Category Free Press Journal
Retail FDI- Creating political storms
The announcement by the gov ernment about cabinet decision on 51% FDI in Multi Brand Retail and 100% in single brand has created significant debate among political parties even to the extent of affecting the stability of this Government. Trade constitutes the largest segment of the economy with a nearly 16.7 % share in NDP […]
Reducing corruption using technology
The index of middle class misery can be measured by adding the tax rate, the inflation rate, and the corruption rate. The last one is not discussed in open forums by experts since they are worried about the next round they need to face. The major source of irritation and corruption faced by the middle […]
Increasing impact of social media in India
` In the eighties when the Bofors scam hit the headlines everyone was eager to read ” The Hindu” newspaper, where it was exposed by Chitra Subramanian and N Ram – of The Hindu. It was print media which was the torch bearers. But by the beginning of this century TV has overtaken print media […]
Unlisted family businesses rule India
Patrick French (‘India: A Portrait’) reveals that more than two- thirds of the under- 40 members of the Lok Sabha are hereditary and many of them are hyper hereditary, based on their dynasty. Actually many of us forget that since 1885, members of the Motilal Nehru family have presided over the Congress party for 39 […]
When society loses its sense of shame!
The release of A Raja, the erstwhile telecom minister accused of corruption on bail and the related news, revealed the depth to which we have descended. He was given a hero’s welcome befitting someone who won an Olympic gold and in the evening of his release, the report suggests that there was gala party with […]
It is not just a financial crisis
It was suggested that the crisis in the economy of the West will get sorted in a few months and later it was felt in a few years. When there was a crisis in East Asia it was called Asian crisis and then there was a Latin American crisis. But when there is a crisis […]
Parties should bring social issues to the front
From an era of identity politics we are moving towards development politics. The experts talk about the crucial role of Bijli/ Sadak/ Pani ( BSP) in many of the state elections. We have a two by two matrix. Leaders who are perceived to be corrupt but deliver on development front like Karunanidhi/ Badal etc. Leaders […]
Foreign funding of NGOs should stop
Two important criteria for NGOs are that they should be independent from government and they are organizations not meant for making profit. But many get money from the government or from foreign governments. The type of activities they are involved is mind- boggling which can extent from ” aging issues” to ” corruption” to ” […]
Who’ll save us from terminological terrorism?
When I was in college in the seventies during every winter the migratory birds in academia used to come to India from Europe/ USA during Dec/ Jan and impart wisdom to the lowly Indians. The white variety is the most preferred but the Indians in phoren institutions were also fine. The talk used to be […]
Increasing disconnect between economy and stock market
The country’s capital market is increasingly influenced by global developments because of the active participation by FIIs and big corporates’ growing appetite for global borrowings. This is leading to a widening disconnect between the stock market and the economy, which is expected to grow at more than 9 per cent in coming years. The traditional […]
Vaidyanathan 