Articles by B M

NEW DELHI Wasted Technical Manpower THE question of upgrading technology and R and D is an important one. It can also become an alibi for extending and enlarging collaboration arrangements for foreign technology transfer. Even as Bharat Electricals is in the final stages of entering into a 15-year deal with Siemens of West Germany and has been questioned in this light, the signing of a comprehensive 15-20 year agreement on economic and technical co-operation with the Soviet Union, at the time of Soviet Prime Minister Kosygin's visit, sanctifies simi arrangements in other areas

R and D: Farewell to Self-Reliance?
B M THE tension which is binding up on the political front is hardly conducive to worthwhile discussion on other issues of importance. Even so Y B Chavan has taken a significant initiative

NEW DELHI New Pressures within Janata B M THE autumn session of Parliament opened this week with a mammoth demonstration of workers outside it. A day earlier, on Sunday, as workers affiliated to all central trade unions irrespective of their political and ideological affiliations met in a convention to register their united and uncompromising opposition to the Industrial Relations Bill introduced in Parliament's last session, the Land Reforms Committee headed by Planning Commission Member, Raj Krishna, held a press conference to release to the public the ommendations of the first of a series of reports that the Committee has decided to submit. The Committee has demanded that all land reform laws must be given constitutional protection by their inclusion in the Ninth Schedule. Earlier still, at Ujjain at a Camp of the ruling party leaders and activists; there was wide and sharp criticism of the Desai government for its "nonperformance" and its failure to carry out the party's socio-economic commitments to the people which had resulted in the erosion of its mass support within a short period of its coming to power. What all these happenings and much else signify are the growing pressures within the ruling coalition on policy issues which are in a marked degree different from the kind of factional dissensions which have planed the party for some time and which were concerned more with sharing of power by different persons and their groups than questions of principles. This is an interesting development, especially so after the recent Chickmagalur by-election. The first reaction in the ruling party to the failure of the Janata Party and its high-powered campaign to cut into the support of the Congress(I) and its star candidate in Indira Gandhi was that the threat posed by Indira Gandhi's comeback bid to the ruling party could be met only by the "unity'' of the party and that, therefore, all efforts must be made to end personal squabbles and close rank. It is significant, however, that these sentiments in favour of "unity" have suddenly begun to lose much of their appeal. On the contrary, there is to be seen a greater earn estness in party circles for examining the record of the government and to take a critical view of the standpoints on socio-economic issues which divide the Janata conglomerate than for seeking unity of the party at any cost and on any basis. It seems that there may now be more forceful articulation of issues of principle within the Janata Party as well among those who are associated with it in semi-official or unofficial capacities.

NEW DELHI Problems of Aid Absorption B M THE visit of World Bank President, Robert McNamara, to India ostensibly to attend a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Ford Foundation, became, an occasion for an informal but wide-ranging review with the Government of India of development policies and perspectives and the rota of international financial institutions, among them the World Bank and its affiliates, as well as of foreign private capital. This is believed to be the starting point of moreintensive studies and discussions between concerned officials both sides. Special importance, ac- cording to some quarters, is attached to the activities of the International Finance Corporation in this context. The IFC is an important limb of the World Bank structure. Unlike IDA which extends official aid on concessional terms to the developingcountries, the IFC is the agency for mobilising international finance on commercial terms for investment in these countries. It appears that the IFC which had had a rather limited role to play in India for some time is now being geared to step up its operations in this country.

NEW DELHI Indo-US Business Council Public Postures and Private Purposes B M THE performance of the US team led by Orville L Freeman at the session of the lndo-US Joint Business Council last week has received wide notice and evoked strong reaction in certain quarters. The blunt manner adopted by Freeman in stating the position of US capital if it is to invest in India, in contrast to the suave and sometimes even cringing style of his Indian counterparts in the Council, is a well-rehearsed posture. Those who have denounced the conduct of Freeman in voicing public criticism of Industry' Minister, George Fernandes, for blowing hot and cold over big business houses and foreign capital and have demanded even the disbandment of the Joint Council for that reason, would seem to be exercised over what in the view of those concerned with the business of the Council was so much trivia by comparison with the real issues at stake. Interestingly enough, some of the critics as well as admirers of George Fernandes think that Freeman has not harmed but actually enhanced the political image of the Industry Minister by his criticism and further reinforced Fernandes' pragmatic credentials.