BUSINESS
Opinion | These 3 measures can stop India from becoming a failed state
The rot in the system needs to be checked, failing which the law-abiding, tax-paying citizen will be let down and marginalised
BUSINESS
Opinion | Farmers in India don't earn much; many are terribly exploited
The current model adopted by the government — of being both the subsidy provider and the procurement price player — has failed to deliver good results. It has made the farmer lose incomes and even self-respect
BUSINESS
Opinion | Foreign aid will flow to Kerala whether the Centre wants it or not
There are several ways of looking at humanitarian aid. These came into sharp focus after the Union government refused to let the UAE donate Rs 700 crore as relief aid to flood-struck Kerala
BUSINESS
Opinion | How our laws are increasingly undermining war against corruption
Sadly, legislators forget that when laws get corroded either by inaction or through amendments, or through moves that make the collection of evidence difficult, the very fabric of governance gets frayed.
BUSINESS
Opinion | Ayushman Bharat is a great concept, but where are the doctors?
The government’s intentions deserve praise and support, but before announcing a health insurance, we need good doctors and infrastructure. The AB-NHPM places the cart before the horse.
BUSINESS
OPINION | For farmers to make money, the government should move out of procurement
Why can’t the government benchmark farmer incomes as a percentage of market prices? Why can’t the Verghese Kurien formula be extended to all crops?
POLITICS
Opinion | How the new corruption law protects the corrupt, and why some bribes should be 'legal'
The amended law does nothing of this kind. Instead the only amendment it makes is extending the prison term to a maximum of seven years.
BUSINESS
Opinion | Oil at $250 a barrel? How we could get there, and India's quandary
With scary forecasts doing the rounds over the price of crude oil, Artem Avinov, leading analyst with TeleTrade, was quick to add that $250 a barrel was a possibility and not a probability.
INDIA
COMMENT- Farms destroy value, not because of farmers but because of the government
To some extent the euphoria might be justified. Increasing farm production does normally mean higher incomes for farmers.
BUSINESS
COMMENT- Plenty of talk on solar power, but where are the policy underpinnings?
Making declarations and signing MoUs is one thing. Getting capacity augmented, and making solar power relevant to India is quite another.
BUSINESS
COMMENT - Which way will the energy prices go?
Over the past five years, all energy costs have been subject to two unanticipated headwinds. One was the discovery of shale oil which could be recovered quite easily at average costs of around $40 a barrel equivalent. The other was renewables – particularly wind and solar.
ECONOMY
Comment - Don’t entrust the fate of banks to the government
The banks lent out money irresponsibly because India’s politicians in power thought that they could use the banks to win favours from industrialists.
