GLOBAL SLOWDOWN

THE newly appointed Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva has warned of a global slowdown in 90 pc of the countries of the world in 2019, what she terms as a ‘synchronised slowdown.’ While, there are already indications of ‘softening’ of growth in advanced countries like the US, Japan and Eurozone, developing countries like India and Brazil have also been caught in this spiral of slowing growth. India’s growth has already contracted from a high of 7 pc and plus to 5 pc, compelling the Indian Government to announce several mitigating fiscal and monetary measures to stem the rot.

Tax concessions, policy changes are being rolled out to incentivise investment and demand for goods and services. Global export trade has also suffered a lot. India’s hope rests to a great extent on the revival of the agricultural economy. A robust growth in agricultural and rural economy can give the much needed push to recovery of the national economy. Hence it would be a few more months how things pan out on the rural front.

BY ASKING the probationary Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to develop a people-friendly force, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has laid stress on service -orientation of the police force in the country. The Prime Minister has asked the new officers to understand public perception about the police force and make it public-friendly and an approachable service. Thus the Prime Minister expects the newly appointed officer cadre to assume the leadership role for the lower ranks under them and imbibe the spirit of service among them. Unfortunately, however, the reverse is true. People are mostly reluctant to approach police personnel for help for various reasons.

The public perception about the police is that the force is far from public-friendly. The police force no doubt is a major pillar of internal security of the nation and to that extent its responsibilities towards maintaining public order are greater. But there is also need for an image make-over as well as far as service to the common man is concerned. That the leadership can achieve.