10340 - Narendra Modi steadily improving his reforms scorecard - Live Mint

Last Modified: Wed, Aug 17 2016. 03 55 AM IST

Recent set of reforms are important institutional changes for the long run

Narendra Modi needs to start working on the next set of reforms that may get executed only after 2019. Illustration: Jayachandran/Mint

No Narendra Modi speech is complete without a spattering of alliterative tricks, rhetorical flourishes and strange acronyms that would make a management consultant proud. These are admired and mocked in equal measure.

During his speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Monday, the prime minister said that his mantra was to “reform, perform and transform”. He gave an impressive list of achievements to back his claim. For example, easier access to government services, faster approvals of new business enterprises, reducing the stranglehold of middlemen over the appointment of new entrants into government jobs at the lower levels, less harassment of taxpayers by officials, and much more.

This was Modi at his best. His ability as a good administrator is widely recognized. His personal popularity has also given him the political capital to take tough decisions rather than compulsively pander to electoral populism. All but his worst critics will agree that corruption at the very pinnacle of government has been curtailed. In other words, a lot of the focus has been—in terms of the mantra to reform, perform and transform—on performance.

There has been less confidence about the ability of the Modi government to reform—not to work more efficiently within the existing rules of the game but to actually alter the rules of the game. Yet, the record on this front actually looks far better than six months ago, and has perhaps not been adequately appreciated. Since the beginning of the year, the Modi government has pushed through several landmark changes that can be game-changers.

First, the new monetary policy framework legally binds Indian monetary policy to a formal inflation target. Second, the passage of the Aadhaar Bill creates a unique opportunity to ensure that welfare schemes reach the people they are meant to help. Third, the bankruptcy law deals with what has been called the problem of capitalism without exit. Fourth, the introduction of a goods and services tax will radically overhaul the indirect tax system, make it less distortionary and help create a common market across the country. Fifth, a committee has begun work on a new fiscal law that should reduce the perverse tendency of running a pro-cyclical fiscal policy.

These are significant achievements. Some of them do not fit in with the idea of big-bang reforms that the stock markets love or business interests lobby for. They do not have the sex appeal of a tax cut or an increase in foreign investment limits. What we have seen in recent months are important institutional changes whose impact will be truly felt in the long run. They can alter the dynamics of economic growth, macroeconomic policy and the welfare system.

There is a problem, however. A lot of the preparatory work for these legal reforms began under the previous regime led by Manmohan Singh. The baton was then passed to the current government.

There is nothing wrong in such continuity. Deep institutional change needs long years of work that spans multiple regimes. Even the terms of reference for the 14th Finance Commission were set before Modi became prime minister. The National Democratic Alliance has shown maturity in staying the course, despite some early doubts in the case of Aadhaar.

What now? Modi needs to get his public policy advisers to work on the next set of reforms that may eventually see the light of day only after 2019. These include financial sector reforms, liberalizing the factor markets, getting the education system back on track, deep fiscal reforms that create space for a massive increase in the supply of public goods, and lots more. There is also the need to build state capacity. The groundwork for the road ahead has to begin soon.

How does Modi’s reforms scorecard look today? Tell us at views@livemint.com

Livemint

10340 - Transforming India - Hindu Businessline

Transforming India

The Centre needs to stay focussed on implementing the promises made in the past

The Modi government has been accused in the past of being big on slogans, but not so big on delivery. While slogans do play an important role in conveying a message to the masses, there is a risk of rhetoric overwhelming reality. This is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech came as a refreshing departure from the past. While Modi’s wonted oratorial skills were very much in evidence, the thrust of the speech was less about slogans and more about implementation. This focus on outcomes rather than intentions is welcome. Indeed, outcomes should be the focus of this, or any government. If at all another slogan is needed, it should be ‘Implementation, 

Implementation, Implementation’. For, this administration, more than any that preceded it, will be judged on its implementation record.

There is no denying that the National Democratic Alliance government has speeded up implementation of projects, acted on prices and on the whole taken forward the reforms process set in motion by the preceding governments. More notably, Modi has not only embraced some of the previous government’s schemes such as Aadhaar and the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, as well as direct transfer of benefits and subsidies, but brought his wonted powers of execution to bear on them, ensuring that what had, with the exception of MNREGS, largely remained merely good ideas were transformed into actions that benefit the poor. Incidentally, some of these projects had been criticised by Modi in the run up to the May 2014 general elections. The fact that not only were these schemes not scrapped, but pursued with vigour, signals a growing maturity in our polity. Reforms are a continuous process, which need some course correction every few years, particularly with changes in economic environment and social circumstances. As the Prime Minister correctly stated in his speech from Red Fort to mark the 70th anniversary of India’s independence, all policies should aim to serve the national interest. And so, it is in the national interest for an incoming government to carry forward a previous government’s scheme after rectifying shortcomings in the scheme.

Over the past two years that it has been in office at the Centre, the NDA government has time and again demonstrated this ability to seize a good idea and implement it fully. It took diesel price deregulation, that had begun during the UPA’s term, to its logical conclusion. Further, the learnings from diesel price deregulation are now being leveraged to reduce the subsidy bill on both kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas. . 

The transformative Jan Dhan Yojana, which has provided access to financial services to millions of poor, or leveraging the potential of Aadhaar, or even getting the better off to surrender LPG subsidy voluntarily and use the money so saved to provide LPG connections to poor rural households, and finally getting the GST Bill moving, are all signal achievements.. The challenge before Modi now is to deliver on his latest slogan: “Reform, perform, transform.”

10336 - What’s new in Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech? ‘Middle class’ - Live Mint

Last Modified: Tue, Aug 16 2016. 08 17 AM IST

What’s new in Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech? ‘Middle class’

Used 7 times in Monday’s speech, the phrase middle class was completely absent from Narendra Modi’s earlier Independence Day speeches

Karthik Shashidhar

It is clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s favourite phrase, as far as Independence Day speeches are concerned, is “brothers and sisters”; but this isn’t particularly relevant as there are other phrases which are far more important. Photo: PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address on Monday was his longest ever, with the official copy of the English translation running to 9,367 words. In fact, the length of his Independence Day speeches (measured in English word length) has increased over the last three years.

The most used word (excluding commonly used “stop words” such as “the” and “for”) across the three speeches has been “country”, which has been used a total of 207 times. The next most commonly used word is “India”. Interestingly, while the use of the word “country” has remained high over the years, the use of “India” has fallen drastically in this year’s speech, down to 46 instances, from 70 in 2015.

Click here for enlarge

Table 3 shows the top 10 words Modi has used in his last three Independence Day speeches.

It is evident from the list that most of these words are generic in nature, and don’t convey much about intended policy choices. In order to understand any policy direction or implications of the speech, we should look at the differences between this year’s speech and previous years’ speeches.

Each year, the choice of words used in the speech reflects the policy choices of the government of the day. So what words did the Prime Minister use this year that he didn’t in the last two years?

Table 2 has the list of the words that the Prime Minister used at least five times this year, which he had not used in the last two years.

Again, while some of these words are of a generic nature (impossible, thousands), some others give a definite indication of shifts in the government’s policies. For instance, the word “solar” finds a mention six times, highlighting the emphasis this government has placed on solar energy.

It is interesting to note that the Prime Minister made a mention of terrorism, a topic he had eschewed the last two years, in this year’s speech. It is also interesting to see pulses and Aadhaar, the unique ID number that has become the cornerstone of many of the government’s policies, in the list (to be precise, last year’s speech contained one mention of “Aadhaar”. This year’s speech had seven). There were no mentions of Aadhaar in 2014.

Single words, however, tell only so much of the story while describing a speech. The true indicator of possible policy direction in a speech can be gleaned by looking at phrases.

Table 1 contains the 10 most used phrases across the last three Independence Day speeches. It is clear the PM’s favourite phrase, as far as Independence Day speeches are concerned, is “brothers and sisters”, but this isn’t particularly relevant. There are other phrases which are far more important.

For instance, the phrase “middle class”, used seven times on Monday, was completely absent from Modi’s earlier Independence Day speeches, perhaps highlighting an attempt to reach out to a segment many political parties usually ignore. There were also six mentions of “Guru Gobind Singh Ji” in Monday’s speech, perhaps aimed at next year’s elections in Punjab.

Click here for enlarge

Interestingly, “Team India”, which Modi used 32 times in last year’s speech, was completely absent from this year’s edition. Similarly, “black money”, which was mentioned nine times last year, failed to find a mention this year.

Karthik Shashidhar

10334 - Accountant’ Modi must speak as the nation’s PM, not BJP’s: Khurshid - Siasat.com

‘Accountant’ Modi must speak as the nation’s PM, not BJP’s: Khurshid

August 15, 2016 News, Politics 0 Comments

New Delhi: Expressing disappointment at Narendra Modi’s ‘saddening’ Independence Day address, former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid on Monday asserted that the former must realise that he is addressing the nation as everyone’s Prime Minister and not just of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP).

Speaking to ANI here, Khurshid said that the Prime Minister should not use the occasion to discriminate or play petty politics, but to unite the nation.

“On this day you are supposed to carry the nation forward together and the Prime Minister should realise that he is speaking as everyone’s Prime Minister and not just of a particular party,” Khurshid said.

Stating that Prime Minister Modi has simply rattled of fact and figures in his address, the senior Congress leader compared the former to an ‘accountant’, who kept giving a roundup of the monthly achievements of an organisation.

“I’m saddened by hearing him make – what seemed like a speech you make during an election- where ordinary people fight ordinary battles. Lifting the nation above any difference and speaking on behalf of the whole nation is something that he is completely failed,” Khurshid said.

Addressing the nation earlier today after unfurling the National Flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Modi conveyed his greetings to 125 crore Indians at home and abroad and said that his government is surrounded with aspirations.

The Prime Minister said that his government has made ‘One Rank, One Pension’ a reality and he also highlighted that the government has revived sectors such as BSNL, shipping corporation and Air India.

He also highlighted the revival of 118 stuck projects worth 7.5 lakh crore rupees and on the government’s ambitious ‘Aadhaar’ scheme.

Prime Minister Modi said the government has now connected 70 crore Indians through Aadhaar and social security schemes. (ANI)

10331 - Rail tickets, passports, jobs: PM Modi highlights steps taken by his government in Independence Day 2016 speech - Financial Express

Rail tickets, passports, jobs: PM Modi highlights steps taken by his government in Independence Day 2016 speech

Highlighting how his government is moving towards 'Surajya', PM Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech today said, "It is time to transform from Swarajya to Surajya.

By: FE Online | Published: August 15, 2016 8:20 AM

From railways, roadways to tax reforms, ease of getting passports and Aadhaar card, the Prime Minister spoke of how his government is working to better the lives of Indians. (Reuters)

Highlighting how his government is moving towards ‘Surajya’, PM Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech today said, “It is time to transform from Swarajya to Surajya. This is the dream of 125 crore Indians.” “We are working towards bringing about a change in the lives of common people of this country. Today, more than Karya, I want to talk about Karya Sanskriti. 

Surajya, the meaning of this is- a qualitative and positive change in the lives of the citizen of India,” the Prime Minister elaborated. From railways, roadways to tax reforms, ease of getting passports and Aadhaar card, the Prime Minister spoke of how his government is working to better the lives of Indians. We take a look at some of the things he highlighted:

1) Earlier you could only book 2,000 railway tickets online per minute. And even then, the system was slow. Now we have worked to make sure that 15,000 tickets can be booked online in one minute.

2) Two crore people apply for passports, and earlier the system was so complicated that it took anywhere between 4-6 months to get your passport. Now we have brought about transparency and efficiency in the system and it takes 1-2 weeks to get a passport.

LIVE Independence Day 2016: PM Narendra Modi’s speech at the Red Fort: I want to change the lives of common people

3) We want to change the situation where people are scared of income tax authorities, particularly among middle class families. Earlier, people kept running from pillar to post to get their hard earned money. Now the tax system has been transformed in a fashion that you can get your tax refunds within weeks.

4) Under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, 2 crore toilets have been built so far. Now, over 70,000 villages are free from open-defecation

5) 70 crore people now have their Aadhaar cards. And we are working to make sure that everyone comes under it.

6) Last year, I had promised that for Group C and Group D employees, it will be made easier to get a job. Now for 9,000 posts, there will be no interviews. There is no need for a sifarish.

Acknowledging that the country faces problems, PM Modi said, “Yes, we face several problems. But we are capable of overcoming them. If India has many problems, then it also has 125 crore Indians, who are capable of dealing with them,” he said.

10330 - PM says India won’t bow to terror, asks youth to shun violence - Tribune India

Aug 16, 2016, 1:09 PM (IST)

PM says India won’t bow to terror, asks youth to shun violence

Modi addresses the nation on I-Day. PTI

New Delhi, August 15

Declaring that India would not bow before terrorism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked the youth who have taken to violence to join the mainstream even as he brought up Pakistani atrocities on people of Baluchistan and PoK, saying they had thanked him for doing so.

Though Modi did not make any reference to the Kashmir valley which is witnessing violence after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, he accused Pakistan of glorifying terrorists and celebrating killings in India. This was an obvious reference to Wani who has been hailed as a martyr by Pakistan.

In his 93-minute Independence Day address to the nation amidst tight security, Modi said, “From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people--the people of Baluchistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied-Kashmir--for the way they whole-heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently.”

This is for the first time that the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Prime Minister during his Independence Day speech. The remarks also come in the backdrop of the recent comments by Modi during an all-party meet on Kashmir that the time had come to expose the atrocities committed “by our neighbouring nation” in Baluchistan and the areas of J&K under its occupation.

The Prime Minister asked the international community to judge the behaviour of India and Pakistan in the context of terror attacks in each other’s country.

“When children were killed in a terror attack on a school in Peshawar (about two years back), there were tears in our Parliament. Indian children were traumatised. This is the example of our humanity. But look at the other side where terrorism is glorified,” Modi said.

Asserting that India would not yield to terrorism and violence, the Prime Minister asked youths to return to the mainstream by shunning the path of violence, comments which are seen as a message to the youth of Kashmir.

“I am telling those youths that there is time left, come back and join the mainstream. Realise your parents’ aspirations. Lead a peaceful life. The path of violence has never benefited anyone,” he said.

Attired in his trademark half-sleeve kurta and sporting a Rajasthani turban, Modi devoted bulk of his address on the 70th Independence Day to presenting in effect a report card of his government’s work, particularly in boosting economic growth, ease of doing business and welfare schemes for the poor and farmers.

During his address, the Prime Minister also made two announcements--an increase of 20 per cent in the pension of freedom fighters and that medical costs of up to Rs 1 lakh for BPL families would be borne by the government.

Modi, who has spoken out against atrocities on Dalits in the recent days, said a strong country could not be built without a strong society which is based on social justice. He advocated a “tough and sensitive” approach to tackle the age-old social evils, including casteism or untouchability.

Asserting that social harmony was the key to the nation’s progress, Modi said, “What Lord Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Saint Ramanujacharya, BR Ambedkar, all our scriptures, saints and teachers have stressed is social unity. When society breaks, the empire disintegrates. When a society is divided into touchables and untouchables; upper and lower (castes), then such a society cannot last.”

Talking about economic and social sectors, he said he tried to adopt the strategy of “reform, perform and transform” while avoiding populism and asserted that march from self-governance to good governance is a resolve of the entire nation that would need sacrifices.

Hitting out at the UPA government, he said the previous dispensation was shrouded in allegations while his government was surrounded by expectations. “When hope gives rise to expectations, it gives us energy to move faster towards good governance,” he added.

The Prime Minister also gave details of various initiatives undertaken by his government to promote ease of doing business, tackle corruption, provide good health care to poor people and benefits to farmers. PTI