Comments on: Close it down http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/ Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:42:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Gaurav http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2012 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2012 Most of the ministries here should either be made regulatory bodies, which the Telecom ministry has effectively become, or else, they should be corporatised. For example, why have Ministry of Civil Aviation if you already have state owned airlines? Wont the bosses of IA and AI be enough? here are the only ministries i think should exist Ministry of Commerce and Industry - Only to fight for Indian interests in WTO. Ministry of Defence - Should be severely restructured to reduce bureaucratic hurdles. Implement a leaner model like in other countries. Ministry of External Affairs - for foreign relations Ministry of Finance - Again, severely restructure. Ministry of Home Affairs - For internal security Ministry of Law and Justice - For law related work Ministry of Tourism - But again, severely restructured Ministry of Water Resources - Severely restructured Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports - Severely restructured Most of the ministries here should either be made regulatory bodies, which the Telecom ministry has effectively become, or else, they should be corporatised. For example, why have Ministry of Civil Aviation if you already have state owned airlines? Wont the bosses of IA and AI be enough?

here are the only ministries i think should exist

Ministry of Commerce and Industry - Only to fight for Indian interests in WTO.

Ministry of Defence - Should be severely restructured to reduce bureaucratic hurdles. Implement a leaner model like in other countries.

Ministry of External Affairs - for foreign relations

Ministry of Finance - Again, severely restructure.

Ministry of Home Affairs - For internal security

Ministry of Law and Justice - For law related work

Ministry of Tourism - But again, severely restructured

Ministry of Water Resources - Severely restructured

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports - Severely restructured

]]> by: Gaurav http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2013 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2013 About what I mean when I say "severely restructured", I will write a post on my blog shortly. About what I mean when I say “severely restructured”, I will write a post on my blog shortly.

]]> by: Ravikiran Rao http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2014 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2014 I'd cut down even further from Gaurav's list. We don't need a ministry for tourism. Turn over what the sports ministry into an autonomous body which cannot be touched by politicians or bureaucrats. Of course, the youth can manage their own affairs. So we don't need a ministry for that. I’d cut down even further from Gaurav’s list. We don’t need a ministry for tourism. Turn over what the sports ministry into an autonomous body which cannot be touched by politicians or bureaucrats. Of course, the youth can manage their own affairs. So we don’t need a ministry for that.

]]> by: Sunil http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2015 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2015 I see a need for only the following 6 Ministries: 1. Ministry of Defence 2. Ministry of External Affairs 3. Ministry of Finance 4. Ministry of Public Infrastructure 5. Ministry of Law 6. Ministry of Internal Security The rest can be taken care of by autonomous bodies. I see a need for only the following 6 Ministries:

1. Ministry of Defence
2. Ministry of External Affairs
3. Ministry of Finance
4. Ministry of Public Infrastructure
5. Ministry of Law
6. Ministry of Internal Security

The rest can be taken care of by autonomous bodies.

]]> by: Ravages http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2016 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2016 DO we really need a Prime Ministry? Ok Ok! My list of must have ministries The Budget Council Law, Order and Defence Authority (club both law and order and defence) PR Department (home and external affairs) The Guiding Light (the prime minister and some selected mandarins who will give expert guidance on other stuff - like commerce, tourism and all) My suggestion for a government is to run it like a corporate governing board. DO we really need a Prime Ministry?

Ok Ok! My list of must have ministries

The Budget Council
Law, Order and Defence Authority (club both law and order and defence)
PR Department (home and external affairs)
The Guiding Light (the prime minister and some selected mandarins who will give expert guidance on other stuff - like commerce, tourism and all)

My suggestion for a government is to run it like a corporate governing board.

]]> by: Aadisht http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2017 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2017 I'd keep Defence, External Affairs, Finance, Commerce, Highways, Railways and Law. I'd move the following ministries to the states: Environment and Forests, Water Resources, Health and Family Welfare, Human Resource Development (why doesn't this include Health?), and Roads. And I'd get rid of everything else. Especially I&B, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports, Urban Development and Tribal Affairs. People make their own culture, you don't need a ministry for it! I’d keep Defence, External Affairs, Finance, Commerce, Highways, Railways and Law.

I’d move the following ministries to the states: Environment and Forests, Water Resources, Health and Family Welfare, Human Resource Development (why doesn’t this include Health?), and Roads.

And I’d get rid of everything else. Especially I&B, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports, Urban Development and Tribal Affairs. People make their own culture, you don’t need a ministry for it!

]]> by: Aadisht http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2018 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2018 BTW, the reason Law is in there is to throw out outdated and unnecessary laws. BTW, the reason Law is in there is to throw out outdated and unnecessary laws.

]]> by: Quizman http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2019 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2019 Was it Santayana or Tocqueville who said, "The govt should deliver the mail, guard the frontiers and get the hell out of people's lives" [IMHO, It should not even deliver mail] Tourism? Sports? Railways? Human Resources? Health?- even if they were autonomous bodies? In the US, such views would be classified as "socialist". Cartel sahibs, please de-indoctrinate yourselves. :-) Btw, have the lean versions of the following: 1. Minstry of Finance 2. Ministry of Defense 3. Ministry of External Affairs, part of which would be trade/commerce [WTO etc] 4. RAW - cabinet level 5. National Security Agency - cabinet level. Scrap the rest. Have autonomous checks and balances like CBI, Rashtriya Rifles to assist the federal govt in maintaining law and order, when states fail in those roles. Have a Federal Disaster Relief agency like the US FEMA to coordinate aid disbursement during state/national emergencies like natural disasters. Make it the PMs responsibility - i.e. all he does is to issue directives at appropriate times that say, "Go, act". My <a href="http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/haas/video_room/trade.html" rel="nofollow">econ professor</a> even dislikes the involvement of governments in bilateral agreements. He says, "As an economist, I feel that billateral trade agreements are inefficient. Instead, have open trade policies for all countries." Was it Santayana or Tocqueville who said, “The govt should deliver the mail, guard the frontiers and get the hell out of people’s lives” [IMHO, It should not even deliver mail]

Tourism? Sports? Railways? Human Resources? Health?- even if they were autonomous bodies? In the US, such views would be classified as “socialist”. Cartel sahibs, please de-indoctrinate yourselves. :-)

Btw, have the lean versions of the following:
1. Minstry of Finance
2. Ministry of Defense
3. Ministry of External Affairs, part of which would be trade/commerce [WTO etc]
4. RAW - cabinet level
5. National Security Agency - cabinet level.

Scrap the rest. Have autonomous checks and balances like CBI, Rashtriya Rifles to assist the federal govt in maintaining law and order, when states fail in those roles. Have a Federal Disaster Relief agency like the US FEMA to coordinate aid disbursement during state/national emergencies like natural disasters. Make it the PMs responsibility - i.e. all he does is to issue directives at appropriate times that say, “Go, act”.

My econ professor even dislikes the involvement of governments in bilateral agreements. He says, “As an economist, I feel that billateral trade agreements are inefficient. Instead, have open trade policies for all countries.”

]]> by: Quizman http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2020 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2020 Btw, regarding sports, here is <a href="http://one.berkeley.edu/modules/news/article.php?storyid=146" rel="nofollow">an interesting paper</a> by my Competitive Strategy prof regarding the economy and Olympic medals. Her prediction proved correct in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. Btw, regarding sports, here is an interesting paper by my Competitive Strategy prof regarding the economy and Olympic medals. Her prediction proved correct in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.

]]> by: Ramnath http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2021 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2004/09/22/close-it-down/#comment-2021 I think, government has a role to play wherever the general environment is not conducive for markets to work, or where people dont have the ability to participate in the market. So its not really a question of number of ministries, but whether there is a movement from government control, to regulation, to a state where the market does all the work. Market might be capable of more than what we think it is capable of. Take environment for example. Even economists (a lot of them) agree that there is a need for strong government control if we want less pollution. Its true that regulations have forced companies develop more environmentally friendly products and processes. (Porter has written an article in HBR on this, in case you are interested) But again, there are people who talk about free market environmentalism (where you use market to determine the value of, say, a clean river; instead of government assuming that everyone wants clean river and imposing regulations that everyone breaks; it lets the market determine the price). It has even worked in some places. In India, I think, government still has an important role to play in a lot of areas. Primary education for example. (But the answer might not be in setting up free schools, but as many have suggested before, giving students coupons, which they can exchange for education. Which is what I meant by the movement towards market). Rural health. A lot of things... I think, government has a role to play wherever the general environment is not conducive for markets to work, or where people dont have the ability to participate in the market.

So its not really a question of number of ministries, but whether there is a movement from government control, to regulation, to a state where the market does all the work.

Market might be capable of more than what we think it is capable of. Take environment for example. Even economists (a lot of them) agree that there is a need for strong government control if we want less pollution. Its true that regulations have forced companies develop more environmentally friendly products and processes. (Porter has written an article in HBR on this, in case you are interested) But again, there are people who talk about free market environmentalism (where you use market to determine the value of, say, a clean river; instead of government assuming that everyone wants clean river and imposing regulations that everyone breaks; it lets the market determine the price). It has even worked in some places.

In India, I think, government still has an important role to play in a lot of areas. Primary education for example. (But the answer might not be in setting up free schools, but as many have suggested before, giving students coupons, which they can exchange for education. Which is what I meant by the movement towards market). Rural health. A lot of things…

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