Page 7 - A K Bhattacharya

Freebies in a prosperous state

Promises of free cooking gas and job reservations in Karnataka show how political discourse even in a relatively rich state is unchanged

A case study in labour vs management

Anjali Deshpande and Nandita Haksar's book examines the 2012 violence at Maruti Suzuki's Manesar plant and offers a rare worker's perspective on labour management practices in India

Get real with targets

The credibility of foreign trade policies will improve if they are not obsessed with setting export targets

Ensuring scrutiny by Parliament

The recent passage of the Budget for 2023-24 without discussion underlines the need for an institutional fix

A framework of intentions

"Transforming the Steel Frame" is treatise on civil service reforms in India. It has some revolutionary ideas that look good on paper, but could be politically disastrous unless implemented with care

Managing reform risks

Karnataka cannot relax after its bold move on labour law changes and should focus on their careful execution

The challenge from Urals

India's oil pricing policies must be fine-tuned to reflect the new Russian reality

Managing a crisis: Russia-Ukraine war outbreak a setback for Indian economy

But its impact has been kept under check

With some help from the predecessor

In assessing Narendra Modi's success with many schemes, Manmohan Singh's fundamental work should not be ignored

Covid was the moment of truth for the life insurance industry: Experts

On the part of Irdai, they have relaxed capital requirements in certain lines of business

An idea of India's economic reforms

Can a researcher make an impact on economic policy debates and formulations even while staying outside the government or academia? Indeed yes, and Isher Judge Ahluwalia was a shining example of that

Signs of a weakening public sector

States may have got more through tax transfer, but the composition of the PSU capital outlay causes concern

Fiscally prudent, but electorally savvy

In 2022-23, the finance minister hopes to grow her net revenue receipts by 8 per cent even as her revenue expenditure would increase by a similar rate

States do Centre a good turn

A sharp reduction in states' deficit augurs well for the Centre's fiscal planning

What is in a number?

The system of releasing numerous GDP growth estimates over three years calls for an overhaul. Budget making will also benefit as a result

No free lunches

The free food scheme is driven by electoral considerations, but its long-term fiscal risks outweigh the short-term gains

India in the nitty-gritty

Former Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar's memoir is a remarkable account of the many events that took place during his tenure, including the Mumbai terrorist attack

Unshackling the third tier

Indifference of voters to municipal corporation elections is an outcome of a serious governance flaw that needs to be fixed

Case studies on the Indian economy

Saurabh Kirpal's book is a useful guide to understanding the turns and twists of India's economic policy-making - from a relatively free enterprise environment to socialism to economic liberalisation

Abolish exemptions

Instead of reducing tax rates, Budget 2023 should take steps to reverse the decline in tax buoyancy