Consultant - Business Advisory Services

Ernst & Young

Mumbai, India


                                              Questionnaire



Q.1. Are you in favour of the nuclear deal or against it? Will it benefit the common man or make little 
difference? 

Ans: The nuclear deal signed by Prime Minister Manhoman Singh and President George W. Bush in 2005 and 
ratified in 2008 is a historic landmark in India's foreign relations, It marks India's growth as a nation
to be favoured and wooed  by the most powerful countries of the world. It acknowledges India's stand that 
it has never used its nuclear facilities as a threat against its neighbours, only as a deterrent and 
safeguard.  I favor it strongly because it enables India to enhance its energy producing capacity and this 
will have a direct benefit and impact on the common man as electricity becomes more freely available. 
Nuclear energy is nonpolluting and the far reaching effects of replacing thermal energy with nuclear energy 
will positively impact the environment. 


Q.2. Do you think the portrayal of India in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ was untrue or biased? Do you think 
people are being hypocritical while praising the film for its success and at the same time criticizing 
it for it’s depiction of Indian slums?   

Ans 2. Slumdog Millioniare was as true in its depiction of one facet of life in India as Revolutionary 
Road or the Reader were true to their portrayal of the suburban American  middle class or the horror 
and degradation of Nazi and post war Germany. Films reveal the truth as viewed by an artist and if 
skillfully depicted they can rouse the consciousness of untold millions. Praise for the success of 
the film goes to its technical crew, its actors, editors and the directorial vision. The hypocrisy 
lies in deriding the condition of the Indian slums while being fully aware that this is a reality 
which most educated, and economically secure Indians have tried to ignore.


Q.3.Do you think the Pakistan government is taking enough action against terrorism? Do you think 
the release of Hafiz Saeed was justified? More importantly, is India’s outrage due to the move 
justified? Are we going into the same direction with Kasab?  

Ans. The Pakistan government has won a tenuous victory and is unsure of its footing in the country. 
It relies heavily on the backing and support of armed militants to counter the power of the army. 
In this scenario, despite the vows it makes to the US and other countries about taking strong steps 
to counter terrorism, it is bound by the limitations of its vote bank. These armed and powerful bands 
dictate policy and have secured the release of Hafiz Saeed. India is justified in expressing outrage 
against his release but it will have to assert its own independence from terrorism by making a public 
display of punishing Kasab. This general election has given the India the mandate for a non secular 
and progressive government and the Indian government must prove that it will not be dictated to by 
its neighbours or any other foreign power.
 

Q. 4. What is the link between terrorism and tourism? 
 
Ans:  Terrorism and terroists strike at the most popular tourist spots across the world as they 
are sites where great numbers of innocent people are congregated. Attacks at  places like in 
Jaipur in Rajasthan, the Taj and Oberoi hotels in Mumbai, the World Trade Center in Manhattan 
and the ongoing terrorism in Kashmir create sensational news items which titillate the TV audiences 
for days and create a macabre cult following for the terrorist groups. Tourism gets a boost from 
such acts of violence as people find a perverse pleasure in revisiting the sites of murder and 
mayhem and gawk at the scars and damages of violence as if gazing at some priceless work of art. 
An unholy nexus thus seems to emerge between terrorism and tourism.


Q.5 Did the global recession affect you as an individual? 

Ans: The recession had an immediate and fundamental impact on me as I completed my MBA in Finance 
from Boston University in Dec 2007 and the prospects for employment were so bleak in America that 
I made a timely decision to return to India and found placement here. Though India felt the impact 
of the slowdown later, the graduating classes of all the IIM's and even the ISB did face some 
setbacks during their placements in 2009 which itself mirrors the reality of the global recession. 
 

Q.6. Between terrorism and recession, which in your opinion poses a bigger threat to the nation and 
which should be given priority while dealing with?

Ans: Terrorism is a major threat to the nation involving loss of life, property, human rights and 
posing a danger even to the sovereignty of the country. In my opinion, India's economic policy was 
on a fairly sound footing even during the height of the recession and now with a stable government 
at the helm and a chance to continue to follow the economic policies initiated by Prime Minister 
Manmohan Singh, and Chidambaram, India is already beginning to show signs of recovery from it.  
On the other hand its record in dealing with terrorism is faulty and should be dealt with sternly and immediately. 
 

Q.7. :What do you expect the Indian government to do about racial discrimination in Australia? 
Also, when something similar and probably worse is already taking place within the country itself, 
do we really have the right fuss about the situation? 

Ans: Racial discrimination in Australia is an issue which the Indian government can do little 
about except to voice concern about human rights abuses. I personally feel that the situation 
is blown out of proportion by the media and panders to the need to sell sensationalism. Within 
India itself we have innumerable cases of discrimination based on caste, creed and sex and 
against our own countrymen. This negates any holier than thou attitude we adopt to cry foul 
over treatment of our countrymen abroad. I agree with the premise that if world class higher 
education were available in our country, our talented youngsters would not have to seek 
opportunities abroad to enhance their qualifications. 
 

Q.8. It is said that non-resident Indians are like unofficial ambassadors of the country, 
do you agree? What are the basic duties of a NRI in your opinion? 

Ans. 8. The first and most fundamental duty of an NRI is to project the customs, and traditions 
of his country in a favourable light in the country which he has chosen to reside in. However, 
unlike a government official who is posted to a country specifically to further the interests 
of the motherland, the NRI is concerned more about his personal growth and assimilation into 
his country of residence. He must try and integrate himself in the society in which he resides, 
adopt the people as his kin and not raise barriers of individualism and separation. He is deriving 
his income and status from work he is doing in his adopted country and his loyalties must lie with 
them. Other than that, just as the alumni of a school or college continue to donate some of their 
time, money and resources to their alma mater, so an NRI may also take an interest in furthering 
growth in his motherland by way of financial help or technical consultancy or investment in projects 
in his country of birth. 


Q.9. Currently, how important would you say the role of media is in your life? Would you care 
to mention any short comings?  

Ans.9. The media, comprising print, TV, films and radio has become a dominating force in the 
lives of people today. It overwhelms one to the extent that one is reminded of the phrase from 
George Orwell's book 1984 where the citizens are constantly reminded " Big Brother is Watching You". 
I have consciously tried to avoid the onslaught of the incessant chatter all around though like 
countless others, I find the internet an invaluable research tool. The excessive attention given 
to sensationalism, violence, and the adulation and attention given to even the most degenerate or 
unimportant people is disturbing. For example Kasab has claimed as much air time as if he is a 
national hero.Then there was the sordid drama of the deputy CM of Haryana and his follies which 
dominated the minds and conversations of all strata of society as if their activities were 
lauadable or praiseworthy. The media is a powerful force for change in society and should be more 
aware of its potential and its far reaching effects.
 

Q.10. What is your opinion on the Women's Reservation Bill? Also, take into consideration that 
this leaves only 32.9% seats for open category males.

Ans: Reservation in any form is anathema for a country which gained independence more than sixty 
years ago with the involvement and active participation of all strata of society, men and women 
alike. Women today are admitted into all professional institutions, they have broken the glass 
ceiling in industry, banking, government and other professional fields like the army and even 
aviation which were traditionally male bastions. India has had a woman prime minister, and 
currently has a woman President. In such a scenario it is faulty to project women as a helpless 
force who need to be pushed into legislature. Indian women have the strength, intelligence and 
power to fight and win elections on their own steam and I personally am against introducing any 
reservation for them. The most powerful face of the Indian government today is Sonia Gandhi and 
her example and the example of feisty women who get elected to village panchayats should be 
motivation enough for other women to forge their destinies in the corridors of power without 
covert help of this kind.