Thank you @PMOIndia @narendramodi,I feel reassured now!

Yesterday, amid a veritable landslide of predictions and speculation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a speech in San Jose, California, mainly concerning his two favourite themes (at least from an international perspective) - "Make in India" and "Digital India". As an Indian student in an American university not far from the Silicon Valley, the atmosphere around the speech, akin to the energy and excitement surrounding the performance by a music band, had me riveted alongside the 20,000-odd adoring fans packed into San Jose's SAP Center and the lakhs watching from my motherland halfway across the world.

The address followed Modi’s meeting with CEOs of over 50 Fortune 500 companies in New York, and his one-on-one soiree with Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and founder of Facebook. While eager to support the Make in India and Digital India campaigns, the corporations were predictably concerned with India’s less-than-perfect governance, the hurdles to doing business, and the lack of adequate infrastructure (on at least two of these concerns, if not all three, China scores much higher, and Chinese President Xi Jinping was in Seattle during the same period to meet almost the same set of industry leaders to make a case for his efforts to further ease up foreign investments in China).

In his speech, the prime minister dealt with the issues of corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency, appealing not only to investors but also to the average Indian who dreams of a better quality of life abroad, mirroring the mindset of most Indian students who travel to the US for education and also hope to work in the US after graduation. Known to be an adept orator, Modi stressed that the Digital India initiative includes within its umbrella the concept of e-governance, allowing the government to implement laws through mobile technology and enabling citizens to have access to their constitutionally-guaranteed rights at the touch of a button. Much to the joy of someone who has spent many hours stuck in the melting tar that is Indian bureaucracy, the prime minister declared that the country, and its governance, has been lazy for the past few decades, but it is finally time to work.

I recall a statement made by Modi earlier that as part of the Digital India initiative, mobile-enabled emergency services will enhance personal security. For a young woman who calls India - a country with an average of 90 rape cases reported every single day and countless others unreported - her home, this thought holds immense potential. As Google CEO Sundar Pichai put it in his welcome video, perhaps it is time for “India’s own revolution” in the digital realm. Perhaps it is time for a change in the mentality of a soon-to-be better equipped and more resourceful population that will be kinder to the traditionally disadvantaged. To paraphrase the prime minister, those who do not want to change will become irrelevant in the 21st century. The hope of job creation is also promising for Indian students temporarily residing in the "Land of Opportunity", especially in view of an American job market that is still unyielding to a majority of foreign students.

Also refreshing was Modi’s optimistic and agreeable take on the somewhat-touchy topic of "brain drain", adopting the perspective that Indians living abroad are improving the image of their birthplace and working on the identity (“pehchaan”) of the nation. However, by viewing the outflow of Indians as a deposit waiting to be cashed in, the words of the prime minister could be construed by NRIs to imply a certain debt owed by persons of Indian origin living outside the country.

Irrespective of the outcome following this much-anticipated speech, it is safe to say that Modi has mastered the art of rallying a crowd with ambitious, desirable goals, the practised voice of assured certainty, and a demeanour powerful enough to dominate a stadium affectionately (and some would say, appropriately) nicknamed the “Shark Tank”. The prime minister’s "victory lap" around the stage, amidst chants of his name, balloons streaming from the heavens, and music from everyone’s favorite inspirational, beat-the-odds saga, Chak De India, reinforced the image of the politician as a celebrity. Modiji "left the building" while reaching out to touch the extended arms of the adoring, and perhaps blindly uncritical, hordes at San Jose.

International Day of Democracy

Democracy is a universal value based on the freely expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of their lives. 

While democracies share common features, there is no single model of democracy.

Activities carried out by the United Nations in support of efforts of Governments to promote and consolidate democracy are undertaken in accordance with the UN Charter, and only at the specific request of the Member States concerned.

The UN General Assembly, in resolution A/62/7 (2007) encouraged Governments to strengthen national programmes devoted to the promotion and consolidation of democracy, and also decided that 15 September of each year should be observed as the International Day of Democracy. 

Globally, the role of civil society has never been more important than this year, as the world prepares to implement a new development agenda, agreed to by all the world’s Governments. However, for civil society activists and organizations in a range of countries covering every continent, space is shrinking — or even closing — as some Governments have adopted restrictions that limit the ability of NGOs to work or to receive funding.

That is why the theme of this year’s International Day of Democracy is "Space for Civil Society." It is a reminder to Governments everywhere that the hallmark of successful and stable democracies is the presence of a strong and freely operating civil society -- in which Government and civil society work together for common goals for a better future, and at the same time, civil society helps keep Government accountable.

Aylan Kurdi's aunt: this one small life has shown us the way to tackle the refugee crisis

One would argue there are no degrees of death. But the image of the drowned Syrian toddler washed up on the Turkey beach makes you believe otherwise. This death is unacceptable. It leaves you with inconsolable grief for it is untimely, unnatural, and brought upon by the irresponsibility of us adults and our agendas.

The tiny body, in a red T-Shirt and shorts had not dressed that day to be found, lying face down on a beach, dead. No doubt, the image has got itself etched in our hearts as a symbol of our shame and guilt as insensitive, selfish adults.

There is a fair chance, that nature gloved in the waves, washed the body of the three-year-old Aylan Kurdi ashore to make us see the deterioration of our humanity, the degeneration of our purpose, the devastation of our future - all at our own hands. And a big thank you to social media for making it go viral to land a rude knock on every compassionate soul that viewed it.

His family was one of the tens of thousands of Syrians fleeing the war in their homeland, descended on Turkey to board boats to Greece which, to them, could be their gateway to the European Union and also a chance for a normal future.

True, his is not the only life that has been cut short due to strife and war. But his is a death that inspires a gnawing pain and guilt for he had no role to play in bringing the world to this pass. He was neither fighting for the Islamic State nor was he with the Kurdish regional forces. He was just a toddler trying to survive strife and he failed! And in him, we all failed.

The image is a clarion call for all us "thinking adults" on how our children may end up paying for our failures. According to the UNHCR, so far this year, more than 2,500 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean, many of them children and teenagers. And this is only one refugee statistic.

If this does not shake us from our selfish slumber and inane political and religious agendas, God knows what will. Which God would forgive this murder?

Can any God forgive the murder of Aylan Kurdi?

Teachers' Day: To @PMOIndia @narendramodi Sir

 Last year when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that he was going to do an interactive session with kids on Teachers' Day alarm bells were raised about his real intent. There were heated, screeching debates in TV studios, as always. So much so one would have thought it was a dangerous idea to get children to attend school for one more day. For weeks there were loud protestations about how schools were being forced to give up a holiday. The cruelty, apparently, was being compounded by the fact that schools were going to be video linked with the prime minister. What could be more outrageous!

Now, the really shocking part is that the same event has taken place and gone by without anyone creating a big fuss about it. It seems usually vociferous TV channels completely missed the day in their calendar. So what has changed in this past one year ? Basically, perhaps Mr Modi reaching out on Teachers' Day has already become so routine that it is no longer threatening us or our children? Or that TV channels have found something even more trivial to discuss?

The ultimate victory for a good idea is when others begin to copy it. And so now we have the Aam Aadmi Party running away with the concept. Only - they brought in the president to deliver a lecture, as deep rivalry would have prevented them asking the prime minister to say the proverbial "do shabd".

One can thus wonder what the fuss was all about one year ago. Perhaps it was a concerted effort, obviously, by anti-Modi parties, to create a panic about how dictatorial things had become! Children were being forced to wake up early and meet the country's prime minister! How terrible!

But now that Narendra Modi spoke for a second year running perhaps this innovation will get noted in our calendar. Just like Yoga Day perhaps.

The real question, therefore, is whether we are resistant to change or, on the other hand, whether all changes can be resisted ? Or has the time come for all of us to become creatures of routine because it is safer. We are far more secure because we certainly do not want even a slight disruption of our lives.

And yet without change no one can evolve. Perhaps that's what the prime minister was trying to do when he decided to interact with students.

And this year he took the corollary still further, because he even attended an RSS function on the same day. Undoubtedly much will be made of it, and oblique references will be made about his childhood.

However, that link could be true, as one always feels that when the prime minister participates in a school function, he is also harking back to his own past when he had very little. He might not have even had a stable school life, and perhaps that is why, one can see his untiring efforts to reach out to school kids.

Nothing wrong with it, except when his intentions are always being questioned. Or, have we, finally as this Teachers' Day shows, got used to Mr Modi?

US President Obama’s climate change plan

As the world looks towards striking a much-needed climate deal at the Paris summit this December, the contributions of top polluters like the United States, China and India come under close scrutiny. The United States took a tentative step in this direction by signing a bilateral climate deal with China in December 2014 to restrict carbon emissions and ahead of Paris has announced a target of 26-28 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 compared to 2005 levels.

Now, US President Barack Obama has announced new curbs on carbon emissions from power plants under the Clean Power Plan, a set of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that if followed through, could be path breaking. States have time until September 2016 to submit plans based on targets set for them by the EPA, but must comply by 2022. Here are five things you ought to know about this new plan and what it means for climate change.

1. Does Obama have the authority to put this in place?

Yes he does. Those opposed to it will try and find loopholes but the American president has used the power of the Clean Air Act of 1970 to push this new plan through. Under this, any pollutant that poses a serious health threat can be regulated by the US Environment Protection Agency. The president hence has the legal authority to make a decision on pollutants from power plants that are endangering public health across the country.

2. How will the plan help tackle climate change?

The power plants in the United States are one of the biggest sources of CO2 emissions, making up 32 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions. The Clean Power Plan aims to put standards in place that will in the long run help reduce CO2 emissions by 32 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030. This is by far the most ambitious step taken by America to tackle climate change. Climate change experts are also hopeful that other big pollutants will be inspired by this and come on board and sign on to achieve big targets in Paris this December.

3. Is it a one-plan-for-all proposition?

No. The president has given each state the flexibility to decide on its energy mix on its own. What this means is that each state can decide on which renewable it wants to invest in and also look at upgrading its coal plants to produce more electricity but with lesser emissions. States have a fair bit of flexibility in deciding what works for them and what does not.

4. In the long run will this mean cheaper or more expensive power for people?

With a smart and ambitious renewables plan in place and a lowered reliance on fossil fuel, electricity bills will also be impacted. While initial electricity costs may escalate, the EPA estimates consumers will save $8 per month in the long run while The White House on its part estimates the average American will save $85 on their utility bill by 2030.

5. Why is the plan being opposed in so many states?

Many states, like Wyoming, West Virginia and Kentucky, that are heavily reliant on coal mining fear their economies would suffer and people would lose jobs. In fact as many as 14 states have decided to legally challenge this plan as they feel the implications threaten economic security in these states. In addition, Republican presidential hopefuls are also opposing the economics of this plan and feel that it will be disastrous and cost too much to implement.

Why PM Modi needs to lose his ego and learn from Former PM Manmohan Singh

3 things you must know about 

After allegations over #LalitForSushma and Vyapam scam came to light in June and early July this year, it was clear that Parliament's monsoon session would be a stormy one, and the Congress will leave no stone unturned to corner the BJP. However, one had expected the ruling party to devise some strategy to ensure that a minimum and essential business was transacted. The hope was generated because of the more than 100 per cent work record performed by both Houses of Parliament in the previous budget session. But the hopes dashed from day one of the monsoon session. The Opposition, led by the Congress, may be faulted for creating ruckus, but the BJP-led NDA government was no less responsible for a complete washout of the session so far. It is up to the PM and no one else to reach out to the Opposition, and who better than his predecessors to seek the light. 

1. Floor management: Compared with UPA-2, the floor management of the Modi government leaves much to be desired. One also needs to look at the parliamentary affairs minister of the two regimes for this. Compared with the present Modi government, UPA-2 was much more constrained. First, it was a minority government running with outside support of parties like the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party. Second, it was rocked by much bigger scams like the 2G spectrum, coal block allocation, Commonwealth Games and Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society cases, and controversies involving ministers like Pawan Bansal and Ashwani Kumar. Third, the UPA-2 had to contend with a formidable Opposition in the BJP which had 116 MPs in the Lok Sabha as compared with just 44 of the Congress in the present 16th Lok Sabha. 

Despite all these hurdles, the productivity of the Lok Sabha was decent if not enviable, as it passed 165 of the 222 Bills introduced in five years. Being the senior-most MP in the lower house (his predecessor Bansal was also a Lok Sabha MP), the then parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath enjoyed cordial equations with other members cutting across party lines. Depending upon the situations, he would be aggressive and accommodative. Nath managed to get the Opposition members on board on key Bills and ensured their smooth passage. On the other hand, Venkaiah Naidu lacks these qualities - he is a Rajya Sabha MP, is aggressive in his approach towards the Opposition on most of the occasions, and lacks the qualities of Nath.

Besides, the UPA also had the advantage of veteran politician and strategist Pranab Mukherjee's vast experience till he became president of India. On the other hand, BJP's tallest figure in the Lok Sabha, LK Advani, is not very indulgent in party affairs as he himself has been sidelined.

2. Losing friends and allies: UPA-2 was often accused of having two power centres - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who was also the chairperson of UPA. This worked to their advantage when it came to dealing with the allies and the Opposition. Both of them reached out to the alliance partners like Sharad Pawar's NCP and Lalu Prasad's RJD besides Mulayam Singh Yadav's SP and Mayawati's BSP. As far as NDA government is concerned, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's undisputed leadership and centralised power is not working much to its advantage. 

Neither he, nor senior members of his cabinet are seen to be making sincere efforts to reach out to the Opposition. Even the BJP's oldest allies like the Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal have embarrassed the government by opposing the Land Acquisition Bill. The two alliance partners have not come to the rescue of the government when the latter needed them the most. Modi needs to learn from Singh the art of winning support by reaching out to either alliance partners or rivals.

3. Breaking bad: Modi also lacks Atal Bihari Vajpayee's charisma. Vajpayee was a unifying force which saw even National Conference from Jammu & Kashmir join his government at the centre. He would leave much of the strategy to be planned and executed by his two closest aides - national security advisor Brajesh Mishra and then parliamentary affairs minister Pramod Mahajan. The three together saw successful running of the coalition government for six years from 1998 to 2004. In the present dispensation, Modi's polarising figure and dominant persona are going against the smooth running of the government. The bitter enmity between him and Sonia-Rahul Gandhi combine since the 2002 Gujarat riots comes in the way of a rapprochement and, subsequently, a smooth functioning of Parliament. Modi's aggressive posture might work at the national level but it is not helping the government inside Parliament. 

The constant blame-game and volley of accusations between PM and the Gandhis outside Parliament have been too vitriolic, it leaves no scope for cordiality. One would have expected finance minister Arun Jaitley, considered close to Modi, and Sushma Swaraj, former leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, to take the lead in neutralising the Opposition's attacks. However, Swaraj herself is embroiled in the Lalit Modi controversy and, hence, is the target of the Opposition. Jaitley, on the other hand, who was earlier appreciated as the leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha during UPA-2, isn't doing any better. His proximity to SAD leaders is also well-known, despite these factors, the BJP has failed to get the desired support of the allies and numb the Opposition's attack in Parliament on crucial occasions.

The key to a functioning Parliament lies in coordination rather than confrontation as in suspending 25 Congess Lok Sabha MPs on August 4. Modi needs to drastically change the government's strategy and tweak his approach towards dealing with allies and the Opposition to ensure a smooth functioning of Parliament. The future looks tough if it loses the upcoming Bihar elections, as the Opposition will get emboldened and harden their stand.

No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come: Manmohan Singh

In 1991, when India faced severe economic crisis, PM P.V. Narasimha Rao appointed apolitical Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister. India's foreign reserves barely amounted to US$1 billion, enough to pay for a few weeks of imports.

By 1994, when he presented his historic budget, the economy was well on its way to recovery. Yet he ploughed ahead instituting deep changes in the institutions of the country.

During his speech in Parliament while presenting the Budget in 1994-95, he quoted Victor Hugo: "No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come."

His dream was that in a crisis India should undertake basic structural changes, which would lead to the emergence of a new country that would become a major global player in the world economy.

Singh started the process of simplification and rationalisation of the tax system. Many controls and regulation on the industry were removed, which meant the death of the Permit Raj and a free rein to entrepreneurs.

The result was that productivity in the Indian industry grew like never before.