Economic Perspectives | C.P. Chandrasekhar writes: How Thames Water symbolises the collapse of neoliberal privatisation
Thames Water, one of England’s many regional water monopolies, infamously privatised by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s and symbolising the dramatic turn in economic policy that neoliberalism implied, is finally collapsing. Unable to mobilise £500 million from shareholders who have milked the company over the years, Kemble Water, the parent
The case for inheritance tax: Combating inequality and promoting social mobility
A feature of the ongoing election to the 18th Lok Sabha is an extraordinarily communal campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The debate on the reintroduction of inheritance tax and wealth tax in the country is an example of this. The Prime Minister began by misinterpreting an old speech
Long on rhetoric, short on practice: Modi government battling corruption
A decade ago, in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Narendra Modi, then still the Chief Minister of Gujarat, famously declaimed: “Na khaoonga, na khaane doonga” (Neither will I take bribes, nor will I let others take bribes). He added that he would bring back illegal wealth stashed away
Era of deprivation: India is haunted by an unprecedented economic deprivation
The economic situation in the country today is extremely grim. It consists in the fact that the economy, through its spontaneous functioning, does not provide a level of income to the overwhelming majority of people that is enough to buy even a subsistence bundle of goods by contemporary standards. The
Despite Election Commission’s campaigns urging every citizen to vote, millions of India’s migrant workers find it nearly impossible to exercise their democratic right.
“Among every 1,000 men in our villages, around 300 voters are working outside the State. It is not possible for all of them to return to cast their vote,” says Habib Biswas, 29, from Faridpur in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, who drives heavy vehicles for a living. He is, however,
India’s first opium processing factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur stands as a testament to the region’s rich history
The opium factory in Ghazipur | Photo Credit: Anand Mishra India’s first opium processing factory, set up 200 years ago in Ghazipur district, Uttar Pradesh (UP) is now a thing of the past. There was a time, recalls Rudra Narayan Tiwari, a former journalist-turned-taxi-driver from Tiwaripur when the factory, ‘Govt
Digital Darkness: India leads the world in internet shutdowns
WATCH | Digital Darkness: India leads the world in internet shutdowns In light of India’s ranking in global internet shutdowns, watch this explainer about the reasons behind such shutdowns, internet blackouts in other nations, resultant fallouts, and so on. | Video Credit: Camera and editing by Samson Ronald K.; Presented
Lok Sabha Election Results Highlight India’s Jobs Crisis: Lessons from Demonetisation, COVID Mishandling, and Rising Inequality
India has voted. And as we emerge from that occluding corridor of time, there is space to see more clearly. A few grim realities continue to exist. India still has a jobs crisis, households are still struggling to make ends meet, and hate, as we have seen, does not make
SUM AND SUBSTANCE | The road ahead for India’s stock market following the formation of a new coalition government under Narendra Modi
India’s stock market crashed on June 4 as it became clear that the BJP would not make it past the halfway mark alone and that this was going to be an NDA-led coalition with much more say for regional partners on the one hand, and a much stronger opposition on
Gujarat: Before industry, comes the safety of lives
This year, Gujarat’s Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said his government aims to become a $500 billion economy by 2026-27. Much of this stellar growth, said Patel, was thanks to the State’s ease of doing business, investor-friendly approach and robust industrial infrastructure. By extension, it would make sense that a State