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By:

Prithvi Asthana

20 August 2025 at 5:20:30 pm

Keeping people united, RSS ideology: Ram Lal

Mumbai: A senior RSS functionary Ram Lal on Saturday said that the people of India should stay united as some parties are trying to divide people on various topics like languages and region. “The RSS ideology is about keeping people together,” he said. Ram Lal was addressing the RSS members as the chief speaker at the closing ceremony at a 15-day training camp in Kurla. Total 136 swayamsevaks participated in the camp. They demonstrated their skills in Dand prayog, Niyudh (karate), and Lazim...

Keeping people united, RSS ideology: Ram Lal

Mumbai: A senior RSS functionary Ram Lal on Saturday said that the people of India should stay united as some parties are trying to divide people on various topics like languages and region. “The RSS ideology is about keeping people together,” he said. Ram Lal was addressing the RSS members as the chief speaker at the closing ceremony at a 15-day training camp in Kurla. Total 136 swayamsevaks participated in the camp. They demonstrated their skills in Dand prayog, Niyudh (karate), and Lazim Dance on Vande Mataram at the ceremony. Ram Lal said that many swayamsevkas have made a lot of sacrifices for the country but no one knows them. Still, RSS continues to work for the country. He cited examples of the Partition in 1947 and Emergency in 1975 to underpin his point. “I myself had been in jail for eight months during the Emergency. Many swayamsevaks welcomed jail with open hands and even after that RSS continued to worked for the country with more energy.” He said the whole Hindu community is awakening now, and they are adapting the forgotten culture of Sanatan Dharma. “The irony is that people working for the country are called communal. The 'Breaking India Lobby' is also active and we need to unite in the favour of India to counter it. Today westernisation is badly influencing the joint family system, the Indian culture and youth's ideology. It's time for us to think about it and start making changes from our family.” Ram Lal coined another meaning for the RSS – Ready for Selfless Service. “The world is now slowly looking up towards India as an example and the process will get faster in the future. It is our responsibility as citizens to make India and become an example for the world.” Jimmy Mistry, founder of the Della Leaders Club, was the chief guest. Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister Entrepreneurship and Skill Development, was also present. In his address, Mistry spoke about the international image of the RSS. He said, “RSS is always shown in a negative shade at the international platform and we need to improve on that.” He emphasised on improving the process of communication, manufacturing narratives and the importance of social media in the changing world. In a reply to Mistry, Ram Lal said that swayamsevkas were busy in manufacturing success. “That is why we don't focus on narratives,” he said.

Lateral upgrade to ailing annihilation

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

Lateral upgrade to ailing annihilation

Being the first person from the private sector to be appointed as chairperson of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) as part of the government’s lateral initiative, Madhabi Puri Buch also holds the honour of being the first woman to hold the top post as capital market regulator.

But the laurels that the former private sector banker enjoyed in her earlier stint with ICICI Bank, was marred with allegations that she and her husband were having a stake in offshore entities, which were used to artificially inflate shares of Adani group companies.

Terming the allegation as `character assassination, Buch clarified that all disclosures have already been furnished and the fund in question did not invest in any securities involving the Adani group.

When it rains, it pours. This allegation was subsequently followed by Congress Party allegation that Buch had received salary and post-retirement benefits from ICICI Bank after she quit the private sector bank.

In its clarification to the stock exchanges, ICICI Bank asserted that the payments made to Buch were purely retirement benefits after her exit from the bank and they were neither salary nor employee stock options.

Prior to these allegations, Buch tenure at SEBI was all about bringing in quick reforms on operational issues by changing the format of consultation paper to bring in larger responses digitally. Being data savvy, the rationale of her decisions were democratic based on big data analysis derived from the responses received to the consultation papers.

Further she bifurcated the duties of the SEBI staff between operations and enforcement, which were done by the same persons earlier. Having worked for the private sector in the capital market domain space, Buch had a better understanding of the subject compared to officers from the administrative service in the past that reflected even in her orders as a whole-time director at SEBI before becoming the chairperson. As a whole time director at SEBI, her orders on adjudication issues were more directional to the capital market space, according to experts in the compliance space. She was also quick to revamp the old provisions of the 90s at SEBI.

Being tech and data savvy, Buch enhanced regulatory surveillance and detection of market manipulation, insider trading and fraud while also emphasizing on strengthening corporate governance by introducing stricter rules for independent directors and enhancing disclosures for related-party transactions.

To put in perspective, the annual report of the capital market regulator in the just concluded financial year revealed that the number of investigations related to insider trading jumped to 175 in 2023-24 from 85 in the preceding year while probes related to front running jumped over three times to 83 from 24 in the preceding year.

Transparency in mutual funds by implementing measures to protect retail investors along with tightening norms for initial public offers, particularly in the SME platforms were some of her other positive initiatives including confirmation of denial of any market rumours within 24 hours for the top 100 listed companies which will be extended to top 250 companies from December 1. However increased transparency and compliance with tightening regulations led to increased operational costs for the market participants and hence faced resistance from certain quarters. Born in 1966, Buch completed her primary education in Mumbai and graduated with specialization in Mathematics from Delhi and later obtained a management degree from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. In between, she got engaged to Dhawal Buch, a director at a consumer goods multinational at the age of eighteen and got married at the age of 21.

Besides ICICI Bank, Buch also worked as a lecturer at a college in England, worked at Greater Pacific Capital in Singapore and ICICI Securities as its CEO. She also worked as executive director on several private sector companies and as a consultant for New Development Bank (Brics Bank).

What now remains to be seen, is whether Buch, who survived the 26/11 terror attack when she along with her husband, was attending a meeting at Taj, be able to overcome the current ordeal. Keeping fingers crossed for the times to come.

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