Page 117 - Opinion

Deep state, shallow state, non-state: The rise of conspiracy theories

From bhikshus of Ashokan 3rd century BC and medieval Sufis to Oxfam, Omidyar and Soros now, non-state actors have any real power only when they work in conjunction with a real state

Income Tax Bill, 2025: A pivotal step towards making law accessible

The traditional style of drafting the law has led to enormous tax litigation over the past six decades

Income-tax law: New layout, old provisions, but complexities remain

Certain amendments on trust taxation are welcome. All classes of registered non-profit institutions such as public trusts, society, university/educational institutions have been identified

New income-tax law: A case for simplification in language and format

Over the years, several attempts have been made to reform Income Tax Act, the first being between 1986 and 1991, second in 1996, third in 2010 in the form of Direct Taxes Code (DTC), and then in 2017

Best of BS Opinion: Creative policymaking needed to resolve knotty issues

Policymaking must find simpler ways of resolving seemingly complex problems: such an approach frees up economic agents for productive activity

Truths about Savarkar: Arun Shourie's book is not a biography or analysis

In an early chapter of his book, indicatively titled "History is Made-Up", veteran editor and writer, Arun Shourie scrutinises an old speech/poetic recitation of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee

In step with a reordered world: A Viksit Bharat needs domestic market focus

A greater inward orientation is inevitable in years ahead for two reasons. One is a slowing down of growth in world trade. The second channel through which GEF will make itself felt is flows in FDI

Efficient tax system: A clear income-tax law will help all stakeholders

Although the government has been working on improving the experience of taxpayers, such as with the introduction of the Faceless Assessment Scheme, the new Bill aims to take the process forward

Trump 2.0: Fate of climate policy amid shifting global priorities

The developing world may suffer a double whammy. Advanced nations, such as EU and UK, would be squeezing them by applying stringent sustainability measures having trans-border implications

Travel pressures: Commuters bear the cost of inadequate public transport

Though the rising cost of fuel would have undoubtedly accounted for part of the cost burden, inadequate public-transport infrastructure has also imposed costs on households

Regulation.ai@India: Striking a balance between innovation and safety

India must not delay implementing comprehensive AI regulations to ensure technology serves humanity's best interests and upholds core values

Blaming welfare schemes for labour woes ignores real economic shifts

For India Inc, like big business everywhere, the standard response is to view welfarism as an impediment to business plans

NITI Aayog's fiscal health index needs clarity and better data use

Despite fact that Constitution assigns states predominant role in provision of social services and co-equal responsibility in economic services, their fiscal performance has not received much focus

Best of BS Opinion: A Carpe Diem moment for Indian policymakers

The rapid growth of AI, success of mobile phone manufacturing, the index for states' fiscal health and labour shortages all point to opportunities for policymakers

India's green startups: A promising selection, but a patchy narrative

One question the authors ask every startup founder in the book is: Imagine your startup as a character from Indian mythology. Who would it be and why?

PLI scheme fuels iPhone exports, but gaps remain in manufacturing

India's PLI scheme, particularly in electronics and smartphones, has proved successful in boosting domestic manufacturing and seamlessly aligning with the country's export ambitions

India's AI strategy: Balancing innovation, risks, and proper governance

The government's intentions in terms of developing compute capacity and its focus on encouraging the proliferation of data centres are in the right direction

Agriculture in Union Budget 2025-26: balancing continuity with change

Given that agriculture and rural development are state subjects, an inter-state council on the lines of GST Council is very important for better coordination between Centre & states

Best of BS Opinion: Quality of spending matters more than the quantum

From education to PSUs to advertising to tariffs, how we address the quality of spending matters as much as the quantum of it

Amitava Kumar's The Green Book: A professor's ways of seeing the world

People who aspire to write their own book someday might want to take a cue from Dr Kumar's writerly routine