Is this all to the eradication of corruption?

Under the Modi government?
And only this much of expertise from the NIIT?

Yes, this is a very timely book no doubt. It gets a collection of articles written by almost by all members who work at the NITI, the body that replaced the old Planning Commission with a new name.

Most of the contributors are described as young professionals working at the NITI. There are about 16 chapters by the same number of authors. The book is edited by Bibek Debroy and his deputy Kishore Arun Desai. There is a long introduction by the duo and it reads not like a straight introduction but as a fairly talk, about Lord Rama, Ramayana and also Kutilya etc.

Yes, the book “On the Trail of the Black” sounds well but in fact after scanning through the pages, of course in a rapid way, we find the book very disappointing. Why? First it turns out to be an academic book and it is meant to distribute the government departments where only it might not find many the time or the energy, much more the very truth we might be looking for who are all the major actors, major players and the genuine ones who really search for truthful action and some achievements.

Yes, there are some enough data on the major areas of corrupt Food grains distribution, Coal scam, 2G spectrum Belekeri port Commonwealth games, total black funds involved Rs.6,58,645 crores.

Is this all there is to corruption in India?

Not at all. There is any number of corruptions, from the states to the Centre.

The authors had chosen the easy way out. They have taken up the post 2014 General elections and they have dedicated the book to the Prime Minister Mr.Narendra Modi and it is all in praise of the incumbent PM! Does this need much imagination to see that this less than adequate, a bit immature academics joining together and paying tribute to the PM and his steps so far to tackle corruption?

When the public is fed by a series of, almost unceasing raids by the three prominent agencies, Income Tax, CBI and the Ed and that too almost all against the Congress ministers and functionaries? What sort of administration of justice, the running of the Special Courts that too ended up in much hallow ends.

Why the sort of fiasco had happened to the 2-G Scam?
It is this the way we administer justice?

After nearly 8 years of trial and after, adjourning, reserving judgements for more than a year, the final judgement came as a dampner! How much of the time of the common man was wasted in this tardy affair?

Who has the patience to follow the very boring narration of old corruption stories? The old stories from 1963 onwards are brought into the naraation

The publisher, Kapish Mera, we met once in Delhi and when we discussed about the possibility of a new book we were narrated into a near impossible task. How then this government-sponsored book, it is what it is, is promoted? By simply forcing the copies on the government depts.

There is no merit in the book which doesn’t even take the names of some of the great fighters, the NGOs and other valiant individuals against the corruption menace? No, Aruna Roy, no Medha Patkar or other fighters like the lawyers and other activities like Prashanta Bhushan and his formidable father, Shanti Bhushan or Teeseta Setalvad and many others.
Where is the brigade, the Anna Hazare band?

Even such radical legislations like Lok Pal and Lok Ayukhta are mentioned only in passing, there is really no heart in the making of the book.

Please let us not cheat ourselves. We are a nation of cowardly people; we try to fall in line with whoever comes to power. So, long the going of good for those who get into this business, so much is only possible.

There are gaping holes in the choice of the individual corruption cases. Nor the politically sensitive cases. Under the present regime the conducting of the corruption cases, the almost non-stopping of the on-going raids, on more high profile Opposition figures, from Coal scam to 2-G scam to fodder scam, why even the way the courts announce the sentencing timings, on such cases smack of  vengeance and a sort of public spectacle!

Tit for tat will be the revenge, sooner or later. And what about the still much more insidious cases of corruption, the unaccounted political party funds?

The large number of MLAs, MPS involved in criminal cases and the special courts promised by the government.

These are too hot cases and the lowly level officials working in the NIIT and outside in some of the specialised agencies are honestly unequal to the task at hand!

Let us bring in truthful tackling of the black menace that is corruption!