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Political Notes |
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EC show-cause notice to CPI
The Election Commission has served notice on various parties after a review of their performance in the Lok Sabha elections held in April-May this year. The Commission has also slapped notices on nine regional parties, including the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) in Tamil Nadu, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) in Pondicherry, the Trinamool Congress in Tripura, the Kerala Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann), asking them to explain why their State party status should not be cancelled. The Communist Party of India (CPI) has been asked to show cause why its recognition as a national party status should not be withdrawn on the basis of its performance in the recent Lok Sabha poll.
The State parties have been given time till September 3 to submit their replies.
Sources said that under the Election Symbol Reservation and Allotment Order 1968, for getting or retaining the national party status, a party should win at least two per cent of the seats (11) in the Lok Sabha from three different States or should have polled six per cent of votes in four different States and in addition there must be four MPs. At present, the CPI has 10 MPs in the Lok Sabha and had secured six per cent votes in Kerala and Manipur.
For State party status, a party should win three per cent of the Assembly seats, subject to a minimum of three seats, or six per cent of votes in the State plus two MLAs. While the MDMK of Vaiko and the PMK of Ramadoss would retain their State party status in Tamil Nadu, they stand to lose the status in Pondicherry.
Similarly, the CPI (ML-Liberation) is likely to lose the State party status in Assam, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann) in Punjab and the Trinamool Congress in Tripura. The Meghalaya Hill State Peoples Democratic Party might also lose the status. Following the review of the poll performance of parties, the Haryana Vikas Party, a recognised party, is likely to be upgraded to the status of a State party, while the JMM will get the same status in Orissa besides Jharkhand.
Reforming bureaucracy
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government is determined to bring changes in the administrative system in the country. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been trying to send a message across the country that he is serious about bringing about a new work culture. The Government has proposed a number of initiatives that would make its employees accountable for the job. Of these, the most radical proposal is to begin the process of civil service recruitment right after a student passes her/his Class XII examination.
The proposal is to conduct an entrance examination for the All-India and Central Services for Class XII students on the pattern of the National Defence Academy, Medical or Law schools or the IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology). Successful candidates would join a “National Academy” for a five-year course.
At the end of three years, the selected students would get a graduate degree; but there will be a merit list and those at the top would be inducted for a two-year service-specific course. Those who make it to the two-year course will be subjected to examinations and tests and the successful ones will get a degree equivalent to an MBA. But not all would automatically get absorbed in the services.
The Manmohan Singh Government also proposes to reorient the administration. A high-level committee, under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary, has been constituted to study the recommendations of two earlier committees - the Surendranath Committee and the P.C. Hota Committee - to suggest systemic changes in the administration. Another committee will go into the grievances redress mechanism within the administration. Yet another committee - headed by the Cabinet Secretary and consisting of the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and the Chief Vigilance Commissioner - will consider how to improve probity, efficiency and transparency in the Central and State Governments.
The Prime Minister has also ordered a review of the Central services conditions as there is a widespread feeling that promotions in these services are slow and erratic.
The Administrative Staff College in Hyderabad has been asked to prepare a Model Code of Governance, applicable to government employees. Manmohan Singh has asked for a review of the administrative structure in the entire north-east region to tone up the delivery system. The Department of Personnel has been asked to initiate a dialogue with all the State Governments on improving the service delivery at the district-level.
Finally, the Government has banned senior officials from accepting short-term international consultancy assignments, putting an end to a practice abused on a large scale in recent years
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