Readers may be horrified that a new survey of YouGov, Mint a and CPR suggests that 51% of Indians are disillusioned with democracy and would prefer rule by a strongman, General or technocrat. However, be careful in interpreting these finding. […]
Do Indian voters really prefer rule by a strongman? Read More »
Last year, India got an economist\’s budget. But with five states going to the polls soon after the Budget, radical reform is unlikely this time. An “election budget” is typically one before a general election, high on populism and low
Politics will dominate this year’s budget Read More »
Aakar Patel, former head of Amnesty International in India, has savaged the seven years of Narendra Modi\’s rule in his latest book, Price of the Modi Years. Backed by considerable research, it has more credibility than other rhetorical denunciations of
A new book on the Modi years mixes actuality with amnesia Read More »
Covid cases are rising exponentially in India with the third wave causing one lakh infections per day. The US has crossed one million cases per day, and India is likely to exceed that soon. Should upcoming elections in five states
Why poll panel should return to single-day voting Read More »
The International Monetary Fund has projected India’s GDP growth at 9.5% in 2021 and 8.5% in 2022, making it the fastest-growing economy in the world. Deepak Parekh of HDFC, doyen of the private sector, says he is more optimistic than
Stock markets have soared to absurd heights this year, and the current correction is no surprise. Fears remain that the downtrend will gather momentum and become a crash. Which factors will most likely produce a crash? Some point to rising
War may not be probable, but geopolitical clouds threaten the world economy Read More »
Always sacrifice economic sense if it wins a few more votes. That logic drives competitive politics in India, spurring myopic measures that inflict long-term damage. Too many elections are dominated by three issues — subsidies, job reservations and communalism. Economists
Power freebies show pitfalls of electoral politics Read More »
It is a defeat for economic sense and a victory for undeserving vote banks. Far from acting as the autocrat that critics accuse him of being, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chickened out of his proposed farm reform laws in
Farm retreat casts doubt on other economic reforms Read More »
August 15 remains a day for contemplating whether India’s 1947 Partition was avoidable. Some say the British forced it. Any student of history will say this is laughably false. The most popular narrative says Jinnah’s obduracy compounded by Congress’ lack
I-Day ruminations: Could Partition have been avoided? Read More »
Many liberals have cheered Mamata Banerjee’s election victory in West Bengal as the event of the year. Actually, it was utterly predictable. The BJP invariably gets fewer votes in state elections than general elections, because Narendra Modi is far more
Win for secularism but not human rights Read More »
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