PM Modi explained how he is trying to reform bureaucracy: Abhijit Banerjee
| Date :23-Oct-2019 |
NEW DELHI:
NOBEL Prize winner Abhijit Banerjee, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said on Tuesday that an important point for India is to create a bureaucracy which takes the views of the people into account. Terming his meeting with Modi as a unique experience, Banerjee said that the Prime Minister spoke on governance and bureaucracy. “It was a privilege to have this meeting with the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister was kind enough to give me quite a lot of time and to talk a lot about his way of thinking about India which was quite unique,” he said. “He (Modi) talked about the way he sees governance in particular...and how it, therefore, creates structures of elite control over the governance process,” Banerjee added. The renowned economist revealed how the Prime Minister is taking steps to reform the bureaucracy.
“He also very nicely explained how he is trying to reform bureaucracy to making it more responsive to understand ways in which people’s views need to be taken into account and expose them more to the realityontheground,”Banerjee said.“Ithinkitwasaveryimportant point for India to have a bureaucracy that lives on the ground and get its stimulus from how life is on the ground. Without that, we get an unresponsive Government,” he signed off saying a thank you to Modi for the unique experience. During the meeting earlier on Tuesday, Modi said that Banerjee’s passion towards humanempowermentisclearly visible and the country is proud of his achievements. “Excellent meeting with Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee. His passion towards human empower mentis clearly visible.
We had a healthy and extensive interaction on various subjects. India is proud of hisaccomplishments.Wishing him the very best for his future endeavours,” the Prime Minister tweeted alongside a photo of the meeting. Banerjee, an Indian-origin economist and an academic professor, was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic SciencesalongwithhisFrenchAmericanwifeEstherDufloand American economist Michael Kremer‘fortheir experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.’
The 58-year-old Kolkata-born economistis currently the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. BANERJEE FOR BRINGING GOVT STAKE IN PSBSBELOW 51%: NOBEL laureate Abhijit Banerjee onTuesday called for reducingtheGovernmentequity in public sector banks to below51percenttoremovethe fearpsychosis amongbankers. Addressing a press conference here, Banerjee said that fear of investigation by the CentralVigilance Commission (CVC)indefaultcaseshasparalysed the banking system and bankers are scared to lend. Reducing the Government equity in public sector banks under 51 per cent takes them out of the CVC’s purview. Refusing to take questions on the economy and any contentious issues, Banerjee attempted to dispelthe impression that he is a critic of the Narendra Modi Government.
He said that in his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day, the PrimeMinisterjokinglysaidthe media was trying to trap him to say anti-Modi things. Some statements made by the Nobel laureate regarding the economic slowdown and his prior association with the Nyay scheme of the Congress havebeenblurredtobrandhim a critic of the Modi Government. After his meeting with PM Modi, Banerjee, referring to Modi’s joke, said the Prime Ministerhasbeenwatchingtelevision. He said the meeting was cordial.