The state election results surprised many. This column predicted that in 60% of states, incumbents that accelerated GDP growth would win. That model proved right in Punjab, Manipur and Uttarakhand – 60% of cases! The prediction for Uttarakhand was that […]
Will fear of early LS poll induce an election budget? Read More »
After over a month of suspense, the counting of votes will begin in two days for the elections to five state assemblies. Predicting elections is a mug’s game, especially in four-cornered contests of the sort witnessed in Uttar Pradesh. Anybody
State elections: Four incumbents may win and one lose Read More »
Fiscal consolidation is the need of the hour, and the finance minister should rationalise subsidies. The best way forward is to end price controls for items like urea and diesel, since these constitute the most irrational, lopsided way of allocating
Budget 2012: Price controls, open-ended subsidies throw budget allocations off-kilter Read More »
UP chief minister Mayawati has become famous -some will say notorious – for erecting dozens of giant statues in Lucknow of dalit icons like B R Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram and herself. This is, of course, a grandiose political exercise. Yet
Behenji\’s Raj: Mayawati, the Lutyens of Lucknow Read More »
UP chief minister Mayawati has become famous -some will say notorious – for erecting dozens of giant statues in Lucknow of dalit icons like B R Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram and herself. This is, of course, a grandiose political exercise. Yet
Behenji\’s Raj: Mayawati, the Lutyens of Lucknow Read More »
The Eurozone crisis has led some to predict its collapse, and others to fear that Europe will become a German empire. But a third line of thought, from those wanting a far more integrated Europe, holds that the crisis is
A United States of Europe? Read More »
One European scenario shows Germany dominating Europe, forcing austerity on its southern neighbours as a price for staying in the eurozone. A second scenario suggests a eurozone break-up in protest against humiliating austerity. Greece has just voted for a new
EU Crisis: Will Greece wreck the Eurozone? Read More »
Germany lost World War 1 and World War II. Wags looking at the Eurozone crisis say Germany is now winning World War III, without any weapons, through sheer economic domination of Europe. Hitler launched World War II demanding a little
Is Germany trying to win World War III? Read More »
The logic of the electoral cycle points unambiguously to a tough budget with stiff taxes, curbs on populist spending, and an emphasis on controlling a runaway fiscal deficit. The next general election is due in May 2014. Hence there will
Budget 2012: Measures Pranab Mukherjee should take to increase revenue and cut spending Read More »
The IMF wants to increase its lending capacity by $1 trillion, to rescue distressed countries in the eurozone plus those hit by aftershocks from the eurozone. But US is struggling with fiscal problems of its own, Japan now has the
Time to end West\’s farm subsidy as a condition for funding European bailouts Read More »
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