Best of BS Opinion: A change in direction, healing a weak regulator & more

Here's a selection of Business Standard opinion pieces for the day

The new rules for information technology intermediaries have troubling aspects which will negatively impact freedom of expression. The Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, give the government wide-ranging discretionary powers to censor online news and social media platforms, and to take punitive actions against them. In this context, our lead editorial notes that these guidelines will create discretionary systems which can be selectively applied to harass political opponents and shut down criticism. No democracy, which guarantees freedom of expression, should formulate such draconian rules.
 

The government has reestablished the primacy of economic growth as its top priority and accepted the need to put the private sector at the heart of the growth agenda, writes Akash Prakash
 

The Indian pharmaceutical industry has the potential to rise up the global vaccine value chain — but controversies about domestic approvals on the basis of sketchy data will do it no favours, writes Prosenjit Datta

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“All engines of aggregate demand are starting to fire; only private investment is missing in action and the time is apposite for it to come alive.”

Reserve Bank of India