Best of BS Opinion: Dim growth prospects, RCEP an opportunity and more

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

The finance minister blames millennials for the slump in auto sales. The prime minister takes a dig at those critical of his cow slaughter campaign. A new rank of principal advisor has been created in the Prime Minister’s Office. But is anyone engaging with the real problems of the economy? Writers discuss this and related issues on the opinion pages today. Kanika Datta sums up the views:

The Indian economy faces too many policy and institutional constraints to significantly accelerate economic growth from present rates, says former Chief Economic Advisor Shankar Acharya.

Australia’s High Commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu explains why RCEP presents India with a critical opportunity for India to ‘Act East’ and help shape Indo-Pacific trade architecture.

The Supreme Court directive to Competition Commission of India to investigate alleged predatory pricing by Uber disturbs the latter's policy position in market abuse cases, writes Somasekhar Sundaresan.

Jet Airways Naresh Goyal is under investigation by enforcement agencies. He’s been there before; will he be lucky this time too? Shyamal Majumdar discusses his prospects.

Quoting Bob Dylan and a 17th century jurist, former Supreme Court justice Madan B Lokur highlights the arbitrary and opaque manner way in which the apex court collegium is handling appointments and transfers in the higher judiciary. The lead edit elaborates.

The new motor vehicles law has steeply increased the penalties on a range of traffic violations. But will this move alone improve compliance? The second edit examines the issue.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

 

"It is unfortunate that in our country the moment the word 'Om' falls on the ears of some people, they get alarmed. They also get alarmed by the word 'cow'. They feel as if that the country has gone back to the 16th or the 17th century"

 

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a speech in Mathura