Fifth, the performance of Lalu Prasad Yadav in Railways has been universally rated high. Improving finances while protecting consumers, through productivity improvements in wagon-loading and turnaround time, shows the scope of similar improvements elsewhere. No doubt, in the long run, wear and tear of tracks, transiting to lighter aluminium-based wagons and improving safety cannot be overlooked. While changing technology paradigms offer infinite scope, productivity-linked improvements may run out of steam and the need for tariff rebalancing, eliminating other subsidies and more aggressive public-private partnership cannot be obviated.

Sixth, the current quota controversy overlooks the more neglected and endemic problem of HRD. It’s a pity that the Knowledge Commission is now divided and may be dysfunctional. Improving primary education, filling teacher vacancies, reducing dropout ratios, improving quality particularly in maths and science, encouraging greater numbers to seek secondary and higher education and grappling with challenges of faculty attraction and retention, coupled with autonomy in technical institutes, are areas of far-reaching importance. Regrettably, no roadmap is in sight. We are frittering away our greatest comparative advantage—a young demographic profile—instead of fostering a knowledge hub.

Seventh, there are other areas where action has scarcely begun, like reforms of the judiciary or labour laws, or where initiatives taken have not yielded outcomes, like an integrated food law. The roads programme has suffered from costly time overruns. Approvals pile up for environmental clearance. Maran is a bright spot, but it can’t be said for many other allied partners. It is not surprising that in these areas the concerned ministers have not figured favourably in the survey markings.

... contd.