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.
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‘.
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.
Manifesto Guarantee Deconstructed
As can be expected, these go unmentioned in the manifesto – after all the manifesto is supposed to create a feel good factor in the nation. The end result of 'Modi’s guarantee’ could be contrary to the promises.
Navigating the Complex Dynamics of West Asian Geopolitics: Preventing Escalation
What will the complex calculus of the new Middle East crisis resolve into, and what will be the impact on India?
ISRAEL has succeeded in diverting world attention from Gaza and Hamas to Iran. This is similar to how Hamas, in October 2023, successfully short-circuited US efforts at normalising relations between the Arab states and Israel under the Abrahams Accord.
These moves and countermoves are ratcheting up the intensity of conflict in West Asia with serious global implications, including for India. The Indian approach seems to be similar to that in the case of the conflict in Ukraine— to play both sides.