Articles by Maruthi P Tangirala

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India was first created by promulgating an ordinance; it was also restructured using the ordinance route. Reluctance of the executive branch to establish a truly independent regulator is palpable in the statute governing the telecom regulator. While this had adverse impacts on both the substance and structure of regulation in the sector, this paper examines specifically the nature of institutional design of TRAI in Chapter II of the TRAI Act, 1997, and the inefficiencies inherent in the structural imbalance between regulator and licensor.

The recent protests against the changes made to the civil service examination scheme speak directly to the ascendance of the governance paradigm that has taken root in the corridors of power. The concern is that the changes militate against the interests of regional and rural aspirants and need to be balanced against the dysfunction likely to result from the selection of candidates without skill sets for new public management. An additional worry is the rush to reform without affording much time for aspirants to adjust their exam-taking strategies.