It refers to welcome decision of central government to altogether abolish compulsion of paying service-charge in hotels and restaurants, which was nothing but an arbitrarily imposed private-tax. But even advising hotels and restaurants to leave a column blank in their bills wherein the consumers at their will could fill up any amount of tip, is also not proper.
Rather central government should follow retirement-eve advice from the then President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam on gifts and tips. Quoting from Hindu code in Manusmriti, Dr Kalam rightly analyzed that gifts and tips coming with a purpose cause persons losing their personality greatly. Elite urbanites in India blindly follow status-culture of British legacy by paying tips everywhere which is nothing but a bribed gift for a purpose for being treated well. Interestingly heavy amount of tips is received by highly paid employees in five-starred hotels and restaurants which is much-much more than normal salary to their employees given by those status-conscious persons paying such tips for exhibiting their richness amongst those accompanying them. It is noteworthy that owners of hotels and restaurants save a lot on salary-bill because they take into account probable heavy amounts of tips received by serving staff from their customers while fixing their salaries.
In countries with highest honesty-ranking, practice of paying tips does not exist at all where paying and receiving tips is considered highly objectionable. Central government should instead launch a publicity-campaign educating people for discontinue practice of paying tips.
MADHU AGRAWAL