Questions

1) what is your assessment of the political structure in India?

2) do you think a politician is able to implement his ideas when in power.
3) how will you evaluate the average politician as an administrator?
4) According to you, how important is the private life of a politician?
5) what would you want to hear from a politician, that would make you support him/her?
6) would you consider getting into politics? Why or why not?
7) Do you think you can do a better job than majority of the administrators?
8) would you be willing to join ISD and train for a year to be a public servant?

Notes
Q1
- The democratic system in India is an is an inherited one from the British and there is not
much that needs to change as it already works fairly well here.
- Democracy here needs few additions, which have already been passed by the parliament
(73​rd amendment) but not implemented, that is, giving more autonomy to local governance.
More freedom to mayors, elected municipality workers. This is not the case as state
governments don’t want to concede any power.
- Politicians should rise up the ranks from local governments to the parliament. This will give
them a better understanding of problems on the ground. Right now, it’s too favourable to
the wealthy and the dynasts who directly contest in the assembly and parliament elections.

Q2
- Politician’s today can’t implementing their ideas if they are not in line with the party’s
ideology. Ex: Shashi Tharoor’s private members bill on LGBTQ rights wasn’t supported by the
congress.
This has made individual politicians less important and their own ideas, even less so. Too
much importance is given to the party.
- ideas generally die as one progresses higher in the system. Though a politician may have
started with the plan of going against the system, he might not succeed as he may not be
able to escape the system or doesn’t know how to change it. Ex: corruption.

Q3
- The most important quality for an administrator is decision making skills. Even if he/she is
uneducated, the ability to firmly take decisions will still make a good leader. Ex: Manmohan
Singh despite being educated; one can argue that he couldn’t firmly take decisions during
his prime ministership. On the other hand, Narendra Modi, who isn’t as educated as his
predecessor, however, can firmly take decisions.
- another important skill that is required is the ability to take risks.

Q4
- Private lives of politicians, ideally shouldn’t be considered when one is judging a politician.
However, information about a politician’s private life can be used to reflect upon his
character.
- When it comes to electing someone with negative news about their private life, the people
seem to not have a problem with it, as in the case of Donald Trump.

Q5
-The most important thing that a politician should say, and follow is being accountable for
their actions. Accountability is lacking in politics today. Politicians promise many things
when they are trying win the elections, but these promises almost never materialise when
they finally come to power.

Q6
-The main barrier which prevents common folk from becoming a politician is the large
prevalence of dynastic politics in India. Its very easy for a MLA’s child to become an MLA as
there is already significant amount of wealth and vote bank inherited.
- There is no proper platform for youngsters to enter politics today. Student politics was one
avenue, through which many politicians rose up the ranks, but it has lost its extensiveness.
- If local governments are given more autonomy, it will be a good platform for politicians.

Q7
-Almost all of the students present believed that they could do a better job. However,
important observations were made by a few of them,
- The main prevalent problem in Indian politics is that corruption has strongly been
established in the system. Even if one strongly feels that they will not be part of that system,
they are more often than not sucked into the system as they go higher and deeper into it.
This can only be prevented if one knows how to change this system and de-institutionalize
corruption.

Q8
-Majority were sceptical as they felt one year is a significant amount of time for something
that will not give them a degree. However, they were positive to short term programmes
like the democracy express. A few were excited as this is a completely new concept and
were keen to explore ISD in the future. It was also pointed out that the one-year programme
is easily a better investment of time than the gap year which almost every millennial wants
to take. My observation is that, the passionate few who aspire to be politicians, will give the
one-year programme a strong consideration in the future.