Articles by Anubhav Srivastava on ArticleSnatch.com

The Great Indian Political Inertia

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:03:46 -0400

India is arguably one of the most vibrant democratic nations in the world. However it is also one of the few nations in the world where one usually finds a 70-year-old prime minister running the country with an 80-year-old president and cabinet colleagues of the same age. Even at that stage, we find that some of them have had no previous experience in running the government or of parliamentary procedures, their experience in party organizations notwithstanding. The same situation prevails at the state level where ageing satraps maintain a vice-like grip on power. Hence we see a situation where politicians in their mid-50 are being called young when in other countries, they would have reached the stage of superannuation. The characteristic Indian outlook of associating age with ability, the tradition of succession and personality cult is stifling the growth of Indian democracy. In principle, all political parties agree that there is a need to give more opportunities to the youth in politics. However the senior leaders almost always prove to be a stumbling block in letting that happen. Also, more often than not, once a politician reaches a high position, he starts promoting his kith & kin. **End Summary** Topics: Article Indian Political Inertia]]> Democracy in Indian Politi]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Anubhav Srivastava is a public policy consultant based in Delhi, India and the Editorial Head of PolicyProposalsForIndia.com, a website providing concrete policy suggestions on areas like Social Issues India , public administration, economy, social development and Indian political inertia .

Biodiversity in Kerala

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:06:39 -0400

Legend has it that Parasurama, one of the ten incarnations of Vishnu, killed all the Kshatriyas on earth. In a mood of remorse over the killings, he threw his axe in the sea. The sea receded and left behind as huge landmass which we now call Kerala. If there is one aspect about Kerala which makes it eminently qualified to be called God's own country, apart fro the legend, it is its rich biodiversity. Kerala is a home to nearly 10035 plant species which is 22 per cent of the total number of plant species found in India. A high number of plant and animal species are endemic (unique) to the state. Out of the 3872 flowering plants found in Kerala, 1272 are endemic. 56 out of 102 mammals, 139 out of 169 reptiles and 86 out of 89 amphibians are endemic to the state which speaks volumes about the high level of biodiversity in the state. Kerala has been identified as one of the world's twenty-five biodiversity hotspots with three of India's nineteen Ramsar Convention-listed wetlands - Lake Sasthamkotta, Asthamudi wetlands and the Vembanad-Kol wetlands are located in Kerala. **End Summary** Topics: Biodiversity In Kerala]]> Kerala History]]> business consultants]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Anubhav Srivastava is a public policy consultant based in Delhi, India and the Editorial Head of PolicyProposalsForIndia.com, a website providing concrete policy suggestions on areas like Social Issues India, public administration, economy, social development and Biodiversity in Kerala .

Criminalisation of politics Can it be stopped?

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Criminalisation of politics has become an issue of grave concern among the Indian intelligentsia. And though the top leaders of all political parties agree that those with criminal record should be debarred from contesting elections, the number of such people is only increasing. In 2004, about one in five MPs had a criminal record, including some with charges of heinous crimes such as murder, rape, dacoity and kidnapping. Why does it happen? The most important factor, which determines the ticket distribution, is the "winability" of the candidate. Hence more and more people with money and muscle power are getting tickets from the political parties. Another factor that has played an important role is that the criminal elements think that they can escape punishment by becoming a member of legislative bodies in the states or at the centre. The negative implications As goes the old adage "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch". A person with criminal background entering politics will demand his pound of flesh from the party in power to which he has extended support. **End Summary** Topics: Criminalization of politics in India]]> Political consultant I]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Anubhav Srivastava is a public policy consultant based in Delhi, India and the Editorial Head of PolicyProposalsForIndia.com, a website providing concrete policy suggestions on areas like social issues India , public administration, economy, social development and political issues in India .

Public holidays in India A bane on the economy

Thu, 28 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

One of the reasons why India fares poorly on the development and socio-economic indicators is the large number of public holidays enjoyed by the employees of the government sector in India. The sheer number of government holidays proves to be a stumbling block for Indiaâ€™s progress. Corporations all across the world have a system of five working days per week. What complicates matters in case of India is the large number of festivals celebrated due to the multi-cultural and multi-religious nature of the populace. According to the notification issued by the government of India, there are as many as 38 public holidays in 2009. The list includes the three national holidays Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti. Apart from these, there are 8 days of casual leave, 30 days of earned leave and 20 days of half pay leave for every central government employee. Besides, government employees can avail some other types of leaves like the 135 days maternity leave for women employees and 15 days paternity leave for men. They are also entitled to special leave of six to 21 days for any of the family planning surgeries they opt to undergo. **End Summary** Topics: Disadvantages of Public holidays in India]]> Indian government]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Anubhav Srivastava is a public policy consultant based in Delhi, India and the Editorial Head of PolicyProposalsForIndia.com, a website providing concrete policy suggestions on areas like public administration, economy, social development and political issues in India .