Who Are India’s Labharthis– the Visible and the Veiled
Is there something wrong with 'labharthi' schemes? Why has this issue become important of late?
Arun Kumar
Arun Kumar, Malcolm S Adiseshiah Chair Professor, Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi and author of ‘Indian Economy’s Greatest Crisis: Impact of the Coronavirus and the Road Ahead‘.
Why narrative changing rapidly: General Election 2024
Modi had set a narrative to get to “400 paar” based on his achievements. He has abandoned it midway through the 18th Lok Sabha elections because his feedback must be that there is anti-incumbency. But it has only managed to confuse his supporters and galvanise the opposition.
Surge in Personal Income Tax (PIT) Reflects Increased Incomes and Economic Disparity
The taxpaying citizens largely belong to the organised sector. Their incomes have risen substantially and they pay more tax.
Is feel good real in India
The ruling party is in election mode with daily pronouncements about how well the Indian economy is doing and benefitting not just the well-off but also the poor in the country. It has claimed a big reduction in poverty in India. It is stated that the Indian economy growing at about 7% is the fastest growing large economy in the world. Further, inflation is said to be tamed and employment generation robust, in spite of global head winds due to the Ukraine war and the pandemic.
It is claimed that India has weathered these global storms better than most rich countries, so, it has become `Vishwaguru’. The Presidency of G20 has been cited as evidence of India becoming a dominant player on the world stage. It is claimed that India’s stock in the world has gone up since it is getting respect from other countries and its stand on various world affairs like, wars in Ukraine and Gaza, is being appreciated. Another sign of good performance is stated to be the desire of major world corporations to invest in India.
EVM Ruling Fails to Address Core Democratic Principles
Court judgments are informed by a wide variety of factors, and when the factors change, the judgments change too. Here, Prof. Arun Kumar hopes that the recent EVM judgment will change sooner rather than later.
IN the midst of elections, crucial to maintaining democracy, events suggest all is not well.
The Supreme Court judgment ruling out any major changes in the way elections are conducted using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) was expected. But, the tone and tenor of the judgment is worrisome.
0.016% People’s Wealth Being Protected
In the last three days, wealth redistribution has become a hot electoral issue. It’s being said that the ‘big bad State’ will snatch the properties from everyone and, in Robin Hood style, be distributed to outsiders.