One of India’s biggest failures is education. Before Independence, India’s best brains came from government schools. Today they are so rotten that poor parents switch their children from free government schools into expensive but better private schools. In a PISA …
This island of excellence stands out in a rotten educational system Read More »
We, the people of India, are all Africans, Harappans, Steppe Asians and more While BJP trumpets Hindu nationalism in its election campaign, the question, ‘Who are we?’ has been answered brilliantly by Tony Joseph in a new book, Early Indians: …
Leftist critics say economic liberalisation after 1991 led to the rise of crony capitalists blessed with political favours rather than business skills. The downfall of Naresh Goyal of Jet Airways tells a very different tale. He joins a growing list …
What are the relative strengths and weaknesses of the BJP-led NDA and Congress-led UPA? Here is a quick SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis. First, consider the NDA. STRENGTHS: 1. Modi is easily India’s most popular politician. Opinion polls suggest that …
Tax vehicle entry into cities to fund metro rail expansion and lower pollution Traffic congestion and pollution in major Indian cities have become unbearable. The two are connected. When road jams occur, and a journey takes an hour instead of …
The Balakot drama drowned discussion of an important event at the time — the US gave notice to withdraw zero-duty entry for Indian exports under its Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP). The US said Indian protectionism was unfairly hurting US …
How a diplomatic blunder got lost in din of Balakot Read More »
Indira Gandhi’s ‘Garibi Hatao’ swept the polls in 1971. Rahul Gandhi hopes to follow suit with NYAY (Nyuntam Aay Yojana), promising a minimum income of Rs 72,000 per year to the 50 million poorest families. Garibi Hatao flopped badly. So …
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a campaign to enthuse all citizens, especially youngsters — to join him in a ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ (I too am a watchman) campaign against corruption. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad claims that the ‘Main …
India needs more jailed crooks, not more watchmen Read More »
The hyper-patriotic heat over Indo-Pak aerial battles is diminishing. Other issues are getting more attention. The Election Commission has notified polling dates, so its model code of conduct for political parties is in force. This says no new projects or …
Another Rs 2,000 per farmer won’t swing the election Read More »
A case for a minimum alternative tax on revenues, not on profits Few would believe that the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) managing director, Christine Lagarde, would ever call for developing countries to increase taxation of multinational corporations. She has done …
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