BBC Learning English
Words in the News
17th November 2010
India s brightest prefer business
over politics
Business leaders at an Indian economic summit in Delhi say that India s brightest and best
move towards careers in business rather than politics. Nidhi Dutt reports from Delhi:
India's lower house of parliament has 543 representatives. But only 79 of them are under the
age of 40. Business leaders and politicians say many more young and talented Indians would
join the public sector if the system were fair. Speaking at a plenary session of the India
Economic Summit, opposition leader Arun Jaitley said that Indian politics doesn't offer
enough incentives, and in some cases fails to even let the good get on with the job.
Major companies operating in the private sector agree that they offer an attractive alternative
to those looking to make a difference.
But Ben Verawaayen, Chief Executive Officer of telecommunications firm Alcatel-Lucent
says a healthy public-private balance is the key to India's future.
 It is true that there are many entrepreneurial people here who are seeking the opportunity
and want to form it in their own way and with their own views. And that is what you do in the
private sector. Now I think the public sector will benefit from working together with the
private sector in the execution phase. I don't think there is anything wrong with the target
setting; I don't think there is anything wrong with the aspiration.
India has long debated the need for new, young leaders. But experts say it's not just about
getting them into positions of power, but making sure they want to stay in it for the long term.
Nidhi Dutt
Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010
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Vocabulary and definitions
talented skilled
public sector government departments and organisations
plenary session the opening meeting
to get on with the job do their work without interruptions
major large or important
public-private balance relationship between the government and private
companies
entrepreneurial business-minded
execution phase implementation stage
aspiration hope for high achievement
debated discussed
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2010/11/101117_witn_india_business_page.shtml
Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010
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