NDA - 100 Days Agenda

Throughout April and May, each senior official was busy preparing a 100-day action plan for the government, as if in the last 10 years, these 100 days never existed! 

A similar exercise was done in 2014 when I was the Additional Secretary in the Commerce Ministry. It fizzled out soon, in the maze of political maneuvering!

Having said that, my mind got triggered again, and I thought—why not draft my own version with 35 years of intense experience in the government, and 9 years in the private sector?

My 21 relevant tips are below, some culled from my book written in 2018, after superannuation, published in 2019, titled “100 ways to improve governance in India", available on Kindle.

1. Decadal Census: For the first time since Independence, the decadal census, the mother of all primary data collection, has been ditched. No ostensible reason given. Yet per capita figures are announced daily. I think it’s  incongruous? Hence, I suggest, marshal all resources of government, to conduct the decadal census, and get correct data nationally, as soon as possible
2. Export Targets: A tough target of $1 trillion for exports by 2030 has been set, from $437 billion officially declared for April 23-March 24, without a strategy or action plan. Looks juvenile to me. My take is to professionalize each of the 40 export promotion councils and FIEO, with qualified heads, & create a geographical product mix, for our entire basket of exports. Careful monthly monitoring done by 10 joint secretaries in the Ministry of Commerce, may inch us closer to $ 1 trillion in 6 years
3. Services Exports: Services exports target is even stiffer—from roughly $350 billion now to $1 trillion, by 2030. Who sets these targets and how, I don't understand, but that’s another story? Proactively to achieve this, I see only one route: mass-produce AI experts and experts in other new technologies like IoT, VR, AR, robotics, and blockchain (minus crypto), by hiring the best global faculty talent, for all our 1,000 odd universities and lakh plus colleges. After meeting  our needs, export them to 100 LDCs, developing countries which look up to India as a leader of the South. Also to the developed North, where skilled work force is facing a crunch
4. Marine Exports: Exploit our 7,000 km long coastline professionally through marine experts, and in consultation with Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), and become the world leader in marine exports—a doable task, if undertaken on a mission mode
5. E-Commerce Policy: The e-commerce policy has been pending for 7 years. I wrote an article on LinkedIn a month ago. Here is a veritable bonanza waiting to be tapped, and we don’t have a policy. Experts quote figures of $100 billion in e-commerce exports, from $2 billion now, but without a policy, how do you reach it? 100 LDCs and the developing world want India to take the lead in creating an alternative global value chain, with China showing its hegemonistic fangs. Hence, an e-commerce enabling policy, with all proper checks and balances, is the urgent need
6. Satellite Launches: India is considered a master at satellite launches. I wrote about the potential to exploit this comprehensively in my book. We need an urgent demand estimation study of all countries interested in launching satellites, but lacking the wherewithal to do it. Once this is done, ISRO can create the necessary supply lines to fulfil this commercially and professionally, and add to the country's prestige and forex simultaneously
7. Agricultural Policy: Agricultural policy was announced last year. I wrote a whole treatise, in two articles on LinkedIn. Two super essential tasks are as follows: We import $17-18 billion worth of edible oil annually. Is it rocket science to produce adequate oilseeds in India? Oilseeds mission exists, and hence, can't the best minds be put to enhance its production meticulously, commensurate with our demand? Becoming self-sufficient is more important than just sloganeering about Atma Nirbhar Bharat. Secondly, pulses imports are about $3 billion plus annually. A similar strategy is required for this, with the additionality that import mafias have to be checked—a political task!
8. Revamp Agricultural Produce Market Committees & Haats:

My take on this is in my book.

There are 7000 APMCs in India, & only 1300 odd linked to eNAM so far. There are 22000 agricultural haats also in India. Budget identified 1800 odd to be linked to Enam, 2 years ago. Digital India boasts of having reached 3 lakh panchayats now, although target was to do it, 5 years ago. Now if digital India can ensure 1300 Mandis & 1800 haats really connected by enam, on a daily basis, a huge shift in agriculture will take place.

How?

Agricultural shortages in any part of India, for any product, which happens for POT ANNUALLY (Potato Onions Tomato), can be easily handled from surplus locations through Quick movement, on our well developed, & highly touted highway infrastructure.

Rest of 5700 Mandis & 16200 haats, also need to be linked to enam soon, with a clear action plan to get the best price to farmers, instead of the huge dole announcement, 3 days ago.

Hence whether Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India , promotes this in its 100 day program, Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, must overrule everyone & create this on priority.

Why?

Because each farmer then benefits due to his efforts, & not by free dole!! @ Prime Minister Office, India

9. Tackling Unemployment: We announced an apprenticeship scheme with great fanfare two budgets ago. Have we done a clear demand estimation study at the Ministry of Labour, in conjunction with industry, to implement this? Have we identified the professional colleges which can then cater to this demand? No! 

Why? Lethargy! Or Hard work required! 

Well, a 100-day action plan needs robust planning. Let’s see if we are up to it now!

10. Unemployability: Unemployability is a persistent issue with our Higher Education output! We have a Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and about 40-odd sector skill councils—a great achievement. But why does the problem persist? 

Have we done a demand estimation study of the type, variety, and quantity of skills required by industry, and how to bridge that gap through our sector skills councils? Or are we heading ad hoc, plugging visible holes, and overlooking the festering sores? Professionalism of the highest order is required in skilling India, as it’s the dominant need of the hour.

11. Medical Infrastructure: Covid caught us unaware of lacunas in our medical care via beds, doctors, and oxygen shortages, to mention a few. Isn’t there an urgent requirement to have a medical college with a 500-bedded hospital, along with a nursing college, in each of our 766 districts? We are above the halfway mark. The rest should fall in the 100-day task force, if healthcare is our priority!

12. Ending Hunger: Hunger is a big blot on our image abroad, as much as it’s a crying need to end it in India. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is doing an excellent task in 20-odd states to provide a wholesome hot meal to the needy. Philanthropists and CSR funds need to bolster this manifold to eradicate hunger in India. Several flagship schemes exist in the PM’s name. One required specifically for this soon.

13. Climate Change: Heatwaves and climate change are engulfing India and the globe. As Secretary of Environment in the Delhi government, my experience tells me that planting a tree is the only remedy, to provide clean air and conservation of water. Degraded land must be found by 766 DMs and forests fortified with 1.4 billion tree plantations annually, utilizing all government resources and enrolling the private sector fully.

14. Rooftop Solar: Rooftop solar, I wrote about in my book and also raised before the PM, in a brainstorming session held with JSs and ASs, seven years ago. Gratified that after the Ayodhya ceremony, the PM launched Suryoday. On a mission mode, we need to identify service providers who can hunt for every available and viable rooftop, in all our institutional, residential buildings, including 7,000 railway stations, bus stands, ports, airports, office complexes, clubs, and defense establishments, so that we can reach all 7,000 towns. Why?

Because Varanasi’s rooftop solar potential alone is 676 MW. Multiply by 7,000 towns, you get an awesome capacity. With technology supporting lasting battery storage space now, the power problem can be solved.

15. Credit Availability: Farmers and urban poor, especially hawkers, need daily and easy credit availability. Regional rural banks, NABARD, SIDBI, etc., have not solved much. Thinking creatively and holistically, a hands-on system is required, which does quick due diligence professionally, using data and AI. Then extend credit at least 10 times more to make some dent. The best bankers' minds are required who have a passion to reach this huge market in a data-based mode, not a discretionary mode.

Huge archaic infrastructure exists in 1.5lakh plus post offices in India, even in Capital Delhi, & sub optimally utilised. Post payments bank scheme is running, but inefficiently.

Huge scope for rural credit problems. Resolution lies here.

New Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia has a mammoth task cut out for him. He can create a monumental impact on rural sector. I have a chapter in my book, on post payment bank potential.

Couriers have hit post offices badly, because of inherited inefficiencies. Post office as a public utility needs to get modernized manifold, as low middle class in millions, rely on post office speed post or registered post.

16. Taxation: Taxation affects the ease of doing business in India. Tax slabs tap low-hanging fruit of salaried, missing the wood for the trees. I suggested in my book, and reiterate here a simple slab system with a one-page tax return drafted skillfully, by the Central Board Of Direct Taxes needing no CA: 

10% on 10-20 lakh income, 

20% on 20-30 lakh,

 30% on 30-40 lakh, 

and 33% beyond that. No surcharge or extra levies, and a clear mandate to catch six big categories of known tax evaders. The Laffer curve will then ensure bountiful revenues, with no further tax collection issues.

17. Advertising Fraud: Unscrupulous advertising has to be checked and controlled professionally, by creating a network of excellent software professionals, tasked to scan social media, using AI, for fraudulent ads promising jobs, exorbitant returns on investment, cryptos, and household goods. Call their bluff & give deterrent punishment, which will stem the rot that is spreading, with impunity now.

18. Standards for Goods: The Bureau of Indian Standards is not equipped to create standards for all the 10,000 goods in our export and import basket as per HS codes. We suffer badly. Huge capacity expansion is required here urgently, as was done for the patent office in the last 7 years.

19. Deep Tech Startups: 3,000 deep tech startups exist in India. Have we studied the scale-up potential of each to solve the difficult problems of the nation? The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade must task a few senior officials to monitor each such deep tech startup regularly, to ease their pain points. This can result in the creation of hundreds of disruptive goods, like the 3D-printed rocket launched with ISRO’s help recently.

20. Strengthening Legal Frameworks for Modern Business: Board Agenda of several private companies, carry a list of more than 100 laws, which these firms have to navigate, to grow. I had a good look at them with my 35 years of experience in the government, and found many are archaic. My point is: 

The Ministry of Law and Justice is not tasked with the appointment of judges only. Has it looked at all laws prevalent in our country meticulously? Isn't it time to set up a committee of legal luminaries to do this in 100 days, with a clear mandate to drop the obsolete ones, or amend the ones required, to suit the present and future needs of the nation, and instill enormous ease in doing business in India?

21. Empowering Think Tanks for Robust Policy Inputs: Very few real think tanks exist in India, and contribute little to nation-building. Many draft laws put out by the government in the public domain rarely get worthy inputs, on public policy, from these think tanks. Can some of the best ones be  empowered, to provide professional inputs for every draft law released in the public domain? The draft digital competition bill is a case in point, where extensions are sought, but concrete sets of suggestions,  are yet to emerge. Are we bereft of talent in India? Should we not develop such talent? I'm afraid, having dealt with the Confederation of Indian Industry, FICCI, ASSOCHAM (The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India), etc., in the commerce ministry for 7 years, I found their research units need a huge overhaul. 

Our universities, including IIMs, also fall short on this ground, except for a few premier IITs and IIMs. Hence, building robust think tanks, like in the USA, deserves its rightful place in the 100-day agenda.

NDA is keen on a 100 day agenda as the new Cabinet takes its seat. 21 imperative tasks I have outlined single-handedly. I am sure the collective wisdom of 75 Ministries can add many more. High priority ones need to be focused on by PMO. Otherwise the daily routine will start & ALLIES & Opposition will take a toll on the coalition government. The question that will throw up then is:

Was it worth it, to promise and not to perform!!!!!

JK Dadoo

IAS Retd

MBA IIM A