Crony Statism?

murali772 - 19-APR-2014

Yesterday, talking about the previous evening's IPL match, a friend said that he was happy that Mumbai Indians had lost, largely because he can't stand Nita Ambani.

Relevance of Dr Vivek Murthy's appointment as US Surgeon General, for the democratic world

murali772 - 17-MAR-2014

The bane of Capitalism is the power of business lobbies to affect governance in a way that it suits their vested interests, even if it is at colossal costs to public interest.

Corporate Social Irresponsibility

murali772 - 28-JUL-2010

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has long been a hot topic globally. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has lectured companies on it. Some corporations have won acclaim and awards for CSR. Two of them were BP, the oil giant, and Goldman Sachs, the big investment bank. Every year, the World Economic Forum lists the "Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations". BP has made the list many times. So has Goldman Sachs, for its work on climate change and carbon trading.

Future of Capitalism

murali772 - 7-MAY-2010

''The public trust in business and its leaders has never been lower. To restore trust, it is time for business leaders to embrace their own version of the doctor’s Hippocratic Oath, which shapes a common understanding of the role of business in society and the conduct expected of business leaders,'' wrote Nitin Nohria ( who has been named to take over as the Dean of the prestigious Harvard Business School) recently after critiquing the failure of leadership in the recent economic and corporate turmoil.

''Developing, adopting, and institutionalizing such an oath is not going to be easy. But there is no better or more important moment to try—because at stake is the very legitimacy of business leaders and the future of capitalism,'' he warned. His passion for the idea led to HBS students adopting a voluntary MBA oath.

For the full report in the TOI, click here

Why Tata still doesn’t get it?

murali772 - 30-DEC-2009

Ratan Tata had this to say on the Singur debacle: “More often than not, conflicts related to land are promoted by individuals who do not belong to that area, but who have other political motives.” Quite so, but this, interestingly enough, was the exact position taken by British planters to stop Mahatma Gandhi’s first mass movement in India, the anti-indigo cultivation

Marathahalli bridge updates

silkboard - 27-JUL-2007

Para-statal agencies and task forces in Karnataka

murali772 - 19-DEC-2008

A One day public consultation on their constitutionality, programs, influence and impact on Democracy
Date: 20 December 2008.  Time: 9.30 AM to 5 PM
Place: Legislator's Home, Vidhana Soudha. Bangalore

Background:

Real cost of things we buy...

navshot - 29-OCT-2008

I always wondered what is the real cost of things we buy. I realized, you can buy an LED torch for Rs. 25! How does it work out? Bill of materials should be less than Rs. 10 and labour another Rs. 5! Wow!! We usually push it aside saying "Chinese", as though its a complete explanation. But is the real cost of the product? I always wondered there has to be more to it - the hidden costs.

Fund Children; not Schools

murali772 - 5-OCT-2008

The most striking lesson for India is from Sweden’s education reforms in the early 1990s. Sweden has decentralised its system - shifting the control of schools from the centre to municipalities - and has given parents a choice whether to send their children to state or private schools (but paid by the state with a voucher).