TopicState of the State

Topic: State of the State

‘State of The State’ is a series by Sanjeev Chopra that analyses policy, civil services, and governance in India.

Sanjeev Chopra is a historian and Festival Director of Valley of Words. Till recently, he was the Director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration.

Don’t reduce BSF from first-class border guarding force to third-class police force in states

+TFP Sanjeev Chopra - 10 May, 2022

The BSF was created to guard borders, it hasn't been trained for police function. Expanding its mandate will dilute its core competence.

For a ‘civilisational’ India, important to understand a ‘garrison’ Pakistan, ‘fragile’ Lanka

+TFP Sanjeev Chopra - 26 April, 2022

Although the territory of Pakistan was part of the civilisational State of Bharat, it consciously chose to disinherit its past. In the process, became a garrison.

Not just Kota factories, we need to talk about delayed induction of state officers to IAS

+TFP Sanjeev Chopra - 12 April, 2022

State civil service officers constitute one-third of the total strength of the IAS, but few rise to fill the vacancies in the IAS and IPS.

This scheme mapping ‘abadi’ village areas is a win-win situation for Gram Panchayats

Sanjeev Chopra - 29 March, 2022

IAS officers have always settled agricultural land, not homestead land as it wasn't ‘revenue-yielding'. The NLMC and the SVAMITVA scheme change that.

IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS should have specific civil service entrance exams. At least discuss it

+TFP Sanjeev Chopra - 15 March, 2022

Would it not make sense if the Prelims and compulsory Mains were common to all, but service-specific papers introduced for IAS, IPS, IFS and Revenue Services?

Single Civil Services Exam outdated. UPSC holding separate exam for Indian Railways—good idea

Sanjeev Chopra - 1 March, 2022

Before the nationalisation of the railways in 1951, all constituent railway companies had their own methods of recruitment. Then why not now?

Is this India’s ‘Amrit Kal’? As state polls go on, we must trace Representation of People Act

Sanjeev Chopra - 15 February, 2022

The elections in UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur are also ‘a mid-point referendum’ on the Narendra Modi government.

Hire better public prosecutors through exam, tackle India’s abysmal conviction rates

Sanjeev Chopra - 1 February, 2022

Hiring competent public prosecutors is fundamental to making India a rule-based society. They shouldn’t be caught between police, admin and judiciary.

Modi govt will have to wait on All India Judicial Services. Top judiciary main opposition

Sanjeev Chopra - 18 January, 2022

AIJS aims to draw better talent to the district and subordinate judiciary but the higher judiciary does not want to give assertion over the lower courts.

Is India ready for delimitation of constituencies? Time has come for reorganisation of states

Sanjeev Chopra - 3 January, 2022

The asymmetry among states with regard to the number of MPs in the Lok Sabha is glaring. But constituencies were frozen in 1976.

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Topic: State of the State

On Camera

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Opinion

Imtiaz Ali obsesses over vulgarity, misses Chamkila’s cultural resistance against purity

The Beckhams’ PR game is on track. Victoria’s 50th birthday was a pop culture moment

BJP 2024 manifesto on investment, farm income, panchayati raj—lack of clarity is worrying

Economy

Economists vs statisticians — the battle being fought over the soul of India’s GDP data

Defence

India and Japan hold 10th round of consultations on disarmament, non-proliferation, and export control

National Interest

These 6 states are key for Modi’s ‘400 paar’ target. They’re also where Opposition can stop him

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