-The Indian Express Laws like Official Secrets Act conflate the interests of particular parties, governments with the greater good. They must be contested. The greatest failing of Indian public life over the past 70 years is the manner in which the state and forms of government have become identified with the life of the people. We have come to believe that state and society are the same thing and that pronouncements...
More »SEARCH RESULT
Deepening slowdown: on the Indian economy
-The Hindu Can the RBI’s reduction in borrowing costs help check the demand slowdown? India’s economy is inarguably slowing, and the latest estimates from the Central Statistics Office disconcertingly point to a deepening slowdown. GDP growth is projected to have eased to 6.6% in the October-December period. With the CSO now forecasting the full-year expansion at 7%, fiscal fourth-quarter growth is implicitly pegged at an even slower 6.5%. At that level, growth...
More »'Access to formal credit increases income of farmers' -TV Jayan
-The Hindu Business Line Letting farmers use Kisan Credit Card for non-farm use for a limited time can help improve credit facility to small farmers The returns earned by farmers, who have access to formal credit, are on an average 17 per cent higher than what farmers, who are dependent on informal sources including loan sharks, earn, said an agricultural economist. Besides, access to institutional credit increases the per capita monthly consumption expenditure...
More »Tackling the agrarian crisis, differently -V Kumaraswamy
-The Hindu Business Line The focus must shift away from sops, to raising farmers’ income by promoting better seeds and rejuvenating soil health Agrarian crisis is staring on our face and, as usual, a flood of familiar suggestions have resurfaced. The political responses have Been on expected lines. Fixing MSPs (minimum support prices) at 50 per cent over costs is as disastrous as it can get. There is no inherent incentive in cutting...
More »Analysis: What the Congress wants and the BJP doesn't -- a focus on demonetisation -Varghese K George
-The Hindu Unlike surgical strikes and raids in Pakistan, the proof of the impact of demonetisation is evident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi often speaks of his ‘bold decisions’ but he rarely publicises the boldest of all his decisions in this entire career — demonetisation. The abrupt announcement on November 8, 2016 to invalidate currency notes of ?500 and ?1000 was indeed decisive. But during this campaign, that is unlikely to be the...
More »