RN Bhaskar
Budget 2022: Why provisions for agriculture and the poor are laughable with no attempt to reward the efficient
Agriculture accounts for over 50 per cent of the nation's population and services contributes to over 55 per cent of the country’s GDP. When such large segments suffer, there is something seriously wrong. The smiles on the faces of those who carried the budget papers begin to look pasted on
Budget 2020: Farmers will now reap what the govt did not sow; agri distress to continue
This Budget paid the most attention to agriculture—if the percentage of spending is the yardstick to go by.
Budget 2020: Govt must give priority to agriculture, empower farm sector to revive economy; don't hand out doles and sops
In Budget 2020, it is fervently hoped that the government will focus on genuinely empowering the farm sector.
Contract farming isn't a new idea, but govt needs to incentivise its spread across India
Like so many good ideas in India, contract farming is also one which has existed, thrived, and made its mark
Govt plans to incentivise contract farming: Centre should encourage large firms to be part of plan; decision will bring transparency of purchases and sales
At one level, contract farming is like any other contract to purchase goods of a quality and quantity within a specified time period
Union Budget 2019: Will Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman be able to salvage the agriculture sector?
With 50 percent of the population dependent on agricultural incomes—fully or partly—farm distress has the potential to pull down consumption,
Adani Group wins bid to operate six airports: Why Gautam Adani will continue to consolidate hold on logistics sector
For Adani anything that has to do with logistics is of immense interest. Airports represent not merely passengers. They represent cargo as well.
Splurging money on mega welfare schemes sans planning not wise, govt should find a way to make them productive
This is where the government’s planners have evidently lost their sense of proportion, their perspective of right and wrong, and also of what is good for India.
SC allows dance bars in Maharashtra: Govt's attempts to shut down dance bars show its specious morality, distorted priorities
The Supreme Court has struck down the attempts of the state government of Maharashtra to shut down dance bars.
Budget 2019: Benefits, quota skewed towards minorities, 'majority' middle class ignored; will Jaitley remedy this?
What is worse is that the middle class which can invest in education finds that the quality of education in schools is so poor that the educated cannot find jobs very easily.
Meghalaya coal mine tragedy exposes state's apathy for miners as greedy politicians sidestep human rights
In Meghalaya, much of illegal mining involves making small pit-holes commonly known as rathole mines.
Creation of jobs, improving judicial adjudication, and bringing in foreign investment to remain concerns in 2019
Leather and beef industries were major employers in the country, and even while new jobs could not be created, existing jobs were being jeopardized.
Gujarat power bill waiver beginning of downward spiral towards bankruptcy; India needs to curb frenzy of freebies
Gujarat's move to announce a power bill waiver of Rs 650 crore shows that it doesn't matter if it's the taxpayers who will suffer the burden. The actual tax-paying public is too small to matter when the general elections are around the corner.
Onion farmers' distress: Verghese Kurien's formula of giving farmers 50% of market price of harvest can help
The government’s formula of subsidies and grants is akin to treating a farmer like a beggar who holds out his bowl for charity and alms.
Maharashtra farmers' agitation: State worst performer in irrigation; policymakers deserve to be put on trial
The agitation leaders have made more demands of the type that will harm farmers, and less of the type that will protect farmers in the years to come
Falling price of food isn't always good news; it signals deep trouble for India's rural economy
It is quite possible that non-food WPI and manufacturing will also fall in coming months for two reasons
Ethanol as alternative fuel: Why the idea is bad and will worsen the plight of sugarcane farmers
Sugarcane has become a bitter crop for Maharashtra. Ethanol is just one more way by which it seeks to gain legitimacy.
The Supreme Court and religion in India: A blinkered perspective?
The Supreme Court made the right sounds, announcing that temples could not be taken over by governments in perpetuity, but there have been missteps as well
Courting god: The Supreme Court attempts to rescue India's temples
On 6 January 2014, the SC ruled that no government had the absolute right to take over the management of temples' trusts
From Sri Sri to Baba Ramdev: Does Hinduism 'produce' more godmen than other faiths?
From Asaram Bapu, Ma Anandamayi, Baba Ramdev, Putuparthi Sai Baba and Sri Sri Ravishankar, over the past two decades Hindus have created several godmen