New Delhi, Nov. 30 -- Everybody should take a beat and think before uttering the word 'reforms' the next time. Glib usage, frequently in the wrong context, threatens to rob the word of its import.

The term 'reforms' became a permanent fixture of the universal policy lexicon during the early 90s, when, after the fall of Berlin Wall and break-up of the Soviet Union, there was a sweeping economic policy overhaul in parts of East Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.

The changes implemented had a common thread running through them, with some variations in the degree of implementation across individual nations; the focus was primarily on reducing the role of government in business, relaxing cross-border investment rules and transferring st...