Yashwant Sinha has a critical role in the story of India’s economic reforms. It was he who was at the helm when the economy was in the worst crisis, keeping the vigil before the dawn of the reforms. In his second innings, it was again he who dispelled the speculations of the continuity of reforms when the NDA came to power after an interval of political instability.
The bearded and affable Prabhat Patnaik, a Marxist economist, taught at Jawaharlal Nehru University from 1974 until his retirement in 2010. A Rhodes scholar, he has authored several books including Time, Inflation and Growth as well as Economics and Egalitarianism. He spoke to Pankaj Srivastava about why India hasn’t changed for the better after 1991.
Vinay Sitapati, who teaches at Ashoka University and is finishing his Ph.D. in politics from Princeton, has written the book of the season, Half-Lion: How P.V. Narasimha Rao Changed India (Penguin), bringing focus finally on that man
Dr Mukhisa Kituyi is the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). He has extensive background as an elected official, an academic and a holder of high government office. For five years beginning 2002, he was the Kenyan minister for trade and industry. Dr Kituyi has also served as chairman of the Council of Ministers of the African, Caribbean
Amish Tripathi, a banker turned author, has written the highly successful Shiva Trilogy, a mythical fantasy based on Lord Shiva which shot him to fame in a short span and placed him in the best-selling category. He is a devotee of Lord Shiva and has his roots in the holy city of Varanasi where his grandfather served as a Pundit and Sanskrit scholar. He is currently busy with the Ram Chandra
As a young BJP MP, Kiren Rijiju had once favoured full statehood for Delhi. On November 21, 2006, he along with party senior Santosh Gangwar had expressed “deep concern over not according the status of a full-fledged State to Delhi despite repeated requests”. Today, as minister of state for home, he is looking at the idea from the other side. He explains his change of stance in
Veteran Congress leader Sheila Dikshit, during her three consecutive terms as Delhi chief minister, often blamed the multiplicity of authorities in the national capital as an obstacle to development. She too often demanded full statehood for Delhi. Talking
Using IT in forensic science is no longer restricted to the realm of sci-fi. It can help the government and agencies in cracking cases like those arising from the Panama Papers, rising NPAs of banks and money laundering. In an interaction with Pratap Vikram Singh, Petrus Marais of KPMG talks about the need of forensics with the increasing focus on cyber security.
Girija Devi is one of the finest classical and folk vocalists in the country. Born and brought up in Varanasi, she took forward the legacy of Benaras gharana and mastered semi-classical forms of music like thumri, kajri and tappa. She received Padma Vibhushan earlier this year. At 87, the Queen of Thumri as she is fondly called, shares her thoughts with Swati Chandra on the
The very thought of meeting the genial father-figure of many a Bollywood flick and one of the better known theatre personalities of India, MK Raina, was exciting. We met over lunch in Delhi’s Le Meridien on a hot summer afternoon. “I have no idea of what you are going to speak to me about,” Raina said, as he kick-started the conversation bypassing all formalities of a first-ti
Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), is confident about the revival of the Left. Reddy, who has been a member of Lok Sabha twice, believes that reunification of the Left parties can help consolidate the communist movement. Talking to Pankaj Srivastava, Reddy discusses the problems and prospects of the Indian Left.
Harish Rawat has seen more ups and downs in two months than many see in decades. He is back in power in Uttarakhand, but facing a CBI inquiry over the alleged horse-trading sting. Ahead of his CBI quizzing on June 7, Rawat found time to answer a few questions from Aasha Khosa. Edited excerpts: How do you look back at the two months of political developments in Ut
Bihar’s liquor ban was spearheaded by excise minister Abdul Jalil Mastan. The six-time Congress MLA talks about the state’s plans to overcome the challenges in implementing this difficult move – from providing alternative employment opportunities to opening de-addiction centres. What made you enact a law which completely banned liq
Dr Sri Vatsa Sehra cracked the civil services examinations, considered one of the world’s toughest, and did the unthinkable by deciding against joining the much sought after Indian Administrative Service (IAS). Instead, the doctor from AIIMS told Pankaj Kumar that he opted for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) as it provides an amazing opportunity not just to administe
The UPA government’s big initiative in education was the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The NDA government’s big initiative promises to be the new education policy. A five-member committee, headed by former cabinet secretary TSR Subramanian, was set up last year to draft the policy. The committee had submitted its report on May 27. In early June, however, the matter became conten
The news from war-ravaged Afghanistan is not encouraging: a resurgent Taliban, an increasing Islamic State footprint, a fractious government and a weak security force. This year has already seen the Indian consulate in Jalalabad being targeted by a suicide attack. Meanwhile, Afghanistan is very much on top of India’s diplomatic engagements. Economic cooperation with Iran and A
The Women Deliver Conference of 2016 is one of the largest gatherings focusing on women’s and girls’ health, rights and general well-being to be held in a decade – though the conference is being held every two years since 2007. More than 5,500 delegates – including policy makers, business leaders, health workers, activists and celebrities – from about 167 cou
The risk of TB infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) is largely understudied and preventive measures are clearly not in place. Blessina Kumar, chair, Global Coalition of TB Activists, discusses with Sakshi Kuchroo the problems in areas which need immediate attention from the government as well as the hospital managements. What do you think is
Pushpa Rawat comes across as a girl next door until you get to know her and her work better. Rawat makes documentary films, but not just any. It is the unusual style of her films that makes this 28-year-old woman from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, stand out. Her journey so far, however, has not been a cakewalk. Coming from a humble background, Rawat did her masters in philosophy fro
Have you ever thought of the Lakshadweep islands beyond a paradise in the midst of the sea? What are the governance challenges in this remote archipelago? To know the answer to these questions, Governance Now sat down with Esha Pandey, additional DCP II, central district, Delhi police. Pandey was posted in Lakshadweep f
