governance, political economy, institutional development and economic regulation
As July turns into August and the second wave of covid mutants’ wanes, the temptation, after relentlessly fighting the havoc and mayhem of the last financial year, will be for government to enjoy a well-deserved rest. This would be a costly mistake. Now is the time for top decision makers to define a sustainable fiscal […]
Read More A direct-tax league table can energize revenue receipts across statesHow should government balance the interests of retail sellers whilst protecting the interests of consumers? Even handed legislation and transparent, market-based rules to kindle higher investment and growth, better employment opportunities and higher tax collection from trade would be the long-winded answer. Political economy shoulders out technical common sense Sadly, legislation, in democracies, is strongly […]
Read More Taming regulatory excess in retailTamil is an ancient language which jostles Sanskrit on antiquity but remains in vibrant, modern use. It is also a cultural identity. Post-Independence, in 1947, the erstwhile Madras Presidency became the Madras State within the Union of India. In 1956, its borders were redrawn to shed the non-Tamil speaking peripheral areas of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, […]
Read More Tamil Nadu needs an economic rebootMission “Karamyogi”, the Modi governments first stab at public sector capacity development, was unveiled during the pandemic in September last year—a reminder that whilst the rest of us worked languidly from home, bureaucratic wheels continued to churn albeit with reduced physical presence. The name of the Mission derives from the Bhagawad Gita—a lively, ancient, masterclass on […]
Read More Feeding the beast- civil service trainingIn a desperately poor land, which just got poorer, it is ironic that we succeeded in the big challenges, like keeping democracy alive, but failed in the most basic of municipal functions – quality education to develop skill sets for productive employment; health services, sanitation, sewage management and drinking water facilities to insulate people from […]
Read More Scraping the fiscal barrel-the bottom up viewIndian stock markets look like “mushroom rocks”, top-heavy and delicately balanced, just waiting to be tipped over by bad news, of which there is plenty. Investors, whose stocks are part of the ongoing bull-run starting February 2021, could not care less having gained Rs.11 trillion, since May 24. This bonanza of wealth accretion, for the […]
Read More The morality of stock marketsOf the five natural elements (Panchabhuma) which comprise the world – Earth, Water, Air, Space and Fire, it is the last which best describes the existing relationship between Delhi (Union government) and Kolkata (state government of West Bengal) .Didi’s salvo protecting her citadel The most recent flare up is over Chief Minister Mamata “Didi” Banerjee […]
Read More The problem with fiery federalismSometimes, as in the case of electricity, hacking through a tangle of pancaked, well-meaning policies seems like the only way. There are many challenges, including a split legislative mandate, between the Union and the states, for what should be an integrated, network industry. This leaves cities – even the largest growth drivers- completely divorced from […]
Read More Exorcise familiar ghosts in electricity supplySocial media — the use of online platforms, as substitutes for old style, high-touch, physical contact formats like newspapers and one-on-one meetings — is now near ubiquitous, boosted greatly by the pandemic. Follow the money The ebb and flow of advertising revenues best illustrates the media preferences of customers. Digital marketing accounted for more than […]
Read More Through the social media looking glassThe tragic snafu over making sufficient oxygen available to meet the spike in demand from COVID-related morbidity is a red flag for an underlying malaise—of overlapping mandates, state governments enfeebled by decades of Union government spoon feeding, and under capacitated local government. Sadly, state governments have voluntarily accepted this hollowing out of their core functions. […]
Read More Repurposing governance- trim the fat in state governments