KALEESWARAM  RAJ ON JUDICIAL REFORMS

Rethinking Judicial Reforms by Kaleeswaram Raj ; Published by Universal Law Publishing /LexisNexis ; Pages 179 ; Price Rs 395/-

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The author of this book Kaleeswaram Raj practices as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of India and the High Court of Kerala. His domain is Civil, Criminal and Constitutional Law. He is a regular contributor to legal journals and has published over six books.

Prof. Madhava  Menon in his “Foreword “ points out the three legs on which the legal and judicial system rest.

1.The laws which lay down a normative order reflecting the will of the people;

2.Institutions and structures that make the laws functional ;

3.Legal personnel such as administrators, police, judges and lawyers who make the institutions work.

The book under review critically analyses the legal and judicial professions and their performance. During the seven decades of India as a free nation

there has emerged in the country what is known as    “Krishna Iyer School of Jurisprudence” based on the yeoman service rendered by Justice Krishna Iyer who has attempted to bridge the gap between the constitution and the vast masses of Indians still outside the system.

Raj has undertaken  deep research and analysis of law on all issues of public importance arising out of courts and tribunals in the country. He is concerned with the aberrations in the system and the imperative need for corrective action. He deals with judicial ethics, electoral corruption and fair advocacy.

Raj underscores the need for a forensic approach to study the metabolism of legal developments and comprehend their impact on the fundamental values enshrined in our Constitution. The judicial institutions and its putative goals need a thorough scanning by evolving an assertive citizen’s jurisprudence. The lawman’s professional genius and  ethical consciousness should foresee the adverse social impact of the inhospitable ambience created in courts.

The question of judicial appointment is so fundamental that it has several ramifications on the system. According to Raj, ” sooner or later, we need to design a better institutional framework for judicial appointments either by way of judicial synthesis or imaginative legislation.”In India judicial reform has been a formal institutional subject, which got entangled in the reports of the law Commission and other reports.

The book is divided into seven parts. Part One is on legal profession. The number of lawyers in India has exceeded 13 lakhs. One chapter analyses “Fair Advocacy”. As a political concept with  apparent ethical dimensions it provides a directional change in evaluating the legal profession.

The second part is on judicial conduct. ‘Thesis’ of judicial independence always meets the ‘ anti-thesis’ of accountability. Judicial independence is not to be mistaken for immunity from public scrutiny.

The third part on judicial appointments calls for a cleaner and better judiciary. Raj pleads for legislative activism for a better and more democratic system of choosing our judges.

Part four is on judicial management. Faith of people  in the courts depends upon the efficiency of the system. Raj calls for comparative studies from jurisdictions abroad to help us run our country better.

Part five is essentially a debate on judgments with some reformative ingredients. The author tackles certain key areas in the constitution and some statutes. Discussed at length are the cases such as Shah Bano, Kedarnath,Shreya Singhal and Uttarakhand.The intervention in the Uttarakhand case by the High Court and the Supreme Court indicate different approaches to the same legal conundrum which can be a critical analysis of the methodology adopted by the courts.

Part six discusses the problem of “The Preamble”. It also studies relevant areas of law which form part of legal and judicial reform. Uniform Civil Code is studied in depth.

The final part is related to random thoughts on politics of Indian judiciary—and analyses with certain primary  legal tools and pleads for a Krishna Iyer school of jurisprudence. No other judge or politician in India could ever explore the enormous possibilities of the Indian constitution as had been done by Justice V.R.Krishna iyer.

The book is a testament of faith—clearly depicting Raj’s interest, passion and reach beyond the confines of codified law; his social sensitization and his political awareness.

One cannot but agree heartily with Justice Kurian Joseph who declared, ”Raj’s approach is always forthright and honest, and therefore the analysis is lucid. The articles have certainly contributed to the growth of jurisprudence”

P.P.Ramachandran

25/03/2018

Hanumantha Rao 

My Journey From Marxism—Leninism to Nehruvian Socialism  by Dr.C.H.Hanumantha Rao ; Published by Academic Foundation ; Pages 309 ; Price Rs 1295/-

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 The Communist Manifesto begins thus:-

A spectre is haunting Europe -- the spectre of communism.

 That same spectre was haunting the minds of intelligentsia and youth in India during the Forties and the Fifties. The London School of Economics and the dynamic teachers there swayed the thoughts of young Indians. Jawaharalal Nehru favoured a Fabian type of socialism after he fell under the influence of Sidney and Beatrice Webb and Harold Laski.

One of the young students who were swept by this intellectual tsunami is Prof Hanumantha Rao (hereafter Prof.Rao ). During the 12 years ending in 1957 when Prof.Rao completed his post graduation he came under the spell of Marxist ideology. Prof.Rao analyses  this and the subsequent phase of disillusionment with the relevance of Marxism-Leninism.

 As a young communist Prof.Rao  “was exposed almost exclusively to Marxian literature and interaction with communist leaders and workers for six years, including the period spent in jails and underground until 1951-52 with hardly any exposure to other streams of thought.”

 We have an incisive analysis of the discussions between P.C.Joshi, B.T.Ranadive and Chandra Rajasekhara Rao—all doughty, fiery leaders of the Left. With the downfall of the Soviet Union the communist movement in India lost its “independence of approach towards a  proper understanding of the  prevailing social structure and analysing the evolving socio—political situation.”  All of us know the C P I strongly defended the infamous promulgation of Emergency  by Indira Gandhi.

 After joining the Delhi School of Economics, the author ceased to be “ active in the political movement and was concentrating on  his studies in Nehruvian socialism through planning in a mixed economy under democracy--which proved to be decisive for  him. It appealed to him by “ it’s emphasis on openness  and democratic framework which provided ample scope for alterations in the model in response to changing needs.”

 Prof.Rao found himself immersed by the Nehruvian approach and this certainly proved a source of inspiration for his work of the next three decades at the Institute of Economic Growth. Total belief by the Indian communist movement in the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism rendered them unable “ to take a proper stand on many issues.”

Prof.Rao was in the Planning Commission when the Government was headed by Smt.Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi. About  his years with the Planning Commission (1982—1986) Prof.Rao writes,   “ The greatest contribution of Indira Gandhi in the field of economic planning was to make the whole planning process relevant to the common people”. Prof.Rao believed that “ there is a need to step up public investment in physical and social infrastructure as this would strengthen private investment.”

He found Rajiv Gandhi “ forward looking, highly technology conscious, keen on inducting talent and expertise in the process of planning and decision making. Rajiv took two mature initiatives----Introduction of Information Technology and Panchayati Raj institutions.The latter went into a limbo.

One interesting anecdote is worth recounting Rajiv Gandhi during a meeting of economists, members of the Planning Commission and government officials declared “… with all respect to the senior economists present here, I would like to mention a saying that economists are those who are heavily paid for making forecasts which often go wrong”. At this, Dr.Raja Chelliah who was equally forthright and relaxed gently retorted, “Sir, since we are not paid heavily our forecasts can never go wrong”. The PM greeted the remark with a heavy laugh. 

Prof.Rao resigned from the Planning Commission to resume his academic work in the Institute of Economic Growth.

 One chapter of the book brings out the resources position of States flowing from the recommendations of the 7th and 8th Finance Commissions. Other subjects discussed are Globalisation and economic reforms in India consequent to the breakdown of centralised planning in the erstwhile socialist nations and the relevance of the Nehruvian model of development. 

The Chapter “From Vishal Andhra to Telengana” discusses thoroughly issues relating to the viability  of smaller States and development issues. Issues germane to Telengana are discussed at length. Fears about the demands for smaller States cropping up as well as Telengana becoming a stronghold for Naxalism and religious fundamentalism have been discussed . Prof.Rao has provided  an incisive  analysis of the problems faced by Telengana.

Prof.Rao has devoted one full section on “Inclusive Growth”. There are twelve essays which  analyse succinctly a variety of problems—Issues related to Agriculture, Rural Development, Adivasis, Children, Poverty Alleviation, Sustainable Development.  There is an essay on the “Language Question” very relevant today even though written in 1954.

 There are delightful pen portraits of leading intellectuals of India –V.K.R.V.Rao,P.N.Dhar, Dharm Narain. Thought provoking comments are provided on books by Michael Lipton, K.N.Raj and Deepak Nayyar among others.

This is a volume that is at once refreshing and full of insights which portrays one intellectual’s journey from semi-darkness to light and it is told with astonishing honesty and modesty. The book deserves to be read by the youth of the country and those interested in the development of Indian polity in the last 50 years.

P.P.Ramachandran.

18/03/2018

ZAKIR   HUSSAIN

 Zakir Hussain  A Life in Music  by Nasreen Muni Kabir; Published by  Harper Collins ; Pages 185;  Price Rs. 599/-

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Nasreen Munni Kabir is a London-based film-maker and author who has made several documentaries on Hindi cinema and  written many books on the subject. She curates the annual Indian film season on UK’s Channel 4 TV. She has published books based on her conversations with Gulzar,Waheeda Rahman,Lata and other film artists. In this  book  which has taken over two years and  sessions with Zakir, Nasreen Munni Kabir takes the reader through the life and times of Zakir Hussain. 

Zakir Hussain is a musician who has for over six decades practiced the art of the tabla, playing not only with four generations of master musicians of India, but accompanying many greats from the world of Western classical, rock and jazz music.

 He is an international music phenomenon. Tabla virtuoso, composer and percussionist,  he is the eldest son of the legendary Ustad Allarakha Qureshi. Zakir gave his first public concert at the age of seven and was immediately declared  as a child prodigy. His phenomenal  dexterity and amazing creativity led to him become one of the most sought-after accompanists to the very best of Hindustani classical musicians and dancers. He is also acknowledged to be among  the topmost jazz and world music percussionists of today.

 If the tabla hadn’t become his voice, music maestro Zakir Hussain said he would have been a jazz musician. Kabir’s book is a reminiscence his musical journey, his relationship with instruments, and with his father, the late Ustaad Allahrakha Qureshi, who, the musician says, sang a rhythm in his ear instead of reciting a prayer when he was born.

In 2017, Zakir was awarded the lifetime achievement award at the SF Jazz Gala 2017. “Jazz and Indian classical both believe in spontaneous creativity. I was the first boy in my neighbourhood that had a boombox. My father used to bring home jazz records that I used to listen to, especially Miles Davis, and that’s how I developed an interest,” he said.

It is important to build a relationship with your instrument. “Become friends with the instrument. Each instrument has a spirit of its own and half the battle is to get the spirit to accept you. Once you establish a relationship with the instrument, it stays with you,” he said adding that he has much to thank his father for.

Even his relationship with and mastery of the tabla is credited to his father, as Ustad Allahrakha did not bind him. “If I felt like I want to play cricket, I did that, and then I would practice. My father let me be, he let me practice when I wanted to,” he said.

While emphasising the importance of understanding the spirit of creative freedom and the true nature of music, the conversation touches on issues that have become relevant today. “From 3 am to 6 am, I practised slokas with my father, and then I went to the madrassa to read the Qu’ran. After that, I crossed the street to St Michael’s Church to listen to hymns and marched to my classes humming. Never has a priest or a mullah ever tried to teach me that what they are saying is the only truth. Those were different times,” he said.

Zakir recalls someone telling his mother that “I was an unlucky child because my birth coincided with this most distressing time for the family. My father, whom we called Abba, was  critically ill at that time at that time.”

 There is an interesting quote from Ali Akbar Khan—a father figure—“If you practice for ten years you may begin to please yourself. After twenty years you may become a performer and please the audience, after thirty years you may please even your guru, but you must practice many more years before you become a true artist—then you may please God.”

Zakir speaks with great warmth of the “Holy Trinity of Tabla Players”—Ustad Allarakha Khan, Pandit Samta Prasad and Pandit Kishan Maharaj.

Zakir’s “Shakti”—a milestone is unique and unparalleled in the universe of music and it was probably the first group of its kind to have explored without limit, the one salient feature that is common in Indian music and jazz—and that is improvisation.”

There is a graphic account of how Zakir gave music for Bernardo Bertolucci’s film “Little Buddha”

We have fascinating pen portraits of several artists notably Ravi Shankar,Pandit Narayan,Nikhil Banerjee, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Ustad Vilayat Khan as also the lovely members of his musical family. .

Zakir speaks of his undertaking twice what is known as Chilla. It is associated with Sufis and musicians. A kind of spiritual retreat. A vow of silence for  days ; going to a remote place  and be alone with music or meditation. Concentrate totally on what you do. If you are a tabla player, you play tabla. If you are a singer, you sing, etc.

We gleam from the book details of Zakir’s achievements. Zakir Hussain has performed at innumerable concerts both as a solo artist and with renowned jazz musicians on the grand stages of the world, from the Royal Albert Hall to Madison Square Garden. With John McLaughlin, L. Shankar and T.H. Vinayakram. He has acted in James Ivory's Heat and Dust and Sai Paranjpye's Saaz, and scored music for Aparna Sen (Mr. & Mrs. Iyer) and Ismail Merchant (In Custody, The Mystic Masseur); he has also played the tabla for many Hindi film soundtracks of the 1960s .

 A born storyteller, Zakir speaks with humour and humility of his understanding of music, his relationship with his students, his dedication and love for the tabla, and the way he negotiates life as an acclaimed celebrity living in both America and India.

This book is an outstanding account of the rise of an outstanding musician acclaimed both in the East and the West and above all a rare warm and cultured personality .

P.P.Ramachandran.

11/03/2018.

WHY I AM A HINDU BY SHASHI THAROOR 

Why I Am A Hindu by Shashi Tharoor ; Published by Aleph ; Pages 302 ; Price Rs 699/-

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Shashi Tharoor is  the Enfant Terrible of the Indian literary world. He is enveloped in a cloak of infamy after the unfortunate demise of  his wife. But that is not our concern now. It is about  his latest work,viz., “Why I Am A Hindu” .

He is the acclaimed author of over 15 books. Noteworthy are  “The Great Indian Novel”;  “India: From Midnight to the Millennium” and  “An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India”. The last book fetched him  the  Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, for the best non-Fiction work.

He acquired fame as an Under Secretary-General of the United Nations. He was a Minister of State for Human Resource Development and Minister of State for External Affairs in the Indian Government .

 He has amassed  literary awards, including a Commonwealth Writers Prize.He is the recipient of  the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman which is India’s highest honour for overseas Indians.

 The Title  is not original .We have the  very famous        “ Why I Am Not A Christian?” by Bertrand Russell and the not so famous  “Why I Am Not A Hindu?” by Kancha Illiah .

Tharoor’s  book  is divided into two sections. Section One is a concise  history of Hinduism. The first chapter is “My Hinduism ” which introduces us to the brand of Hinduism   under which the author  grew up and is a competent review of the tenets  of the  religion.

Tharoor covers the bewildering multiplicity of Hindu gods and the several tales about them which were  kept closely in an ambit governed by  a single and sole idea -that is  “Brahman”.  No doctrinal control ties down Hinduism which makes it uniquely  democratic. He writes with great felicity -- “Hindu thought is like a vast library in which no book ever goes out of print; even if the religious ideas a specific volume contains have not been read, enunciated or followed in centuries, the book remains available to be dipped into, to be revised and reprinted with new annotations or a new commentary whenever a reader feels the need for it…”

The introduction is followed by a detailed analysis of certain cardinal concepts that are unique to Hinduism--- ideas like  paramatma, brahman, dharma, karma, maya, mukti, varna, ashrama and yugas. We are treated to  the six philosophical traditions of Hinduism  and its textual tradition, beginning with the  Vedas,  Upanishads and Puranas,  the Agamas,Sutras and Shastras. Considerable light is  thrown  on concepts such as  utsavas, yatras, pujas as also the prevalence of vegetarianism and alcohol in the Hindu way of life.

According to Tharoor ,“Every Hindu may not be conscious of the finer points of his faith, but he has been raised in the tradition of its assumptions and doctrines, even when these have not been explained to him. His Hinduism may be a Hinduism of habit rather than a Hinduism of learning, but it is a lived Hinduism for all that.”

Tharoor then delves into  Hindu Customs and tackles controversial  subjects like  Caste, Superstition, and “Godmen”. He believes  that the unjust social system of classification,  undue dependence on gurus, and inordinate  belief in signs and omens are not just rooted in the Hindu religion but are also unfortunate corollaries of a poverty-ridden and directionless society.

 “Great Souls of Hinduism”, is an account of eminent persons  who revolutionized  religion. From the sages Vyasa, Yagnavalkya and Patanjali to Mahavira  and Buddha; from Shankaracharya and Ramanuja to the Bhakti saints; from Kabir, Nanak and Mirabai to Raja Ram Mohun Roy and Osho, Tharoor covers the entire gamut of  major religions of India . Of course pride of place is given to  Swami Vivekananda.

 The author traces the route  of ritualistic “Vedism” to  an “idol-worshipping” religion, responses to  the challenge of Buddhism and its eventual absorption  and the impact springing from  the onslaught of  Islam and Christianity.

 The second part of the book is titled “Political Hinduism”. Tharoor  develops his analysis  with the idea of secularism. The appropriate  term in the Indian context, according to him  is “pluralism” simply because India has been the home of a variety of  religions. Religion  treated as  “dharma” inevitably results in it becoming  a “Way of Life”.

Tharoor contrasts this with the idea of Hindutva as propounded by  Veer  Savarkar and perpetuated by his RSS counterparts and successors like M.S. Golwalkar and Deendayal Upadhyaya. Tharoor makes a critical analysis of  ideas of “Integral Humanism”  of Upadhyaya  in the context of  the BJP declaring it as its formal ideology.

Tharoor dwells on  the BJP’s brand of Hindutva politics as being based on a victim-turned-avenger complex, a narrative of failure and defeat, and hatred for the Muslim community. Even if one were to turn a blind eye to the clear lack of Muslim representation (at least in the Lok Sabha) in this government, one can hardly ignore visible and worrying trends such as lynching and cow vigilantism. Ideas like ghar waapsi and love jihad, and groups like gau rakshaks and “Anti Romeo squads” operate and thrive under the aegis of the ruling party. Tharoor  brings out  the alarm caused to  peace-loving Indians in this context.

He also critiques the “cultural project” of Hindutva, which aims to “nationalise and spiritualise”. “We should take pride in what our forefathers did but resolve to be inspired by them rather than rest on their laurels. We need to use the past as a springboard, not as a battlefield. Only then we can rise above it to create for ourselves a future worthy of our remarkable past.”

He also strongly condemns the whitewashing, or saffronising, of India’s cultural past vis-à-vis the actions of vigilante groups such as the Bajrang Dal and, most recently, Karni Sena. Tolerance undeniably  is the badge  of Hinduism.

 Tharoor’s voice is firm and gentle, in equal measure. He reminds the reader of Hinduism’s pluralistic glory and and also warns of the perils of confusing it with the narrow and bigoted notion of Hindutva. He looks at the myriad manifestations of political Hinduism in the modern era, including violence committed in the name of the faith by rightwing organizations and their adherents. He is unsparing in his criticism of extremist 'bhakts’, and unambiguous  in his belief that everything that makes India a great and distinctive culture and country will be imperiled if “ religious fundamentalists” are allowed to take the upper hand.

      Tharoor has distilled the important elements in an easy to understand fashion for anyone to quickly get the real flavour of Hinduism.

 Sashi Tharoor is one of India’s finest public intellectuals and he succeeds in giving  us a profound book about one of the oldest and greatest religions of the world.

 “Why I Am a Hindu” is a simple, uncomplicated and extremely elegantly written book.

P.P.Ramachandran.

4.3.2018

INDIA'S DECADE OF REFORMS

 India’s Decade of Reforms by Shri.M.G.Warrier ; Published by Norton Press; Pages 242 ; Price Rs 399/-

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Two “Gates”—the Nirav  Modi Gate and the Vikram Kothari  Gate--have opened up the floodgates of loss of confidence in our Banking system. Banks have been taken for a ride and bankers are being led by their noses !. In this atmosphere of distrust  and waning  confidence in the system  one welcomes a book which infuses in us faith and clears our mind of aberrations.

The author of the book under review, Shri.M.G.Warrier had a distinguished service of over thirty five years in the RBI and was the General Manager when he laid down office. He has a clear grasp of the diverse functions of the country’s Central Bank. Retirement from RBI saw him plunge into the world of economic journalism. He has won acclaim for his perceptive articles in “The Global Analyst”, Business Line and other journals. He is the author of a  book “Banking Reforms & Corruption ”, which won acclaim from the banking community. Warrier has a penchant for taking  the readers on a high-jet  flight to terrains high and low.

Warrier’s writings have become noted for profundity of  thought, clarity of expression and total conviction. What was written about J.M.Keynes in the introduction to Cambridge Economic Handbooks is applicable in full measure to Warrier. “Keynes had the uncanny knack of striking at the root of any problem, ability to remove the needless appendages and present the quintessence of any problem.”

Warrier’s second book --- “India’s Decade of Reforms”   is a reflection of the debate on the current economic state and the role of bankers, economists and policy makers. His views on our economy are pragmatic and loaded with wisdom acquired during his experience gained from RBI and his wide reading and deep thinking.

 The introductory section captures succinctly the evolution of R B I  from the halcyon days of the Hilton—Young Commission  Report on the Indian Exchange Currency system. Warrier  deftly covers the formative years of the Central Bank, the passing of the R B I Act, the commencement of operations of the fledgling Bank followed by the developments during the following eight decades of  RBI’s history.

One chapter is dedicated to the R B I’s role in economic development. It analyses how harmony is ensured in the handling of inflation and growth by R B I and the Central Government. Warrier urges the Government to extend a fiscal policy support to the initiatives of R B I. Inflation control is absolutely essential to ensure stability in the cost of living. Shri Warrier is satisfied with  the harmony in functioning of  GOI and RBI on important  issues like Indian Economy and Financial Sector Reforms. He has cited various examples to confirm this---such as constitution  of Banks Board Bureau, Merger of SBI-Associate Banks, Management of Stressed Bank Assets and  a signal to the State Governments that write off of agricultural loans would be funded by them only.

Two chapters are devoted to an analysis of monetary policy. R B I’s autonomy or independence of the monetary authority within the contours of government policy is not an issue just affecting those at the helm of R B I. The stability of India’s financial sector and the country’s image  outside are dependent on that. Warrier has strong views on the FSLRC. The Chairman finalised the report ignoring the views of K.J.Udeshi, P.J.Nayak and Y.H.Malegam. The FSLRC was not allowed “ to apply its intelligent mind “ and sadly it forgot its own original brief.

The section “Note-Ban and after” deals with the much more complicated Demonetization and its after effects. Shri Warrier has made a thorough  study of all aspects of this drastic measure  and throws a flood of light on the miasma enveloping the country soon  after Demonetization. The phrase “ making a mammoth tragedy” employed  by Dr. Manmohan Singh reflected his “resentment with the management of economy and financial sector in India for decades now”.

 Warrier is of the firm view that  the  “Indian banking system is robust enough to meet the current challenges and depositors’ savings are safe, secure and will remain so.”

Warrier writes in detail on Bank's mergers, consolidation and restructuring. According to him  “Interesting times are ahead for the banking sector in India. It has to change a lot in terms of skill, efficiency and penetration if it has to maintain at least the level of efficiency the sector displayed during the ‘Lead Bank Scheme’ days.

Warrier has pointed out that   HR related problems cry for solutions—and  these are  inability to hire   experts at market related compensation,   resistance  of employees to change and emphasis by  trade unions on  job security concerns. He strongly commends  the need for  integration of  Cost to Company principles with existing recruitment, training, placement and career progression policies .

The  other Sections contain good articles on a number of topics—Gold Management in India, Universal Basic Income, Agricultural Income Tax, Farm Loan Waiver ,National Pension System and Role of Auditors.

In the chapter on "Tourism-Under exploited potential",  Warrier explains the need to ensure an eco-system which will irresistibly entice tourists. We have to ensure basic facilities are made available for tourists. India has not even exploited 10% of its potential in tourism industry  The  Kerala Model for improving tourism is worth emulating in other States too.

Warrier has made certain critical and frank observations in the chapter on  "Dr Raghuram Rajan's contribution" .Dr Rajan evaded responsibility to getting himself involved in preparing RBI adequately to implement "Note Ban", being a mute spectator when the entire surplus of RBI was transferred to GOI  leading to substantial erosion of reserves to total assets from 12% in 2009 to all time low of 7.5% in 2016.

However, according to Warrier  Rajan sorted out some of the long pending relationship issues between GOI and RBI and also expedited banking sector  reforms for which he deserves praise.

An aside. Warrier’s  admiration for  Dr.Raghuram Rajan is total. Like Bertram Wooster in P.​ G .​Wodehouse novels “ He worships the very ground his lover walks on!”. Admiration and awe for Rajan has swept Warrier like a Tsunami !

 According to Warrier , Universal Basic Income (UBI)  should not be treated as a means of  "unemployment dole" or  an add- on to rather than replacement of current anti poverty and social programmes. In  Kerala the local population has eliminated poverty and improved human development indicators.

Warrier has suggested mainstreaming of idle currency and also to take measures to to ensure that all  gold and property transactions are routed through the banks.

The chapter on  Management of Stressed Bank Assets deserves special consideration in view of  RBI's policy of  tightening its rules around bank loan defaults, seeking to push more large loan defaulters toward bankruptcy courts and abolishing half a dozen existing loan-restructuring mechanisms, in its latest bid to accelerate resolution of the bad loans problem at Indian banks.

This book has come at the right moment and it is very helpful for those dealing with policy, practising bankers, students of management, banking and economics .

P.P.Ramachandran.

25/02/2018. 

JUGAAD

 Jugaad Innovation  A frugal and flexible approach to Innovation for the 21^st Century by Navi Radjou, Jaideep Prabhu, and Simone Ahuja ; Published by  Random House ; Pages 318 ; Price Rs. 399/-

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“Jugaad” means finding an innovative solution to a problem springing from extremely limited resources. The book under review is co-authored by the Cambridge-based Professor, Jaideep Prabhu, the US-based innovation strategist Navi Radjou, and Simone Ahuja, founder of a market consultancy based in the US and Mumbai.

This book begins with Simone’s meeting with Mansukh Prajapati who has designed a fridge that costs Rs 2500/- and is made of clay (it is called Mitticool ) and works  without electricity. Prajapati’s innovation has made it possible for even people in rural India to have access to cool water and the option to store fruit and vegetables for even three days. Prajapati was not an engineer—actually he had not even finished schooling.  A sterling example of innovation.  We can observe in India many such examples which have become an inalienable part of folklore.

 Diesel engines are attached to carts and result in a form of motorized transport. These are used in Punjab and christened Jugaad.

 The book has provided a variety of examples available in other countries like China, Brazil, Kenya and a whole lot of other places. The book argues that the West must look at these places for a new approach to frugal and flexible innovation and success in hypercompetitive market places.

 Fundamental to Jugaad  are six principles:

1. Seek opportunity in adversity

2. Do more with less

3.Think and act flexibly

4. Keep it simple

5. Include the margin

 6. Follow your heart.

We are also provided details of some of the Fortune 500 companies to see how they are leveraging the same principles to drive innovation in a resource constrained environment. Facebook, Google, PepsiCo, Philips, Renault-Nissan find a place here.  Of course the Nano story is there too along with examples from Siemens, Suzlon, Yes Bank which help to prove that Jugaad is the route for everyone.

New ways of doing business require the following six job skills.

1)  Resilience
2) Frugality
3) Flexibility
4) Simplicity
5) Empathy
6) Passion

These six traits are translations of the same six principles of jugaad innovation applied to the individual.

Consumer behaviour in many developing countries is very different from what we see in other parts of the world.When the priciest shampoos are packaged in sachets, they make the same premium brands accessible to a larger set of consumers who may not be able to afford the same shampoo in a 500ml pack. The Nano is a great example of making a car accessible to people who couldn’t afford a car.

Think of the features that exist in your cell phone or your camera that you have had to pay for but have never used. Software is bloated with useless features that makes the price out of reach of the masses.

The book has several examples of human ingenuity. Innovations often spring from the human effort of overcoming insurmountable constraints.

  Arguing that jugaad is a useful complement to the structured approach to innovation the authors emphasize that jugaad innovation delivers the most impressive results when it is practised in complex and volatile environments characterized by – rapid changes, widespread resource scarcity, frugal and diverse customers, industry immaturity, and exploding interconnectivity. To help CEOs integrate jugaad into their organizations, the authors have compiled a Do’s and Don’ts list, which argues that CEOs should not try to implement jugaad in a systematic top down fashion; they need not patent jugaad, but rather monetize them, and use Web 2.0 collaboration tools to harness customer and partner creativity. The book cites cases of large corporations from around the world—Google, Facebook, 3M, Apple, Best Buy, GE, IBM, Nokia, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Tata Group, Siemens, Yes Bank, Renault–Nissan, Suzlon, SAP and more—that are actively practicing jugaad innovation.

The authors are of the view that jugaad innovators,when confronted with adversity, do not retrench but embrace the difficulties and learn from experience.

 The book is filled with examples which affirm this compelling argument. So, be it Benjamin 

Franklin whose jugaad innovation, Franklin stove, delivered ‘more with less’ or Mansukh Prajapati,maker of Mitticool, or Tulsi Tanti who founded Suzlon Wind; all  exemplify the fact that jugaad innovators are adept at taking on the 

arduous challenges, demonstrate resilience, 

ingenuity and seek opportunity in adversity.

The world has been talking about frugal innovation to deal with a world that is grappling with unemployment, recession and rapid depletion of the earth’s resources.

Replete with stirring  stories of resourceful jugaad innovators and entrepreneurs in emerging and developed markets  the book is a resourceful guide to help readers unlock the value of principles of jugaad  in enabling innovation. A must read for corporate leaders and entrepreneurs alike.

 Sam Pitroda emphasises in his introduction to the book -- India has to focus on innovations that meet the need of people at the bottom of the pyramid- for them, in which they participate and which they can own. These should be affordable, without compromising quality. While India has a tradition of improvisational innovation, this has to be scaled to a system of frugal engineering which can have tremendous benefits for solving challenges unique to our country. The country needs innovation processes that are ‘frugal’ in terms of the resources required and have a ‘frugal’ impact on the earth’s resources. Given the sheer resource constraint and the unprecedented challenges faced by the present business environment, not only in the developing economies, but also in the advanced economies, companies are posed with a question of what kind of innovation do companies need so as to enhance and sustain their competitiveness, and how should they embed that kind of innovation in their organizations. As an answer to this question, this book comes as a “How To” book for all the CEOs and entrepreneurs. Jugaad literally means an improvised arrangement or work-around which needs to be used because of lack of resources, i.e., a way of managing things by minimal resources. It is very common in emerging markets.

The authors have struck a note of caution--- businesses need to integrate the structured model of innovation of the emerged markets with the free-flowing jugaad model to create dynamic balance between both approaches in their organization, and not replace the existing structured innovative practices with jugaad technology.

The book is well written and offers a method of solving problems speedily and frugally through creation of a platform on which future innovation can develop.

P.P.Ramachandran.

 18/02/2018