The fruitless plastic ban

The imposed plastic ban is effective only at banning the thin plastic covers which contributes to a small percentage of the total plastic production. Shampoo bottles, paste tubes, powder tins, bakery items, etc. are packed in plastic bottles. Many of them can be made reusable.

A system comprises the collection of reusable bottles, sort it by companies and transport it to the manufacturers can be envisaged. Government, companies & people have to work together to achieve this.

Many cities have implemented the two bin one bag system. A green colour bin for biodegradable wastes and a red one for hazardous wastes. Along with this, a separate reusable (maybe yellow) bin is suggested. The reusable bottles can have a reusable emblem so that people can identify and put it on the reusable bin. Corporation department can then set up a procedure to segregate and bring it to the companies.

In this way, we can make plastic production to the minimum. For example, instead of using plastic covers to pack washing powder the manufacturer can sell it on a plastic bottle. This plastic bottle can be reused if properly recycled. There is an inevitable onetime production. After that, the production is only when there is an increase in demand.

The right time to put nose-string to corruption

With this spectacular win in the Delhi election, AAP has a more serious responsibility of preventing corruption from root squaring in the party. Two consecutive wins increase the probability of corruption.

The popularity of AAP is going to skyrocket in the coming years due to the novel administration put in place by Kejriwal and his party. Unlike others, they focused and spent their time more on the people and their problems than blaming other parties. While Modi was boasting about the new endeavours that he inaugurated in the media as if it was his mercy, Kejriwal treated them as his duty. In all of his actions, Kejriwal tried to fend off corruption even though few incidents were reported.

He had a clear plan and a professional approach (thanks to his education) of what he wanted to do since commencement. His media presence was minimal compared to other party heads (This may be attributed to the fact that many of the major news media are allies of the ruling party). And whenever he confronts the media, it was mostly to discuss his plans and new initiatives. Modi & Rahul comes to media only to calumniate others.

But with all of AAPs services they should seriously think of envisaging novel practices to reduce the in house corruption. Delhi Metro is an example of how such a system can be implemented and put in place where there is no scope for corruption. The credit for that is attributed to only one man the karma yogi, ‘E. Sreedharan’.

BJP has won in 2014 not because they have done something useful to the country. People were desperate about Congress' countrywide corruption. Now they are becoming hopeless with BJP. Kerala is going through the same situation. The politicians are mocking at people. They know that people don't have a choice other than LDF & UDF. So anyway they will get a chance to ravage in every five years. It is the same situation in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and many other states. The politicians reach an agreement with each other. This is what has to be changed. 

We should have at least 5 major parties. Then there will be a tight competition. See what happened to taxi services. With the advent of Uber/Ola, the Taxi/auto services were forced to charge nominal rates. What is happening on Internet & Mobile service industry. JIO, Airtel, Vodafone, BSNL, ACTs,  Hathway - there is competition.

Misuse of power - thoughts on Kunal/Arnab issue

Had Arnab faced any annoyance on air, he could have complained to the airlines and police. Instead, he escalated the issue directly to the ministry. The minister ordered Indigo & all other airlines to impose a ban on Kunal!!. And to placate the minister, airlines carried out it without further investigation. How can a minister put direct order to punish a citizen? Such powers are bestowed in the judiciary and not with the ministers. Their duties are bound to direct and co-ordinate government activities. It is a clear case of dictatorship. But this is India, not North Korea.

How can personal grudge be avenged by means of political influence? Hundreds of such incidents are happening at airports without any attention. Will they involve if it has happened to a congress MP? 

Solidarity to Kunal who slapped a legal notice on Indigo.