The paralysed, risk-averse UPA-2 government has suddenly become a risk-taking reformer. Last week it risked defeat in both Houses of Parliament on foreign direct investment in retail. Its victory showed that fortune favours the brave. For its first three and […]
Freedom\’s just another word for nothing left to lose Read More »
Gold imports in 2011-12 were almost 2% of GDP and 9% of all imports. Economists blame gold for bloating the current account deficit to dangerous levels. Puritans moan about the import of unproductive, speculative gold. Some want stiff measures to
Gold imports provide aam aadmi with capital convertibility Read More »
The Congress Party is about to launch what it hopes is an election winner — an electronic cash transfer scheme (CTS) to send government payments and subsidies directly into the accounts of beneficiaries, instead of through existing channels bedeviled by
Real and imaginary problems of electronic cash transfers Read More »
The Gujarat election will revive charges that Narendra Modi killed a thousand Muslims in the 2002 Gujarat riots, with the BJP accusing Rajiv Gandhi of killing 3000 Sikhs in the 1984 Delhi riots. To get a sense of perspective, i
Declassify report on the 1948 Hyderabad massacre Read More »
Chief minister Nitish Kumar keeps demanding that New Delhi should make Bihar a special category state. But New Delhi points out that special category status-which entitles a state to get 90% of central assistance as grants instead of loans-is meant
A sandy solution for Nitish\’s revenue coffers Read More »
Chief minister Nitish Kumar keeps demanding that New Delhi should make Bihar a special category state. But New Delhi points out that special category status-which entitles a state to get 90% of central assistance as grants instead of loans-is meant
A sandy solution for Nitish\’s revenue coffers Read More »
Most educated people say climate change threatens disaster. The few sceptics are denounced as climate deniers. All governments are firm believers. This consensus was underlined last week when Cyclone Nilam hit India and Hurricane Sandy hit the US. Greens, journalists and politicians declared this was proof
Adapting to climate change is less costly than spending trillions on emission targets Read More »
The UPA government\’s theme song for eight years has been that we have achieved record GDP growth but not been inclusive enough-poor people and backward states have not benefited enough. The very opposite is now evident. Backward states are advancing
Backward states surge even as India slows down Read More »
Forget the notion that the government has recently produced an avalanche of reforms. The word \’reform\’ is being misused to cover everything from irrelevant fiddling to minor changes, to selling the family silver (in the shape of spectrum or minority
Ignoring small businesses and public service delivery a big mistake for government Read More »
Sanctions may not stop Iran\’s nuclear programme, but could spark a revolt against the mullahs. Bombing Iran\’s nuclear facilities will only strengthen the mullahs . Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran\’s nuclear facilities, saying that country
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