On February 1, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Union Budget. As Dr. Rajiv Kumar, the Pahle India Foundation chairman and former NITI Aayog vice chairman, succinctly summed up, “Budget 2023 is a consolidation of the gains over the years, and a positive step towards sustained economic growth and development for our country.” In this article, we aim to provide a few p
‘Atmanirbharta’ of self-reliance is the buzzword within the circles of Indian policymakers. The irony here, however, is that though all policies are focused on becoming self-reliant, the thought processes behind the same come from foreign institutions and other sources. Yes, this may sound ironical, but this is the reality of the Indian policy-making process. It is quite a disturbin
Effective legislation addressing sustainability is critical for the implementation of India’s sustainability goals. The government planned to introduce a total of 16 new bills and consider seven already introduced bills for passing in the parliament’s winter session of 2022, which began on December 7 and ended on December 23, six days ahead of the schedule. Ultimately, nine bills we
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has grown concurrently and risen to enormous prominence in recent years. Initially, business owners started CSR by making charitable donations in an unstructured manner. The focus was on fewer areas such as environment, upliftment of the underprivileged. Corporates are now constantly looking for new opportunities for CSR initiatives that are out of the box
Indian cinema is the largest national film industry in terms of the number of films produced (2,446 feature films annually as of 2019). The United States cinema (also called Hollywood) is the oldest film industry in the world and also the largest in terms of revenue. The Indian film industry is multi-lingual and the largest in the world in terms of ticket sales but third largest in terms of rev
In recent times, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is probably among the very few policies that have steered collective envisioning to redesign the education system in India. It is undoubtedly an example, both in terms of policy formulation and policy direction. While the NEP envisages turning around India as a Vishwa Guru, its genesis is as old as 100 years, if not more. Evidence of wel
For many organizations, maintaining consumer trust is paramount. The more users trust an organization, the more that organization can grow its services and revenue. Should a data breach occur, that trust can be compromised. This is especially true for organizations handling highly sensitive data, such as those within the financial and government sectors. A common cause of data b
With the advent of globalization came a new set of challenges for corporations, notably the duty of ensuring the well-being of all stakeholders while also protecting the planet`s natural environment. Although we are dedicated to a faster and more inclusive rate of growth, it is equally imperative that we focus on the issue of sustainability. There can be no development that ignores the ecologic
The number of social innovators and entrepreneurs has considerably increased recently in India. The idea of social entrepreneurship, which aspires to provide novel solutions for the world`s most critical social issues, is now receiving more attention. Challenges like overworked healthcare, long-term unemployment, education and skill development, lack of access to necessities lik
In April 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) appointed a six-member committee headed by a former Executive Director of RBI to comprehensively review the functioning of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) and suggest suitable measures to enhance their role play in absorbing stressed assets of the system. After holding 25 meetings, internal and external, over a period of nearly five months an
Iconic Indians: 75 Extraordinary Individuals Who Inspired the Country By Sanjeev Sanyal and Rajesh Singh Rupa Publications, 360 pages, Rs 695 As India completes 75 years of Independence, this book offers shor
Things don’t turn up in this world, as former US president James A. Garfield once said, until someone turns them up. This is all the more so, when one considers the hidden gems that are waiting to be discovered. The world is full of talented young people who need just a nudge to provide that spark that will make them shine. Among all countries, India has the greatest percentage of people
Tourism is a huge part of global culture nowadays and is also one of the biggest sources of revenue across the world. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), in 2019, the tourism industry contributed $8.9 trillion or 10.3% to the global GDP. The industry witnessed a massive lull in 2020 due to the pandemic, leading to a fall of 50.4%; however, demonstrating great resilience, t
There is this popular saying that epics are never told, but always retold. Ramayana is one such epic and needs no introduction. Its plot is grounded in sacrifice and the end brings out hope that the good always wins. But how is a centuries-old tale of the prince of Ayodhya still relevant for today’s generation? A play, ‘Ram Shravan Manan’ which was staged at Shri Ram Centre, M
Left-wing extremism is in existence right from India’s independence, but it became prominent in 1967 under the name of Naxalism. The nomenclature of this movement has changed from time to time and place to place depending upon the leadership. Before 2014 more than 15 states were facing this problem with different degrees of intensity. Following determined efforts by prime minister Narendr
Work on the first metro in Mumbai started in 1998 and it became operational in 2014. The second metro became partly operational in 2022; it is expected to become fully operational in another year. The most prestigious (and controversial) of them all, the third line which is underground, is expected to be operational – first part in 2024 and second part by next year, according to the MMRDA
“Had I known my entitlements and support programme provided by the government for widows, I wouldn’t have to be on the mercy of my relatives and lead a deplorable and undignified life for years. There are many like me who could not break the vicious circle of social and economic challenges due to lack of information.”—Saleeman, a village woman. Co
‘A market structure characterized by a single seller, which exerts a stronghold over others in the marketplace.’ Monopolies have existed since markets were created, and they present inherent dangers to the free market. Today, century-old legislation governs digital monopolies. However, limiting vast data-centric corporations like Big Tech to classical business models such as railway
I recently met a music label owner of yesteryears who produces a movie once in five years. We were at a dinner and were discussing the recent trend of the OTT getting an upper hand in movie-making. He was not at all worried about it; rather he was happy with the development. He shamelessly told me: “Apna paisa toh OTT platform de deta hain. Theatre release toh sirf P&A nikal ne ke liy
Several Indians want to go out and many foreigners intend to come in India and stay here. The good reasons for their desire to come to India include: India is gold mine of opportunities to improve, studies, medical and health purposes, employment, business and religion. There are also bad reasons. India is considered safe haven for fake currency notes, drugs transiting, illegal weapons smugglin
