Best of BS Opinions: India's 72nd Republic Day, economic recovery, and more

Here are the top BS Opinions of the day

As the Indian republic enters its 72nd year, the three arms of government entrusted with protecting the Constitution have played their part in steadily weakening it. In the long run, argues the top edit, such tacit institutional weakening will ill-serve the country in terms of its global standing. “From the vortex of criticism that is emerging on the global stage, India is facing a considerable diminution of its soft power — that too at a time when it is clear that India can never be a hard power,” it says. Read it here

Other views today examine the WhatsApp controversy in Australia, the surge in the financial markets, dimensions of the economic recovery and the implication of Tata’s Air India bid.

Australia has come up with a law that asks Google and Facebook to pay Australian media for the content used in search, and social media. Google says this sets an “untenable precedent” and has threatened to withdraw its search engine from Australia. Between the two extreme positions is a middle ground: that tech giants and media have a symbiotic relationship and a revenue-sharing model would be a sensible way forward, the second edit says. Read it here

Mahesh Vyas examines the dimensions of India’s K-shaped recovery here

Is there a bubble in financial markets? Markets are past the phase of multiple expansion, driven by ultra-easy financial conditions and we need earnings to kick in now for the broad markets to sustain, writes Akash Prakash. Read it here

Anjuli Bhargava explains why a Tata buy of Air India could create new conflicts for its management and partners. Read it here

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