Amnesty by another name

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Military fables of a democracy

A first step to wholesome reform

Fools rush in

The bane of a bumper crop

Something for everyone

know your english

What is the meaning of ‘moxie’? (K Rajesh, Delhi)

First, let us deal with the pronunciation of this word. The first syllable rhymes with ‘box’, ‘fox’ and ‘pox’, and the ‘ie’ in the second sounds like the ‘i’ in ‘bit’, ‘sit’ and ‘hit’. It is pronounced ‘MOK-si’ with the stress on the first syllable. The word is mostly used in informal contexts to mean determined. A person with moxie is a fighter; he does not give up easily - no matter how often he is knocked down, he gets up. He is courageous in adversity.

Suraj showed a lot of moxie when he questioned some of the CEO’s decisions.

The girl has a lot of moxie in her. There’s no way she’s going to give up now.

The word comes from the name of a soft drink that was quite popular in the States in the early twentieth century. The advertisements claimed that the drink would ‘build up your nerve’. It is possible to buy a can of Moxie even today.

What is the difference between ‘terrified’ and ‘petrified’? (V Radhika, Madurai)

Both words suggest that you are extremely scared or frightened of something or someone; you are in a state of panic. When you are ‘terrified of’ something, you may choose to run or you may stand still because you are too scared to move. When you are petrified, you become paralysed; you stand there like a stone. You are too scared to move. The word ‘petrified’ comes from the Latin ‘petra’ meaning ‘stone’.

When they saw the tiger, the terrified villagers ran into their houses.

When the villager saw the tiger, he was petrified.

What is the meaning of ‘in the groove’? (Ajit Kumar, Vizag)

The ‘oove’ in ‘groove’ rhymes with the ‘ove’ in ‘prove’ and ‘move’. A ‘groove’ is a long, thin cut on a hard surface. For example, sliding doors and windows have grooves cut into them. They make it possible for a person to slide the door/window easily. When you say that you are ‘in the groove’, what you are suggesting is that you are doing something quite easily, without any real effort.

When Federer returns in 2017, it’ll probably take him time to get in the groove.

Anand didn’t like being a Manager at first; but now, he’s getting in the groove.

When you are bored of doing something over and over again, you say you are ‘stuck in a groove’. You have been doing the same thing for a long time and have become very set in your ways.

Anita’s job no longer excites her. She’s stuck in a groove.

Is it okay to say, ‘It’s high time you clean the motorcycle’? (M Priya, Chennai)

No, it is not. It should be ‘cleaned’ and not ‘clean’. The expression ‘high time’ is mostly used in informal contexts to mean that it is time to do something that should have been done a long time ago. In other words, you have unnecessarily delayed doing something. It’s high time Laxman bought a new car.

It’s high time that the children went to bed.

courtesy:the hindu

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Lend aggressively but responsibly

One-dollar labs for the ‘citizen scientist’

Railway Budget, a vanishing trick

know your english

“Tell me, how is the word m..e..t..e pronounced?”

“It’s pronounced like the word ‘meet’. Nowadays, this rather formal word is mostly used in the expression ‘mete out’. It means to punish someone. You...”

“So, are you the one ordering or giving the harsh punishment? Are you...”

“It could be anyone. It could be you or someone else. For example, the students were highly critical of the treatment meted out to the workers.”

“How about this example? Judges are reluctant(unwilling,अनिच्छुक) to mete out harsh sentences against crooked politicians. I think they should.”

“Sounds good. Even today, there are many teachers in our country who believe it’s okay to mete out punishment to little children.”

“I certainly don’t! In fact, I feel that we should .......”

“Please, you need to lighten up. You have a tendency to.....”

“Lighten up? Are you telling me that I have put on weight and that I need to....”

“No, I don’t want you to go on a diet. When you tell someone that he should lighten up, what you’re suggesting is that the individual should learn to relax.”

“You want him to stop taking everything that is being said very seriously.”

“That’s right. The new teacher is very serious in class. She needs to lighten up.”

“Shreya had been tense all morning. But once she heard she’d got the promotion, she lightened up.”

“Revathi lightened up during our trip to Hyderabad. I’ve never...”

“Oh yes, you went to Hyderabad, didn’t you? How was the seminar?”

“It was okay. Nobody had anything new to say. But I did manage to see quite a few places in Hyderabad.”

“Did you go to the Salar Jung Museum? They say it’s great.”

“It is, actually. I wanted to spend at least half a day there. But unfortunately, my boss’ brother-in-law had tagged along with us and he...”

“Tagged along? Does it mean he went along with you?”

“You could say that. When someone tags along with you, he accompanies you even though you haven’t asked him to.”

“In other words, he’s like an uninvited guest. He forces himself on you.”

“Exactly! Whenever Raman took Laxmi to a movie, her brother tagged along with them.”

“That couldn’t have been fun. When I went out with my friends, I made it very clear http://ift.tt/2cJfUdTto my parents that I didn’t want my younger brother tagging along with us.”

“The puppy tagged along wherever we went. Despite being...”

“Tell me, is there a difference between ‘despite’ and ‘in spite’? I mean is....”

“In terms of meaning, there is not much of a difference. You can use the two words interchangeably in most contexts. Just remember that ‘in spite’ is always followed by ‘of’ and ‘despite’ is not. The children continued to play in spite of/despite the rain.”

“In spite of/Despite his brilliant performance in the league matches, Rahul wasn’t selected for the State team.”

“That’s politics for you. I’ve got to go to the supermarket. I need...”

“Mind if I tag along?”

courtesy:the hindu

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The economy on autopilot

No proof required: Blind men in search of inflation

The great GDP fudge

An uneasy buzz

Forced out by a funds squeeze

From Plate to Plough: Connecting the drops

For power to reach all, it will need a multi-pronged strategy, collaboration between Centre and states

Chronicles in unlearning

Transit at Gojadanga

The Margarita mirror

Do we need a minimum wage law?

dalit is right enough

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A city is for all its citizens

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The Roll-out Challenge

Weighing the burden of proof

Why the Surrogacy Bill is necessary

The new war on piracy

Sedition law cannot be used against honest views, expressed peacefully

Pharmacies not likely cause of TB drug resistance

Looking for some change, Governor

A fat tax that shouldn't go up in smoke

Health Security At Stake

Citizenship without bias

Diplomacy and the diaspora

Remaking the bank

The age of GST dawns

know your english

What is the meaning and origin of the expression ‘happy as a clam’? (T Indira, Tiruchi)

This is the shorter form of the expression ‘happy as a clam at high tide’. A clam is a sea creature that buries itself in the sand to escape predators. It has a shell that it uses to protect itself; when threatened, the two halves of the shell quickly snap shut. It is from this that we get the expression ‘to clam up’ to mean ‘to stop talking’ or ‘refuse to talk’. Some varieties of clams are found very close to the seashore, and the best time to dig for them is when the tide — water level — is low. A clam becomes vulnerable during low tide. When the tide is high, it feels less threatened, and therefore much happier. When you say that a person is as happy as a clam at high tide, you mean that he is extremely happy.

Jai was happy as a clam at high tide when he got the promotion.

Raj clams up whenever he is in the company of girls.

What is the difference between ‘purposely’ and ‘purposive’? (Bhavana, Delhi)

In both cases, the stress is on the first syllable. When you do something ‘purposely’, you do it deliberately or intentionally. You make up your mind to do something, and you do it.

Many students purposely come late to class.

Hema purposely pushed Jai into the pool.

While ‘purposely’ is used in both formal and informal contexts, the use of ‘purposive’ is mostly limited to formal ones. It means ‘serving a purpose, useful’. Anything that serves a purpose can be said to be ‘purposive’.

Do you seriously believe that meditation is a purposive activity?

Is it okay to say, ‘Could you possibly help me with this?’ (SV Nagesh, Nellore)

Yes, it is. In terms of meaning, there is no difference between ‘Could you help/possibly help me with this?’ In both cases, you are enquiring very politely if the individual would help you with something. The difference between the two is in the degree of politeness. Native speakers would suggest that the use of ‘possibly’ makes the request even more polite.

Could I (possibly) borrow your car this weekend?

Could you (possibly) give me a ride home?

What is the meaning of ‘droolworthy’? (Rakesh Kumar, Pune)

When you ‘drool’, saliva flows out of your mouth. Babies drool quite a bit. Some adults drool when they are sleeping. The expression ‘drool over someone/something’ is frequently used in English to mean to take extreme delight or pleasure in looking at someone or something. The person that you are looking at is so gorgeous that you salivate/drool looking at him/her. It is from this that we get the relatively new word ‘droolworthy’. An object that is droolworthy is exciting to look at; just looking at it makes your mouth water.

The cakes that were on display were droolworthy.

Many of my friends find the new hero droolworthy.

* * *

Happiness: an agreeable sensation arising from contemplating the misery of another. — Ambrose Bierce

courtesy:the hindu

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Don’t blame it on Rio

know your english

What is the meaning and origin of the expression ‘happy as a clam’? (T Indira, Tiruchi)

This is the shorter form of the expression ‘happy as a clam at high tide’. A clam is a sea creature that buries itself in the sand to escape predators. It has a shell that it uses to protect itself; when threatened, the two halves of the shell quickly snap shut. It is from this that we get the expression ‘to clam up’ to mean ‘to stop talking’ or ‘refuse to talk’. Some varieties of clams are found very close to the seashore, and the best time to dig for them is when the tide — water level — is low. A clam becomes vulnerable during low tide. When the tide is high, it feels less threatened, and therefore much happier. When you say that a person is as happy as a clam at high tide, you mean that he is extremely happy.

Jai was happy as a clam at high tide when he got the promotion.

Raj clams up whenever he is in the company of girls.

What is the difference between ‘purposely’ and ‘purposive’? (Bhavana, Delhi)

In both cases, the stress is on the first syllable. When you do something ‘purposely’, you do it deliberately or intentionally. You make up your mind to do something, and you do it.

Many students purposely come late to class.

Hema purposely pushed Jai into the pool.

While ‘purposely’ is used in both formal and informal contexts, the use of ‘purposive’ is mostly limited to formal ones. It means ‘serving a purpose, useful’. Anything that serves a purpose can be said to be ‘purposive’.

Do you seriously believe that meditation is a purposive activity?

Is it okay to say, ‘Could you possibly help me with this?’ (SV Nagesh, Nellore)

Yes, it is. In terms of meaning, there is no difference between ‘Could you help/possibly help me with this?’ In both cases, you are enquiring very politely if the individual would help you with something. The difference between the two is in the degree of politeness. Native speakers would suggest that the use of ‘possibly’ makes the request even more polite.

Could I (possibly) borrow your car this weekend?

Could you (possibly) give me a ride home?

What is the meaning of ‘droolworthy’? (Rakesh Kumar, Pune)

When you ‘drool’, saliva flows out of your mouth. Babies drool quite a bit. Some adults drool when they are sleeping. The expression ‘drool over someone/something’ is frequently used in English to mean to take extreme delight or pleasure in looking at someone or something. The person that you are looking at is so gorgeous that you salivate/drool looking at him/her. It is from this that we get the relatively new word ‘droolworthy’. An object that is droolworthy is exciting to look at; just looking at it makes your mouth water.

The cakes that were on display were droolworthy.

Many of my friends find the new hero droolworthy.

* * *

Happiness: an agreeable sensation arising from contemplating the misery of another. — Ambrose Bierce

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The cost of political interference

know your english

“In the final scene, we have the heroine running at the villain and punching…”

“Running at the villain? You mean ‘running after’ the villain, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t. When you ‘run after’ someone, you pursue or chase the individual. The policeman ran after the thief, but was unable to catch her.”

“Like many policeman, he was probably out of shape. Here’s my example. The children ran after the cute puppy. Now tell me, what does ‘run at’ mean?”

“When you ‘run after’ someone, you may be pursuing the individual just for the fun of it. When you ‘run at’ someone, you rush towards him in order to attack…”

“In other words, you’re being very serious. You’re not fooling around. You’re charging or moving towards someone in a threatening manner.”

“That’s right! The cornered animal ran at the hunter.”

“The young woman ran at her tormentor and punched him on his nose.”

“When he saw the villagers running at him, he pulled out his gun and fired in the air.”

“They must have stopped immediately. Tell me, what do you think of this new shirt my aunt got me? She and my mother went…?”

“To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing it. There’s something…”

“Caught dead wearing it? What does it mean?”

“It means I would never wear a shirt like that. I’d be too embarrassed to…”

“I see! How about this example? I wouldn’t be caught dead shaking hands with a politician.”

“Sounds good. It’s also possible to say ‘seen dead’. I wouldn’t be seen dead in the company of Sujatha and Jai.”

“Even if you paid him, my neighbour wouldn’t be seen dead riding my old bicycle.”

“That sounds a bit like my friend Sameer. He’s always talking about…”

“Your friend Sameer comes from a very wealthy family, doesn’t he?”

“He’d like people to think so. But he was born with a wooden spoon in his mouth. He’s…”

“Is it the opposite of ‘born with a silver spoon in his mouth’?”

“That’s right! When you’re born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you’re born into a wealthy family. Some of my cousins were born with a silver spoon in their mouth.”

“Quite a few students in my class were born with a silver spoon in their mouth.”

“That’s a good example. The expression ‘born with a wooden spoon in his mouth’ is sometimes used to refer to a person who comes from a poor family. His parents…”

“His parents are not well to do. They have to work really hard to make ends meet.”

“That’s right! Jai was born with a wooden spoon in his mouth. He’s had to work really hard to get to where he is today.”

“Most people in my neighbourhood were born with a wooden spoon in their mouth.” “Now tell me, where did your aunt get that shirt?”

“She went for shopping with my mom yesterday, and…”

“You don’t ‘go for shopping’. You ‘go shopping’. I went shopping with my friends.”

“Many people enjoy going shopping.”

“I certainly don’t.”

* * *

We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops. — Henry Youngman

courtesy:the hindu

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Why EPW matters

know your english

How is the word ‘albeit’ pronounced? (J Sunitha, Hyderabad)

The first syllable sounds like the word ‘all’ and the third like the word ‘it’. The ‘be’ in the second is pronounced like the word ‘bee’. The word is pronounced ‘all-BEE-it’ with the stress on the second syllable. This rather formal word has the same meaning as ‘even though’ and ‘although’. In the early twentieth century, experts on usage believed that this old fashioned word would die a natural death, but it continues to be used fairly frequently in writing even today. Albeit, in Robert Burchfield’s opinion, is “one of the persistent archaic sounding words in the language.”

Rahul tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to give up eating sweets.
The teacher paid me a compliment, albeit grudgingly.

What is the meaning of ‘the devil is in the detail’? (A Myilsami, Coimbatore)

The earlier expression was ‘God is in the detail’. Sometimes, we may fail to perform what appears to be a simple task because we have not paid sufficient attention to the minor details. The expression ‘the devil is in the detail(s)’ is frequently used to sound a note of caution to someone. You are telling or warning the individual that if he chooses to overlook the minor details, his attempt to do something will result in failure. The expression is also used to suggest that something that looks simple may not necessarily be so — the steps required to accomplish the task may be complicated.

Meera thought she could write the instructions in an hour. It took her all day. The devil was in the details.
It’s not as easy as it looks. The devil is in the detail.

What is the difference between ‘conceited’ and ‘proud’? (R Ganesh, Vellore)

The word ‘conceited’ always has a negative connotation. A conceited person thinks very highly of himself and may refuse to mingle with those around him. When he does talk, it will always be about himself — his achievements, his hobbies, his abilities, etc. He tends to be an ‘I’ specialist! Unlike ‘conceited’, the word ‘proud’ can be used to show both approval and disapproval. It has both a positive and a negative meaning. A person who is pleased with his achievement can say that he is ‘proud’ of it. Unlike an individual who is conceited, a person can be proud of someone else’s achievements as well. ‘Proud’, like ‘conceited’, can also be used to refer to someone who thinks no end of himself. There is, however, a difference in degree. Some dictionaries define conceited as being ‘excessively proud’.

I refuse to team up with that conceited man.
Damini is a proud and arrogant woman.
I’m proud to win this championship for the sixth time.

What is the meaning of ‘all but’? (Mohit Somani, Bhilwara)

The expression seems to have two different meanings. It can be used to mean ‘almost nearly/completely’ and ‘all except’. Here are a few examples.

He was a star once upon a time. But now, his name is all but forgotten.
We managed to rescue all but one of the miners.

* * *

Those who like me, raise your hands. Those who don’t, raise your standards. — Unknown

courtesy:the hindu

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An experiment with power

know your english

“You were planning to visit your uncle on Sunday, weren’t you? Did you manage to....”

“Yes, I managed to spend about two hours with him. As usual, I spent most of the time listening to his laundry list of complaints.”

“Laundry list of complaints? What does it mean?”

“It means a long list of complaints. The items on the list may or may not be related.”

“So they aren’t really genuine complaints? You’re complaining for the....”

“They may be genuine. You’re not complaining for the sake of complaining. But the problem is, it’s a lengthy list. When I asked Usha how I could help, she gave me a laundry list of things to do.”

“My friend moved into a new apartment a few months ago. Every time I talk to her, she gives me a laundry list of problems.”

“That usually happens when you move into a new place. Tell me, did....”

“Talking about new flats, have you decided whether you’re buying a new one? Has...”

“It’s up in the air. I was planning to...”

“Up in the air? Does it mean that you haven’t made up your mind?”

“Very good! When you say that something is up in the air, it suggests uncertainty. You haven’t really decided what to do regarding someone or something. The company’s plan to hire more people is still up in the air.”

“No decision has been taken. Our trip to Shimla in December is still up in the air.”

“Sounds good. The proposal to build a new airport on the outskirts of the city is still up in the air.”

“I don’t think it’ll ever happen. Five years from now, the government will give a laundry list of excuses why they couldn’t build the airport.”

“Just like you! I’m sure you and your classmates had some lame excuse for not submitting your project today.”

“Most of my friends managed to submit their project, but a few of us have managed to get some extra time to hand it in.”

“Why are you making such heavy weather of a minor project?”

“I’ve heard of hot and cold weather. But heavy weather? What are you....”

“When you say that someone is making heavy weather of something, it means that the person is taking too much time to do something that is fairly simple.”

“I see. So, you’re saying that I’m making the project seem much more difficult than it really is!”

“That’s right! Just like the Indian batsmen. The bowling was mediocre, but our batsmen made heavy weather of it.”

“This is a simple recipe. You should be able to make the dish in twenty minutes. Don’t make heavy weather of it.”

“That's a good example. Now, you’d better go home and work on your project.”

“You’re right. If I don’t do a good job, they’ll make me to do it again.”

“They’ll make you do it again. Not make you to do it again.”

“If I don’t do a good job, they’ll make me do another project.”

“That’s what you get for being lazy.”

* * *

An income tax form is like a laundry list — either way you lose your shirt. — Fred Allen

courtesy:the hindu

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Irom Sharmila is the doer who breaks a grand vow to protect the greater common good

The Beijing balancing act

VIDEOS

HOLOCAUST
AB AND ABS
AMBIGUOUS
RELENTLESS
CONSEQUENCE
EPOCHAL 

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Uniting the divided world order

Holocaust

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know about green bonds

1. What are green bonds?

A green bond is like any other regular bond but with one key difference: the money raised by the issuer are earmarked towards financing `green' projects, i.e. assets or business activities that are environment-friendly. Such projects could be in the areas of renewable energy , clean transportation and sustainable water management.

2. What are its benefits?

Green bonds enhances an issuer's reputation, as it helps in showcasing their commitment to wards sustainable development. It also provides issuers access to specific set of global investors who invest only in green ventures. With an increasing focus of foreign investors towards green investments, it could also help in reducing the cost of capital.

3. When did the concept start?

In 2007, green bonds were launched by few development banks such as the European Investment Bank and the World Bank. Subsequently, in 2013, corporates too started participating, which led to its overall growth. Back home, Yes Bank was the first bank to come out with a issue worth Rs 1,000 crore in 2015. Following this, few other banks too had green bond issuances. CLP India, was the first Indian company to tap this route. So far, Rs 7,200 crore has been raised via green bonds.

4. Has Sebi mandated additional rules on such issues?

For designating an issue of a corporate bond as green bond, an issue apart from complying with the issue and listing of debt securities regulations, would have to disclose additional information in the offer document such as use of proceeds.

5. What are the avenues where these funds can be invested?

Sebi's indicative(suggestive) list includes renewable and sustainable energy such as wind and solar, clean transportation, sustainable water management, climate change adaptation, energy efficiency , sustainable waste management and land use and biodiversity.

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Ab and abs

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Ambigous

RELENTLESS

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Relentless

CONSEQUENCE

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Consequence

epochal

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Epochal

Today we are starting a new youtube channel where we will upload short video of english vocab and you will learn a word in seconds. we will introduce you only those words which we see in a exams or standard news paper.. share it if you like it

Video length: 20 seconds

Epochal

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DOWNLOAD MONTHLY PDF OF MAY

We are really sorry that this time we are not uploading our ebook to full of capacity but as we know many exams are in streaks so  we are uploading a ebook with low content but this ebook will be enough for few marks and we will be back with full of content next time.

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CLICK HERE FOR APRIL

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The Most Well-Rounded Person on Earth

The most well-rounded person on earth may have no field of mastery.

The most exceptional person in a specific niche may have no sense of balance.

The person who falls in between these extremes may feel not as balanced as the well-rounded one, and not as outstanding as the exceptional one.

The person with few friends may feel unpopular.

The person with many friends may feel that they've isolated themselves by virtue of choosing quantity over quality.

The person who chooses principle over external validation may struggle materially.

The person who chooses profit over people may struggle to find authentic connection.

The person who fears change may miss out on experiences of a lifetime.

The person who never stops improving may find that no matter what they do, the person in the mirror never appears to be good enough to deserve love.

Strengths and weaknesses are two sides of the same coin. We long for the strengths we don't have; often unaware that we don't have them precisely because we don't truly want the package they come in.

No path we take is without some type of challenge.

This is why no matter what we do, we will never be as perfect as we envision is possible. It's because perfection is an illusion. Add some other strength, gain some other weakness.

We are where we are because we're happiest with the strength-weakness combination we've chosen at this moment in time.

We may think we'd be happier with some other perceived strength than the one we've got, but it's more than likely we haven't flipped the coin over to see the other side. If we did, we might find that it is possible to be quite content with where we are right now.

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Investors who turned their back are coming back: Nitin Gadkari

Union Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari is confident of pushing through Rs 25 lakh crore of investments in the critical transport sectors under his watch over the NDA government's tenure. While private sector developers who had abandoned[u'ban-dund(leave,छोड़ना)] highway projects in 2014 are now coming back into the fray, the minister said the biggest challenge he faces is not financing, land acquisition or environmental clearances, but slow decision making processes in the administration. Edited Excerpts from an interview with The Hindu's Somesh Jha and Vikas Dhoot:

Two years after taking charge, do you feel India's economy is out of the woods yet?

Look, when we came to power, the GDP (gross domestic product) growth stood at 4.25 per cent, now it has gone up to 7.5 per cent. There was a shortage of coal – we have a surplus coal after two years and similar is the case with the power generation. We can’t also say that everything is sailing smoothly, but the train that got derailed during UPA regime is back on track. Talking about infrastructure, road was built up at the speed of 2 km per day earlier. Now, it stands at the highest ever pace of 25 km per day. In our sector, after completion of two years, I have commissioned work worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore. For the first time in history, the profits of 12 major ports and three flagship organisations – Cochin Shipyard, Shipping Corporation of India, Dredging Corporation of India – more than Rs 6,000 crore. In the port sector, it is for the first time that our efficiency compared to the private players is better. While one of the largest private port's efficiency declined 1.6 per cent, ours rose by 2.46 per cent. There is improvement in ports, inland waterways sector has opened up and work worth Rs 4,000 crore has been initiated inGanga. There were landmark decisions in the automobile sector –Euro VI emission norms will set in by 1 April 2020. We have launched ethanol, bio-diesel, CNG and electric buses and encouraging its use. These are import-substitute, cost-effective and pollution-free. Talking about irrigation, there were around 89 projects valued at Rs 1.5 lakh crore under AIBP (Accelerated Irrigation Benefits) which were dead assets. We will spend Rs 80,000 crorein four years to complete these AIBP projects. For the first time, Rs 20,000 crore per year has been budgeted for Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana which will assist states. There were 3.60 lakh bank accounts earlier and today, 21.7 lakh crore accounts have been opened. The petroleum gas subsidy savings has helped 5 crore people to get gas cylinders. The health and insurance schemes for the poor has been a success. We have had a positive approach in development programmes for all the strata -- villagers, poor, labour and farmers. There was an indecisive[in-di'sI-siv(undecided,अनिर्णायक)] government (earlier) but now we have a government with a vision for development. Our relations have improved with neighbouring countries. We are making roads connectivity to Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Mynamar andBangkok. Earlier, it used to take 18 hours to travel via road from Agartala to Kolkata but now it’s possible to travel from Agartala to Kolkata via Dhaka. In all the countries that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited – be it theUnited States, Russia, Australia, UK or Dubai our prestige and respect has gone up. We have tried to build good relations with Pakistan. We have been able to control Naxalite movement and due to state support, we have successfully kept a check on cross-border terrorism. I think, overall, on all the fronts there has been good work.

People have more expectations from us and it will take us some more time to fulfill those. It took 60 years for the Congress here we have only completed two years and not all expectations can be met in two years but I can confidently say that the work that has not happened in last 60 years, we will make it happen in five years.

What about road links to Pakistan?

The Prime Minister himself visited Pakistan and extended his hand for friendship. Till the time Pakistan stops sponsoring cross-border terrorism and doesn’t keep a check on terrorist and terrorist organisation coming into India, there can’t be good relations. Pakistan too is suffering from poverty and malnutrition and I feel at this point, we all should joins hands in fighting these issues and move towards development. We have good relations with Bangladesh and we will do our best to maintain good terms with Nepal. We are good with Bhutan. Everywhere we are putting our efforts to maintain good affairs.

The Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government had launched the Golden Quadrilateral project of four-laned national highways connecting all metros. At the time, it was said to be one of the most ambitious national projects embarked upon, since Sher Shah Suri's times. What's the big plan for Infrastructure in this government?

In our country, the road length is 52 lakh kilometres but out of this, only 96,000 km is the national highways network. At present, 40 per cent of the entire traffic commutes on this two per cent road. This has caused five lakh accidents, three lakh injuries and 1.5 lakh people dying on road (every year). Now, we have decided to increase the national highways network to 2 lakh km from 96,000 km. We have already declared 1.55 lakh km of roads and when the highways network will expand to 2 lakh km, 80 per cent of the country’s traffic will ply on it. Earlier, four-laning of roads was done when traffic volume was more than 25,000 PCUs (passenger car units per day) which has been decreased to 10,000 PCUs. We have taken two historic steps. One per cent of the cost of construction (of roads) will go into plantation, beautification and maintenance and one per cent on road safety. So, Rs 5,000 each will be spent on this in the next four years. We will come up with 1,300 road side amenities and the tender for 60 is already out. We have identified 300 spots for parking plaza, hotels, motels, restaurants, petrol pump, service centres, handloom stores, fruit and vegetable shops, helipad and a small hospital for treatment of the locals. It will boost employment.

We will open Logistics Park on the Easterly and Westerly bypass road so that godowns are located outside Delhi. I have also told (Delhi chief minister Arvind) Kejriwal if all the godowns can be located outside Delhi, it will reduce the traffic and pollution here. We are building 14-lane Delhi-Meerut expressway. So, we are building roadways, expressways, highways in the entire country and I think this will create huge jobs. Usually, investments worth Rs 1 crore give employment to 70 people. I will complete Rs 2.5 lakh crore investments by 26 May, and I will give you the list of the projects, you can calculate the jobs that it will create with that scale of investment. The country needs a policy that generates employment and without infrastructure, both industry and agriculture cannot prosper and the GDP will not grow. I have kept American President John Kennedy’s quote in my office which says, ‘American roads are not good because America is rich but America is rich because American roads are good.’ So, prosperity comes with roads.

But our first priority is waterways, followed by railways and roads. In China, 45 per cent of the passengers and goods travel through waterways, similarly in Japan and Korea it is 43-44 per cent, in European countries it is more than 40 per cent but here it stands at only 3.5 per cent. If you go by waterways, you spend 20 paisa (on logistics), through railways Rs 1 and by road you spend Rs 1.5. That’s why we have decided to convert 111 rivers into national waterways. We have 7,500 km coastline and we are building six new ports out of which work on three new ports will commence[ku'men(t)s(start,शुरू)] this year.

You claim that the Ministry doesn’t lack funds but private sector interest has been lukewarm[look'worm(unenthusiastic,निरुत्साह)] and the the Finance Ministry is facing burden from the Seventh Pay commission...

Please understand my economic model. The budget for the road sector is Rs 55,000 crore. Then, our income from toll collection is Rs 10,000 crore. If I securitise my toll income for 15 years, I will get Rs 130,000 crore which leaves us with around Rs 2 lakh crore. If I securitise the government’s funds that went into completion of 111 projects, I will get 1 lakh crore. This makes it Rs 3 lakh crore in total. Apart from this, the government has given us approval to raise Rs 70,000 crore tax-exempted bonds, so that becomes Rs 4 lakh crore. Then, if I build more roads from this fund, I will get more toll collection. So, out of my target of completing work worth Rs 25 lakh crore, I will spend Rs 10-12 lakh crore in roads and Rs 15-20 lakh crore in shipping.

Can you elaborate on the securitisation aspect?

The pension funds and insurance funds are ready to take my funds. I will go into tripartite agreement and tell them we will give six per cent returns. That’s not an issue. The budget provision for shipping sector has been only Rs 1,800 crore. I have made a profit of Rs 6,000 crore last year. Next year, it will go up to Rs 8,000 crore and then 10,000 crore. So in four years, I will have profit worth Rs 40,000 crore. Then, I have fixed deposits worth Rs 15,000 crore in banks. This means a total of Rs 55,000 crore add to that Rs 10,000 from creditors so it comes out to be Rs 65,000 crore. I have a turnover of Rs 4,000 crore in ports and shipping in dollar terms. Now, for eight-laning concrete road project from JNPT to Panvel, I took loans in dollar terms at the rate of 2.75 per cent, instead of the borrowing rate of 12 per cent that I took in other projects. So, I took a loan of Rs 3,000 crore at 2.75 per cent. So on this Rs 4,000 crore (forex-based) turnover, I will take loans worth Rs 50,000 crore at 2.75 per cent in dollar terms. So, I have funds worth Rs 1 lakh crore. Then, I will get returns on these projects too.

You are talking of external commercial borrowings (ECBs)?

No, it is not ECB. Recently, I took loan from banks for the eight-lane Panvel project in dollar terms instead of rupees. So, I have Rs 50,000 crore. I am not dependent on the finance ministry for budget. I am spending Rs 4 lakh crore in ports – Rs 1 lakh towards port rail connectivity, Rs 2 lakh for port road connectivity and Rs 1 lakh crore on mechanisation and modernisation of ports. I will spend Rs 8 lakh crore towards 27 industrial clusters barring the investments on inland waterways and smart cities. So, I have targeted spending Rs 25 lakh crore whereas the actual work is worth around Rs 30 lakh crore. I am not amongst those ministers who make shallow promises. I say what I mean and I mean it.

What are the kinds of problems you have faced in executing the projects?

My problem is not related to land acquisition and environment clearance. My problem is addressing the decision-making process in administration. We have taken 21 Cabinet decisions and a lot of committees have been set up. The decision in such committees takes months to complete. I want to fasten this process. That is my responsibility and I don’t blame anyone for that. You go to any contractor and they will say we have saved them. When I became the highways minister, 403 projects worth Rs 3.85 lakh crore were stalled and today, only 14-15 projects worth Rs 30,000 crore are languishing[lang-gwish(fall,गिरना)] and the problems related to the rest are solved. Had I not addressed those issues, the banks’ NPAs (non-performing assets) would have shot up to Rs 3 lakh crore. I have saved the bankers and the industrialists from this trap. I held thousands of meetings with contractors and bankers. So I called all the stakeholders and solved the big issues. So, a positive approach, transparent system, time-bound approach, team spirit and development-oriented system are the strengths of our management.

Out of the stalled projects, how many did you have to terminate?

We have terminated 43 projects out of 403 projects. We have issued fresh tenders and work on many of these has already begun. Four such projects have started on the hybrid annuity model too.

What about the expressways?

This year, we will begin work on the Vadodara-Mumbai expressway. The highway alignment on Delhi-Jaipur is almost complete and similar is the case with Delhi-Katra expressway. We have planned Delhi-Meerut, Bangalore-Chennai, Hyderabad- Bangalore and Vijaywada-Bangalore projects.

How will the land packaging work in such projects? The developers have demanded the land access along the highways in the past…

There are three successful models of land acquisition in the country – one is in Amravati, another in Surat and third is Navi Mumbai airport. The model is that we will acquire land and return 40 per cent of the land to the owner after development, 20 per cent will go into building infrastructure and the rest 40 per cent we will take. The cost of land will decrease with this model. Now, let’s say we build a logistics park on a 1,000 acre land. We will give 400 acre land to the land owner, NHAI will get 400 acre land and the rest 20 per cent land can go into building petrol pump or road side amenities so a new township will be created in the form of logistic park. This innovate model will help farmers, create employment and lead to development.

What is the response you have got on the hybrid annuity model for highways?

When I became the minister, the PPP (public-private) model was not getting any response. Already 17 projects have been commissioned on the hybrid annuity model. The response on the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) toll model was tepid[te-pid(lukewarm)] as the market situation was not good. I will tell you an instance. Larsen & Tourbo (L&T) Chairman AM Naik came to me and said his company’s board has taken a decision to not do any road projects and he decided to exit the road projects taking a penalty of 1.5 per cent. Now, L&T is doing nine projects worth Rs 15,000 crore. So, the situation has changed and investors who had exited are coming back.

Your ministry is also planning to develop roads through the Swiss Challenge model. But Dr. Vijay Kelkar panel had criticised the model recently in its report.

We have drafted a Cabinet note and if the government permits us, we will go ahead. But I feel the Swiss Challenge model is not required in the road sector. We don’t have technology and resources and land problems.

And you will acquire the land for developers?

We have made it a rule that without acquiring 80 per cent of the land, we will not give work orders or permits.

But you said decision making in the administration is an issue…

File is pending for months with various committees. That’s the biggest challenge for us. Although we have succeeded to a very large extent, but more work needs to be done.

What about the Chabahar port you were supposed to develop in Iran?

The Prime Minister is going to Iran on May 23 and I may also accompany him and finalise the agreement.

What will be the model?

We have formed a global company and Kandla port and JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port) has claimed equity in it and we will build the port.

So, Iran will also have stakes in it?

We will develop the port and return it to Iran in some years.

There were NPA issues with banks. How do you plan to get their support?

The banks are not giving loans and financial closure is taking years. Banks are scared of giving loans looking at pending cases with CBI and CVC and also because of the media. I have told this to the finance minister. I plan to set up an Infrastructure Finance Corporation on the lines of the Power Trading Corporation. We have floated a Cabinet note. We plan to bring foreign funds.

What is the timeline to double the national highways?

Within three months. At present, we have completed 1.55 lakh kilometres and till the next Parliament session, we will achieve that target.

What was the response of the Delhi government on the logistics park proposed by you to ease congestion and pollution in the capital?

The Delhi government is very much receptive[ri'sep-tiv(acceptive,ग्रहणशील)]. I extend help to everyone -- all Congress chief ministers or whether it is Kejriwalji or Lalu (Prasad)ji. I don't do politics in my work.

There were a lot of issues related to the diesel cars…

In Delhi, there are 18-20,000 diesel taxis. The Supreme Court had put a ban on them. We requested the court that we respect your judgement and we will not give diesel permits going ahead and try to convert diesel vehicles into CNG.

Don’t you think diesel recently got unfairly demonised campaign?

Look, there is no denying that diesel causes pollution. That’s why ethanol, bio-diesel and bio-CNG are the future. Fifty buses in Nagpur run on ethanol provided by us. We made a royalty of Rs 18 crore from Mahrashtra government by selling toilet water and 100 buses are running from the bio-CNG produced from it. It is a import substitute, cost effective and pollution-free model. If you go for innovation, entrepreneurship, technology, research and Digital India, then sky is the limit.

Five Indian cars recently failed the Global NCAP safety test…

Along with safety, we also need to take the cost of vehicles into account. We are trying to align with the western country standards but we also need to look at the paying capacity of our citizens. We will look at the report and will take decisions through an integrated approach. But if we conform to those standards, the cost of vehicle can go up by 15 per cent and if that happens, it will hit the affordability of the people.

Even after two years of the government, industry sometimes feels that they are unable to see the progress on ground…

All I can say is that I can give you the details of whatever I am telling you right now. We don’t claim that all the sectors are a success. We are still facing issues in some sectors. For instance the sugar industry had collapsed, a few projects in the power sector were stuck, shipbuilding industry was facing tough time, steel industry also collapsed but recession is there on a global scale too. We are doing our best to bail out industry from these problems.

What is your message to the young voters? Hold on for how much time?

We are moving ahead on a positive tangent on development. Our programmes are getting positive results and going ahead, the country will go ahead. Our economy will be at par with China and there will be robust[row'búst(strong,सुदृढ़)] employment generation. Villages, poor, labour and farmers will prosper and our dream of corruption- and terrorism-free country will be fulfilled. Congress was in power for 60 years. We have done a lot in these two years and we will continue to do so and people should give us more time.

Courtesy:the hindu

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