There is a huge but false assumption underlying much of the debate on the election result and its policy implications. The NDA lost, analysts theorise, because it neglected agriculture, or rural employment, or rural poverty. These armchair conclusions are contradicted […]

There is a huge but false assumption underlying much of the debate on the election result and its policy implications. The NDA lost, analysts theorise, because it neglected agriculture, or rural employment, or rural poverty. These armchair conclusions are contradicted

The common minimum programme (CMP) of the new coalition government promises to strengthen the Public Distribution System (PDS) and extend it to the poorest blocks in the country. Unfortunately, continuous ‘strengthening’ over four decades has strengthened leakages instead of giving

BPO s can relax. Finance minister P Chidambaram has been advised to withdraw the circular proposing to tax something never heard of before: core services that are outsourced to India. While international treaties and practices have clear concepts such as

Given the poor literacy and school completion rates in India after more than 50 years of independence, the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the new coalition government promises to increase public spending on education from 4.1% of GDP to 6%.

Given the poor literacy and school completion rates in India after more than 50 years of independence, the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the new coalition government promises to increase public spending on education from 4.1% of GDP to 6%.

The CMP’s reform agenda may be the whip that breaks the economy’s back. It’s sure to swell the fiscal deficit and send FIIs scurrying for cover. Last year, remittances by NRIs, FDI and FIIs were close to 6% of the

The CMP’s reform agenda may be the whip that breaks the economy’s back. It’s sure to swell the fiscal deficit and send FIIs scurrying for cover. Last year, remittances by NRIs, FDI and FIIs were close to 6% of the

The Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the ruling coalition is being trumpeted as ‘reform with a human face’ but looks suspiciously like ‘populism with a bankrupt face’. If seriously implemented, the CMP could swell the fiscal deficit from 10% of