The Norwegian embassy in Delhi, the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in Mumbai, and the Norwegian Business Association India, released a business climate survey report in Delhi in December. The report evaluates the current and future business climate for Norwegian companies in India. Nils Ragnar Kamsvåg, ambassador of Norway to India, speaks to Praggya Guptaa about the promising bu
How would you describe the post-truth phenomenon in the Indian context? Speaking in the context of post-truth, we have a live instance of it in the demonetisation playing out now in India. This involves three things: politics, people and perception, and all three have immediate and direct relation to the concept (of post-truth). It was clear that demonetisation w
S Srinivasan is the managing trustee of LOCOST, a charitable trust involved with the production of low-priced quality generics for over 32 years. He has also been active in works like transfer of pharmaceutical technology to least developed countries, issues of disadvantaged children and human rights, and relief in disaster situations. In a one-on-one with Kaushal Shroff
Professor Sakthivel Selvaraj is a health economist who teaches at the Public Health Foundation of India and researches matters concerning financing of healthcare and pharmaceutical economics in India. In an edifying chat with Kaushal Shroff, he explains the inner mechanics of the DPCO and speaks on why pharma companies are so keen to see a market free of pricin
“This book is written for all the ordinary adivasis I know, who make difficult moral choices within complex constraints, and many of whom are heroic beyond bounds I can scarcely imagine. In today’s condition, it requires superhuman effort for them to merely survive,” writes academician-activist Nandini Sundar in her book, The Burning Forest: India’s War in Ba
Dr Adel Abdellatif is the chief of the Regional Programme Division in UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States and is based in New York. In his current capacity, he coordinates and oversees the publication of the flagship Arab Human Development Report. Prior to this, Abdellatif established and led UNDP’s Programme of Governance in the Arab Region, a catalytic programme advocating
Dr KC Chakrabarty, former deputy governor, Reserve Bank of India, headed currency management at the central bank before taking premature retirement in March 2014. Known for his frank and candid views, Chakrabarty explains to Geetanjali Minhas why he is a critic of demonetisation and its implementation. PM Narendra Modi’s de
Pandit Birju Maharaj is a living legend and an institution in himself. He represents Kalka-Bindadin gharana of Lucknow. He has mesmerised artists and audiences in India and abroad with his Kathak skills. He is also an accomplished vocalist and musician. He can play all string instruments like Sitar, Sarod, Violin and Sarangi. His choreography in Bollywood films like Devdas, Umrao Jaan, Dedh
How do you see demonetisation as a way of curbing black economy? Demonetisation is not the way to tackle black economy. The reason is that the black money is in circulation; it is not held at home. The RBI has issued currency notes worth Rs17 lakh crore, and of that 85 percent is in Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. Also, out of this, bulk would be with businesses for their wo
How effective is the Mine Ban Treaty since most of the big states are not yet signatories to it? The Mine Ban Treaty has created a very strong norm on the prohibition of the use of landmines. Actually, 80 percent of the world’s countries [are signatories to] the Ban Treaty and acting on it. Even among those relatively few states that have not yet got
How effective is the Mine Ban Treaty since most of the big states like the US, Russia, India, China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are not yet signatories to it? With 162 state parties, the Mine Ban Treaty encompasses more than 80 percent of the countries in the world. The 35 states that have not banned landmines nonetheless are almost all complying with key provisio
As part of the government, how do you look at demonetisation? It’s by far the bold… the boldest of all the steps, in line with several other steps the government has undertaken since 2014, to make the economy robust and transparent. The government has taken steps to set up SIT [to unearth black money], the passing of the Benami [Property] Act, asked
Geeta Chandran is a well-known Bharatanatyam artist. She has founded the dance academy, Natya Vriksha, which has travelled across the globe for promotion of Bharatanatyam. She has contributed in Carnatic music, television, theatre, choreography and dance training. She has also presented many performances in India and abroad to raise funds for social causes. Chandran has received several prestig
Will the release of GE mustard reduce oilseed imports? Saying that GE mustard will slash the oil import bill is just baloney. Farmers are not able to make money from the farm. You enable the farmer to make money from mustard or pulses or anything else, and you will have production. Look at the product honestly and evaluate it on the basis if this product is really goi
If the GE mustard hybrid was developed in 2002, why has the environment ministry not taken a decision on it yet? Nobody had the guts to release it, and till today, it’s the same story. The ideology behind not clearing it is so dumb that it is difficult to explain. This country is divided into two sides, the left and the right. They don’t agree on an
Coming from a family of farmers in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has made it big in the Hindi film industry. Beginning his career as a theatre actor, the National School of Drama alumnus struggled to break the stereotype of a conventional hero. After several less-noticed performances, Nawazuddin bagged the Jury Award at the 2012 national film awards. He has pl
Many women in Ballia, UP, say it is difficult for them to collect even a small amount for refilling gas. We frankly don’t have a clear answer to that. But it is firstly important for us to convince the women and other people and educate them about the benefits of LPG. Once they are convinced they will find a way to save money. There are people from these vill
Rameshwar Oraon, a former Congress MP who went on to serve as minister of state for tribal affairs, is completing his second consecutive term as the head of the ST commission. In an interview with Archana Mishra days before his successor is expected to be named, Oraon explains what is wrong with the commission. What is the commission doing about the controversy r
Aditya Verma, secretary of the Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) which is yet to be recognised by the BCCI, has been batting for a full membership for more than a decade. Since 2005, he has also been fighting for transparency and accountability in the working of the BCCI. It was on his petition that the supreme court directed N Srinivasan to step down as the BCCI chief. Another fallout of
Vyjayanthimala Bali was perhaps the first south Indian actor to become a national star. One of the prominent actors of the golden era of Bollywood, she ruled the film industry for almost two decades, the 1950s-60s. Besides acting, the 83-year-old is a renowned Bharatanatyam danseuse and choreographer. Vyjayanthimala took an active interest in politics and won Lok Sabha polls in 1984 on the
