Democracies prize free speech and criticism of public figures. Even false criticism of public figures does not qualify as slander in the US and other countries unless accompanied by malice. This can be irksome to politicians. Former Tamil Nadu chief […]
Netas should not go overboard on defamation suits Read More »
There is not the slightest chance that the world has a hard landing and India does not. We are only 7% of the global economy; the idea that we will stand out is a fantasy to me,” says Swaminathan Aiyar,
Deeper US recession spells big trouble for India, says Swaminathan Aiyar Read More »
The storming of the presidential palace and ignominious flight of President Gotabay Rajapaksa from Sri Lanka was so dramatic that numerous theories were spun to explain away a routine economic bankruptcy. This arose from years of high fiscal deficits (government
The lesson from Lanka: Tighten your fiscal belt Read More »
Two months ago, I wrote in these columns of how commodity prices had shot up after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, but then receded considerably by mid-May. I said the good news was that inflation had probably peaked, while
Crashing food prices ease fears of starvation but not of a market crisis Read More »
In India, Global Capability Centres (GCCs) have escaped attention because MNCs do not publish separate balance sheets for offshore operations. However, Nasscom projects that by 2025 India could have 2,000 GCCs employing 2 million and generating $60 billion. De-globalisation has
India’s rise as GCC hub shows way forward Read More »
If there was a Supreme Court judgment that cried out for reversal, it would be the one on arresting human rights activist Teesta Setalvad and former police officer RB Sreekumar. The verdict has been castigated by hundreds of eminent persons
Teesta case: When did courts start demanding arrests? Read More »
Paul Samuelson once said wryly that economists had predicted nine of the last five recessions. In other words, they over-predicted at least half the time. Cynics will say that, in truth, economists would kill for even this level of accuracy.
Why US is no longer heading for a recession but is actually in a recession Read More »
The defence of India is not a job creation scheme, as many rioters seem to believe. India urgently needs to modernise its military capability, focusing on high-tech areas such as cyberwarfare, drones, missiles, and even space weapons. Boots on the
India needs Agnipath, not pensionpath Read More »
In earlier columns, I have highlighted the sad slump in India’s global rankings on various measures of democracy, freedom and human rights. Economic trends have been muddied by an unexplained slump – part of a global slump – in 2019-20,
So, how well has India’s relative performance been under the Modi government? Read More »
The BJP has expelled its media chief Naveen Kumar Jindal and suspended a prominent spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, for making insulting remarks about the marriage of the Prophet Mohammed. This followed protests from all major Islamic countries. Many of Sharma’s supporters
Child marriage: Why we should not point fingers Read More »
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