Round The States
New Delhi, 29 January 2022
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AIS Rules
Change
STATES SAY
NO TO CENTRE
By Insaf
As India celebrates its
73rd Republic Day, Centre-States relations take anotherhit. The federal
structure is being subverted again, is the charge against Modi government. Opposition
is mounting against New Delhi’s bid to
change the All India Service Cadre Rules, wherein the Centre seeks to give itself
‘unilateral powers’ to pick and choose any AIS officer(s) working in the States
to be withdrawn from their services in the State of their allotment and brought
to the Centre without the concurrence either of the officer concerned or of the
State Government that the officer is serving. This change, say opponents may
appear to be a minor, technical one, but it ‘hits at the very core of the
constitutional scheme of Indian federalism.’ On Thursday last, West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shot off a second letter to Modi saying “the Centre was taking the matter to further
non-federal extremes!” Other State governmentsopposing the move are
Maharashtra, Odisha, Jharkhand, whose CM Soren has written to Modi saying
‘bury’ the ‘draconian’ amendments as if made, would strike at the “very root”
of “federal governance”; and surprisingly even NDA-ruled States such as Bihar,
Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya, who find the present system fine.
The Constitutional
Conduct Group, of former bureaucrats, has put across a forceful argument
against the Centre’s proposals, which the States could ditto. It says: in a
federal structure of Union of India, the Union and States exist as distinct and
separate entities, though they work in tandem to subserve common constitutional
objectives. The AlS constitute the administrative framework for this unique
relationship between the two levels of government and give it stability and
balance. Maintaining this balance is critical to good governance and guarantees
members of the AIS their independence and their ability to speak their mind.
The proposed amendments fundamentally alters this relationship and makes a
mockery of the delicate federal balance that the AIS are designed to maintain.
For it’s possible that AIS officers may view the interests of the State as
secondary and subordinate to the Centre and to the political regime in power
there. Plus, AIS officers working in the State will be reluctant to take any
decision or action against the wishes of the political party in power at the
Centre for fear of being summarily transferred to the Centre and harassed
there. This will undermine the ability of the State governments to implement
their policies and stand up against any arbitrary diktats of the Centre. Need
more be said. Will the Centre pay heed.
* * * *` * * *
Maha Govt’s
Embarrassment
The Maharashtra Vikas
Aghadi government is red in the face. On Friday last, the Supreme Court set
aside the suspension of 12 BJP MLAs for one year, saying the decision was “arbitrary,
unconstitutional and illegal.” Reinstating them, the bench said the MLAs can’t be
suspended beyond the session and the resolutions ‘are malice in the eyes of
law, ineffective and beyond the powers of the Assembly”. Recall, the MLAs were
suspended on July 5, 2021, day one of the Monsoon session after the Uddhav
Thackeray government accused them of “misbehaving in the House and using abusive
language against the Speaker in the chair... and they also attempted to pull up
the Speaker’s mic and mace.” The elated MLAs said the judgment ‘is a slap on
the MVA government and the suspension was an act of vendetta. They wanted to
keep us away from the Speaker’s election…democracy is saved.”Be that as it may,
should the apex court ruling extend to New Delhi, is a big question. Last
November, Rajya Sabha refused to lift the suspension of 12 MPs for the rest of
the Winter Session on account of “unruly behaviour” during the Monsoon Session.
The Opposition here too termed it as unconstitutional and led protests. Time
the BJP see the shoe is on the other foot?
* * * *` * * *
Punjab Cong CM Face?
Punjab has the
Congress high command in a bind. Who should be its chief ministerial
candidate—Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi or State party President Navjot
Singh Sidhu? Both are keen to be declared as the CM face saying two people
cannot lead but only one. And true to his style, Sidhu literally cornered Rahul
Gandhi on Thursday last at the virtual rally in Jalandhar, saying he doesn’t
want to be ‘showpiece’, a CM face needs to be declared. Tough call alright, as
Rahul too admitted that not the grand old party’s style. The party, he said,
“will go to polls with a CM face and a decision will be taken soon after
consulting party workers.’ Will it and how, is the big question for differences
within the party and the two aspirants appear far from over. And though both
are said to have given the assurance that ‘whoever leads, the other will put
all his energy behind him,’ nothing can be put past Sidhu. Remember, the high
voltage drama where he eventually bowled Amarinder out. And while he would want
the confusion be removed, it’s easier said than done. Despite Channi humbly
saying “I don't want any post. Make anyone CM, Channi will accept it
wholeheartedly and campaign. This is Punjab’s requirement.” No, it’s Congress’
requirement. Will it ride the tide?
* * * *` * * *
UP Students’ Protest
The timing couldn’t
have been worse for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. The issue of unemployment finally
comes into spotlight in the poll-bound State. The beating up of students by the
police in Prayaraj for reportedly trying to stop a train there to protest against
the Ministry of Railways recruitment processhas caught the Yogi government on
the wrong foot. It had to react promptly and suspended three policemen, appealed
to students to be patient, as say ‘every student is our family’, as the focus
on campaigning now gets shifted, with Opposition taking it up forcefully. This
despite the fact that protests in UP are far less vociferous than in Bihar,
where empty coaches of a stationary train in Gaya were torched, students blocked
rail traffic between Gaya-Jehanabad, among other form of protests in Patna, Sasaram
and Bhagalpur. But it isn’t going to the polls. Yogi and team may be wary of
the protest turning into a students’movement with focus on youth joblessness,
for so far his concentration has been to pursue the Hindutava agenda. The
Railways forming a committee and giving its recommendations by March 4 doesn’t
give much hope either as student unions see it as a conspiracy to postpone the
issue till the elections in the State. How the Opposition cashes on, is worth a
watch.
* * * *` * * *
Jharkhand’s World
Record!
Jharkhand hasn’t done
its homework right. It has the “world record of longest continuous closure of
primary schools.” Economist Jean Dreze, wrote to Chief Minister Hemant Soren on
Thursday last warning of the “catastrophic state of elementary education” in
the State. The worst aspect of the crisis, he said “is not economic or even the
health crisis, it’s the schooling crisis.” And though the economy may pick up
and adults will return relatively soon to their normal lives, children “may pay
the price for their entire life. A small minority of privileged children are
able to continue studying online during this period, but online education
doesn’t work for poor kids, most have been virtually abandoned by the schooling
system for two years.” In age group of 8-12 years the 2011 census was 90%-odd
and by 2020 most kids that age must have been literate. But a survey today of
kids among poor Adivasi/Dalit families reveals “a majority have lost the
ability to read a simple sentence.” When schools reopen, many will recover their ability to read and write,
but “many will not — they will become de facto drop-outs.” Thus, he suggested:
plan for a “massive literacy” campaign for primary school children in next two
years, ‘to ensure no child in Jharkhand is deprived of a chance to learn to
read and write.’ Plus have adequate provision in the forthcoming Budget. Will
Soren heed for Jharkhand’s children? ---INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
New Delhi
28 January 2022
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