The plain speaking by Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh about funds crunch is a grim reminder of the state of affairs on National Navy Day. A government that thrives on nationalism should ensure that forces are not left with just bluff and bluster instead of money needed for urgent modernisation.
Modi govt must stop tinkering with GST rates and let tax regime stabilise
Hasty GST implementation and frequent rules and rate changes are returning to haunt the Modi government. The revenue situation is so dire that the Centre hasn’t released compensation payments to the states as mandated. The government should stop frequent tinkering and allow the tax regime to stabilise and improve buoyancy.
The fault lies not in the rates – many commodities, starting with cement, should actually be taxed at lower rates – but in the slowdown in the economy that is reducing tax buoyancy.
Dr Singh, in a meeting with top officials of the three services, had said,Gentlemen, we will have to cut our coat according to the cloth. UPA could give the armed forces double digit annual increases in their Budgets, thanks to a fast growing economy. That has changed. Realistic projections should be made for how much money can be allotted to defence over the next seven to eight years. Then the break up between the services, and between personnel and equipment. This could be one of the new CDS’s focus areas.
In 3M’s lexicon (3M being one of the most innovative companies), the word ‘tinkering’ has a positive connotation (tinker to create innovative products). However, this government, when it goes out of power, will be known for tinkering all along without purpose, which when applied crudely to all the steps it has taken and intends to take, can be described as fingering (ऊँगली करना) rather than tinkering in the 3M way. This government certainly gets sadistic pleasure out of flogging a horse that’s moving at a decent pace.
it was because of the tinkering by an engineer in 3M that the company accidently ended up with weak glue (the engineer was tinkering to find the strongest glue!), which it used to make its famous stickers, a new and innovative product, which turned out to be a big revenue earner! Many innovative products were the result of tinkering/accidents! Hard plastic was also discovered in a General Electric (GE) laboratory by an accident! Try to imagine life today without the hard plastic, a product of an accident! Even life saving Penicillin was discovered by an extraordinary accident caused by mistakes! Try today to imagine life without antibiotics!