Education is a mess because politicians refuse to discipline teachers who sabotage primary education. Surveys show that government teacher absenteeism ranges from 20% to 57% in different states, yet they earn thrice or more than private sector teachers, Some teachers […]
When masterji becomes netaji Read More »
Finance Minister Chidambaram is feeling the political heat. Inflation at the wholesale level crossed 6.58% last week, the highest for over two years. The consumer price index for rural labour has risen by over 10% in three North Indian states
9%+7% is better than 6%+4% Read More »
Millions of Indians cheered when Tata Steel won the auction for Britain’s Corus, and became the world’s fifth biggest steel producer. The shares of Tata Steel fell over 10%, since investors felt that Ratan Tata had paid far too much.
Coca-colonialism and Tata-colonialism Read More »
Indian GDP growth has averaged 8% for four years. Indeed, it has crossed 9% in the first half of this fiscal year. The updated BRIC report of Goldman Sachs claims that India can sustain 8% growth for over a decade.
India booming: cyclical or sustainable? Read More »
After Mohammed Yunus of Banladesh’s Grameen Bank won the Nobel peace prize, microcredit has hogged the headlines. We now need to focus on the next big thing: microfranchising. Microcredit has certainly empowered poor women and helped alleviate distress in South
Microfranchsing: the next big thing Read More »
As a libertarian, I instinctively dislike forced acquisition of the property of citizens by governments. So I support the farmer agitations in Singur and Nandigram against land acquisition by the West Bengal government for the Tata and Salim groups. I
Case for community-led land acquisition Read More »
Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz spoke in New Delhi this week about his new book, “Making Globalisation Work.” Indian reformers like me will agree with much, though not all, of what he says. The problem lies in what he does not
White Man’s Burden and its Discontents Read More »
Brilliant scientists like CNR Rao, Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister, can be dead wrong. They say that Indian science and technology are in crisis. Nonsense, technology has never been in better shape. Rao complains that scientists and engineers are
Science declines but technology advances Read More »
I find myself constantly asked what will happen to the stock market in 2007. I protest that predicting markets astrology more than economics, but in vain. So, here is my astrological forecast for 2007. Taurus, the great bull of the
The new topsy-turvy global equilibrium Read More »
When India opened its economy in 1991, leftists warned that uncompetitive Indian companies would be killed or swallowed up by multinationals. Fifteen years later, the shoe is on the other foot: Indian companies are taking over giant multinationals. In 2006,
India as managerial number one Read More »
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