From Bankruptcy to Billions to hit stands

Rather than being an exercise in self-glorification, the book promises to present an objective and informed picture of policies that failed and those that worked, reports Srinand Jha.

Can an omelet be served without breaking eggs? Why have economic reforms worked well in sectors like Telecom, Airports and Highways and badly in areas like Power and Irrigation? How has the Indian Railways achieved the remarkable turnaround without actually executing universally acknowledged reforms models? What is Railways Minister Lalu Prasad’s political management of reforms all about?

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For those who want to find an answer to such posers is recommended this book: From Bankruptcy to Billions — co-authored by Sudhir Kumar, an Officer on Special Duty with the Railways Minister, and Shagun Mehrotra, who is currently pursuing doctoral studies at the Columbia University in New York.

President Pratibha Patil will release the book at a function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Saturday. The Oxford University Press has published the book.

“It is the story of the inclusive reforms in the Railways; a narrative about the challenges involved in reconciling conflicting commercial concerns with societal objectives,” said Kumar in an exclusive conversation with HT.

Noted experts and management gurus such as CK Prahalad, Prof Jagdish Bhagwati, Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia and R.K. Pachouri have previewed the book.

Rather than being an exercise in self-glorification, the book promises to present an objective and informed picture of policies that have failed and those that have worked.