The Times of India

Activists demanding food as a fundamental right view the state as saviour, unperturbed by pervasive state failure in sector after sector. The public distribution system (PDS) is a public scandal. Activists say if only all states create as good a […]

Politicians and activists constantly propose new rights — the right to work, to education, and now to food. The word \”rights\” is being twisted to mean entitlements, and there is a big difference. Rights are freedoms from oppression by the

Politicians and activists constantly propose new rights — the right to work, to education, and now to food. The word \”rights\” is being twisted to mean entitlements, and there is a big difference. Rights are freedoms from oppression by the

Pakistan is suffering its greatest human tragedy since Partition. The floodwaters of the Indus are an incredible 20 miles wide, sweeping away entire towns, villages and farms. Over 20 million people have been displaced, far more than the nine million

People ask me, what exactly is jugaad? Global management experts attribute India\’s rapid economic growth to jugaad. In a recent survey by the Legatum Institute, 81% of Indian businessmen said jugaad was the key reason for their success. Many years

What\’s desirable is often not practical. The National Solar Mission has set a target of 20,000 MW of solar electricity by 2020. This may be desirable, but at today\’s solar technology costs, it will be economic suicide. Remember that just

The Reserve Bank of India is preparing a discussion paper on new banks. Meanwhile, SKS Microfinance, India’s largest microfinance institution (MFI), has just raised a whopping Rs 1,600 crore through a public offering. SKS and other MFIs could evolve into

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has long been a hot topic globally. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has lectured companies on it. Some corporations have won acclaim and awards for CSR. Two of them were BP, the oil giant, and Goldman Sachs,

Sonia Gandhi has approved the National Food Security Act. This aims to deliver 35 kg of grain per month at Rs 3 per kg to every family in the 200 poorest districts, extend this as feasible to other districts, and

The share price of British Petroleum, the fourth largest company in the world, has halved after causing the greatest environmental disaster in history. Its out-of-control Macondo well is spewing thousands of barrels of oil daily into the Gulf of Mexico,