Tamil Nadu Archive
A Tamil boy’s reflection on all things Tamil
I am fascinated with Tamil politics & society. Incidentally, my Ph.D. looks at why Tamil Nadu performs relatively better than most other Indian states when it comes to provision of basic public services. As of now, there is a small selection of articles on Tamil Nadu spanning topics from government to cinema. Hopefully, this will grow with time…in the meanwhile, I hope you will enjoy this small selection.
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Corruption in the PDS & will coupons or cash transfer work better?
Posted on May 26, 2011 | 2 CommentsThis is a part of a series of articles on the proposal to shift from PDS to coupons or cash transfers. To see the introduction, click here . The level of corruption in the public distribution system has been one of the rallying points in the cry for change. The following are some of the corruption related arguments for change: There is large scale corruption in the system It is undeniable that there is a lot of corruption in the PDS, and something needs to be done about it. In arguing that we should shift from PDS to coupons or... -
The PDS does not work, let’s shift to coupons or cash transfers
Posted on May 26, 2011 | No CommentsThis is a part of a series of articles on the proposal to shift from PDS to coupons or cash transfers. To see the introduction, click here . In evaluating alternatives including cash transfers, it is first important to identify both contributions and failures of the system. Proponents of reforms today have focused exclusively on the problems, without dwelling on the things that it has done. There is a reason why the PDS is so popular in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra and increasingly in other states including Chhattisgarh. In all these cases the PDS has worked and means a lot... -
Shifting from PDS to coupons or cash transfers: FAQs
Posted on May 26, 2011 | No CommentsThe Public Distribution System (PDS) in India has come under a vigorous attack in the recent months. There have been calls to dismantle the system and to replace with alternatives such as providing coupons or cash transfers. Without any doubt the PDS has serious problems, and performs abysmally in some parts of India. Unfortunately, these are also among the poorest regions where the need for protection from hunger is the greatest. Considering that the PDS is supposed to contribute to something as fundamental as food security, such poor functioning must be addressed. In the recent past there have been discussions... -
Understanding Tamil Nadu’s commitment to public services: An institutional perspective
Posted on December 31, 2010 | No CommentsMy doctoral dissertation on the question of why Tamil Nadu has an impressive commitment to providing basic public services such as roads, water, electricity and education. -
Thoughts on Tamil television
Posted on June 1, 2010 | No CommentsThere is almost an invariant formula for a Tamil television serial: a catchy title song with an amateurish dance, three units of sentiment, one unit of crying (with joy or sorrow), and one unit of suspense towards the end. The formula gets repeated at least ten times a day across television channels. Where is imagination? — The schizophrenia of the production houses between producing movies and television is fascinating. Women in Tamil television come through as strong, thinking, acting characters. The woman of the movies is typically a diva in trouble dependent on the hero to be rescued. Heroes have... -
Salsa in Madras: Social dance in a conservative city
Posted on September 3, 2009 | No CommentsMadras is one of those conservative cities that likes to keep its boys and girls at a safe distance. To take an example, parents clamour to get their children enrolled in colleges that are rather strict about this, and colleges have responded to this with enthusiasm. One famous college made a rule that girls will sit at the front of the college bus and boys behind and there will be a firewall of teachers in between. To counter this attraction other colleges have come up with separate roads and staircases inside the campus for boys and girls. In this context... -
Google Seithigal: Google news in Tamil
Posted on July 29, 2008 | No CommentsHorray, Google News is now available in Tamil I have been a great fan of Google News for a few years now. So much so that I read most news starting here rather than through news papers or their websites. . A big lacuna with it was that Tamil news was not covered in this channel. With Google Seithigal, Tamil newspapers will be indexed and covered. Basic details about this service are available in its help section. Here are a few additional tips. Getting news from across newspapers in one place Given that the news industry in Tamil Nadu is... -
Obituray to a great soul: T R Vishwanathan (TRV)
Posted on June 23, 2008 | 3 CommentsT R Vishwanathan was one of the founding members of the communist movement in South Arcot District I met TRV for an interview two weeks ago. Though he was unwell and very old, he insisted on speaking to me. “I may have a heart attack and pass away anyday”, he said, “if I talk to you, you may take my message to more people”. We went on to have a delightful 4-hour discussion on his legacy. I am sad to say that he has passed away last night and will be cremated today. This post offers a short snap shots... -
Dis-concert in Madras
Posted on August 13, 2007 | 1 CommentA little note on how Hariprasad Chaurasia’s concert left me between agony and ecstasy Hariprasad Chaurasia is a man who never disappoints. I have been mesmerised for a while in every performance of his and always. Typically I walk out in a semi-trance with a feeling of ecstasy that only a great live music performance can give. I was thrilled to bits when I heard that Chaurasia is coming to Madras for a concert – and that too free. I took a seat by the aisle that was furthest away from humanity in that auditorium. He started with a slow... -
Kamal Hassan’s Anbe Sivam: An underrated classic
Posted on August 4, 2007 | 6 CommentsStory of changing values in an era of globalisation; an all-time favourite
