Warrier's blog

RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at 6.75% - Moneylife

Kamadenu: Let the music flow. #krishnafortoday  : Let the music flow. #krishnafortoday

Dr Rajan's dilemma | Business Standard Editorials My VIEW: RBI's monetary policy statement at the beginning of the year and the bi-monthly reviews go much beyond 'base rate management'. Still, an impression is being created that RBI is eternally under pressure to cut rates and as if the cut or increase in rates can happen only on the day of the review, which is not the cse. Stakeholders should learn to give inputs to policy makers which will help in policy formulation. M G Warrier

RBI's 5th monetary policy review of fiscal on Tuesday - Moneylife RBI's monetary policy statement at the beginning of the year and the bi-monthly reviews go much beyond 'base rate management'. Still, an impression is being created that RBI is eternally under pressure to cut rates and as if the cut or increase in rates can happen only on the day of the review, which is not the cse. Stakeholders should learn to give inputs to policy makers which will help in policy formulation. M G Warrier

Idea of Bombay, making of Mumbai - The Hindu My VIEW: Nice article. The Hindu allows such luxuries, I mean of telling stories in some detail. Other newspapers can't afford to allocate space for such cool talk. There, the editors have their 'owners' watching! M G Warrier

The whispering forest | Business Line

Climate change and the rise of hunger | Business Line My VIEW: Excerpts from the article: " Within reach Once only a dream, a world free of hunger is now within our reach. We produce enough food, we possess the technology, and we know what policies and actions work best. Yet climate change, including more frequent extreme weather events, represents a barrier. Global warming affects food production — staple crop yields are decreasing, and by 2050, drops of 10-25 per cent and above are likely to be widespread. Meanwhile, droughts, floods, sea level-rise and hurricanes increasingly threaten the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable. At the same time, the world population continues to grow. And it is growing fastest in those countries most vulnerable to climate change. We need a global framework to support development and growth while conserving our planet’s natural resources, particularly in rural areas. The Sustainable Development Goals are a central part of this framew...

Jayanta Roy: A circle of professionals | Business Standard Column My VIEW: Gives insight into the thought processes of those work abroad and those come back and try to resettle in India. The 'remuneration' issue raised by the writer is still a disincentive for talent inflow. Not only that, GOI or India's central bank cannot offer a remuneration package that will be acceptable at an IIM or IIT campus recruitment. Some solutions will have to be found, if we are keen on having talented individuals for public jobs. M G Warrier, Mumbai

Singapore as India’s financial hub? | Business Line Excerpts: " The city-state could play a key role should India decide to internationalize its currency. Allowing companies to sell offshore rupee debt can be seen as a first small step toward convertibility. A well-established international currency market, Singapore’s experience as a key offshore yuan market will be valuable in replicating the success for greater offshore use of rupee. As of June 2015, Singapore’s accumulation of 322 billion yuan deposits made it one of the three biggest yuan offshore centres. It is also among the top three cross-border yuan settlement hubs." Please read full article... M G Warrier

The girl with no name | Business Line The article by K R Meera opens with this quote: “One nightfall a man travelling on horseback towards the sea reached an inn by the roadside. He dismounted and, confident in man and night like all riders towards the sea, he tied his horse to a tree beside the door and entered into the inn. At midnight, when all were asleep, a thief came and stole the traveller’s horse. In the morning the man awoke, and discovered that his horse was stolen. And he grieved for his horse, and that a man had found it in his heart to steal. Then his fellow lodgers came and stood around him and began to talk. And the first man said, “How foolish of you to tie your horse outside the stable.” And the second said, “Still more foolish, without even hobbling the horse!” And the third man said, “It is stupid at best to travel to the sea on horseback.” And the fourth said, “Only the indolent and the slow of foot own horses.” The traveller was much astonished. At l...

Our aim is clear: reform to transform | Business Standard Column My VIEW: November 29, 2015 Transforming India This refers to the excerpts from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at Asean Business and Investment Summit, Malaysia (Sunday Business Standard, Opinion, November 29). I am not sure, how many of us back home in India listen and analyse the impressive speeches that the PM has been making to millions of audience abroad. His claim that world’s outlook on India’s strength to perform and reform at this stage of development has not been refuted even by his worst enemies. Media and opposition quarrel only on select issues where there is no headway. Because of the competition among TV channels for improving TRP by sensationalising ‘current’ controversies and the allegiance to revenue sources on the part of print media, development initiatives and efforts by leadership to create awareness about the legislative and measures to catalyse economic development do not get ...

Kamadenu: Experiments with Krishna series. #krishnafortoday ... : Experiments with Krishna series. #krishnafortoday

Editor's note on launch of The Hindu's Mumbai edition - The Hindu My VIEW: Great. We were waiting for 2 to 3 days to get the print edition in Bhandup, Mumbai. Itwaspleasant surprise-of course, i had seen the ads- to see The Hindu on the news stand @6 a m. Many thanks to The Hindu. We are aware of the pains Team Hindu will have to endure to remain healthy  in Mumbai environment, despite all praise for Amchi Mumbai! M G Warrier

THE WEEKEND LIGHTER: ARE U A GOOD FELLOW? ARE YOU A GOOD FELLOW? The question, “Are you a good fellow?” was posed to a young man by A P J Abdul Kalam when he visited IIMA for a lecture. Srijan Pal Singh had accompanied Prof Anil Gupta to receive the former President at Ahmedbad Airport. Srijan was introduced to Kalam as a “good student and council leader”. Kalam studied Srijan’s face and asked him, “Are you a good fellow?” Srijan, then in final year PGDP at IIMA, says, he took time to phrase his answer to this simple question and the relationship the answer established resulted in his working with Kalam from 2009 to July 27, 2015, the day Kalam suffered a fatal cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture at IIM, Shillong. Srijan concludes “Gurushiksha”, his personal tribute to Dr A P J Abdul Kalam (Published in IIMA Alumnus, October 2015) with the following observations: “When I met him in Delhi in 2009, just before I began working with him he told me in a conversation, ‘...

Gold Bond scheme gets good response: Government - Moneylife My VIEW: Happy to know. This could be a trend-setter. Gold Deposit Scheme will also take off, once an awareness is created about the benefits among the prospective investors. I understand that the authorities are trying to convince Trusts and charitable organisations including places of worship holding huge quantity of gold to deposit part of it to earn income. Slowly all the three schemes will pick up and I am optimistic about GOLD playing an important role in economic growth in the near future. M G Warrier

Hidden dangers in our pursuit of growth | Business Line My VIEW: The writer concludes the article with the following observations: "In the long-term interests of the economy one hopes that the government would not make clarion calls for lower interest rates. Such calls make good copybook but damage the economy. One prays that government lets the RBI decide interest rate policy." We do not know the stance taken by policy makers, but media did not spend much time/space on RBI Annual Report 2014-15 which has raised several concerns about the Indian Economy and the approach of Centre to the central bank itself. Prayers like this from people like Tarapore get more relevance in such situations! M G Warrier, Mumbai

RBI clears way for 'vulture' funds | Business Standard News

Google, Amul pay tribute to Verghese Kurien on his 94th birthday | Business Line Excerpts: "A mul said the revolution empowered farmers, particularly women, making India the largest milk producer in the world. “Today, 150 lakh farmers across 1.6 lakh village dairy cooperative societies in India, supplying milk worth  Rs.  50,000 crore every year, join hands to thank Dr Varghese Kurien for a lifetime spent in empowering them to live happily forever.” Read full report using the link provided M G Warrier

Aamir Khan’s right to speak - The Hindu My VIEW: November 26, 2015 Promote healthy debate This refers to The Hindu editorial on the current controversy on tolerance (November 26). As a reader of The Hindu for the last 50 years or so, I find the analysis and views are in conformity with the newspaper’s tradition of  presenting a balanced view, even in worst of situations, like attack on the newspaper itself. But, let us face facts. The country's literacy level or the maturity of the leadership has not reached a level to imbibe the philosophy contained in the conclusion which I quote: "Every Indian must have the right to critique her country. When fellow-citizens receive the critique as a sign of betrayal, it is a sign of illiberalism. When those fellow-Indians happen to be connected to power, directly or politically, democracy is truly in trouble." The TRP-thirsty electronic media pick up anything that they consider, can be converted into a sensation, for a ...

Celebrating an epochal 70 - The Hindu This was published in May 2015. Posting again... The best way people of Kerala and lovers and beneficiaries of Aayurveda the world over could honour Dr P K Warrier on the occasion of his celebrating the Saptati of his stewardship of The Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal would be to listen to the concerns and wishes expressed by him on May 1, 1994 in the Preface to the English edition of Chikitsa Sangraham (Authored by Vaidyaratnam P S Varier, founder of Arya Vaidya Sala) and take forward the initiatives already taken by him to realise his vision. Excerpts: “Though preliminary steps are already on for the large scale cultivation of herbs in a scientific manner, it is high time that the Government and private agencies urgently make efforts in this direction. It is a happy augury that many new projects are being formulated by the Government for the development of Ayurveda.But it cannot be forgotten that there are many regulations that handicap the manufa...

Why we must not grudge them a pay hike - The Hindu My VIEW: A balanced, studied analysis. Excerpts: " Trends in the wage burden in the government are worth noting. Pay and allowances in the Central government have remained stable since 2010-11 at around 1.8-2.0 per cent of GDP. Thus, pay and allowances have been rising at roughly the same level as nominal GDP or 11-12 per cent. This is the increase after taking into account increments, adjustments for dearness allowance and promotions. In the private sector, such an increase would be considered laughable at all but the lowest level. Pay, allowances and pension (PAP) as a proportion of government expenditure has been declining sharply. In 1998-99, PAP was 38 per cent of revenue expenditure. The SPC estimates that this figure has fallen to 18 per cent in 2015-16. (It will go up to 22 per cent in 2017-17 consequent to the SPC award, but will decline thereafter, as pay grows at a lower rate than government expenditure). The implic...

Pension fund managers to be appointed for open-ended term | Business Standard News My VIEW: EPFO has an incremental inflow of Rs 1.2 lakh crore this year. National Pension System after more than a decade of inception has a corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore of Assets Under Management, of which over 90 per cent belong to Centre and states. There is tremendous pressure from PFRDA for concessions and subsidies from government to keep NPS attractive. The poor show of NPS outside its captive clientele speaks volumes about the mess in which it is entrenched after 11 years of its launch. If PFRDA and EPFO with similar or almost equal mandates are allowed to compete and different central ministries help out each of them, the ultimate loser will be the subscriber and the taxpayer. Taxpayer, because, the kind of funding and concessions NPS is expecting will ultimately land at the doors of the taxpayer. This being the case, why not consider merger of the two organisations and professi...

Letters: Keep tabs on net worth | Business Standard Letters

Elonian theory of happiness - The Hindu My VIEW: Nice narration. Thoughts shared by the writer here should encourage policy makers to think differently. The richer the parents, tougher is life for kids. Kids are just pen-drives for parents to stuff in information which, they think, will help in scoring higher in exams and competitions. Finally, the boy/girl qualifies to become an engineer or 'manager' and is made to do calculations which can be done by an SSC or is asked to sell things, which is done with equal 'professionalism' by school drop-outs. M G Warrier

Cooperatives should push farm credit | Business Line My VIEW: NABARD’s role This refers to the BL interview with NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand (Cooperatives should push farm credit, November 24). When National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) was formed by hiving out certain areas of responsibility till then held with RBI, the expectation was that the new apex body would oversee the functioning of cooperatives and Regional Rural Banks more efficiently. NABARD instead opted an easier route by concentrating more on activities of commercial bank branches in rural and semi-urban areas and managing Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) created by contributions from banks which lagged in priority sector lending. It is comforting to see that NITI Aayog has recognised the relevance of cooperatives in the Indian context. Once an appropriate environment is created by appropriate skill development and infusion of technology, cooperatives will be able to d...

Street Food: Why govt employees hate NPS | Business Standard News My VIEW: November 24, 2015 New (NO) Pension System This refers to N Sundaresha Subramanian’s article “Why govt employees hate the NPS” (Street Food, November 24). Thanks for revealing the shabby treatment given to NPS, since inception, including exclusion of the subject from the TORs of two successive Central Pay Commissions. Mainstream media too, both print and electronic, as they have reasons to hate ‘babus’, have been blacking out the injustice meted out to government and public sector employees who joined service from January 1, 2004. New Pension Scheme (later rechristened as National Pension System was introduced in December 2003, prospectively for central government employees (except those in defence services) joining service from January 1, 2004. For those affected, it was ‘substitution of existing defined benefit pension scheme by something very similar to contributory provident fund with no guaran...

Financial Scene: implications of yuan's rise - The Hindu

Demystify NPS | Business Line

Govt looks to curb domestic circulation of black money | Business Standard News My VIEW: November 23, 2015 Black money This refers to the report “Govt looks to curb domestic circulation of black money” (BS, November 23). The measures being taken by CBDT and other regulators will definitely reduce the temptation to evade taxes as a measure of ‘reducing expenditure’ resorted to by ‘honest’ middle-class taxpayers, and are necessary and commendable. But, they are incapable of tracking ‘black money’, which is the product of several corrupt practices. May be, for regulators, even the black money becomes white, once the tax and where applicable the penalty are paid. In India, the black money gets accumulated as immovable properties, assets in the form of precious metals and undervalued investments. As a nation, we have a soft corner for organisations engaged in social and charitable/religious work and there are vested interests which take advantage of this. Huge election expenditure...

NPS: Central govt staff may get more investment flexibility | Business Line My VIEW: Demystify NPS This refers to the report “NPS: Central govt staff may get more investment flexibility” (November 23). New Pension Scheme (later rechristened as National Pension System was introduced in December 2003, prospectively for central government employees (except those in defence services) joining service from January 1, 2004. For those affected, it was ‘substitution of existing defined benefit pension scheme by something very similar to contributory provident fund with no guaranteed return’. There is no evidence to show that the shift was after any study about the social security aspect inherent in a pension scheme. The primary ground for denial of pension benefits for ‘future’ employees was the unfunded pension liability of central government which exceeded three lakh crore of rupees in 2003. The ‘Pay As You Go’ method of meeting pension liability was being adversely commented. GO...

Only online withdrawals for NPS from April 2016: PFRDA - Moneylife My VIEW: New Pension Scheme (later rechristened as National Pension System was introduced in December 2003, prospectively for central government employees (except those in defence services) joining service from January 1, 2004. For those affected, it was ‘substitution of existing defined benefit pension scheme by something very similar to contributory provident fund with no guaranteed return’. There is no evidence to show that the shift was after any study about the social security aspect inherent in a pension scheme. The primary ground for denial of pension benefits for ‘future’ employees was the unfunded pension liability of central government which exceeded three lakh crore of rupees in 2003. The ‘Pay As You Go’ method of meeting pension liability was being adversely commented. GOI refused to look at the suggestion to start funding pension liabilities. NPS was consciously excluded from the terms of reference ...

How to withdraw money from dormant EPFO a/cs | Business Standard News

The pension gold mine | Business Standard Editorials

An expected raise - The Hindu

Most corporate tax breaks may be phased out in FY18 | Business Standard News My VIEW: November 21, 2015 Budget 2016-17 This refers to the report “Most corporate tax breaks may be phased out in FY18” (November 21). Instead of viewing the budget exercise just as another arithmetical jugglery to make both ends meet, government need to evolve a  prudent ‘Asset Liability Management’ (ALM) approach in handling government finances. The ‘Take as it comes’ approach to revenue and ‘Pay as you go’ approach to expenditure which is a legacy of the pre-independence governments need a quick re-visit. Though government finances cannot be compared to accounts of banks or companies, if the arrogance of ownership settles down in the mind as a ‘right to do anything, come what may’, we may not need an astrologer to predict doom. As history of several nations has shown, economic development alone cannot sustain long term social security for the people. Government gets an opportunity to ma...

WEEKEND LIGHTER: TAKE A BREAK Lonavala, November 17/18, 2015 Our daughter and grandson are in Hong Kong on a week’s vacation. We had not planned how to spend this week, till last Saturday. I had not visited Lonavala and my ‘awareness’ about that place was just chikis(for which the place is famous world over) and waterfalls. Not very comfortable with ‘online booking’, went and booked a two-day stay at Hotel Gautam, from the nearest travel agent in Bhandup. Also reserved two seats in a Neeta bus leaving Chembur at 9 a m on November17. We reached Hotel Gautam by 11 30 a m. The hotel, with just 50 odd double rooms had a majestic, palace-like look. They served only Gujju/Rajastani/Chinese vegetarian food. The package for two persons, two nights included all meals(for 10.5k, at the present level of prices, looked cheap!). Day one(November 17), afternoon, we hired a car and went around. Covered almost entire Lonavala and some parts of Khandala. Chicki shops were everywhere. Waterfal...

Kamadenu: The bamboo notes. #krishnafortoday : The bamboo notes. #krishnafortoday JUST AMAZING... KESHAV, YOU ARE GREAT! BEST OF LUCK... M G Warrier Blog Post No 1621

Highlights of 7th Pay Commission recommendations - Moneylife

Banking services partially hit as RBI staff go on protest leave | Business Line My VIEW: In my letter published in The Hindu Business Line on November 13, 2015, I had mentioned that " The RBI annual report 2014-15 carries the following observations made by Raghuram Rajan: “A key factor in RBI’s success has been a satisfied staff. In the past, RBI used to have no problem attracting junior officers, losing only an occasional officer who was successful in the IAS exam. Today, we lose more than we should be comfortable with. This is why a revamp of the professional challenges we offer our staff is very much needed, and we hope the changes outlined earlier will help us become a more attractive employer. In this regard, our review of compensation, as well as the long-pending improvement in pensions for our retirees also assume importance.” and expressed surprise that HR-related issues are allowed to simmer on the backburner for long and allowed to flare up later. There are many ...

7th Pay Commission recommends 23.5% increase in total payments to govt employees - The Hindu

Rahul Gandhi is a British national, alleges Dr Subramanian Swamy - Moneylife My VIEW: Dr Swami may be right, or probably wrong! But the kind of presence in limelight he is trying to capture by making news does not add to his credibility. Remember his accusations about Dr Raghuram Rajan? M G Warrier

7th Pay Commission to submit report on Nov 19 | Business Standard News My VIEW: On November 19, 2015 RBI employees are going on a day's mass casual leave protesting against GOI/RBI anti-RBI/anti-Employee stance. Protestagainst GOI is about truncating RBI and interference in the day-to-day administration of RBI, including in matters like HR Management. While wage revision effective November 1, 2012 in the entire banking industry(including SBI) is over, in RBI the employees are on agitation on this issue and for revision of pension due since 2002(Even the first revision made after 10 years of introduction of pension in RBI-which was withdrawn at the instance of GOI- is 'live' only because of a High Court intervention). M G Warrier

Letters: Resolve pension issues | Business Standard Letters My online comments: M G Warrier "Copied below is my response on payment of pension to retirees published in The Hindu Business Line sometime back: "Tort liability This refers to ‘Centre’s delay in approving pension updation scheme irks RBI retirees’ by Vinson Kurian (Business Line, October 8,2015). Although all financial transactions have a cost, if there is delay in completion in the case of payment of pension, the tort liability on the establishment stands out. This is because, if the beneficiary dies before receiving the benefit, the purpose of paying pension which is meant for the sustenance of the individual post-retirement, is lost. Every year the pension fund corpus is augmented taking into account the additional provisions needed on account of periodic revisions. The institution transfers huge surpluses to the government. The earlier revisions till 1997 are valid. The demand of the present retirees i...

Stop financing terror | Business Line

G Sreedathan: Difficult days ahead for Chandy, UDF | Business Standard Column My VIEW: The voluntary resignation tendered through a messenger by Mani shows that sometimes the 'call of conscience' works. The Hon High Court had left the decision to Mani's conscience. The minister's conscience seems to have taken the call directly. M G Warrier

Niggling doubts over the new gold schemes - The Hindu My VIEW: From Morarji Desai’s time, at various times, GOI has tried to exploit the potential concealed in the domestic gold stock in India without much success. This time the difference is, there is a three-pronged effort to make individuals and institutions to bring their gold holdings to the mainstream economy for productive use which will also benefit them, to reduce the need to import gold for ‘investment’ purposes by offering Sovereign Gold Bonds as an alternative instrument which will appreciate in value and to instil confidence in the capacity of India to ‘make in India’ by offering gold coins made in India for sale. It goes without saying that ultimately the credibility of the implementing agencies will decide the success of the schemes. The success of Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme and gold coins made in India will be a trust-booster for the government and the central bank. M...

Letters: An interesting piece | Business Standard Letters My VIEW: History of Monetary Institutions This refers to T C A Srinivasa-Raghavan’s piece on “Bird? Plane? Or RBI Governor” (Business Standars, Marginal Utility, November 14, 2015). First, a big thank you, to the writer for making the article very interesting, by drawing on his treasure of intimate knowledge about India’s central bank. We are willing to ignore the slips like the statement that ‘A non-Hindu, by the way, is yet to be appointed after 1937’, as we had RBI Governors like Dr Manmohan Singh who kept religion private. We look forward to the history of monetary institutions with focus on RBI. RBI has been publishing its history in great details, with which T C A was also associated in recent times. My personal view is that, the author should not withhold information which, in his perception, could be shared with public, just because he is not able to lay hands on a ‘published source’. After all, RBI’s own pu...

THE WEEKEND LIGHTER*: A POEM BY E X JOSEPH A PRAYER WHILE CELEBRATING DEEPAVALI E X Joseph Where the sun fills every home, with the light of happiness Where the moon spreads peace, all over the wide earth Where the stars open every eye, into the ineffable mystery of truth Where humanity   is the only God, worshipped with total adoration Where every home becomes a temple, seen as sacred by all the people Where the darkness of poverty, becomes a tragic memory Where wars and conflicts vanish, into the limbo of history Where every heart blooms as a flower, and spreads the fragrance of love Into that fullness of intelligence, let mankind be led by Divine Light!  (inspired by Tagore’s prayer in Geetanjali “Where the mind is without fear…) *This appears every week @Warrier's Blog on Saturday/Sunday. Choice of content is mostly accidental!