By  self-abnegation, by  doing  something sincerely for others, Raju finds spiritual peace, and arrives at his true identity.He starts as a tourist guide , then becomes a guide to Rosie , the dancer, then  a forgerer , then a model prisoner  and finally a spiritual adviser , who sacrifices for others.In fact , having got spiritual peace on the eleventh day of fasting , he dies on the twelfth day.
                  The real issue between Rosie and her husband Marco was  about dancing.Rosie had a natural flair and passion for dance but Marco was completely against her dancing .She wanted to be a faithful wife but dance was her identity.Ultimately  she left both."Neither Marco nor I had any place in her life,which had its own sustaining vitality and which she herself had underestimated all along."(Page223).Once she  realised her true identity , she set about to live  accordingly , brooking no relationship or obstacle in the way.

Are there any signs of evidence -based policy formulation in the states of India ? A Case of Uttar Pradesh

The article " Case for Evidence- based  policy formulation(June ,2015) "by Prof Geeta Gandhi Kingdon , in Education World magazine, set me thinking about   the  actual system  of policy making prevailing  in a state  like Uttar Pradesh in India.There is no doubt that  there is a case for  evidence-based policy formulation , both in the state governments  as well as in the  government of India.         As Prof Kingdon says :"In good education  systems defined by real learning outcomes,education policy is not made on hunches, ideology or political expediency,but on the basis of evidence of what works"
                        I worked in Uttar Pradesh as an IAS officer for 35 years,  spent about  14 years in different field postings and about 21 years in the  State Secretariat . In the Secretariat , I spent about 11 years in various departments  as Secretary to the State Government and about  10 years as Principal Secretary to the State government .I also served as Staff Officer and Special Secretary  to  three Chief secretaries of U.P. , for a total period of 3 years,where  I had the benefit of  having access to all the proposals of all the departments which were  put up before the State Cabinet from time to time .This , I believe, makes me eligible to write about this important subject , with a view to give it  a real- life  perspective.I do not intend to criticise any government in particular  , but to explain and shed light on the  system as it prevails.
                   Do the state governments make policies , based on the evidence?My answer is a big No.Do the  civil servants have the adequate training , competence and expertise  to look for the right kind of evidence  and to sift and analyse that evidence , so as to  put forward  the right kind of policy options? Do they have the capability to separate good evidence from the bad? My answer is again "Not really" , though some civil servants are exception to this  general observation.
               If our policies are not based on evidence , then  how are these  formulated and decided?  It is a bit tricky question , and I have no  evidence(except my experience)to answer it .But still , I can say that most policies are made on the impressions , ideology,political expediency or prompted by some interest groups. For example , if the government thinks that it is politically expedient to  make all para teachers into  regular teachers, it will take this decision in the cabinet .The role of the Secretary in the Education  Department will be merely  to draft a cabinet note(proposal) which "justifies" this policy  , rather than looking for evidence and data  whether  para teachers deliver better quality of teaching than the regular teachers.And whether the decision to make them into regular teachers  will impact the quality of education adversely .What does the published research say on this kind of issues  ? Are there similar instances  in other states or countries where different decisions were taken , with success and positive outcomes?
                  In the state governments in India ,there is  no scope for any civil servant (Education Secretary , Chief Secretary , Planning Secretary , Finance Secretary , Law Secretary) to offer a different opinion .There are many reasons for this.:
1.Political decision makers(Normally , the Chief Minister and other political leaders)  take a decision  beforehand on political grounds.No civil servant is given any space to differ.
2.Once the political decision has been taken , there is a pressure on the concerned civil servants  to issue the government order  containing the policy at the earliest.It could be yesterday(expostfacto approval of the Cabinet is taken) , today or tomorrow.In such a situation , there is hardly any time for any Head of the Department or the Secretary of the Department to look for the "evidence" to put across the alternative options .The expectation  and pressure is to  prepare a  note for the Cabinet , recommending the option already decided politically .
3.The mandatory inter departmental consultation  requires the opinion of the Law , Finance  , Personnel  and Planning Departments.Law department looks at the legality of the proposal .There is nothing illegal in making para teachers into regular teachers .So , the law department agrees.Finance Department may object (If Finance Secretary has the guts to say so), but he or she can be" persuaded "by the Chief Secretary or the Minister   , and I have seen that finally , the finance secretary gets persuaded, for he cannot go against the wishes of the political establishment .In any case , his opinion  can be over-ruled .Personnel polices are generally pro employees.So , the Personnel Department also   agrees.Planning Department hardly  differs .So normally  the planning department agrees.
4.The culture of making policies and decisions based on evidence , and not on whims and fancies of political establishment , simply does not exist in a state like Uttar Pradesh .This also suits all the powerful stakeholders  who have any say in the decision making .The interest of the common citizens  or public interest , generally  gets ignored in the process.
5.The civil servants  do not have the motivation  to  acquire needed skills or competence to search  for the evidence and to analyse the evidence, to distinguish good evidence from the bad,to appreciate the difference between co-relation and causation. .They  remain in their comfort zone of having  "contributed" to the policy without evidence , as per the process laid down in the Rules of Business.
      The above is the general pattern of policy making in a state like Uttar Pradesh, irrespective of the party in power.In many cases , powerful industrialists  "convince" the political leadership of the need for a policy decision, to enhance their business or financial interests, and we have chrony capitalism in its most obvious form.
               What is the way out?I  know that in other countries also, policy making is   controlled by the political leadership , but to some extent , it is evidence based.Perhaps , this is because there is a healthy culture,a  lively debate in the legislature, the civil society is vigilant and media is  impartial  and  alert.Perhaps , there is more space for the civil servants to advise.Perhaps , the civil servants there are better trained and equipped to source , locate and analyse the evidence.Perhaps , the political leadership is more receptive to ask for evidence.
 I hope,  a day will come when  our political leaders rise above their need to remain in power for ever, our civil servants will have the motivation  , courage, skills and competence to formulate  , present , get approved and implement  Evidence based policies in public interest.Into that heaven of freedom  , let my country awake
(I wait without hope)   .             

Consume with Care ... .. World Environment Day 2015 in Lucknow(June5,2015,Friday)

In a short, spontaneous and spirited event , we celebrated  World Environment Day today(June5,2015,Friday) in City Montessori School , Head  Office, in Lucknow.I spoke as below:

         The theme of 2015 World Environment Day , decided by UNEP is;"Seven Billion Dreams,One planet.Consume with care."There are two ways of conserving the environment.One is to produce and have economic growth in  an environment -friendly way.The other is to consume less and not waste.This year , UNEP has decided that all those who care for environment should focus on consuming with care.

              At present , the population of the world is 7 billion .The theme exhorts every member of  the entire world population to  have at least one dream , the fulfilment of which will  enable to consume less and conserve natural resources.One can consume with care water , food, energy,electricity,paper, forest resources or animal products.Every good action begins with an individual.Then it can result in a collective action .Like Martin Luther King , Jr. each one of us  must "have a dream" so that we have today 7 billion dreams about consuming with care.It is ,I hope, bound to result in preserving environment.

             The population of the world is growing .It is likely to cross 9 billion in 2050 from the present 7 billion .This will require economic growth and higher production of consumable things, which will have some adverse impact on environment .But if each one of us consumes less and does not waste , some of the adverse impact will not take place .So, we need to do more with less, we need to do better with less.We need not live in adversity , but we need to avoid luxury and wastage.Let us pick up one item and decide how we shall consume it less in the next one year.

Team Building

Every team has to have a common purpose, and based on that common purpose needs to develop a shared vision.But in addition , every team should have shared values, shared concepts, shared attitudes and a shared way of working.For ensuring quality in decisions as well as in products , team work is essential.

           Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr.  delivered his famous "I have a dream" from Lincoln Memorial  , Washington DC on August 28,1963.It is worthwhile to know how he shared his dream effectively with his followers , who had come to hear his talk.It is important to  have a shared vision  so that teams can be effective in achieving it.

        The five disciplines listed by Peter Senge to develop a learning organisation are:

1.Shared Vision.

2.Mental Models.

3.Personal Mastery.

4.Team Learning .

5.Systems Thinking.

 Teams need to learn together, plan together and have a shared vision for the team as well as for the organisation .Members of a team need to know each other.They need to have informal conversations, ask each other questions and listen to the answers given by other team members.

          Each team should periodically have a collaboration audit , to assess how members are performing while coordinating with each other as well as with members of other teams.

         The most important quality  which each member of a team should develop is trustworthiness.This is most important for the team leader.India is a low trust society.That is why , team work is a greater challenge in India.In this context , trustworthiness becomes the critical factor for the success of ant team in India.

(A short talk delivered to the employees  of City Montessori School, Lucknow  on May 30,2015, Saturday.)

Careers in Civil Services in India

City Montessori School ,Lucknow organised Careers Day on May 3,2015(Sunday).The audience was   about 2000 students of classes 11 and 12 , and their parents. What I spoke there as a Guest Speaker is as below.

1.Do you want to be a job provider or a job seeker?

2. If you are a job seeker(as opposed to a job provider), do you want to seek job in government sector , private sector or the non-government sector(NGO).?

3.If you want to seek job in government , do you want to seek a job in armed forces or civil services.?

4.If you want to seek a job in civil services, do you want to join All India Services, Central Services,or you want to join Provincial civil services?

5.If you want to seek job in All India Services, do you want to join IAS , or IPS or Indian Forest Service?

6.If you want to join central services , do you want to join Indian Foreign Service , Indian Revenue Service , Indian Customs and Central Excise Service, Indian Railway Traffic Service or Indian Postal Service or Indian Audit and Accounts Service?

7.If you want to join Provincial civil service , do you want to join PCS, or Agriculture or Transport or Trade Tax or Cooperatives Services.?

                  At present , most of applicants opt for IAS as their first preference because this service occupies most of the important posts at the centre as well as in the states.Many applicants also opt for Indian Foreign Service as the first option .A few also opt for IPS as the first option .

                 The main  positive factors in the favour of IAS and civil services are the security of tenure under article 311 of the constitution of India.All India services (IAS,IPS , I Fo.S) have a constitutional status under article 312 of the Constitution of India.Most of the posts at the level of Secretary , both at the centre and at the states are manned by IAS.They  get rich experience and opportunity to formulate the policies and laws in all areas of governance , giving them wide and variety of  jobs.No other Service has such  opportunities.The IAS officers become District Collector and Magistrates at a young age, giving them opportunities to develop leadership and serve people.They sustain democracy by conducting fair and free elections under the Election Commission of India.

  The downsides of IAS are  nexus with political corruption,frequent transfers for not obliging the authorities, getting insignificant  posts if they  do not  bend  rules to fulfil the wishes of Ministers, increasing politicisation  which is a threat to fair governance and to democracy.There are hardly any rewards or punishment based on performance resulting in mediocrity.Sometimes IAS officers doing very good work are punished because they adversely impact some powerful vested interests.As TS R Subrmanian has said in his piece "Belling the Mice"in the Indian Express;"As our democracy has evolved, the root of the issue is that the politics is now an unregulated business,largely aimed at the generation of  illegal wealth-- do the states have the will to fight corruption? .Take any state and one will find that  the polity is heavily dependent  on the sand , land , liquor, excise , forest and/or builder groups, which call the shots I our far flung districts and state headquarters, politics is not for public service-it is a passport to unheard-of riches." It is in this scenario that the IAS officers have to operate.Any upright and honest IAS officer has to do a really tight-rope walking to survive and to do his main job of governance , development and public service.

                 The odds are high that  bright young persons may get deterred from joining the IAS.But that would be unfortunate , because our country(India) desperately  needs  youth with character , integrity, competence , compassion to join the IAS, because without them, democracy and governance cannot survive in India. they can help the democracy to survive in India