Things never work out the way you want, do they?

A noted historian makes a case for dividing the state of Uttar Pradesh into smaller states for better governance. He starts with the recent report of 2.32 million applications in UP for 368 posts of peons or Class IV employees, as they are known in official lingo. Of these 255 had PhD degrees in subjects, such as engineering, and 25,000 had Master's degrees. This is due to a lack of job opportunities in UP and because most degrees awarded in the state are rubbish. In August, in a bizarre protest, students at a paramedical exam cut themselves because they were not allowed to cheat, as in previous years. But, as is usual among all experts the article does not mention the real reason for the dismal state of UP, and that is fertility rate. Although it is coming down UP has the second highest fertility rate in India after Bihar, which is holding elections to its assembly, starting today. With huge numbers of unemployed young people it is no wonder that the two states also have the honor of having the highest rates of violent crimes in the country. Because the state government does not provide public services the top industries in Kanpur are " those marketing bottled water, recruiting and providing security guards, and installing generator sets." " Thus, while in a city like Bangalore, those involved in 'start-ups' venerate the likes of NR Narayan Murthy and Nandan Nilekani a young entrepreneurship with ambition is more likely to take Ponty Chadha or Subroto Roy as his model. He seeks, like them, to cultivate close links with politicians, so as to divert public funds for private gain, the loot shared between the politicians entrepreneur and entrepreneurial politician," he writes. And again." Whether reckoned in terms of economic development, education, health or social (and especially communal) peace, it is absolutely the worst governed state in the union." We would respectfully like to disagree. The hill state of Uttarakhand was carved out of UP and is equally, if not more corrupt. Land prices in the capital, Dehradun have increased a hundred fold, such is the level of black money. After the flash floods in 2013 which killed around 10,000 people officials 'ate up' Rs 1 billion of the money given for aid of flood victims. The BJP brought in Gen Khanduri to clean up the image of the party before assembly election in 2012 but he was sabotaged by members of his own party who did not want to lose the opportunity to loot. Creating new states by dividing UP further will create new assemblies, multiplying the numbers of politicians and civil servants, thus increasing corruption to new levels. Delhi is a typical example. While only a city it has a state government and 3 municipalities. When Kiran Bedi was declared the candidate for chief minister in state elections by the BJP, party workers and supporters voted against her because she has a reputation for being tough on crime. Result, an overwhelming victory for AAP and hundreds dead of a dengue epidemic. The more the politicians the more the crime. This is India.