Government of India, Here: How May I Help You?

Image via WikipediaGovernment to People of India: Speak as long as nobody is listening.

Government to NGOs: Do your thing as long as small potatoes stay small potatoes.

Government to Industry: What do you not want in this bill?

Government to Opposition: You are the devil.

Government to UN: Have a cup of tea.

Government to World Bank: Thanks for booking my flight to D.C. I hope the hotel is walking distance from the conference.

Government to Think Tanks: Yes, I am free to speak at IHC on Wednesday.

Government to Consultancies: Is the power point ready?

Government to Academics: Do you want to do a study for the Planning Commission?

Government to Women: Stay home.

Government to Religious Leaders: What should I do?

Government to Voters and Taxpayers: Kthxbai

Government to Media. Come here, sweetheart. I have news for you.

Related articles

• Is Lokpal a Jokepal?
  
• Observe. Speak. Listen. Help.
  

Is Lokpal a Jokepal?

Image via WikipediaThe opposition party took a stand today in favour of the inclusion of the Prime Minister under the ambit of the Lokpal. India Against Corruption is actively planning activities and events across the country for the first half of August. Anna Hazare and team reject the approved government draft which excludes the PM and judiciary. Arvind Kejriwal quotes media polls to demonstrate public support and explains the Janlokpal he envisions is equivalent to taking the anti-corruption branch of the CBI out of the control of government. Meanwhile, some continue to pooh-pooh the India Against Corruption movement. Are you ready for a fiery Pundit Comment rant? [P.S. I insist you take the time to peruse the content filed under "Anna Hazare" label if you are not familiar with my on-going reportage and commentary on the evolution of this national debate.]

My challenge to non voters commenting on Lokpal Bill: Take a look at my options and please tell me whom to vote for next election. #kthxbai

So, you rail against the education and criminal background of our MPs and MLAs but then harangue people trying to change the system? Useless hypocrites.

Who the hell are you, mocking and insulting Dr. Manmohan Singh everyday to tell Kiran Bedi how she should feel and speak? Useless hypocrites.

Why don't you fight from within the system like Kiran Bedi, Kejriwal, Bhushans and yes, even the NAC members do? All voters, all residents.

How do you think the NAC members got appointed? Whatever you may think of their views, N.C. Saxena, Harsh Mander, Aruna Roy are clean and honest.

Go read Kiran Bedi's autobiography. It's titled "I Dare!" WITH the exclamation mark. Do you think you could name your biography "I Dare"?

Read up on MSSK, Aruna Roy, Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal and the RTI act you all love now before you say "nobody can be that benign".

Speculative mistrustful ignorant cynicism will not get you 10% GDP growth rates and full employment either, you know.

Irony of ironies. You don't even vote. Explain your unshakable faith in the electoral process, please. Pfft. Ignorant, useless hypocrites.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has. ~ M. Mead

Do you comprehend the Margaret Meade quote at all, even an iota? It means doers gonna do and haters gonna hate. And you're a hater. Some idiots like the New York Times are still choosing to frame India's future as a choice between corruption and socialism. Haters.

Do you even understand why Indians are fed up with NDTV & CNN-IBN, suave as they are? We don't want sensationalist Headlines Today and inexperienced NEWS-X either, please. Learn the name Cenk Uygur. Go find out why he turned down a cushy job at @MSNBC to run his own truth telling enterprise on the internet @theyoungturks. Why do you think @ndtv sources programme ideas from @twitter? In a world of free information flow, the voice of the people matters!

I extend an open invite to everybody sitting in Singapore, Canada, USA, UAE. I'll buy you an orange bar if you can find a politician on the ballot who represents me.

When you know what it takes to get a ticket from a party with a viable chance of getting elected, please explain your faith in elections.

When you know what happens to the stray non profit or professional contestants with no political links, please explain your faith in elections.

When you know what resources are available to whichever party is in power to shower constituencies with Rs. and favours just before elections, please explain your faith in elections.

It take decades to build up a new, tiny political party. What chance does anybody not with Congress,BJP & regional powers have NOW?

YOU think nobody is that benign. YOU think activists only want power. Did YOU ever HEAR India Against Corruption say they want power? Did you miss Kiran Bedi's tweet comparing the Janlokpal bill to a baby that has been safely delivered the day both drafts went to Cabinet?

You're watching our top 2 parties shame India EVERY F%^&*Iing DAY. Chal, aaj meri baari. Kal, teri baari. PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR FAITH IN ELECTIONS.

JOKEPAL is right. Pal, YOU are the JOKE.

Harvard economist Dani Rodrik thinks emerging economies, not the West are going to be badass. Gee. I wonder who in India is badass? Clearly, you know very little about the UN-World Bank-Think Tank-NGO-Consultancy scene in India (read: Delhi) if you don't value people like Aruna Roy, NC Saxena, Arvind Kejriwal, and Kiran Bedi.

The equation goes: Regional media ==> policy. English media ==> entertainment. Give Times Now credit for making a mark and taking a lead.

You have the luxury of amusing yourself with the politics of my country.

You cannot change a system if the people holding up the system do not wish so. Work on removing those people today to change tomorrow.

Laws and rules are made to be twisted by man. Scams go on for years because government works on the discretion of the person occupying the seat.

Who is naive? The person proposing and fighting for change or the person holding out faith the status quo will *poof* change on its own?

You don't get nothing you don't fight for. Either help or get out of our way.

Thank you for lending a ear, and for your responses and retweets.

coolfunnytshirt

Now, give my ear back, please! RT @PunditComment: Thank you for lending a ear, and for your responses and retweets.

What's your #TrafficKindness story?

#TrafficKindness Part 1: When you try to figure out how not to block a narrow crowded back lane for a cart puller.

#TrafficKindness Part 2: When the cart puller helps you park into a spot in between two cars parked in opposite directions.

#TrafficKindness Part 3: When you wait for the cart puller to park his cart.

#TrafficKindness Part 4: When the cart puller helps you reverse out of this spot but not into a pile of stones and sand and bricks.

#TrafficKindness Part 5: When a passerby notices the lane is blocked at one exit by a large luxury motor vehicle and offers to help.

#TrafficKindness Part 6: When you accept help from a passerby who drives your car in reverse out of the lane WITH the help of cart puller.

#TrafficKindness Part 7: When both the passerby and the cart puller disappear without a word at the end of the quick mission.

What about you? What's your #TrafficKindness story?

Indian microfinance pioneer, Vijay Mahajan's BASIX group to shut down? Reflections on the state of the sector

Image via WikipediaReflections on the state of the Indian microfinance sector at the news of the imminent collapse of Bhartiya Samruddhi Finance Limited, part of the Vijay Mahajan promoted BASIX group.

I'm shocked BASIX is on the verge of collapse. BASIX is one of the most ethical, diverse and largest group in the Indian microfinance sector. They have a NBFC, NGO and a Local Area Bank, a category of financial entity created by the RBI exclusively for them.


Excerpt: Microlenders are in a critical state, Mahajan said. “Certain smaller MFIs have effectively closed down. The ones who are outside, they are squeezed, because they are also not getting money. Even perfectly fine MFIs are facing a crisis as banks are not lending,” he said.

Was the sector in good shape before the AP law?
1. No, not at all. The sector was plagued with problems of transparency, accountability and operational efficiency and effectiveness. MFIs boasted unlikely repayment rates of 99% but randomized impact evaluation studies found no evidence of positive impact on poverty reduction. We had no way of detecting exactly how many MFIs were pursuing dishonest practices such as multiple borrowing and loan recycling.

Was the sector growing before the AP law?
2. Yes, private equity investors and commercial banks were lending aggressively for a few years.
3. Yes, new MFIs were coming up or expanding operations too fast, often poaching clients or neglecting client education on credit.

What about mission drift?
4. Yes, thanks to the entry of large profit motivated investors, there has been a great deal of mission drift in the sector. It is my personal belief that the tussle between the profit motive and the financial inclusion motive of MFIs should fall towards financial inclusion, not profit. Rural consumers value timely access to credit far greater than the interest rate levied on small loans. Contrary to theory, the vast majority of microfinance loans are for consumption (primarily medical and education expenses), not production (start up business). The theoretical flaw in Professor Yunus' idea does not preclude the mission of financial inclusion, if only MFIs in India would be allowed to collect savings.

Did the sector need any amount of regulation or none at all?
5. Yes, the AP law which requires MFIs to help the state government track clients taking out more than one loan is needed.
6. But it is also true that as a result of the law, commercial banks have stopped lending as much money to as many MFIs. Hit hardest are the smaller and newer MFIs who have not set up shop properly yet and needed time to break even. And now, slow and steady reputable MFIs such as BASIX who work on the life-cycle model of finance, caring more about the financial needs of the customer over a lifetime than quarterly account reports to short sighted investors.

What happens now?
7. This is a sad turn of events. Banks will only lend to Spandana, Share, SKS, Asmitha now that BASIX might collapse (the 10 biggest NBFC-MFIs make up the bulk of the assets). What will the rest do? Social investors such as I-NGO and development agencies already vacated the MFI space in favour of profit players.

Meanwhile, the MFI Development & Regulation Bill has been languishing in the Ministry of Rural Development for more than 5 years. Until the new minister, Jairam Ramesh takes a personal interest, the policy vacuum is filled with a stringent state law in AP (where all top MFIs are HQ-ed). This law has spooked socially and financially motivated investors worldwide as evidenced by BASIX's failed fundraising efforts.

The stage is set for the domination of government players of the likes of NABFINS (a MFI floated by the government entity, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development). Shooing everyone else off the playing field, the government is in the game to control access to credit for the poor. Government of India has been suspicious of private MFIs ever since the sector started getting some Nobel Prize Committee, Silicon Valley and Wall Street Journal attention in 2005. (Mind you, the Government had no problem with the World Bank at the helm of affairs running micro lending for the state of Andhra for years prior.) Never forget, the poor are the vote-bank for everyone who wants a seat of power anywhere in India.

No political party can't stand to watch private players reach and serve the needs of the poor better than any of them.

Who is a Good Indian Girl?

I'm told all Indian women look good in sarees. Source: Sanghi

#everybodyhasthat1follower who will storify

Image via WikipediaThe games Twitter plays.

Twitter Antics

Image via WikipediaDid somebody say people on Twitter had higher IQs than people on Facebook?

Facebook, Twitter, Empire Avenue, Google+: You Prefer?

To summaImage via Wikipediarize: Facebook is evil. Google+ sucks. Empire Avenue is okay. Twitter rules.

Govind Tiwari Is So Awesome He Doesn't Need A Hashtag

Source: Govind Tiwari's Blog

On creativity, skill, practice, and intelligence

My Audio Cassette Bag

Project #StreetFoodWars!

People of the Twitter: Thank you for participating in Project #StreetFoodWars!

Lets play #FavouriteBollywoodDialogues

Image via Jazzyworkshop.com

Play along, won't you?

Argumentative Indians

Get a drink. I'd say a chhota peg.

Twitter Tactics

July 13, 2011 Mumbai Bomb Blasts: Are you truly #Here2Help?

July 13, 2011 Mumbai Bomb Blasts at Dadar, Opera House, Jhaveri Bazaar

What the heck is @Klout (+K)?

Image via CrunchBasePundit Comment: I just gave @dubash +k on media on @klout

Dubash: All I see is a number. Not sure what a "+k" implies. But I thank you : )

Pundit Comment: Haha. Do you at least know what @klout is or do I need to start at the very beginning? I'll be giving you more +k's in days to come.

Vidyut: it is a compliment, that the software can understand/record. @PunditComment is saying you are very good at what she +1'd you for.

Dubash: But if human's can "+k" or "-k" how objective is it? And now I want to know who all rated me! :)

Vidyut: right now, only @PunditComment has given you a +1. I've finished mine for today (only 5 per day). I will later. you should be able to see that on your profile under topics. it isn't objective. It is how you are seen by people.

Dubash: I am not sure I buy this klout business. Especially because I don't even get passing score :) It's like I've just been told I've failed an exam I didn't even take : ))

Pundit Comment: Muhahaha. Let me help you. The +K's increase your score. You should also consider following a few more people or increasing activity. Go sign into Klout. I think that's going to boost your score right away. Heard it happen to a girl. Helps them track you.

Dubash: It sounds like a racket. I get a higher score, then what? Is there a klout score based on # of female followers?

Pundit Comment: klout, peer index and newest kid on the block empire ave are metrics to measure your internet presence/influence/network. I like the +k's coz the +k's are a good way to demonstrate positivity, organic meritocracy, consideration on Twitter.

Dubash: Yeah but I don't want to be one of *those* influential people, you know, those with more than a 1000 followers. :-)) I think you should write a blog about this. As for me I prefer at least the appearance of a level playing field. : )

Pundit Comment: matlab? how is it not? Aur isme kya likhna hai? Or ask me questions and I'll answer and storify as a proper Q&A.

Dubash: Right now it is fine. No one knows about it. It just feels wrong to rank people. I like the "flatness" of twitter.

Pundit Comment: So...the thing is, twitter is not quite "flat". Kim Kardashian gets paid $10k for a single sponsored tweet. LiLo tweeted about gas.

Dubash: I wanted you to address the notion that giving people a score makes for better discourse. To put it another way, I am concerned that will to a hierarchical community.

Pundit Comment: Noooo. It's the other way round. I see the +k's as a way to reach out after a debate and show my appreciation for the other guy.

Dubash: There aren't quite that many prima donnas in the Indian twitteroshphere. Which is actually the cool part. I mean there aren't as many Kardashian type twitterers. I'd say 95% will engage in a two-way conversation. But if people are ranked, I could see, people may tend to engage with their 'peers" (in terms of ranking).

Pundit Comment: Your Klout score is made up from the number of ppl mentioning&RT you. Klout is a score, not a rank. For example, Vidyut's score is 74 because she's very engaging on Twitter and people talk back with her. A huge critique of Klout right now is that it does not take into account the Klout of the persons YOU influence (as far as i know). So, for example, if I influence xyz with 300k followers that should be more important than if I influence abc with 1k. Also, until recently BarackObama was not actually Barack Obama. Klout does not yet take into account whether a secy is running the acc.

Dubash: Yes but a score is sort of a rank. It formalizes what is (let's face it) unspoken up till now. Hierarchy :( I know hierarchy exists even now. But giving it a number will ossify it. I don't want to influence the popular people anyway.

Pundit Comment: I don't believe you can call social influence a "hierarchy". SRK left Delhi, worked his way up and won hearts. Same thing here. Klout measures public reaction to your twitter presence because it measures your *true* network and counts # mentions, RTs. So, for e.g. I have 1065 followers but my true reach is around 300+ acc to Klout. Do you see how it is an improvement as a metric? It is not correct to use the word "hierarchy". You'll find surprising results from Klout coz it measures true engagement and impact. re:"I don't want to influence the popular people" - I already said Klout does *NOT* currently measure the klout of ppl you engage.

Dubash: I get it. But I like to think the good tweets will spread no matter who they comes from.

Pundit Comment: This tweet of yours proves you don't get it. I am a 3 month old nobody. Yet my Klout score is 65. How? Because I've had some impact. The whole point of Klout is to find out just who is actually getting RT & mentioned. It is helpful but imperfect coz it's easy to game.

Dubash: But if it measured who you engaged with. You would probably only talk to the likes of Vidyut and not me : )

Pundit Comment: Nope. I'd be engaging with the ideas expressed no matter where they come from. Thus creating a conversation all want to get in on.

Vidyut: I agree with what you are saying, but without reach, they won't. not everyone following you is online / paying attn. often becomes a case of tree that fell unseen, unheard. though if ur tweeting well, consistently, that changes fast.

Dubash: Even when not many people knew me. Say a tweet about ahem Rahul Gandhi would get retweeted. As long as you have a minimum...

Vidyut: lol. that works only for "masala" tweets. more insightful ones, the percentage of those who "get it" drops rapidly.

Dubash: I have done scientific studies. Rahul Gandhi tweet will always get retweeted. : )

Vidyut: if you see http://bit.ly/pQ4cOT different people pick whatever they want to RT. my klout is 75. :) someone like @Jesus_M_Christ is http://bit.ly/pMDlQR His Klout is 84. So, there is some sense as a metric.

Pundit Comment: The thing about RTs is that it just depends on the style of your followers. Some a lot, others never. Me-it's my religion.

Dubash: Yeah but I can see others not being so open, especially if given an too easy way to know who is influential and who is not.

Pundit Comment: I understand. When we first join Twitter, we follow famous ppl we like or know from our fields. Everyday, we meet new folk. Move on. Similarly, if people started checking Klout scores (give it 1-2years), they would know whom to follow based on who actually talks. I would argue (assuming away current imperfections) Klout is a better way to learn who is using Twitter more skillfully than not. @Your_Say advises not to talk to yourself but instead to talk to other people on Twitter. If you're new, insert yourself in conversations. Klout also keeps track of the topics we all talk about. I picked "media" out of a list of 10 topics for you. Go take a look. :-) Stuff like Klout works only when we keep it real, organic, truthful. Sadly, @ChrisPirillo says it is really easy to game at present. With that, I'm back full circle to the +K's. I like them because we only get 5 per day. So I pick ppl who really influenced me.

Dubash: You give me +ks now. And then a day will come and I will ask you why you don't +k me anymore. Then you will call me a nag :(

Pundit Comment: HAHAHAHA Man, you worry a lot. First of all, you don't even follow me. You'll forget about me before I forget about you! LOL Secondly, if I stop giving you +k's it'll be because I've already given as many as I'm allowed until they re-set the topic list. Thirdly, people will stop giving +k's because it'll become a daily chore. It has nothing to do with YOU, has to do with THEIR laziness.

*1950s housewife commercial toothy smile* Go to www.klout.com to check your score TODAY!

*Ahem* I'd like some bloody Klout perks for this bloody post now, please.

Women are their own worst enemy

You know...I try hard to stay out of these topics but they just keep pulling me back in.  Get ready for a lot of #facepalming as you read through this storify.

Observe. Speak. Listen. Help.

Can anyone explain to me why on earth should civil society be compelled to run for elections in order to participate in national policy discussions? This post is my rebuttal to this bizarre demand from select members of the Indian Twitterrati from all walks of life...well, as much as you can get on Twitter.

---

It is really strange to hear people who tweet away merrily on twitter protest against the voiceless and powerless getting heard.

Is it so hard to understand that people who win elections are not the only ones qualified to speak up? You guys are speaking too. Pfft.

There are hazaar files on every government officer's desk. We need our activists, researchers, NGOs to help the voiceless get heard.

Government is busy firefighting and tackling the urgent matters of the day. We need our NGOs and researchers to highlight the important issues.

We need a pluralistic society. We need to be informed by the perspectives of the business, religious, academic, and non profit sections.

Who do you think has the crucial job of connecting the local needs to the national power players? Not the MNCs. Not the stock market. I really don't understand what gives you the right to demand that the people doing this crucial job go run for elections instead.

What is the motive of a politician? Re-election and his own personal legacy.
What is the motive of a businessman? Profits and his own personal legacy.
What is the motive of an activist? To get the voiceless heard.

Watch for the personal integrity of an activist much much more than that of a politician or businessman. It is all an activist has. Dishonesty is not only acceptable, it is encouraged in politics and business if it serves the end goal. Not so in academia and nonprofit.

Because one particular civil society group was successful in getting an issue on the national radar, aapko jalan kyu ho rahi hai? Aapne pehle kabhi to yeh sab nahi kaha. Why shouldn't Oxfam and Action Aid and UN agencies also contest local elections everywhere then?

I don't hear you demanding that FICCI and CII go stand for elections. Or religious leaders (who already do stand for elections). I don't hear anyone asking IMF&World Bank to stand for elections. Aapko suddenly elections aaj yaad aayein hai jab koi nek insaan dikha?

An activist is only an agent for the larger mission. He has no personal stake in the mission, not any more than any other citizen.

People who have never felt powerless in their own lives have no idea what it is like and how crucial any and all advocacy is.

You cannot expect a single minister/department/agency to know or care about the issues and geographic areas concerned for that portfolio. Some people spend their entire lives working on a single issue. Ministers come and go and do what they like as they see fit.

It's nice when they are but do not expect politicians and businessmen to be knowledgeable, sincere, honest or sympathetic to local needs.

Hum sabhi wohi karte hai jo hum chahte hain. It is incredibly difficult to teach anyone introspection, compassion, honesty or empathy.

For an academic or NGO or journalist or activist, personal integrity is everything. Throw out rotten apples. Don't burn down the orchard.

If there is a space for corporate lobbying, how can you deny the space for civil society, a far more important player for policy work? Iska matlab, aap kehna chhahte hain ki jab tak NGOs chhote-mote rahe, tab tak theek hain uske aage unnati na ho toh behtar hain.

Whoever told you that nobody other than elected politicians knows anything about policy-making? Phir aap sab kya karte hai? Is all this jabber just the familiar crab joke? Can y'all not stand to see one civil society group actually made a little headway?

If you want NGOs and activists to run, you should ask all businessmen to go stand for elections too if they want a say in policy making. Just where do you get off suggesting that if an issue did not come up through an election, it is not worthy of national attention?

Every human has different skill sets. We do what we can with that skill set on whatever field we pick or whatever field picks us. Should Amartya Sen stand for local elections instead of using the skills he has to further our knowledge and understanding on policy?

Some of us are just not governed by material or personal ambitions. Is this news to you? Have you also never heard "Do good. Be good."

If it is so hard for you to recognize honesty and integrity, what does that say about you?

Wisdom is more important than information. Empathy is more important than knowledge.

In politics, success = re-elections and holding onto power.
In business, success = money.
In activism, success = getting voiceless heard.

Yes, some politicians are honest. Yes, some businessmen are philanthropists. Yes, some academics are useless. Yes, some NGOs are frauds.

I have worked in government, in academia, in non profit, in a start up, in an international organization, in corporate. No one is evil.

No matter where you are and what you do, hold on to your ethics, your personal integrity and your principles. Everything else is worthless.

Whatay Scandal ~ Murdoch Stops the Presses: News of the World Shuts Down

This phone hacking scandal has captured the fancy of every single international journalist on my Twitter timeline. The Indian ones - not so much. But of course, the hungama has only just begun with the closing of the News of the World and this scandal threatens to become the beginning of the end of the Murdoch empire. Wishful thinking? Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps.

What Say You ~ For Or #AgainstIndianCulture?

Image via WikipediaWhat's not to love about Indian culture?  The twitterrati have had their say.  Have a look.  I'll let you be the judge on this one. ;-)

♪ Mike Tompkins sings Adele's Rolling in the Deep A Cappella

Image via Wikipedia
It's Sunday. Welcome to Go Viral - PC Original Music Selection Club. The talent, audio-visual savvy and production quality in this a cappella cover of Adele's Rolling In The Deep by Mike Tompkins is spectacular. How is this guy not world famous already?

This guy is amazing just the way he is.

People are scum

Shield your eyes. Here comes a rant about the people behind the politics. 

People are scum. People who've never been in a position of powerlessness in their lives will never understand what it feels like. It's incredible how quickly logic and reason and merit goes out the window for ego and petty power plays. If you hate conflict like me, here's a piece of advice. Force the issue. You will learn a lot about people. For some people, ain't no such thang as empathy. I was too young back then but I will never forget PVNR for this line ~ No decision is also a decision. When your case has merit, silence means you're right but you're never going to win. If that which is most precious to you is utterly irrelevant to someone, that someone is no one to you. Upside of sensitivity. You understand people. Downside of sensitivity. People don't understand you. The most inexplicable douche bags are the ones closest to you. Only the incompetent idiots protect and defend the incompetent idiots. You can tell a lot about a person from their abode. Obfuscation and misdirection is an insult to my intelligence. You want to discredit me by addling my brains enough to drive me to drink & drugs? I'm too smart for you. I don't fall for such weak sauce. I am stronger than you can ever hope to comprehend.