The government’s decision to include caste enumeration in India’s population census is welcome. As the basis of a social hierarchy that inhibits mobility in Indian society, caste is inimical to the notion of equality that’s a core characteristic of democracy. The dynamism of our economy has weakened links between castes and occupations, with favourable socio-economic…
“Today on the soil of Bihar, I say to the whole world: India will identify, trace, and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the earth. India’s spirit will never be broken by terrorism. Terrorism will not go unpunished. Every effort will be made to ensure that justice…
Years ago, I read Kitne Pakistan, a novel by Hindi writer Kamleshwar that articulates the fractious, discriminatory and power-hungry tendencies of Indian society. The exodus from Murshidabad following riots in the wake of the passage of Waqf Amendment Act has again forced us to ponder whether we can ever bridge this mindset of separation. Do…
One of the most famous quips about India that has long held good is British economist Joan Robinson’s “Whatever you can rightly say about India, the opposite is also true.” A telling example is the contrast between our high position in the world’s GDP league table, where we rank third in terms of purchasing power…
In the intervening 40 years, much has happened. First, these four states have become seven states, with Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand having been carved out in 2000 from Bihar, MP and UP respectively. Since birth, Uttarakhand has been a well-performing state in terms of state GDP per capita (GSDP per capita) as well as HDI….
That the Indian economy is going through a difficult phase is no longer a matter of speculation. The Economic Survey not only made that clear, but went further by offering evidence of a decline in earnings of the self-employed in the last six years. For regular and casual workers, wages have been declining for almost…
Income Tax Budget: “The important question is, what happens if we don’t have a salary?” Congress MP Shashi Tharoor commented on the new income tax proposal announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the Budget 2025 speech on Saturday. FM Sitharaman announced the abolition of income tax until ₹12 lakh under the new tax regime….
New Delhi: Union minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution Pralhad Joshi has called upon states to increase wheat procurement for the 2025-26 rabi marketing season, emphasising the important role they play in contributing to the central pool of the foodgrain. This contribution is essential for maintaining food security and ensuring the smooth operation…
These are important parameters and merit close attention to understand the economy’s growth path. But there is another factor that will play a vital role in the budget-making process and decide the trajectory of all these critical macro-economic parameters. It is called the political economy. There are many definitions, but, in simple terms, political economy…
Union Minister Giriraj Singh, who was in Ballia in Bihar’s Begusarai, was allegedly attacked at an event on Saturday. BJP leader was conducting a Janata Darbar programme in his home constituency at the time of the incident. The accused was beaten up by the MP’s supporters, before they handed him over to the police. The…
