Articles by Madhav Godbole

The ruling political and bureaucratic elite seem to believe that the ghost of Enron project and the monumental failure of governance in its approval can be exorcised by reviving it at any cost. The settlement reached with the two foreign equity holders and the international banks and financial institutions is far too generous. In addition there are the large subsidies (estimated at Rs 10,000 crore) doled out at the cost of the unsuspecting taxpayer to hide from public scrutiny how totally unviable this project was.

While the draft of a new Police Act is in the pipeline, this article emphasises the need to strengthen the role of the police in upholding the rule of law and to make them the protectors of the weaker sections of society. It argues that there is a need to evolve a broad political and civil society consensus on the complex and vital issues involved in the policing of the country. Without adequate public debates on these issues, it is futile to draft a new law.

Against the experience of political instability, increasingly fractious polity, and unmanageability of multi-party coalition governments since 1990, it is necessary to do some fresh thinking on a number of matters pertaining to the political system in the country. Unless concerted steps are taken to remodelling the political system - for instance, enact laws on the conduct of political parties, on the formation of governments, - and consider seriously whether the Rajya Sabha and the legislative councils which have ceased to serve a purpose should not be abolished and whether first-past-the-post system should not be changed, the very foundations of democracy may get weakened leading to voter apathy and disillusionment.

Responding to a public interest litigation on the state of civil services in the country and on making good governance an explicit right, the Supreme Court held that it was not in favour of declaring good governance as a fundamental right as this would bind the court to looking into every aspect of governance. The court's refusal to take cognisance of the critical issues of public interest involved in the petition raises important questions for the governance of the country.

No Easy Answers Against the Current: Organisational Restructuring of State Electricity Boards edited by Joel Ruet; Manohar Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi, 2003; pp 224, Rs 500.