Thursday, August 27, 2015

Inflated Fuel Prices in India

It is pretty shocking that we are one of the fastest growing economies in the world, yet we do not have the required transparency in the system. There are way too many grey areas in the way our government functions and the way various price indices are set.  One such case is of the Fuel prices in India.  When we actually look back at the Fuel Prices in India v/s the Global Fuel Prices, we find a lot of discrepancy in the way the Fuel prices are set in India.

I was shocked quite a bit when I revisited the trend of Fuel prices in India for past 10 years.  Let me depict my findings figuratively - 


Year Crude Brent $/Barrel Rs/$ Rs/Barrel Barrel to Litre Rs / Litre Crude Petrol price in India Rs./ltr
Aug-04 44.9 44 1975.6 119.24 16.57 36.81
Aug-05 65 46.11 2997.15 119.24 25.14 43.49
Aug-06 73.1 44.49 3252.219 119.24 27.27 43.51
Aug-07 72.4 39.33 2847.492 119.24 23.88 43.52
Aug-08 116.6 49.82 5809.012 119.24 48.72 50.62
Aug-09 71 46.29 3286.59 119.24 27.56 44.63
Aug-10 76.8 45.09 3462.912 119.24 29.04 51.45
Aug-11 86.3 51.1 4409.93 119.24 36.98 63.7
Aug-12 94.2 55.45 5223.39 119.24 43.81 68.46
Aug-13 106.2 58.39 6201.018 119.24 52.00 71.28
Aug-14 98.15 60.56 5943.964 119.24 49.85 70.33
Aug-15 43.37 66.02 2863.2874 119.24 24.01 63.2

Table:1 Brent Oil and Petrol Prices Variation over 11 years

So, Now looking at the trend, the petrol prices in India should actually be in the range of Rs 43/ltr or Rs. 44/ltr.  But we are actually paying anything between Rs. 63/ltr to Rs. 73/ltr which is way above the mean price from the trend above.

What is the logic of this 50% price difference for Petrol from the 2004 to what they are today, when the Crude Oil is at the similar level as in 2004 with the cost of per ltr of crude oil being same as what it was back in 2005, 2006 or 2007.  Why are we paying a a higher rate?  Are we paying for someone else getting the subsidy?

Don't we think that if the prices actually get adjusted to the Actual Market levels, we would see lower cost of supply an logistics and thus lower rates of various consumables? I would love to see a logic and Facts and figures to beat the table depicted above else, we should actually be looking at a movement to get Fuel at par with Prevailing world market.
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Data Source - 
1. http://ycharts.com/indicators/indian_rupee_exchange_rate
2. http://www.macrotrends.net/1369/crude-oil-price-history-chart
3. http://www.mypetrolprice.com/2/Petrol-price-in-Delhi
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Note - In case you would be interested in reproducing the data depicted in this article, please contact Mayank by clicking here

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

आरक्षण - अवसरवादी राजनीति

सन १९४७ में भारत स्वतंत्र तो हुआ, किन्तु साथ ही शुरू हुई एक अलग ही अधीनता। यह अधीनता थी राजनितिक अधीनता जिसका शुभारम्भ तत्कालीन प्रधानमंत्री जवाहरलाल नेहरू के कार्यकाल में हुआ था। जवाहरलाल नेहरू के अनुसार पिछड़े वर्ग, अनुशुचित जाती एवं अबुसूचित जनजाति को विद्यालयों में तथा सरकारी नौकरी में कुछ प्रतिशत आरक्षण का प्रयोजन किया गया। तत्समयानुसार इस आरक्षण का प्रावधान केवल प्रथम २०  वर्षों के लिए किया गया था। परन्तु,  समय के साथ राष्ट्र ने जो राजनितिक पतन देखा उसके चलते मत (वोट) की राजनीती के लिए इंदिरा गांधी ने इस प्रावधान को कानून बना दिया। उसके बाद राजीव  के प्रशाशन काल में जो आरक्षण के पक्ष और विपक्ष में आंदोलन हुए वे अपने आप में एक गाथा हैं। उसके बाद भी हमने आरक्षण के जो प्रावधान देखें हैं उनके अनुसार आज के समय में ४९% के आसपास आरक्षण का प्रावधान है। 

यदि हम आज के समय में आरक्षण का आकलन करें तो पाएंगे की ४९% आरक्षण के बाद भी पिछड़ा वर्ग, अनुसूचित जाती, अनुशुचित जनजाति एवं अन्य पिछड़े वर्ग सामान्य श्रेणी के ५१% में भी अपना हक़ जताते हैं। 
 क्या यह अपने आप में एक लज्जाजनक बात नहीं है?  अपने राजनीतिक लाभ के लिए कुछ राजनेताओं ने आरक्षण के प्रावधानों का जो दुरुपयोग किया है, उसका दुष्परिणाम आज हमारे सामने है। पहले हरियाणा में जाट आंदोलन, उसके पश्चात गुज्जर आंदोलन, और अब गुजरात में पटेल आंदोलन, ये सभी एक तरह से राजनितिक अवसरवादिता की अधीनता के ही परिणाम हैं। 

आज हर दूसरा वर्ग पिछड़े वर्ग अथवा अन्य पिछड़े वर्ग में अपना नाम सम्मिलित करवाना चाहता है, क्यों? क्योंकि उन्हें पता है कि भारत की अवसरवादी राजनीति के अधीन यही उचित है। यदि आरक्षण का प्रावधान इसी प्रकार अजगर की तरह अपना मुंह फाड़ता रहा, तो वह समय दूर नहीं जब सामान्य वर्ग अपने लिए आरक्षण की मांग करेगा और उसमें केवल सामान्य वर्ग को ही योग्यता अनुरूप जगह मिलेगी। 

स्वतंत्रता के इतने वर्षों बाद भी किसी भी राजनितिक दल ने अथवा तथाकथित बुद्धिजीवी ने यह मांग नहीं उठाई कि वर्गानुसार आरक्षण की जगह आर्थिक स्तर पर आरक्षण का प्रावधान किया जाए। किसी भी प्रधानमंत्री, गृह  मंत्री अथवा किसी भी अन्य मंत्री ने क्या इस प्रावधान में परिवर्तन के बारे में कोई पहल की?? नहीं, क्योंकि उसका कोई राजनितिक औचित्य नहीं होगा। 

किन्तु, आज के समय वर्ग के अनुसार आरक्षण प्रावधान की जगह आर्थिक स्तर पर आरक्षण का प्रावधान ज्यादा मायने रखता है। देश के सर्वोच्च प्रशाशनिक कार्यालय के करता धर्ता होते हुए, भारत के प्रधानमंत्री को वर्ग अनुसार आरक्षण पद्धति को तत्काल प्रभाव से निष्क्रिय घोषित कर नए आरक्षण प्रावधानों के  गठन के लिए उच्चस्तरीय दल  का गठन करना चाहिये। यदि आज राष्ट्र ने इन आंदोलनों से सीख नहीं ली तो यह तो तय है की आने वाले कुछ वर्षों में एक और महाभारत एवं एक और चक्रव्यूह की रचना होगी और इसके लिए केवल और केवल हमारे राष्ट्र की राजनितिक अवसरवादिता और राजनितिक अधीनता ही जिम्मेवार होगी । 

Friday, August 7, 2015

Cooking Gas Subsidy

Just in very recent times there has been a lot flutter in the Indian Political circles as well as the normal human being's life in India. This flutter has been due to the "Subsidy" involved in the overall scheme of Cooking Gas supply.  I saw the advertisements as well as the message from the Prime Minister of India issued to the Residents / Citizens of India to give up the subsidy to help ensure that those households that still use the Cooking oil or wood or charcoal get benefited with the supply of Subsidized Cooking Gas.

Now, here the Prime Minister, his advisers and the entire team working on this campaign has failed miserably to do their research first and then start this campaign.  If they ever wanted this to be a 100% success, they should have started from taking the measure from their level.  The step 1 must have been taken at the canteens in the Parliament and the Ministerial offices. When you expect the masses to join the campaign to make it a success, the representatives of the masses need to act first.

The MPs, the MLAs, the Ministers and the Senior Government Officials should be the first one to give up the subsidy.  They are supposed to be the Super influential cadre who certainly do not need the subsidy whether at work or at home.

The big question that certainly is making round in the social media is - Why should I give up subsidy when the Super Influential Cadre doesn't do that? and certainly that is a question that must be answered by the Campaign planners.

If our "Leaders" do not want to lead an effort by expect us to still fall in line, then I am certainly NOT with them to this effect and I would certainly not support the agenda or the campaign.

Dear Prime Minister, if you want us to walk the path you show us, then ensure that the Law makers of the country are marching ahead of us.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Mysterious Death of Indian Nuclear Scientists

Starting from 1966 to date, several Indian Nuclear scientists have been reported to be dead under mysterious circumstances.  This includes the father of Indian Nuclear Program Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha.  Dr. Bhabha is said to have died in an air crash near Mt Blanc in Swiss Alps, but incidentally no debris of it were ever found in last almost 50 years. Incidentally, he died just after declaring publicly that India could produce a nuclear device in a short span of time. Some conspiracy theories point towards CIA sabotage. Truth is at large in this case.

The case got more attention off recently with more mysterious deaths between 2009 and 2013 not reported by the mainstream media in India.  the list goes like - 

  • June 15, 2009 - Lokanathan Mahalingam from Kaiga Atomic Power Station
  • December 30, 2009 - Umang Singh and partha Pratim Bag - Bhabha Atomic Research Center 
  • February 23, 2010 - M Iyer - Bhabha Atomic Research Center
  • April 2011 - Uma Rao - Associated with Bhabha Atomic Research Center
  • 2012 - Mohammad Mustafa - Indiara Gandhi Center of Atomic Research
  • October 2013 - KK Joshi and Abhish Shivam - Engineers on indigenious nuclear poered submarine - INS Arihant
  • Undated - Ravi Mule - Nuclear Power Corporation India Ltd.
  • March 3, (year unknown) - Titus Pal - Bhabha Atomic Research Center
  • Undated - Dalia Nayek - Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics
There were another cases of reported suicides including 5 from Bhabha Atomic Research Center - Avdesh Chandra (2000), Ashutosh Sharma and Soumik Chowdhary (2010), Akshay P Chavan (2010) and Subhash Sonawane (2010) - All mysterious cases of suicide or as reported suicide..

When I started reviewing each case individually, what came to my attention is the lethargic investigation by the cops and the luke-worm or no coverage by the prestitude media on these cases.  Certainly these cases of mysterious deaths and suicides should be followed up by a rigorous investigation by the cops and should ring an alarming bell for the government.  If we would keep losing our scientists at such rate, we may end up losing the race without knowing the real cause of their deaths.  It may even push other scientists to move away from countries prestigious and self sustained Nuclear Science program creating a dearth of skills in that arena.

Though I expect very less from the Prestitude Media of India as they wouldn't find this as a selling news and they would prefer to not cover this as a front-line news.  They would prefer to be engaged in Yellow Journalism highlighting the State Convicts as the Wronged hero and giving cover to their story as it sells!!!!

But the readers of this blog and others from where this is sourced need to be more active through Social Media and press for thorough investigation in each such death!!!


Sources: