Re: Note sent in by Prof. Nirvikar Singh

[Puneet Singh <psingh@scdt.intel.com>]

Group,

An excellent paper indeed. Its comforting to see many of our ideas
reflected in the paper. Two points that struck me worth capturing are:

1. To define reform and distinguish it from liberalization/privatisation.

2. Accountability through full ownership to various departments.

Many other points make a lot of good sense. We must link papers
such as these to our website to enable better understanding of the
gists that are posted in terms of a policy.

Cheers!
Puneet

> Good morning folks,
> 
> Nirvikar Singh, Professor in the Department of Economics, University of
> California, Santa Cruz, has sent in to me a paper entitled
> 
> "Miracles and Reform: Policy Reflections for India"
> 
> I assume that by sending it to me, as a follow up to my request to new
> participants, that he stands for some ideas, and that he is bold and
> courageous enough, and interested, in putting up his ideas for debate, and
> so I have posted his paper at: 
> 
> 	http://www.indiaconsult.com/indiapolicy/Notes/nirvikar1.html
> 
> in the HTML format.
> 
> This paper can also be accessed from the Notes subsection of the
> "Supporting Material" section on the main indiapolicy web page.
> 
> Well, the paper is open for debate, even though it is not precisely in the
> point-wise or para-wise format as what was required in the rules of
> debate. I think we need to appreciate the time constraints of all members,
> and be flexible on this. 
> 
> Dear Nivikar (I hope you don't mind being called by first name: we have
> this informal thing going on here on this group where people are respected
> as people first and people last, irrespective of age, qualification, or
> experience), I hope you have no objections to your paper being put up so,
> for debate, and that no copyrights are being infringed. If you have any
> objections, pl. let me know at once!
> 
> And thanks for your post. 
> 
> In particular, I think all of us on this list are truly grateful for this
> participation by academicians within two days of my sending out the first
> request (another Professor, from Boston, has sent in his enthusiastic best
> wishes, but before I post his mail I need his permission for that: I do
> not post personal mail). Shows that this is surely going to build into the
> kind of platform to develop the debates that are sorely needed in India.
> 
> Are we fulfilling a deeply felt need, or what! I think all of us know that
> we **are** [fulfilling a deeply, sorely, felt need]:  that we do indeed
> need a platform to debate and to get only the best, workable ideas...
> 
> Too much and too long we have waited for the existing policy thinkers to
> come out with a cogent document. The Congress Manifesto, for example,
> says, after 50 years of independence, in 1998: 
> 
> 	Saare Desh Se Nata hai
> 	Sarkar Chalana Aata Hai
> 
> 	(see: http://indiancongress.org/ELECTION/ELC98-A1.HTM)
> 
> Presumably that is enough to take India to a 10% growth rate of real per
> capita incomes! 
> 
> I think India needs to go far beyond that kind of rhetoric. What else have
> we trained millions of professionals, economists, and others, for? Now it
> is their turn to change India! 
> 
> Sanjeev
> 
> Go IndiaPolicy! 
> Seek out the gold!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>