23rd June 2018
From economics to action – my 1999 draft paper – to be completed one day
While completing my doctoral studies I started writing this paper for potential publication in some academic journal. Due to extreme RSI the paper never got completed. Note that I not only had extreme RSI from around end-1998 due to intensive typing for India Policy Institute, but also had to complete my dissertation by April 1999 and defend and submit it for approval. I also was given the privilege of being the only student from my batch of PhD students to teach a formal intermediate economics course. And yes, at the same time, World Bank also gave me a consulting project for a study they were conducting. Despite the most amazing pain, I continued to bang on, on the computer.
I’m publishing the original 1999 version – which was a preliminary draft – here – unchanged.
But I’ve also taken this version into Onedrive here – where I’ll edit it over the coming months/ years in an attempt to finish it.
The paper underpins my belief that the findings of economics are effectively worthless unless it is used in daily life. In that sense it is just like science: it need to be APPLIED in our daily lives.
23rd June 2018
Discovery of a brilliant liberal scientist of Indian origin – C.S. Prakash
Due to the accident of his commenting on my TOI agriculture article, I found time to study the work of CS Prakash, and I’m deeply impressed.
I wonder how I missed getting to know about him and his work till now. I suppose I’ve paid more attention to economists of Indian origin than to scientists – since from my experience most scientists are completely ignorant about basic economics. But here’s a biologist who – unlike MS Swaminathan – is really good in economics. I presume that’s why Liberty Institute invited him to deliver the 2003 Julian Simon lecture (I’ve requested a copy of the lecture from him and will post it on my blog etc. if I can get hold of it).
As expected, he is also a strong votary of GMO and recently retweeted this.
I’m delighted to discover CS Prakash and look forward to finding out more about his views. If only we had scientists like him in India.
At the minimum one must thank Thomas Jefferson and colleagues who helped create a free nation to which people like CS Prakash could go to, even when they were oppressed within their own nation.
As Prakash has noted about India in a tweet: “800 years of outsiders-ruling have conditioned us many Indians to be slavish to the statist state & made us look up to the government for everything allowing politicians & bureaucrats to be paternalistic. I grew up in the 60s where we were taught ‘Government is God’ in schools!”
Strongly encourage all SBP members to follow Prakash’s work. We would like to involve him in SBP’s agricultural policy development in the coming years.
21st June 2018
Looking for serious money to support a full-fledged training institute for SBP
The RSS took decades of “prachar” to spread its message to the people. Our party’s ideology is entirely different but we should probably follow the same long-term strategy to create an umbrella of paid pracharaks across the length and breadth of India.
I am now looking for financial support and land to establish a training institute for the party which will hire full time pracharaks. I will personally oversight the creation of the institute. I am hoping to launch the training institute within the next few months.
Let me know if you can contribute. Only those with willingness to chip in at least Rs.2 lakhs may please write to me at sabhlok@gmail.com. The institute will need at least Rs.20 lakhs to start.
21st June 2018
My next planned TOI articles on behalf of SBP
After five articles in TOI I’m now planning a few more. My plan, in chronological order:
a) To send by mid-August: On mining reform
b) To send by mid-November: On education reform
c) To send by mid-February 2019: On water reform
d) To send by mid-May 2019: On urban planning reform
e) To send by mid-August 2019: On environmental protection
I’ve already finished one on governance reforms, but I’ll try to get it published elsewhere since TOI doesn’t seem to take more than one article every quarter.
I’m not taking any comments on this blog but don’t mind any specific inputs from HIGHLY KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSONS in the above areas. Please send me at sabhlok@gmail.com.