Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Friday 26 January 2018

Whose Interest ?




Government officers are often faced with following difficult questions, while taking decisions :


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While taking this decision, whose interest am I protecting ?

 
·         Interest of   “ 1 million “  persons or of  “ 1,000 million “  persons ?


·         The “ Vested interest of a small minority “ and for a “ short duration “ , as against the “ Social interest of a vast majority “ which is of a “ long term duration “ ?  

            [  Ignore the numbers - figures will vary from case to case  ]


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Following are some recent examples :


·         French President Macron announced at WEF – Davos , two days back :

“  France will shut down ALL of its coal-based Power plants, by year 2021 “


President Macron said he wanted to “make France a model in the fight against climate change,” as one of five pillars in his plans to reform the economy.



I have a feeling that he will be followed by similar announcements by leaders of other EU countries , for the following reasons :


Across the European Union, the economic tide is already turning against coal power : more than half of the bloc’s 619 coal-powered plants are losing money, according to a report. A combination of rapidly falling prices for renewables and air pollution laws are pushing them out of business.



·         US President, Trump levied a 30 % import duty on Solar Panels
.


·         Closer at home in India :


o    The Directorate General of Safeguards Duty (DGS), in its preliminary report investigating the dumping of solar cells, (whether or not assembled in modules or panels), has suggested a 70 per cent safeguards duty on imports from China. The DGS has identified ‘serious injury’ to the domestic industry caused due to increasing imports and declining prices of Chinese solar panels.



o    NTPC , whose coal-based power plants are the chief culprit in causing air pollution ( and most of which are operating well below the optimum PLF – Plant Load Factor – and producing power at Rs 3.19 / kwh ), has come out with a tender to buy-out another 12-18 coal-based power plants , which are “ stressed assets “ !



o    A Parliamentary Committee wants to stop sale of Air India and wants it to continue making losses ( approx. Rs 6000 cr / year ) for another 5 years !





How come neither our legislators , nor our administrators , are asking :



·         What is the trade-off between ,


     #   Imported Solar Panels / Cells, helping India to bring down Solar Power tariff
          to ( say ) Re 1 / kwh by 2022 and turning India into a “ Low Cost Economy “


          Vs:


         Protecting the jobs of a few thousand persons employed by local
         manufacturers of Solar Cells – Modules – Panels ?




    #   Saving the NPA of a few banks which have lent money to those stalled / idling
         Coal-based power plants of Private Sector,


         Vs :


         Continuing to supply dirty power to homes / industries for Rs 3.19 / kwh ?





It seems to me that when it comes to “ Globalization  vs  Protectionism “, we have different standards !



For thousands of years, Indian Ethos has been :



·         A person must sacrifice for saving his family

·         A family must sacrifice for saving the community

·         A community must sacrifice for saving the country



It is high time we introduce this VALUE SYSTEM in our school syllabus


27  Jan  2018




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