[Society] India and Gender Gap Report
2021 WEF Global Gender Gap report, which confirmed its 2016 finding of a [...]
[IR] Indian diaspora pushed US to help India’s Covid efforts
On April 30, Super Galaxy, a huge US military plane, landed in Delhi, bringing oxygen cylinders, hospital equipment and Covid test kits. More flights with aid material are on the way to India. And, thereby hangs a tale. […]
[Polity] In defence of bureaucracy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address to the Lok Sabha, made a strong case for the privatisation of PSUs and said: “If one becomes an IAS officer will he also run a fertiliser factory… Will he run a chemical [...]
[IR] Fallout of America’s exit from Afghanistan
President Joe Biden has announced that the United States will pull out all its troops from Afghanistan by 11 September. His predecessor Donald Trump had started the process in December 2018, committing to do the same by 1 May this year. […]
[Science] The infinite possibilities of gene editing
CRISPR’s ability to alter genome sequences holds immense promise for medicine and other fields The industrial revolution was all about using atoms for human advancement, and the internet revolution was about the magic of bytes, but the next one will be about what we do with genes [...]
[Economy] Microfinance and building a resilient India
Over these years, no other form of financial services has had the kind of far-reaching impact, in terms of fostering financial inclusion, as microcredit has. […]
[Economy] India is making the right moves with its mega privatization plan
One of the most ambitious plans to emerge from India’s recently announced Union budget was the government’s proposal to privatize state-owned companies in the coming years. This is an important step in India’s programme of reforms to achieve long-term sustainable growth. […]
[Economy] Green hydrogen and India’s transition to clean energy
Energy is a master resource which has the ability to catapult or cripple a growing economy. The rising threat of climate change has transitioned from climate-science conferences to billions being spent on disaster relief expenses. Global markets are increasingly demanding carbon-free products. Realizing the impending threat to their economies, several [...]
[Economy] Realistic growth outlook for India amid uncertainty
We are in the midst of an unprecedented and atypical global adverse shock. While all attention must focus right now on overcoming the health crisis, we must take stock of our economic prospects this decade. This article is not about India’s underlying unconstrained potential. It is about how much of [...]
[Society] India’s disastrous second wave
APRIL 14TH was a big day in India. Hindus and Sikhs gathered to mark the new year. Many Muslims celebrated the first day of Ramadan at late-night feasts with friends and family. In Haridwar, a temple town that this year hosts the Kumbh Mela, an intermittent Hindu festival that is the [...]