BUSINESS
A looming crisis for the dairy sector
The second wave of the pandemic has led to a crisis for the small farmer as he is unable to sell his milk for the second time in two years to the door to door seller or the small time aggregator
BUSINESS
Can we have a better agricultural policy please?
To make India’s farm effort weather proof, the urgent need now is for a more fine-tuned policy which does the right thing by allowing full play to market forces but also carefully designs incentives
BUSINESS
Consumer comes before farmers, freeing pulse imports proves it again
The government’s move has prompted the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, the farmers’ union affiliated to the RSS, to demand a rollback
BUSINESS
With Punjab farmers, the government stoops to conquer
The government’s procurement programme indicates it’s going out of its way to appease agitating farmers. Will it work?
BUSINESS
How to meet the environmental challenge facing India’s cities
Environmentally challenged cities face great risk in attracting investment. Therefore income move away from them as potential investors weigh the locational risk they face.
BUSINESS
China’s population growth curve bends down, India holds the edge
China's working age population will shrink, while the proportion of those who do not work will rise. In contrast, India's demographic dividend is intact
BUSINESS
Needed, a master plan to deliver oxygen, ventilators and medicines to beat COVID-19
The irony is that the skill for such a plan not only exists in India, but has already been working with the government in another sphere and is now using that model to deliver oxygen
BUSINESS
The world must unite to combat vaccine imperialism
Till vaccines are available in every country in the world, the risk of the pandemic flaring up will remain
POLITICS
What explains Trinamool’s spectacular victory?
The issue of Bengali identity seems to have resonated with the voters
POLITICS
Poll heat over, exit polls spring few surprises
The BJP is at an advantage in West Bengal
BUSINESS
Need economic plan to counter COVID-19 second wave catastrophe
Blanket lockdowns, of the sort that have been imposed in Delhi and Karnataka, will kill the economy if they continue for any length of time beyond the initial couple of weeks
POLITICS
Justice Bobde left a mark, but the legacy has some minuses too
The key deficiency of the Indian legal system is the huge backlog of cases – running into millions before all the courts taken together -- and the resultant denial of justice through delay in delivery
BUSINESS
Business gets into lockdown mode
If infections continue to rise, this may be just the beginning of business closures
BUSINESS
‘New improved’ Mark III of vaccination policy arrives
The government's expanded vaccine coverage policy comes close on the heels of Dr Manmohan Singh's letter to the government
TRENDS
New ‘must haves’ in the age of COVID-19
Regulation has to keep pace with social practice. Case in point: Smartphones have become an essential item in many Indian homes where children attend online classes.
BUSINESS
Second surge: The lessons not learnt
Like disaster planning, a permanent task force needs to be on call that can move in quickly to go to war against a pandemic
POLITICS
US warship muddies India’s waters
The US action, coming close on the heels of the Quad meeting, raises questions about the wisdom of toeing the US line
BUSINESS
Come clean on vaccines in this life and death situation
The last thing that the nation can afford is a political controversy which pits the ruling party at the Centre and Opposition-ruled states against each other in a highly dangerous and unacceptable blame game
BUSINESS
The dilemma over small savings interest rates and the way out
Economic policy must reside, no matter how uncomfortably, at the intersection of economic theory and politics
BUSINESS
The elusive work-life balance amid work from home
Work from home is leading to significant changes in social and work set up. Some excesses have been occurring both, in India and the developed economies, which have to be set right in order for WFH to not become socially harmful
BUSINESS
Shipping ministry’s opposition to SCI privatisation is not credible
It is not clear why Indian tonnage should be state owned and it is not enough for it to be privately owned for ‘national security’ purposes
BUSINESS
How to make the most of farm laws? Answer lies in farmer producer organisations
These bodies can handhold their members through the maze of marketplace so that the farmers remain profitable
POLITICS
Assam Election 2021: Intelligentsia highly cynical about polls
That there are horses for courses is indicated by the way the BJP has dealt with the issue of implementing the CAA against which there was a powerful movement in Assam
BUSINESS
Focus on ‘happiness’ leading to a new economics
How have countries done on the happiness front in a year when the pandemic changed life as we knew it?
