The similarities cannot be overlooked when both the UPA led by Manmohan Singh and the democratic Front in Maharashtra led by Prithviraj Chavan go to the polls next year. Both led by silently, and uniquely, quiet and soft-spoken leaders, they face charges of corruption and irregularities diametrically opposed to their leaders’ image, a sort of disunited opposition aiming barbs from differe
In normal course, whenever a new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president assumes office, the national council is summoned to formally inaugurate the presidency and put its stamp of approval. The public anointment is the new president’s moment of glory and an occasion to enlist party cadre in the immediate programmes being planned. For three days in early March, however, the spotlight was n
Having taken on all forms of political parties and formations, government and constitutional bodies, media and trivia, opposition and divergent proposition, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has found a new adversary in the state election commission (SEC). If the poll panel cannot give her, and her constituents, firm dates for immediate elections to the panchayats to showcase t
In the past six months, UPA-II and especially finance minister P Chidambaram have been applauded for a slew of reforms. The government has claimed that it has broken the shackles of policy paralysis and is on its way to usher in a new growth phase, after the downturn in 2011-12 and 2012-13. Each and every decision that was taken in the recent past was categorised as a ‘game changer’
The world has around 2.5 billion people who lack adequate sanitation but it has a great economic burden. Providing sanitation to citizens is a rewarding option but countries, mostly of South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, are still struggling to provide sanitation facilities to its citizens, says the latest United Nations study. “Doing nothing is costly. Every one dollar spent on sa
It seldom happens when economic wisdom wins political argument. This is a reality of our democracy, which has consistently been ignored the basic temptations of its economy for achieving ‘unknown benefits’. It is surprising to see Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar pitching for seeking special status for Bihar as his gameplan for upcoming elections and ahead. Undoubtedly this would b
It seems apparent that the main issue in the next general elections would be about who can bring benefits of the ongoing economic reforms to the poorest of the poor people of India. And that is where the young Congress vice-president, Rahul Gandhi, comes in. Having declared that the “last aam aadami in the queue” and India’s eager youth are his constituency, Rah
If you played cricket as a child in the lane in front your house or the colony park, you certainly remember that amusing rule: if the bat, ball and wickets belong to me, you better not question me; or the game is off. I am going home, see you tomorrow mate. That’s a rule not exactly endorsed by the rulebook of the Wisden Cricketers Almanack, or even the Indian cricket board, which
In conversation with Shivangi Narayan, Brian Moran, global managing director of Accenture’s Public Service Operations & Management Industry, talks about moving services to the digital domain thus improving the productivity and reducing cost of services. Could you elaborate more on your research which says that if we increase the efficiency of delivery
On Tuesday, Animal Rights International (ARI) will hold a peace walk at Jantar Mantar to encourage Indians to switch to ‘green’ food. According to Kritika Sharma, ARI’s executive director and one of the organisers, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has pegged Indians` per capita consumption of meat at 5.2 kg per year, the highest for the country since FAO began
The stock of FDI in India, as per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), is now about $220 billion or 12% of GDP. Multinationals have a long history here. It had a steady course – not counting the aberration in the 1970s, when IBM and Coca-Cola were sent packing. An RBI study says that the 745 foreign firms that have invested in India had an overall return on equity of about 13% in the year end
Kerala and Andhra Pradesh might be the best performing states in India in reducing poverty but when compared with ‘star performing countries’ like Nepal or Bangladesh, they cut a sorry figure. The latest report released by the University of Oxford based on the multidimensional poverty index (MPI), both the states are not even half as good as Nepal or Bangladesh. The study is based o
The difference between a good leader and a bad one is thinner than the crust of a good pizza. It could well be defined within the realms of blame game, that favourite Indian pastime: the former usually cops all the blame, voluntarily, while the latter passes it on to lesser minions, usually voluntarily, though seen through a maze of bureaucratic balderdash of putting things in order. It
The Congress, as the leading party of the ruling coalition, is completing two terms in power. But 2014 is going to be the toughest task it has faced in recent decades. Reasons are many: a series of corruption scandals, popular middle-class movements against it, the rise of Narendra Modi and finally the apparent indecision over Rahul Gandhi’s role. Veteran leader Digvijay Singh, who is, am
The developing story of the Italian marines requires reiteration of a fundamental tenet of our civil society. Decisions of the supreme court of India have always been recognised as the final word on all disputes adjudicated by them. Judgments of the supreme court are the law in our republic and binding on all parties. The constitution gives the supreme court powers to pass any orders for the en
India has no dearth of government schemes and programmes aimed at delivering development in general and welfare to the needy. But have they delivered development and made a difference in the life of a poor family? More importantly, do we raise these questions to begin with – questions of evaluating the impact of development/welfare initiatives? Howard White, an economist an
Do check the facts of your tweet if you do not want 50-odd Narendra Modi supporters lashing out at you for your brilliant faux pas. Ask Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor. On Thursday, Tharoor tweeted about an article, from a listings site ‘Sulekha.com’ which cites statistics showing how Kera
A latest report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says that in a span of 12 years (2000-2012), India has registered growth of 1.5 percent only on the human development Index (HDI). The 2013 report says that India faces significant social challenges in the years to come as the country has been ranks 136 among 187 countries calculated for HDI. “Despite the
Shortly after the news of Bitihotra Mohanty’s arrest in Kerala last week, came news that Ram Singh had ‘committed suicide’ in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. Bitti has been on the run since 2006, when he jumped parole and escaped a seven-year sentence for raping a 26-year-old German woman in Alwar, Rajasthan. Singh was the main accused in the brutal Delhi gangrape of 23-year-old par
I felt depressed after reading Chanakya’s New Manifesto To Resolve the Crisis Within India. This isn’t because the book, drawn from Pavan K Varma’s readings of Chanakya’s Arthashastra, tells the truth as it is. It’s because the new manifesto that Varma draws for addressing these cancers will never be achieved. Let me explain. At the very outset, th
