Many important government proposals are increasingly landing up with the Cabinet directly, without figuring on the agenda sent to relevant ministries ahead of a meeting of the council of ministers. The black money Bill, which was cleared by the Cabinet last week, was one such. Earlier also, items for discussion would be included at the last moment, without being featured in the agenda items, because of urgency, but the number of such proposals is believed to have gone up lately. Is it because of a fear of leaks given the unfolding corporate espionage saga or is it a by-product of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maximum governance?

Cabinet matters

Business Standard

This refers to the report "AAP crisis worsens: Yadav, Bhushan out of national executive" (March 29). It is hard to fathom why the fledgling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which seemed to hold the baton to change Indian politics, is now a divided house. The ouster of two of its founding members, Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, means that the party has little substance left. The resignation of social activist Medha Patkar from the party, citing disappointment with the way party affairs are being handled, is also a huge setback. The allegations of violence and the presence of bouncers at the meeting have also cast a shadow on the integrity of the party.Arvind Kejriwal's dominating style of functioning has also been laid bare. Unless the party redoubles its efforts to put its house in order and more importantly, delivers on the poll promises made to the people of Delhi, its future looks bleak.N J Ravi Chander  BengaluruLetters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardN

Letters: AAP - A divided house

Uttaran Dasgupta's "review" of my book Sri Lanka: The New Country (Business Standard, March 28), was by an ill-informed and verbose "critic" who has obviously never set foot in Sri Lanka and is wholly clueless about its past, present and future. He has shamed your otherwise scrupulous daily by misquoting my work, stringing random sentences from all over the book chiefly to "showcase" his own tedious pomposity and, more gravely, by attributing claims I make nowhere, to me. The review was a disdainful violation of the tenets of the very profession your "critic" claims to be "proud" of.Examples:1. He refers to "camps for former LTTE woman cadres".  There are none: neither in Sri Lanka, nor in the book.2. The longest chapters are confrontations of army generals and politicians with the widely-known allegations of human rights abuse. He did not read them. Instead, he asks the idiotic question: "But what about human rights'?" And then slanders me by claiming that I, the author, "answer", by

Letters: A rejoinder

For much of the recent past, high food inflation has driven all-round price increases

StatsGuru: Behind the worrying uptick in food inflation

Business Standard analyses one family's finances and suggests a way forward

Case study

OYO Rooms, a network of budget hotels, has raised Rs 150 crore from Lightspeed, Sequoia and Greenoaks Capital

OYO Rooms raises Rs 150 crore

This refers to Rahul Jacob's column "Lee Kuan Yew's legacy in China" (Country Code, March 28). The well-researched and informative column on Lee Kuan Yew's legacy (not only for China but, I add, for the world) is highly appreciated. The writer has brought out the influence of the Singapore model of governance on China, leading to the first special investment zone: Shenzen, in southern China.Lee's leadership style of benign dictatorial attitude was characterised by integrity and discipline. This led to the population of city-state Singapore to adopt these values. With a population of just 5 million, Singapore has become a leading global economic, social and political power. The concept of integrity and discipline in action is the biggest lesson for us.The Singapore model of discipline and development is relevant to us because approximately 9 per cent of Singapore's population is of Indian origin. Hence, there is a feeling of participation for us in the Singapore success story. If it can

Letters: Lee's legacy

This refers to the article "Make in India for the world" (March 26) by Nigel Harris, president & CEO of Ford Motor Company India. Harris brings up a very important angle in the government's "Make in India" strategy that is taking Indian manufacturing to a global level. There is no doubt in his statement that the automotive sector, along with its essentially built-around ancillary industries, has the potential to be one of the brightest prospects of employment in a country like ours.He has also placed his confidence and belief in policies that are in place in states such as Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, which have attracted many companies to set up their manufacturing bases like that of Ford. It means we do not need to re-invent the wheel, but extend such policies to other states as well, with central government support and guidance to attract more manufacturers. The time is now to launch ourselves into a transformational course, overcoming any challenge that we may face in our way forwar

Letters: A manufacturing hub

Apropos the article "Why scrapping Section 66A may not be in India's best interest" (March 25), I would like to say that a wrong can not be corrected by another wrong. The author rightly points out that cyberbullying and cybercrimes will be difficult to handle without appropriate cyber laws, but a cyber law that seeks to penalise on the basis of "annoyance" is not the answer to such problems. The Supreme Court judges have neither overlooked the issue of cyber crimes nor have they been influenced by the popular emotions (as has been suggested by the author), but instead, the judges have sent out a strong message to the legislature.The message is: "You cannot make vague laws with unlimited power in the name of public order".Do not forget the preciseness with which our Constitution has been written. The same preciseness needs to be followed while making legislation, instead of making laws like a king who can do no wrong. In conclusion, the Supreme Court verdict is highly welcome and the l

Letters: A case of vague laws

Journalists have always known it, but a global study on news consumption last year confirmed the belief that negative news headlines work (30 per cent!) better at getting readers' attention than positive ones. Well, at least one media group in India has made up its mind to go against conventional wisdom. It has decided that on Mondays, it will not offer any negative news. In a letter signed by the managing director of the group it has promised that given the "general wave of optimism sweeping the country", every Monday, its flagship newspaper will carry "only positive news generating hope, inspiration, delight and sense of pride". All negative news of the day that could be important for the reader would be segregated and boxed under a clear header of "Negative News". "The readers will therefore have a choice of whether to read the negative news or to avoid it altogether", the letter said.

Good news

Do not be surprised if after booking a ticket on the IRCTC website next time, you receive an email response from none other than Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu himself. In the automated email, Prabhu addresses the user as "Dear passenger" and goes on to "happily share" information on the work being done at the railways to make every trip comfortable and safe. The email comes with two web links highlighting some new initiatives and the railway Budget, and ends with the minister welcoming suggestions from the recipient.

Straight talk

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) drew much criticism form rival political parties after its national council expelled four dissident leaders, including Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, from its powerful National Executive on Saturday. "I think Delhi is the biggest sufferer," said Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, adding that the allegations and counter-allegations by various AAP factions were "extremely serious". Former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted that it seemed the party "has decided to be more like us", while many had advised traditional political parties earlier to be more like the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit. The Bharatiya Janata Party said AAP should not fritter away its opportunity with its brand of "immature" politics.

Same difference

My insurance policy lapsed last year due to non-payment of premiums. When I tried to renew, my agent asked me to undergo the medical tests. Is this required? Your agent is correct in suggesting medical tests because, typically, a lapsed policy has to be medically underwritten if it has to be revived. The premium will not change unless your policy is rated up due to adverse medical reports/conditions. However, to revive the policy, you still will have to pay the dues (last year's unpaid premium) with interest and sometimes a revival fee, too.I had taken a term life insurance policy while I was working. Later, I quit my job to take care of my child. I am thinking of discontinuing my policy, since  I am not earning any more. Is it advisable to do so?You might not feel the need to continue but we strongly suggest you to do so. If you begin working in future, the insurance coverage will be costlier with the increase in your age and the possibility of medical conditions. In case you change y

Life Insurance: Amitabh Chaudhry

Questions about policies for the GIFT project

A finance SEZ

Bretton Woods institutions must change to stay relevant

Multilateral competition

In keeping with one of its key election promises to curb the growth of black money, the government introduced in Parliament the Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill, 2015 - popularly referred to as the anti-black money Bill - earlier this month. Tapati Ghose, partner, Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP, shares her take on how the stringent provisions to tax undisclosed foreign income and assets will play out.  Edited excerpts:What is the coverage and scope of the Bill?The Bill provides for separate taxation of any undisclosed income in relation to foreign income and assets. Such income will henceforth not be taxed under the Income Tax Act (ITA), but under the stringent provisions of the proposed new legislation, and covers all residents, other than not ordinarily resident in India as per the ITA."Undisclosed foreign income and asset" has been defined as the total amount of undisclosed income and the value of an undisclosed asset, located outside India. It has to

Resident companies will get covered: Tapati Ghose

Tim Cook's lesson

Everyone has his own favourite story about Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But the sweetest is one related to his friend Ram Mohan Singh, who was a student with him at the D A V College, Kanpur. Vajpayee used to make delicious 'thandai' (a cold drink drunk all over Uttar Pradesh during the hottest months of May and June, occasionally containing hemp leaves or bhaang) and grind all the ingredients himself on a grinding stone. Once the friends went for a walk and found a little cloth bundle, which had Rs 27 in it. The two friends looked far and wide to return the money but could not find a claimant. Finally, they went to the market, bought the ingredients for 'thandai' and Vajpayee spent an hour on the 'sil batta' (grinding stone) to make delicious thandai for the entire hostel. The students were awake till 1 am, drinking it and listening to Vajpayee recite his poetry.

Vajpayee's thandai

A top Congress leader has seen Rahul Gandhi returning home from the airport. This leader was arriving at the airport to take a flight home when suddenly there was a commotion. Someone was sitting in a vehicle with gun-toting security men around him. The windows were up but Gandhi's profile is unmistakable. The vehicle drove off in the general direction of the city. The Congress leader says Gandhi was returning from some sort of travel - no one knows whether he went abroad or not. But he's here now.

Rahul Gandhi: Home and dry?

From Emergency to liberalisation, from the biggest industrial disaster to domestic industry's rise to the global stage, from producing the first modern car domestically to acquiring the stylish Jaguar brand, from furore over caste-based reservation to nuclear prowess and man in space, from hosting two important international sporting events to changing the face of sports through innovative models - we have seen it all.As Business Standard completes 40 years of its thought leadership, we bring you the most striking pictures that defined India over the past four decades

40 Years Ago... And now: Four eventful decades for India

Speeding up court decisions must be a priority

Business Standard

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