4/2016

Demonetisation – The Jury is Still Out

et me begin by wishing you a Healthy and Productive New Year. L How 2017 will evolve is anybody’s guess, so everyone needs all the luck. The year 2016 was quite turbulent to say the least, both within our country and outside. Many tectonic changes happened, which will have a huge impact on the future. UK voted to leave the European Union, while the US unexpectedly elected Donald Trump as its new President. Trump has no political experience and did not cover himself with glory during the campaigning. Even today, both the issues continue to be debated heatedly. Both happenings were manifestations of public sentiments of anti-elitism; anti- establishment and anti-globalisation. At home, the government demonetised bulk of our currency – M500 and M1000 notes – overnight in a secret move. Surprisingly, the common person welcomed the move as s/he felt that it is the rich who are being rightly hauled up. They did not mind standing in queues, again and again, to draw their own money. There were few immediate downsides of decreasing consumption and bad impact on the poor, farmers, daily wagers and so on. The government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) handled it badly. Nearly 90 notices were issued in 50 days and we were unable to replace the currency in the right speed or quantity. The problem continues today. The idea of curbing corruption is impossible where it has never been treated as an undesirable attribute of people in our age-old culture of dasturi and bakshish. However, the silver lining was that the digital payment space got a big boost. Efforts are on to make our markets cashlite. Our bigger problem is its payment infrastructure and culture, which will take time to settle. My own experience with a Paytm transaction of M380 to buy a packet of tea was quite shocking. I got two SMSes, one indicating that there is an additional charge or addition of M33 to my account, nearly 8.6 percent. Later, it was reversed. But even an educated person like www.google.com me was flummoxed. Just imagine the plight of millions of our illiterate brethren. One does not know whether the tectonic move was right or wrong. It has been defined as very good by some and very bad by some. This included eminent economists like Amartya Sen and Jagdish Bhagwati. Politicians have gone hammer and tongs against and in favour, both. Clearly ideological and collateral factors have I N S I D E played a big role in all cases. But, the jury is still out in terms of its actual impact. However, the venerable institution of the RBI has taken a big hit of credibility as W Largest Presence in US it followed the government’s diktat on demonetisation blindly. It did not even do a Congress cost-benefit analysis of the move so as to take the call judiciously. The RBI and Racing to Glory Finance Ministry are currently being hauled up by the Parliament’s Public Accounts W Committee to explain. We will be wiser once this process is over by January end W Tree Saviour Youngsters or when the reports are made public, which should be very soon.

W CUTS Gets ‘Swachh Award 2016’

W ‘Life Savers’ Awarded

W Metro Updates Pradeep S Mehta, Secretary General Miscellany

Clean India Campaign technology, in deciding court cases. He matrimonial investigations’ including For success of the Swachh Bharat added that the cyber space with its checks on lifestyle, health issues and Abhiyan (Clean India Campaign), social media was a “space for drug addiction of their clients’ would- awareness among public has to be discourse” but “too many people” were be bride or groom. created, so that it becomes a Jan Andolan “jostling for control of speech”. Prerak Paliwal, who runs a - (public protest), Union Urban (IE, 19.11.16) based investigation agency, said that Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu clients hand said. Excesssive Whatsapp-ing Threats over the task of Doctors are seeing increasing verifying the number of threats due to excessive background of Whatspping. These days, young people their potential are excessively addicted to social media spouse to him. platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp. “Most They are constantly using smart arranged marriages are through phones and tablets for texting, which matrimonial websites or through any has led to an increase over the past family member. This increases the risk Stressing on adopting a three- few years in the number of people of cheating”, he added. (ToI, 24.10.16) pronged approach to maintain complaining of aches and pains in their cleanliness in the country, he said, “First fingers, thumbs and hands. Pirated Books Like Medals awareness should be created among Those who indulge in long duration Celebrated author Paulo Coelho, a masses, basic amenities, and toilets in texting on social media and gaming on known advocate of pirated books, feels public places should be provided. Then smartphones can suffer from wrist and piracy is like a medal to any writer emphasis should be laid on imposing finger joint pain and sometimes whose biggest reward is being read. fines on those violating the rules”. crippling arthritis of fingers. The Brazilian author of bestselling novels Naidu also said the government (DNA, 14.10.16) like The Alchemist, Eleven Minutes, would showcase short films on Swachh Adultery, Like the Flowing River etc. Bharat in cinema theatres for more Racing to Glory said that some call this ‘piracy’. awareness and making India cleaner by They spent most of their lives in He also posted a picture of boy 2019. (HT, 10.10.16) relative obscurity. Now, at the far end selling books on a road along with of their journey, they have covered his tweet. Piracy is a huge problem Largest Presence in US Congress faced by India’s publishing industry. Indian Americans have the largest “Piracy is widespread, with virtually ever presence in the US Congress every street in the country home to presently and the community has got stalls selling pirated texts”, Coelho its first Senator in Kamala Harris, who added. (BL, 08.11.16) won from California (US). While the Democratic Party faced crushing defeat Living beyond 125 Years at the hands of Republican insurgent Humans are unlikely to live longer Donald Trump for Presidency, Indian than 125 years old and even advances American leaders in the party have in medical sciences will not break made a mark in recent elections. themselves in sporting glory. Fauja through the barrier, a huge study has Besides Senator-elect Harris, Ami Singh and Mann Kaur – both concluded. Since the 19th century Bera, the lone member of the outgoing centenarian runners – hold the world average life expectancy has risen almost House has won his California seat record in their respective events. continuously, with a baby born today narrowly. However Raja Krishnamurthi Fauja Singh holds the world record expected to live until 81, compared to from Chicago, Pramila Jayapal from for the fastest marathon by a just 50 years in 1900. Washington and Ro Khanna from centenarian and even at 105, he runs California will be fresh Indian Americans 5 miles daily. While 100-year-old Mann faces in the US legislature. (TH, 10.11.16) Kaur from Chandigarh, Punjab recently hit the headlines by becoming the Low Tolerance Threshold world’s fastest centenarian at the India has “lost the right to humour, American Masters Games in Vancouver, the right to parody” due to “low British Columbia. (HT, 09.10.16) threshold” of tolerance of speech, Delhi High Court Justice S Muralidhar said. Enjoying Booming Trade The march of improvement in He stated that it is time to push for a As more and more people flock to longevity led many scientists, such as higher threshold for what is hate speech. city’s private detective agencies to dig Harvard’s Prof David Sinclair, to The judge also discussed the out details about their prospective speculate that there is no upper limit complications caused due to increasing spouses, the agencies are making big on how long humans can live for. use of internet-based communications bucks by offering range of ‘pre- (HT, 09.10.16)

2 Miscellany

Observing ‘Plastic Hartal’ Dispose of Your ‘Stash’ Giving the word hartal (protest) a As India scrambled to figure out positive twist, the district administration what to do with M500 and M1,000 of north Indian town Kanpur and the currency notes after the Indian Panchayat (village council) called for a government announced that these bank plastic hartal on December 08, 2016. notes would be withdrawn from The day will mark the district-level circulation starting November 08, 2016 inauguration of the Haritha Keralam midnight, marketers fell over themselves mission. to announce offers, so that consumers lives. HeyHI has so far covered over The hartal is a continuation of the could quickly dispose of their ‘stash’. 2,800 trees and removed nearly 100 kg campaign against plastic carry bags. The “Our stores are open till midnight of nails. (HT, 24.12.16) drive to collect cleaned plastic carry today for shopping”, messaged Indian bags and other plastic waste from leading super market, ‘Big Bazaar’ after Resetting Ageing Clock households has been underway since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s At the Salk Institute in La Jolla, December 01, 2016. Under the initiative, announcement. “Could not withdraw California (US), scientists are trying to plastic waste from households is cash earlier? Walk into any ‘Dunkin get biological time to run backward. In brought to collection points in schools Donuts’, get 25 percent off on payment the first attempt to reverse ageing by to be sent for recycling. (TH, 04.12.16) through credit/debit cards”, messaged reprogramming the genome, mice the doughnut brand. (BS, 16.11.16) organs have been rejuvenated and ‘Post Truth’ Word of the Year has lengthened their life spans by With political upheavals like the Pigmentation due to Social Structure 30 percent. election of Donald Trump to the US What causes your skin colour to The technique, which requires Presidency and Brexit, Oxford be darker or lighter? Scientists say that genetic engineering, cannot be applied Dictionaries has declared ‘post truth’ this is in one’s genes and have directly to people, but the achievement to be its international word of the year established a genetic link to the skin points towards the possibility of citing a 2,000 percent spike in its usage. colour. rejuvenating human tissues by other The word is an adjective, defined in means. “If this remarkable finding holds the dictionary as “relating to or up it will be quite important in the denoting circumstances in which history of ageing research”, said objective facts are less influential in Leonard Guarente of Massachusetts shaping public opinion than appeals to Institute of Technology. (HT, 17.12.16) emotion and personal belief”. The usage of the word has increased by around Flip-flop Gandhi 2,000 percent since 2015, according A handful of lucky ones received to the dictionary’s research. Kumarasamy Thangaraj at the CSIR- spanking new M2,000 notes as the rest (Mint, 17.11.16) Centre for Cellular and Molecular of India continued to queue up in front Biology, Hyderabad (Telangana) in of banks and ATMs to exchange their Wearable Device to Predict Stroke collaboration with Estonian Biocentre old M500 and M1,000 currency notes A wearable device that can predict published some insights into this that became illegal tender since a patient getting an episode of heart phenomenon ‘The Journal of failure or brain stroke is on the anvil. Investigative Dermatology’. The authors The device, developed by UK-based found that social structure defined by company Cambridge Heartware, gives the caste system has a “profound real time influence on skin pigmentation”. diagnosis of (BL, 21.10.16) abnormal heart rhythms that Tree Saviour Youngsters may cause a Around 10pm almost every heart problem alternate day, Ahmedabad’s west zone and lead to a becomes abuzz with unique activity. A paralytic stroke. group of tree-lover youngsters armed Developed with hammers, ladders and pluckers – November 09, 2016. Naturally, the new by Indian origin researcher Rameen move from tree to tree in a particular magenta notes, printed in Mysuru, Shakur and team from the University area zeroed for that night pulling out sparked curiosity among people. of Cambridge (UK) have claimed that advertisement boards and banners The new notes also had the image the high-tech and cost-effective device nailed to the trunks and branches. of Mahatma Gandhi. It was found that is suitable for Asian countries. The device Ritesh Sharma, a founding-member the image of Gandhi on the new series monitors and gives out parameters of Highly Energised Youth for Helping note was a mirror image of the previous that are key contributors to an Indians (HeyHI) said that by removing series. Did someone out there simply impending heart episode. (BL, 03.11.16) the nails, they add years to the trees’ flip the image? (BS, 15.11.16)

3 Briefs

people to not take certain routes to CUTS Gets ‘Swachh Rajasthan Award 2016’ avoid getting stuck in traffic”, said UTS International received the ‘Swachh Rajasthan Award 2016’ from Jaipur Police Commissioner Sanjay Cthe Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje for its contribution Agarwal. (ToI, 22.11.16) to improve the quality of urban service delivery through civic engagement and to make Rajasthan ‘Clean and Smart’. Alarming Pollution George Cheriyan, Director and Amar Deep Singh, Project Coordinator Pollution levels in Jaipur continue of CUTS received the award from the Chief Minister in the ‘Clean and to be ‘alarming’. Recently, air Smart Rajasthan’ pollution measured four times higher conference organised than desired levels, according by Department of Local to ‘RajVayu’ mobile application. Self Government, The move came after pollution Government of level in National Capital Region Rajasthan on (NCR) was measured several times December 22, 2016 at above the permissible levels. Air Udaipur. Quality Index (AQI) measured in CUTS has Jaipur was at 383 (very poor), a implemented a project notch below the highest category of named ‘MyCity’ in ‘severe’. As per health advisory, Jaipur to enhance quality of urban services delivery through enhanced people with heart or lung diseases, civic engagement, which resulted in successful community participation in older adults and children should urban services. reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor work. (ToI, 09.11.16) Cabinet to Go Digital with the title ‘Life Savers’ by In yet another move towards conducting mock drill of ambulance, Check on High-rise Buildings digital future, the Rajasthan who immediately moved their The Minister of State for Civil Government has decided to make vehicles aside to give way to Aviation Jayant Sinha has promised cabinet meetings a paperless affair. ambulance first. (ToI, 25.12.16) that the government would not As part of the integrated Raj e-office approve high-rise buildings near application, an application ‘e-Cabinet’ Notice for Licence Renewal airports in Rajasthan after meeting has been developed by the IT Starting from the year 2017, the with the Chief Minister. department. This would enable Jaipur Police will be sending out The No Objection Certificate uploading of memos by departments notifications for renewal of all types (NoC) to construct buildings near and release final cabinet orders. of licences through bulk messaging Jodhpur, Jaipur and Udaipur Besides helping the government services. This is to ease out the (Rajasthan) airports will be issued shift to e-Cabinet meetings, the complexities and reduce substantial only in special cases after consulting application will do away with huge time to renew licences. the security aspect with the district files, cut down time and remove “We have decided to send bulk administration. ambiguity in government decisions. messages to all licence holders three Discussions were also made to The submission of documents and months before the renewal date. That construct a VIP terminal near the cabinet memos by each department we can get rid of the current system State hangar in Jaipur. (ToI, 28.10.16) to the cabinet secretariat will be of manually sending letters to each done online. (ToI, 22.12.16) person, a cumbersome task to say Solace in Police App the least”, said Deputy Commissioner From a new milkman roaming in Life Savers’ Awarded of Police (Headquarters), Gaurav their locality to neighbours, elderly At a time when numbers of Shrivastav. (ToI, 07.12.16) citizens who are living alone in the vehicles are continuously increasing city find almost everyone a threat, in the capital city of Rajasthan, Updates on Traffic and the Jaipur city police’s new ambulances transporting patients are Taking a leaf out of their mobile App is working overtime to facing a difficult task to reach counterparts in Mumbai and lend a helping hand to these hospitals. But, those aware that giving , the Jaipur police are all residents. way to ambulance could save life of ready to initiate on social media for “The idea behind launching a a patient, they promptly move their real-time updates on traffic. As part of dedicated mobile App for citizens was vehicles aside to allow ambulance the community outreach programme, to create confidence building measures pass through the road immediately. the traffic police will have their Twitter among scores of elderly people living Times of India newspaper in handle and a dedicated Facebook alone. Vikas Pathak, Deputy partnership with CK Birla Hospitals – page operational round the clock, Commissioner of Police (DCP) stated Rukmani Birla Hospital (RBH), which will be closely analysed. that over 60 elderly people registered identified more than 35 such persons “Suppose there is a rally being themselves on the recently launched on city roads and awarded them taken out in the city, we can ask application. (ToI, 06.10.16)

4 Briefs

Metro Updates

‘Walled City’ Basement Parking The Rail Corporation (JRMC) has proposed to develop first underground parking in the Walled City under the Metro Phase I (B) project. The JMRC has also proposed to develop a mini- market area for retail shops above the parking area. This will be constructed in the 300 m area near Ramganj over the reversal line (Metro) Badi Chaupar and Mansarovar. JMRC Project Director Ashwani Saxena said, “The State Government has given in principal for Dhruv Mukhi Hanuman, Amneshwar Mahadev, Ganesh construction of market and retail shops”. (ToI, 26.12.16) temple, Hanuman temple and Jambheshwar Mahadev temple becoming a hindrance in constructing the Metro LEDs in Place of Sodium Lights corridor, JMRC administration is planning to relocate Continuing its efforts to save electricity, the JMRC these temples before December 15, 2016. has decided to replace all sodium lights at Vivek Vihar (ToI, 14.11.16) Metro station with light-emitting diode (LED) lights. This would save JMRC’s M8 lakh per month. Currently, 2018 Deadline Missed 56 kWh is consumed at this Metro station and after The Jaipur Metro phase 1(B) is all set to miss its installing LED lights, the consumption will be 26 kWh. March 2018 deadline. Work on 2.349 km project in The estimate cost to install these lights will be Walled City has been delayed due to various reasons. M14 lakh. The JMRC is setting an example for other However, the prime cause of delay is due to design government departments to save energy”. (ToI, 12.12.16) change of two underground stations. Therefore, the project is expected to be completed Rooftop Solar Panels by June 2018. Announcement of revised deadline was Going green in its second year of operations, Jaipur made by Urban Development and Housing (UDH) Metro has decided to set up rooftop solar panels at Minsiter Rajpal Singh Shekhawat after he inspected eight elevated stations on its 9.25-km-long corridor the project for the first time along with Principal between Mansarovar and Chandpole. Secretary of UDH, Mukesh Sharma and Ashwani The power generated by 2,500-kwp ‘Rooftop Saxena of JMRC . (ToI, 09.11.16) Power Plant’ will be used to meet all the requirements at the stations in day time and would reduce its Parking App at Metro Station dependence on non-renewable sources. This will be Soon, one can book a parking slot in the biggest solar plant, and will produce 2.5 lakh Mansarovar Metro station even before reaching there. units meeting the requirement of the stations in day Driving around in search of an empty spot to park a time. (ToI, 03.12.16) four-wheeler or two-wheeler at this Metro station could soon be thing of the past as JMRC is planning to start 4G Net Facilities Soon a service through which motorists and drivers will be The commuters at Jaipur Metro will get access to able to identity vacant spots on their mobile. seamless 4G internet connection by year end. By For the first time in Jaipur, a mobile application will enhancing the internet speed, JMRC will become the guide drivers at Mansarovar Metro station where to first Metro in the country to provide the facility. park and allow them to pay on phone for the parking”. JMRC Director (Operations), C S Jeengar said, “The (ToI, 29.10.16) mobile in-built solution device will be installed by the end of this year”. The high internet speed will be Firm to Review Metro-II DPR provided at all the nine Metro stations. Currently, the The JMRC is planning to appoint an international passengers can use this facility only after getting firm to review the detailed project report (DPR) of themselves registered. (ToI, 18.11.16) Jaipur Metro phase-II proposed between Ambabari and Sitapura. For the 24-km-long corridor, six firms were Protest against Heritage short-listed, which will submit the technical and financial The underground Jaipur Metro corridor Phase I bids by October 20, 2016. (B), which has already been delayed by three months Ashwani Saxena said, “Out of 22 companies, we is expected to be delayed further as Walled City have short-listed six international firms, which will residents and Dharhohar Bacahao Samiti (Heritage submit request for proposal (RFP). The companies Protecting Committee) announced Jaipur Bandh on participated are from Korea, US, Spain and Japan”. November 15, 2016. (ToI, 14.11.16)

5 Opinion Government’s Massive Move for Water Conservation Campaign Mukhya Mantri Jal Swawlamban Abhiyan

Mukhya Mantri Jal Swawlamban Abhiyan – State’s vision to ensure effective implementation of water harvesting and water conservation

ajasthan is the largest State of the country with an area Projects in cities with population of more than 1 lakh Rof 343 lakh hectare. Out of this, only 168 lakh hectare will be taken up in phased manner year-wise up to June is arable land. The State has 101 lakh hectare of land under 2019, for other cities, all project/works will be completed wasteland. Moreover, 75 percent of its rural population before June 30, 2017. Requiring a budget of M3,600 crore depends on agriculture and livestock for their livelihood, for the first phase of the campaign, ending June 30, 2016, hence in light of these conditions – there is need of Mukhya the programme has been estimated to be falling short by Mantri Jal Swawlamban Abhiyan (MJSA) to utilise the Four M1,200 crore. Waters – Rainfall, Runoff, Ground Water and In-situ Soil Work of Roof Top Water Harvesting in all government Moisture keeping Watershed or Cluster/Index Catchment buildings/departments having roof top area 300 sq. m or as a unit for western Rajasthan where there is scanty rainfall more shall be done by concerned department at their own and no defined drainage lines. expenses. The statutory requirement of making water MJSA has been launched in Rajasthan with the vision to harvesting structure, compulsory in the buildings with built ensure effective implementation of water harvesting and up area of 300 sq. m or more in urban areas may be strictly water conservation related activities in the rural areas using enforced by Urban Local Bodies/Development Authorities/ a holistic approach, informed by the values of leadership, Urban Improvement Trusts. moral responsibility, excellence, innovation, partnership and To start with, all government buildings (official, institutional purity. and residential) may be equipped with Roof Top Rain Water The ‘crowdsourcing’ campaign aims to enable over 21,000 Harvesting Structures (RTRWHS) converting these buildings villages in arid Rajasthan to become self-reliant for their in to green buildings. The Water Harvesting structure should water needs by 2020. The flagship programme has been also include a Jal Mandir with drinking water vending for promoted by the Chief Minister personally, with sustained visitors, which would have utility value as well as educative appeals to various sections of the society, including citizens, content. Non-government Organisations (NGOs), corporate, caste Meanwhile, Rajasthan has become the third Indian State and religious leaders and the media, to contribute to it. after Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to formally join Centre’s MJSA is being extended in urban areas of the State Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme meant for with the vision to ensure effective implementation of water revival of distribution companies (Discoms) and it will help harvesting and water conservation related activities in the the State “save M21,000 crore in the following three years”. urban areas. The programme is being designed in such a UDAY will help Rajasthan save M21,000 crore over the way that everything from planning to execution shall be following three years. The savings well ultimately help power followed in a participatory approach down to the city consumers through lower tariffs”, Power Minister Piyush community level. Chief Minister had directed Chairperson, Goyal stated after Rajasthan and its Discoms inked Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and Water Resource Planning Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Authority (WRPA) to start the MJSA in urban areas also Government to join the scheme. with MJSA phase-II i.e. from November 16, 2016. About 66 Raje hopes this will be met using crowdsourcing resources, cities will be taken in phase-I for MJSA (urban) subject to with participation from citizens and other concerned maximum of two cities from one district. organisations.

(This has been adapted from http://mjsa.water.rajasthan.gov.in/#)

Sources: BS: Business Standard; BL:The Hindu Business Line; DNA: The Daily News & Analysis; HT: The Hindustan Times; IE: The Indian Express; TH: The Hindu; ToI: Times of India

CityMatters is a quarterly newsletter published by Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS), D-217, Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302016, India, Phone: 91.141.2282821, Fax: 91.141.2282485 Email: [email protected], Web site: www.cuts-international.org, and printed by Jaipur Printers P. Ltd., Jaipur, India. CUTS offices also at Kolkata, Chittorgarh and New Delhi (India); Lusaka (Zambia); Nairobi (Kenya); Accra (Ghana); Hanoi (Vietnam); and Geneva (Switzerland).