This book is about basic issues that define our country’s course of development. In a diverse cross-section of topics, the author discusses in his inimitable style the fundamental flaws that have beset the nation's inexorable march to progress and prosperity. He also elaborates how a shift in the positions of individual members of society on different issues could cause a qualitative difference in the course of events and thereby lead to a better tomorrow.
The articles compiled in this book have already appeared in the social media on the author’s writing platform (drsunilgupta.com) and won wide acclaim. Endowed with the right balance of insight and prowess owing to the extensive exposure and rich experience gained in his professional capacity in the corporate, economic and social sectors, the author has been able to do justice to the task at hand. 
Not written with any particular section or group of persons in mind, the book’s aim is to pique the interest, curiosity and conscience of the individual reader and thereby motivate him to think, and then inspire him to act for the inclusive and sustainable development of our nation. Being an inalienable and intricate part of the society, it is the individual’s thought pattern that will make all the difference in the final shaping of our country’s destiny. And that, dear reader, is the undercurrent of the brook of the author’s thoughts that this book tries to encapsulate.

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Contents

Advance Praise for ‘Thoughts Gallery’ — Pgs. 5

Acknowledgements —Pgs. 11

Foreword —Pgs. 13

Preface —Pgs. 15

AMELIORATING INDIAN POLITICS

1. Is Returning Awards a New Addition to Pseudo-secularism —Pgs. 25

2. Politics and Accountability —Pgs. 30

3. Patriotism versus Populism —Pgs. 37

4. Fishing in the Troubled Waters of Bihar —Pgs. 43

5. States to Back the Centre in Honest Endeavors —Pgs. 50

6. Congress Under Rahul Gandhi —Pgs. 54

7. The FTII Brouhaha and Politicking —Pgs. 62

8. Why are the Opposition and Media Picking on Female Leaders of the BJP? —Pgs. 69

9. Can India Succeed Without State-union Collaboration? —Pgs. 76

10. Independence of Judiciary vs. the NJAC —Pgs. 78

11. Upcoming Bill Must Uphold the Independence and Impartiality of Indian Judiciary —Pgs. 81

12. The Land Bill Row – Both BJP and Farmers to Re-think —Pgs. 84

13. Opposition’s Fake Anxiety, RS Disruption is Nation’s Loss —Pgs. 88

14. Definition of ‘Good Days’ —Pgs. 92

15. Is AAP Heading Towards Devastation —Pgs. 94

16. Section 370 – A Gift by a PM to an Ambitious Ruler —Pgs. 97

17. The Dirty Politics of a Century-old Party – Not Again —Pgs. 100

18. Shouldn’t Accountability Track Promises of the Manifesto? —Pgs. 102

19. Jail or Parliament – Where should Law-violators be? —Pgs. 104

20. Bottlenecks in the Efficiency of the UPA-led Union Government —Pgs. 106

FOSTERING GOVERNANCE

21. RSS-BJP Meet – A Commendable Roadmap —Pgs. 111

22. Is the Narendra Modi Government a Suit-Boot ki Sarkar? —Pgs. 115

23. The Great Letdown of Delhi by the AAP —Pgs. 122

24. Promises-based Politics vs. Delivery-based Politics —Pgs. 130

25. Stability – Key to Better Governance —Pgs. 135

26. India needs Tough Political Leader with Vision —Pgs. 137

27. Can an Activist be a Capable Administrator? —Pgs. 139

28. Incompetent Sports Bodies Ruining Players’ Zeal —Pgs. 142

29. Abolish Planning Commission or Make it More Proactive and Realistic —Pgs. 145

30. Weighing the Evolution of 11th Five-year Plan —Pgs. 150

31. A Brave Move of the New Indian Administrator —Pgs. 152

32. PM Modi’s ‘Preventive’ Measures Rather than ‘Active’—Pgs. 154

33. Let Party-line Bureaucracy be the Mantra of Our New — Government —Pgs. 156

34. PM Modi’s First Year Amid Record – High Expectations —Pgs. 160

Momentous to Economy

35. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Economic Diplomacy —Pgs. 169

36. How to Combat the Menace of Black Money —Pgs. 176

37. Gold VDIS for Better CAD and Fiscal Deficit —Pgs. 184

38. Financial Inclusion is Lacking Without Retail Equity Participation —Pgs. 187

39. Concrete Proposals to Reduce India’s Current Account Deficit —Pgs. 190

40. Economic Agenda on the Top Priority of the New Government —Pgs. 201

41. Clash of Political Groups and the Decline of Economy —Pgs. 207

42. Yet Another Bottleneck for the New Government—Ambiguous Subsidy Regime —Pgs. 209

43. The Masters of Planning—Were They Truly Effective? —Pgs. 212

44. Economic Restructuring—How Should the New Government Act —Pgs. 216

45. Economic Restructuring—Is that all? —Pgs. 219

Pushing the Industry

46. Proposals for Conquering PM’s Dream ‘MAKE IN INDIA’ —Pgs. 223

47. Recommendations to Ensure Rapid Growth of MSMEs —Pgs. 227

48. Consensus Between Judiciary and Legislature to Boost Investors’ Trust —Pgs. 237

49. Legitimize Lobbying and Regulate it with Legislations —Pgs. 241

50. Some Urgent and Bold Reforms Needed in the Indian Banking Sector —Pgs. 244

51. Business Ethics and Profitability —Pgs. 251

52. CSR-Brave Initiative, However Scope of Enhancement —Pgs. 253

53. How Fair is it to Condemn Corporate Houses? —Pgs. 256

54. Widened Role of Independent Directors—Real vs. — Deemed Independence —Pgs. 258

55. Need of Proficient Process of Selection of Independent Directors in PSU’s —Pgs. 261

Real Development

56. Why GST Should be Expeditiously Implemented? —Pgs. 267

57. Endeavors to Turn Developing India to Developed India —Pgs. 274

58. Expect Nothing Without a Systematic Road Transportation — System —Pgs. 278

59. How to Arrest Rural-Urban Migration —Pgs. 281

60. Net Neutrality ‘must’ for Inclusive Development —Pgs. 288

61. FDI – How to Reap the Real Benefit —Pgs. 291

62. A Few Workable Proposals for Mr. Modi —Pgs. 293

63. Union Budget—Progressive, Pro-poor and Youth-oriented —Pgs. 295

64. What Next for Mr. Modi—Tailbacks and Solutions —Pgs. 299

65. Hindutva, or Development – What is Mission Modi and What should be a Voter’s View? —Pgs. 301

Base of India: Agriculture

66. Rescue Farmer—Our Anndaata from Misery —Pgs. 305

67. Let the Agriculture Sector be the Economy Booster —Pgs. 309

68. Storage of Procured Foodgrains—The Ever-Prevailing Concern —Pgs. 312

69. Food and Employment Security—Can Our Economy Allow This? —Pgs. 315

70. New Land Acquisition Law—Merits and Concerns —Pgs. 318

Nourishing Health and Education

71. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Implementation and Impediments —Pgs. 323

72. Integrate Skill Development, Education System and Indian — Industry —Pgs. 329

73. For Effective ‘Clean India’ Project, Apt Waste Management is Obligatory —Pgs. 334

74. The Clean India—Is it that Tough? —Pgs. 337

75. Indian Rivers-Rescuers or Eradicators —Pgs. 339

Roots: Women and Children

76. Empowering Our Women ‘Truly’ 343

77. For Better Economy and Society, Make Every Child above 14 Employable —Pgs. 346

78. They Need Books, They Need Work —Pgs. 349

79. Prostitution in India—Though Unnoticed, but A Grave Concern —Pgs. 352

80. Women Empowerment can Deliver much more than Just — ‘Safeguarded Women’ 355

81. Women—What They Deserve and What They Get —Pgs. 358

Religion and India

82. Is Secularism at a Crossroads? —Pgs. 363

83. Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is Crucial, Inevitable —Pgs. 371

84. BJP and the Kashmir Imbroglio —Pgs. 375

85. BJP and Hindutva —Pgs. 381

86. Criticising Hindutva, is ‘No Solution’ — Pgs. 388

87. Ferocity Against Minorities Displeasing, but Accusing Hindus is no Answer —Pgs. 392

88. Directive Principle, ‘Prohibition of Cow Slaughter’ be Centrally Regulated —Pgs. 395

89. Abide by the Constitution, Streamline ‘All’ Faith Conversions —Pgs. 398

90. Scuffling with the Misfortunes of Destiny—Kashmiri Pandits —Pgs. 402

91. If within the Limits of Law, No Attempt to Save the Religion is Immoral —Pgs. 405

92. Ill-advised by Extremists, Muslim Youth in Grip of Sorrow —Pgs. 407

93. Syed Ahmed Bukhari, Stop Mixing Religion and Politics —Pgs. 411

94. Are They Warning, or Are They Planning For Riots? —Pgs. 414

India, Together with the World

95. Is India Prepared Enough to Fight a Full-Blown War Against Terrorism? —Pgs. 419

96. The Highs and Lows of India-Pakistan Relations —Pgs. 427

97. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Landmark Trip to Ireland and US —Pgs. 437

98. The Untold Story Indians can never Forget —Pgs. 447

99. Foreign Policy Initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi —Pgs. 452

100. Indian Ocean—Checkmating China —Pgs. 460

101. PM Modi to Revive Indo-China Historic Bonding —Pgs. 467

102. Pakistan, and Section 370—A Tough Outlook —Pgs. 471

The ‘Common’ Indian

103. Why the Disaffection Over OROP? —Pgs. 475

104. Swami Vivekananda—A Soul Who Enshrined India, Every Indian —Pgs. 482

105. Banning Porn Websites and Search Engines in India —Pgs. 485

106. Caste Based Reservation System—Until When? —Pgs. 492

107. Modernization and Westernization are Not Synonymous —Pgs. 494

108. Do Not Punish Innocent Men in Pursuit to Women —Empowerment —Pgs. 498

109. Infuse ‘India’ in the Heart and Soul of Every Indian —Pgs. 502

110. Indian Holiday System—Detrimental to Growth —Pgs. 505

111. Deemed-guilty before Judicial Judgment —Pgs. 509

112. Right to Contempt can never be Fundamental —Pgs. 512

113. Inflated Prices and the Absurdity of Middleman —Pgs. 516

114. Transforming Social Interactions and Behavior—The Social Media —Pgs. 519

115. Censorship of Films, TV Programs and Ads to be Strengthened —Pgs. 521

116. Financial Inclusion of the Underprivileged—The MFIs —Pgs. 524

117. This 26th Jan-Re-live the Values of Our Constitution —Pgs. 527

118. Police and Public—Why a Gap Subsists? —Pgs. 531

Dexterous Electoral Process

119. One Should Vote—Who can Deliver Prosperity and Dignity —Pgs. 535

120. Are Minority and Backwards Just the Voters? —Pgs. 538

121. Realize Your Crucial Role in Nation Building Before it is too Late —Pgs. 540

122. Are We Ever Allowed to Elect Real Talent? —Pgs. 543

123. The Curse of Polls—Words of Leaders —Pgs. 545

124. Leaders Unruffled to Violate EC Model Code of Conduct —Pgs. 547

125. General Elections of World’s Largest Democracy—India —Pgs. 549

A Chartered Accountant by profession, Dr. Sunil Gupta has served in different capacities such as non-official director on the Boards of Punjab National Bank, Dena Bank, Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd. and General Insurance Corporation of India. He is a renowned contributor in community welfare tasks, and a distinguished member of eminent non-government and not-for-profit business organizations, FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM, to name but a few. 
Wide-ranging industry exposure has added to his proficiency and prowess, besides helping in the enrichment of his vision. He aims to fortify the socio-economic base of our country not only through direct participation in diverse sectors but also through his writings. Adept vision and incessant hard work have been the two key pillars of his accomplishments. Appreciated for his valuable contributions by national leaders and business professionals, Dr. Gupta believes in all-inclusive participation for sustainable development.
The motive is clear-building a better nation. And so is the course of action suggested.