I became a journalist in 1965, when two successive droughts killed thousands and forced India to beg for US food aid. India’s share of global food aid was so large then that a best-selling book claimed that India was unviable […]
Drought relief: cash transfers better than rural works Read More »
For decades, the Congress and BJP have jointly nurtured the myth that Britain teamed up with Jinnah to impose partition on India, to institutionalise divide-and-rule even after leaving. No, says Jaswant Singh in his new book, partition was largely due
Jaswant expelled for mostly telling the truth Read More »
The Government’s proposed Direct Tax Code has been widely welcomed. It seeks, rightly, to bring corporate tax rates closer to the Chinese and ASEAN level, and combine lower rates with fewer exemptions. The proposed income tax changes will give substantial
Towards sensible capital gains taxation Read More »
Swine flu has killed over 20 Indians so far, and may soon claim hundreds, even thousands. That is a tragedy. Even so, swine flu remains a very minor cause of death, far behind other diseases that kill millions. The panic
Swine flu: lessons from the 1994 plague Read More »
The world economy is recovering, and the price of oil too. It has crossed $70/barrel, and could return to $150/barrel, if the recovery continues. Can India do anything new to meet this energy challenge? Yes, it can change its exploration
Shale gas: Could it be a new energy source? Read More »
Just five months ago, when stock and commodity markets hit rock bottom, capitalism was viewed as seriously if not terminally sick. The Financial Times ran a series of articles labeled “The Future of Capitalism.” Economists, politicians, and philosophers saw the
Financial crisis? No, capitalism as usual Read More »
Religion and business rarely mix well. This shows up in the encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI. The encyclical generally supports globalization, but criticises Western companies that outsource business to developing countries. This criticism has an unfortunate ethnic slant. The Pope
The Pope’s moral blunders on outsourcing Read More »
In his budget speech, the Finance Minister hailed bank nationalization as visionary and revolutionary. Yet nationalized banks have, by and large, not reached the poor. However, micro-finance is now reaching people whom nationalized banks could not. Households getting micro-credit now
How micro-finance institutions beat nationalised banks Read More »
When Narendra Modi won the 2007 state election in Gujarat, the media focused on Hindu-Muslim issues. Some journalists highlighted rapid industrial development that had made Gujarat India’s fastest-growing state. I mentioned Gujarat’s successful port-led development. However, an excellent new study
Agriculture: Secret of Modi\’s success Read More »
When Narendra Modi won the 2007 state election in Gujarat, the media focused on Hindu-Muslim issues. Some journalists highlighted rapid industrial development that had made Gujarat India’s fastest-growing state. I mentioned Gujarat’s successful port-led development. However, an excellent new study
Agriculture: Secret of Modi\’s success Read More »
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