Taxes and Subsidies : A vicious circle.

When I was a child, I had often wondered, why do we have taxes?

I mean, my mother and father went to work all day and earned their salary in an honest way. Why should they give the government a large chunk of their earnings?

One day, my doubts were cleared by an elderly gentleman who had the patience and the time to do so. He told me that we payed the government so that we have roads, electricity, water and other such resources. He said we paid taxes so that the government can give food to the poor people at a cheaper rate so that they could also fill their stomach.

As a child, I was unconvinced. I did not know why but the explanation just did not set with me.

When I grew up, I realised that tax money was used by government in giving subsidies to the poor as well as providing everyone with basic amenities.

So, government took money from parents. Decided on what schemes to use that money on. Used the money for people who needed it. Problem solved!

So, to simplify it, government did charity on my behalf.

Now, what I don't understand is, why do we need the government to do this?

I mean, if I really want to or have to help someone, why can I not decide whom to help and how to help them?

I do not agree that just because some people are rich, they have a duty to take care of everyone that is poor. I believe that everyone should get what they deserve for their work. Please read my post on The Robin Hood Concept for more details on this.

In the current scenario, the government is spending a lot of money in collecting taxes. After that a lot of money is lost on schemes which have good intentions but are implemented poorly. Not to forget the major share of corruption in 'redistributing' the money.

So, I have to pay only Rs 400 for a job to my maid because she is supposedly getting benefits from the government and so can manage on a meager salary. I have to give 30% of my income to the government so that it can provide these benefits to my maid.

Unfortunately, all the money that I give to the government, hoping that it would reach my maid, does not reach her. Some is lost in administrative expense. Some is lost in mismanagement and the lot of it goes to corrupt 'distributors'!

Instead, why can't I just pay my maid more and pay less taxes?

In this way, I will be paying my maid exactly what she deserves based on the price decided by market forces. The government will not have to collect money from me and give it to my maid. And my maid will get what she is entitled to for her work. Doesn't it simplify the entire process?

It not only makes it more efficient but also a lot more reliable. Plus, because I get to choose where my erstwhile tax money is being used, I cannot complain that the government is wasting my tax money.

Ofcourse this cannot be done overnight. The reduction in taxes and subsidies has to be simultaneous.

The only way to reduce corruption is to improve the moral fabric of the society but till then we must work on reducing the number of opportunities where people can be corrupt.

If we increase the subsidies, more and more people would want to be in the group which is entitled to these subsidies thus defeating the entire purpose of it.

Let us focus on creating wealth before we start redistributing it. 

Our classroom in Mumbai.

Hello,

I am Apoorv. I am a Teach for India teacher. I teach in a school where kids from low income families come to study. I am writing this blog to raise funds for my kids.

Who are my kids?

They are 49 students of 7th standard in Divine Child High School in Malad (East), Mumbai. They are the most amazing bunch of students I have ever met in my life. They are inquisitive, joyful, eager and have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. They come from families who are completely invested in wanting to improve their child's life. They are kids who have achieved a lot over the past few years but are still just warming up. They are kids who don't get confused when they see a new word. They find out its meaning and then try to use it in day to day conversations. They are kids who can ask you uncomfortable questions about your field of expertise.They are kids who are can surprise you with their answers and their level of critical thinking. They are kids who know that understanding everything is more important than just remembering it. They are kids who work harder and smarter than most kids their age and they do it under trying circumstances.They are kids who are always ready for a challenge. They are my kids.

But we need your help.

There are various ways in which you can help us:

• Volunteer: Come teach the class. Give the students a different perspective about a topic of your choice. They have not had a lot of exposure with the latest happenings around the world so getting to know more people would be wonderful for them.
• Send us books! : If you have old books which are in good condition then we would love to have them as well. You could buy new books and send them to me. You can choose any book which you think a school going kid should read. :)
• Sponsor our field trips : There are SO many places in and around Mumbai which my kids haven't seen yet. We do not have the resources to take them around in a bus. If you fund one of our trips, we promise to send you photos. :)
• Scholarship for the students: Our's is a private school and so the kids do have to pay fees. Our monthly fee is Rs 550/- and apart from that we also have a lot of other misc expenses which add up to a lot. A lot of my kids struggle with the fee payment. Scholarships are a great motivator and have proven to work amazingly well for students. 
• Buy us stuff : We have a perpetual need for stationary. We need a projector and preferably a small screen too. We need board games and a few sports equipment.  

This is just a suggested list. If there is anything else that you would want to do for the students then please feel free to contact me.

How to contribute?

If you wish to contribute in any of the above mentioned ways please send me an email on apoorv.shah2013[at] teachforindia.org or call me on +91 9925027956 any time after 2pm. You can also leave your contact details as comments on this blog and I will get back to you in a day. 

You can wire transfer the money or send us a cheque. More details will be given when you send me the email. :)

If you want, you can go to this link on the Teach for India website and choose me 'Apoorv' in the "donate to specific fellow" tab. Here's the link: http://www.teachforindia.org/donate/give-instantly 

All your contributions will be judiciously used. Highest level of accountability and transparency will be maintained. We will see to it that your contribution is optimally utilized. 

If you have any queries, please direct them the email id. 

You can also get regular updates about the happenings in class on my twitter handle @apoorv3E

Now to end with some amazing news.

I had posted on my facebook account about a similar request and was overwhelmed when I got 5 people willing to sponsor the students. I received scholarship money from one of the donors a couple of days back and received a book from another today.

Here's the photo of the book. 

Me and my students hope that this is just the beginning. :)

If you are in the area, please do come visit. :) 

Thanks

A

Update: I received 3 more books and close to 10,000 Rs in scholarship donation money after this post. Thank you to everyone. We have made a good start but there is a long way to go. :) 

BRST: A dream turning into a nightmare

If you have ever visited Ahmedabad you are very likely to know about BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System). Its not the first of its kind in the country but it is arguably the only one that still functions properly. It was started to reduce the traffic on the roads. Ahmedabad did not have a good public transport system apart from the city buses. BRTS was envisaged to be a cheap and fast way of transport in the city.

BRTS Ahmedabad has won a lot of national and international awards. It has been successful in reducing pollution by reducing the number of vehicles on the street. Ahmedabad has a population of over 70 lakh and BRTS is the first step in creating a good public transport system.

I traveled on the BRTS bus in the very first week it started. They were amazing. Comfortable seats, cheap tickets, well thought out route and courteous staff. It felt like the city was finally moving in the right direction with regard to traffic management. A lot of people started using the BRTS instead of their personal vehicles. I started using it instead of using an auto rickshaw.

Everything seemed to be working well until BRTS became a victim of its own popularity. It is estimated that more than 60 thousand people travel in the BRTS everyday! That's a lot of traffic for what is, as of now, a limited fleet of buses.

The problems with BRTS right now are:

• The buses which ply on the route are already started breaking down. I am not sure if its because of the way they are used or because of the quality of the buses from the beginning. Seats have started breaking and the automatic doors don't work properly. 
• BRTS drivers drive very rashly. The number of accidents that occur on the route every month is a sign of it. I mean, how hard is it to drive a bus in a dedicated lane on the road? 
• The ticketing system is manual which means that there is a railway station like que at every BRTS station. If you really want to save time and make it convenient for the passengers then I guess automatic ticketing counters, like they have in some of the foreign countries is the way to go. Smart cards have recently been introduced but by and large most people still use the normal ticketing system. It is a waste of time and precious resources. 
• There is no limit on the number of passengers in one bus. So during peak hours, all the buses are filled way beyond capacity. Its almost like a Mumbai local train. This happens because the number of buses are less compared to the number of passengers. 

So, what can be done?

• Proper training should be given to drivers so that accidents do not occur on the route. They should be held accountable for the accidents that occur due to their error. They should be asked to not speed needlessly and brake suddenly. It causes passengers to fall over one another and injure themselves. 
• Increase the number of buses and limit the number of people in a bus. It is my rough estimate that the bus has 50-60 seats. Close to 30 people can easily stand in the bus. So, if we limit the number of people in a bus to 100, it would mean that everyone in the bus would be comfortable. I know that it means a lot of people will have to wait for another bus just because the bus that has come has no capacity but I guess we have to do it so that the life of the buses and the roads and the travelling experience of the passengers is improved. An increase in the number of buses will be a big financial investment but if the journey is made more comfortable, a lot more people would take the BRTS than riding their personal vehicle. 
• Smart cards should be encouraged. They save a lot of man hours and are also very convenient. A small discount on recharge of smart cards could be one of the options.

These are some of the small things which can go a long way in improving the BRTS experience. I traveled in a choc-a-bloc BRTS bus yesterday and heard a lot of people complain about the quality of the service. They said that this was the last time they were using BRTS. I would also not take it willingly if the situation does not improve. 

Also, I should add that people in the city do not have the simple courtesy to stand in a line to get into the bus. Whenever a bus comes to the stop everyone starts acting like the world is ending and the bus is the only place which is safe. Also, I will never understand the obsession that some people have with standing right in front of the door when their stop is 30 minutes away. Not to forget the die hard romantics who think it is mandatory to write their lovers name in all public places. Sadly, public transport in India doesn't mean it belong to everyone, it means it belong to no one. Its the people's mentality towards public assets that hurts the development of the country.

 

Coming back to the point, a public transport system should be something that the people of the city are proud of. This will make it more effective and help it serve its purpose. If I know that BRTS is a comfortable and efficient way to travel across the city, I will ask others to use it. The entire purpose of a public transport is defeated if the public which is meant to use it, does not think it works well. 

If the government does not do anything to improve the BRTS, this dream will definitely turn into a nightmare. 

A

Romanticizing The Rain

I got drenched in the first rains of the season today. I usually do that. Although I am someone who never really liked rain. Rain was the annoying thing that came in between the smell of wet sand and cool breeze. I was told by someone that EVERYONE likes rains. It was supposed to have that romantic feel to it. Well, I had never felt it. For me, it was just rain. 

Until today. Today I felt kind of liberated by the rain. I felt like sitting still in a place and just letting the rain fall on me. I wanted to experience it and I did it. The rain washed away the dirt marks on my bike but along with it, it also took away the negativity that had been building up inside me. It was like a release from all inhibitions. 

After a while, I wanted to drive around the city. I wanted to watch people enjoy themselves in the rain. Watching people act in a carefree way and being happy, made me happy. A friend pointed out in the afternoon how everything looks clean and serene after it rains. Rains had calmed me down. 

After I reached home, I sat near the window and saw the rain trickle down the window. I saw it in the street light. I saw it in the lights of passing vehicles. I saw it in the moon light. I was fascinated. I put my hand out of the window and just sat there as raindrops kept bouncing over the palm of my hand. 

I now understand why people find rain romantic. It is not the boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife romantic. It seemed more platonic. I am not sure how to explain it but I am sure about one thing, it felt nice.

I've had my share of dancing in the rain for this season but I am sure that my new found love for rains will continue to grow. If you are someone who doesn't like rain then I would recommend that for once, instead of just playing in it or running to find cover, stand in an open area and experience it. It might change you. 

:) 

P.S. : The only thing that disappointed me was that there was no one around me who was nearly as hot as Kareena Kapoor or Katrina Kaif or Raveena Tandon. :P

Satyamev Jayate

Satyameva Jayate, which literally translates to 'Truth Stands Invincible' but is popularly known as 'Truth Alone Triumphs'

In the past month and a half, it has gone on from being a phrase on the National Emblem to the name of a 'revolutionary' television show hosted by the actor/social activist Aamir Khan. The show deals with one social issue in every episode. It has dealt with Female Feticide, Child Sex Abuse, Dowry, Unethical Doctors, Inter Caste Marriages and Disability. 

The show is being touted as being 'revolutionary'. It is said to have made the 'idiot box' intelligent and smart. People wake up early (11am) just to watch this show!  Well, sorry to burst your social activist bubble but some of the presumptions you have about the show are just myths. 

Myth 1:  The show reaches out to everyone and unifies Indians against one social evil every Sunday. 

In India, television penetration is less than 25%. It means more than 750 million people in India have never seen Satyamev Jayate. So claiming that it is unifying India against a social evil is not correct. It is infact not reaching out to EVERYONE. To compare it with other shows, a newspaper article stated that Kaun Banega Crorepati's all seasons had higher average viewership than any episode of Satyamev Jayate. Yes, even the season that SRK hosted. Tarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chasma is almost as famous as Satyamev Jayate.

Myth 2: It's not just the show, its the discussions that take place at everyone's house after the show that are the real contribution of the show. 

Discussions don't take place in all homes. It is only a marginal number of homes in which meaningful discussions take place. Also, the homes in which discussions are taking place are the homes which would not follow any of the social evils even if the show was not aired! Discussions would have been fruitful if they happened in a home where change was required. A 'modern' home, where all family members follow social norms and are, to a greater extent, ethical, will not really benefit from just a discussion. 

Myth 3:  Satyamev Jataye is not biased towards any side and give a complete picture of the situation. 

The show takes a side. I am not sure why a show which is discussing real problems in the society needs to be a monologue. Why not give the other party a chance to explain their side of the story? Ofcourse, people who ask for dowry and kill unborn children are never going to defend their actions but what about doctors and offices which apparently 'discriminate' against disabled people?  I am sure they have a logical and reasonable argument for all the accusations that are made against them on the show. Bring them in. Make it a meaningful discussion and not a sob fest. In a few episodes, there have been grave factual errors. Statistics are often interpreted in such a way that they support their cause.

Myth 4: Aamir Khan/ Satyamev Jayate were instrumental in the getting the The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 passed in the parliament. 

If you really believe an episode on television is all it takes to push the parliament to pass a legislation then you are mistaken. Social activists do make a significant contribution to some legislations but Satyamev Jataye had nothing to do with the passing of this Bill. I have been told that a few NGOs had been demanding for this legislation to be passed for more than 5-6 years now. They are the ones who should get the credit for it. Their work in the field is substantial and has been going on for a long time.

Myth 5: Aamir Khan is the Anna Hazare that works. 

Aamir Khan has been involved in many social issues over the years. Be it the rehabilitation for people affected by Narmada Canal or Gujarat Riots or Farmer suicides. I was really happy when I saw that a 'Star' was making good use of his power. I was disappointed when I later realised that his interest in the first two issues diminished once Fanna released and in the third issue once Peepli Live released. My respect for him was revived when he went to support Anna Hazare but instead of shouting anti-government slogans, he urged people to stand for elections and vote for the right people. Alas, it was just a one off incident. 

I am often accused of being anti Aamir and I don't disagree. I don't like him and this might be reflected in the post. I have tried to give reasons for most of the things stated so as to convince you that I don't dislike the show because I don't like Aamir. I think the show is given more credit then it deserves. Just like Aamir Khan. I would have loved it if Aamir would have encouraged people to participate in the democracy and improve the system from within instead of fighting it. Awareness is important but implementing laws is an altogether different ball game. People now watch an episode and send a SMS to a ridiculous question at the end of it and they feel that their work towards the society is done. If Aamir Khan has the power and the conviction to bring about change in the people and the society and if he has the support of a lot of people, why no contest elections or even support a candidate whom best represents his views? For eg in Hollywood, look at Arnold. 

Preparing a script and making a show is easy. Everyone can whine. It's working to solve the problems that separate the men from the boys (or the women from the girls). Working on these issues in real life is difficult. There are a lot of organisations out there who are working tireless to solve problems. They do not get enough credit for their work. They are the unsung heroes of the country. 

P.S. : I am, in no way suggesting that Satyamev Jayate has done nothing good. I am also not saying that it is not working for the society. I am just saying that for the amount of attention and praise it is getting, it is not doing that big a job. There is scope for a lot of improvement.

P.P.S. : For all those who tweet about Satyamev Jayate, #SMJ is incorrect. It's Satyam Eva Jayate and not Satya Meva Jayate. 

Jai Hind!