At this decisive moment and opportunity in Indian history, following should be considered thoroughly to judge the situation and PLAN ACTIONS TO BRING FAST DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA.

Selection of the right priorities for the society, systematic and efficient processes, diligent execution, review and corrections are the key factors for fast, equitable and sustainable socio-economic development. Learn to be smart and better by taking lessons from all over the world; improve continuously, i.e., thru Total Quality Management (TQM).

1. Voters and Votes: In spite of miserable performance and huge scandals, the Congress Party got about 19% votes and BJP got only about 31% votes. It is interesting and noteworthy that about 20% of the young, first time voters voted for the newly introduced negative vote facility of 'None of the Above' (NOTA)! The BJP has only a majority of 51.93% in the Lok Sabha and it has no majority in the Rajya Sabha (upper house of Indian parliament). These and past experiences indicate that if the performance of the new government is not convincing, the next election will not give a clear mandate!

2. The Context: India is world's most diverse and complex country with more than half of its population poor and vulnerable. India has to protect herself from internal threats, problems, deficits etc and from external threats such as terrorism, border disputes, Kashmir problem, illegal migration, trade deficits etc. Thus, India is in a precarious, sensitive and explosive situation that is very difficult to be managed and kept in a stable condition.

3. State of the Nation: India lags much behind in socio-economic development and there is lot of backlog to be worked out. Indian census 2011 estimated that 49.8% Indian households did not have toilets. In 2013 the govt decided that 67% of Indian people needed to be given food grains at reduced prices. In spite of these facts, the Indian planning commission reported that Indian poverty reduced from 45% in 1994 to 21.9% in 2012! A recent report by Mckinsky Global Institute suggests that about 56% or 680 million Indians could not afford most of the basic needs like water, housing, sanitation and healthcare in 2012 (TIME, 2 June 2014).

4. Urgent Priorities: 4.1. Prevent wastage of food materials thru good storage infrastructure; India cannot waste food materials when millions are in hunger. 4.2. Revise the Lokpal Bill to make it and efficient and effective tool against widespread and deep rooted corruption in India. 4.3. Facilitate agriculture and farming as essential and good professions; protect farmers from poverty and death for making food and farm products. 4.4. Stop centrally sponsored schemes that are inefficient, wasteful etc. 4.5. Devise affordable basic healthcare with subsidies, contributory premiums, partial cost-sharing etc. Any 'free for all' system will drain funds and lead to misuse and wastage (adapt from Singapore). 4.6. Invest in Education and Training; make teaching a respectable and well paid profession of talented personalities (adapt from Singapore). 4.7. Develop good basic infrastructure (adapt from Brazilian city of Porto Alegre's Innovative Paarticipatory Budgeting - see below). 4.8. Adapt the salient features of Indian success model panchayats Ralegan Siddhi, Hiware Bazar (both in Maharashtra), Kuthambakkam (Tamil Nadu), Elappully, Akathethara and Aadat (all three in Kerala), in other panchayats all over India, for fast development. 4.9. Revive the 300 Ideal Village Scheme of Maharashtra and/or expand it throughout India with about 100 Ideal Villages in each state/territory. 4.10. Expand the 'PURA' scheme proposed by former Indian President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, throughout India. 4.11. Initiate creation of excellent institutions (adapt from Singapore). 4.12. Stop junk products import from China and other countries. Allow and facilitate Indian small-scale industries, rural industries etc make quality products, get experience and develop skill. 4.13. Simplify bureaucratic jargon; reform and/or remove unnecessary and redundant rules, laws and regulations that waste time, efforts, resources, cause delays and hindrances for routines of the common man. 4.14. Transform Indian democracy from the most lucrative duper business to an efficient governance system for the people.

It is very important that the NEW INDIAN GOV'T WORK SYSTEMATICALLY AND SMARTLY FOR FAST, EQUITABLE, INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

5. Suggestion: The new Indian gov't should use the world's most systematic and most efficient PROCESS for fast socio-economic development, famous as 'Porto Alegre Innovation'. Please do not neglect this appeal, as it is only a type of Participatory Budgeting (PB), Porto Alegre city of Brazil is far away from India, its culture and language are different etc.

'Porto Alegre Innovation' is much more than participatory budgeting. It could be better understood if one considers the example of a modern 'smart phone' first. It has so many devices integrated into it - front and back cameras, photo album, audio and video recorders, music player, calculator, address book, note book, dictionary, play station, alarm clock, stop-watch, internet connection, APPs (Applications) for several social network sites, functions etc. Additionally, its capability and flexibility can be expanded with many APPs! Being not a smart phone freak,I myself don't know all of its capabilities; it is almost a computer and more! Similarly, Porto Alegre Innovation is world's most systematic and most efficient, all-in-one compact process for fast socio-economic development thru decentralization.

Many people are very much dependent on charismatic personalities, leaders, preachers etc to tell them what to do, how to do, whom to follow etc. There are several model local self-governments (panchayats) in India, like Ralegan Siddhi, Hiware Bazar (2 of Maharashtra), Kuthambakkam (Tamil Nadu), Elappully, Akathethara, Adat (3 of Kerala) and others. But, most of them are facilitated by some dedicated and charismatic personalities. As it is impossible to have charismatic personalities in all the more than 250,000 Local Self-government Institutions (LSGIs) in India, the only alternative is to use a SYSTEMATIC AND EFFICIENT PROCESS. Porto Alegre Innovation is world's best decentralized governance process - in fact, it is world's best Panchayati Raj (local self-government) model!

Porto Alegre city was bankrupt spending 96% of its revenue for salaries and routine expenses in 1988. To resolve this crisis and upon the pressure from the civil society, NGOs etc, the city devised Participatory Budgeting to give the residents more voice in the city's budget formulation. As 96% of the budget was committed as above, only the remaining 4% was available for the PB process. Unbelievably and surprisingly, managing 3 to 9 percent of budget systematically and well for six years, FOR INFRASTRUCTURE ALONE, resolved the crisis and brought about fast socio-economic development. This super-smart PB process transformed the poor and bankrupt 497 sq. km city to Brazil's city with the best quality of life in 12 years! This spectacular achievement made the ingenious PB process world famous as 'Porto Alegre Innovation'. It is the most studied and researched governance process. Most of the details of the process are available free on the internet. In addition to various participatory budgeting websites, a website www.participadia.net is also available. The UK and Dominican republic have adapted PB in all their local communities by 2013; worldwide, over 40 countries are adapting PB. These facts should be convincing proof for it its quality and capabilities!

Anyone still skeptical may search for 'Porto Alegre Innovation' on the internet to find my detailed study on the subject as the FIRST LINK of more than a million links, in less than half a second (checked on 25 May 2014).

If the new gov't implements the Innovative Porto Alegre style PB in many, if not all, local self-government institutions throughout India, they will solve local problems quickly and the communities will develop fast by their own efforts. It will initiate a contagious, peaceful and enthusiastic chain reaction among other Indian communities. Then, the central government can concentrate on important tasks it has to accomplish in nationwide large-scale infrastructures, power generation, foreign relations, international trade, defense etc. Thru adapting the smart and innovative PB process, Indian poverty can be eradicated in 15 to 20 years and India can be a well developed country in 25 years!

If India achieves fast, inclusive and equitable socio-economic development, it will convince people and leaders in the neighboring Pakistan, Bangladesh, China etc, that peaceful co-existence and cooperation are the real means for progress in our times, rather than unending disputes, terrorism etc. Even though it will not convince all, this is the best and most beneficial option for all the people and countries and there is hardly any better alternative.

All the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) set by the UN, may not be fulfilled by all the developing countries by 2015. But, if India can bring in fast soico-economic development, its example can help developing countries to achieve the MDG faster.

After initiating infrastructure development thru Porto Alegre Innovation style PB etc, India should turn to Singapore for lessons in hi-tech development. It is world's most successful city for the last 50 years; it is an exemplary model for efficiency, discipline, productivity etc. Just note that the 716 sq. km city exported goods worth 408 billion dollar in 2012, while India exported for only $142 billion! Singapore is one of the world's ten least corrupt countries and world's most business friendly place continuously for more than a decade! The city state has state-of-the-art traffic system that it is world's only mega city without traffic jams. Singapore is less than 30 km X 25 km in size (= 750 sq. km.), but has 160 km express highways, 160 km metro, 604 km major roads and 2508 other roads in 2013. Singapore is one of world's top tourist and shopping destination. It had about 5.4 million population in 2013 but had more than 14 million tourists in 2012. Its latest attraction is 'The Gardens by the Bay', a 101 hectare garden - about the size of 200 football fields - in a newly reclaimed land along its cost. Singapore is a city of superlatives!  

This garden city has very little natural resources; it has to import even part of water it uses. It has not even a drop of oil, but is world's largest oil rigs producer and its second major export is refined oil products! Its PM is world's highest paid government Chief Executive Officer, even after the salary was reduced by 36% in 2011; I am not disclosing it here so that Indian parliament may not be disrupted on it! It is a socio-economic wonder to be copied by all means! When India has such a super-model of development in close neighborhood, politicians with vision and strategic thinking should learn and copy everything possible from that super-star, except perhaps the ministers' salaries!

As the Indian Prime Minister will not come across this blog, I request those patriotic Indians who are in a position to bring this to the attention of relevant personalities in the new Indian government, politics etc.

For more information on anything herein, please email me at: a.karammel@yahoo.com

May God bless India! Jai Hind!