Category Insights

Insights, a blog published by IMPRI.

Savings from the switch to Electric Vehicles (EVs) in India

Transport is an integral part of the energy system, and the demand for transport has been ever-increasing with the increase in population. One of the main causes of climate change is greenhouse gas emissions from the usage of fuel in vehicles. A switch to Electric Vehicles (EVs) is a way to minimise such pollution. EVs have been started to reduce carbon emissions due to other advantages such as lower noise pollution, maintenance requirements and power consumption.

Election Commission will now be appointed by a Non-Partisan panel, SC rules out the decision

By directing the Election Commission to be appointed by a non-partisan panel, the Supreme Court (SC) strengthens democracy. But more needs to be done for institutional independence. EC, as well as all other regulatory bodies made autonomous of the executive, should be made answerable to designated committees of Parliament. This is essential to ensure the democratic accountability of all institutions to the ultimate sovereign, the people.

J&K, Property Tax & Levying Power

The union territory administration of Jammu and Kashmir notified rules for levying property tax in towns and cities in the region. The Lieutenant Governor and the officers of urban development are leaving no stone unturned in convincing the people that this is a ‘progressive tax’, and the values are abysmally low and hence there will be hardly any burden on the people.

Is Plastic Ban the Best Option?

Do not ban plastic; the costs are too high for society, in particular for the less well-off. Instead, invest heavily in technologies to degrade the plastic not already amenable to biodegradation and deploy these to solve the problem. India has the worker capacity to collect all plastic waste and recycle it or treat it with chemical or biological agents to convert it into simpler compounds such as carbon dioxide, water and methane. India also has the brain power to innovate novel solutions to the problem of plastic persistence in the ecosystem

Relevance and Reliance on China’s Provisions of providing Financial System

The crises in Sri Lanka and Pakistan are raising questions about the relevance and the costs of their reliance on the alternative financial system provided by China’s Belt and Road Initiative

On March 6, China became the last major bilateral creditor to provide financing and restructuring assurances to Sri Lanka. Following this, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has agreed to make a final decision on Colombo’s $2.9 billion bailout package. Sri Lanka’s consistent back-and-forth negotiations with the IMF and China indicate a broader development in South Asia. In 2022, two other South Asian nations and participants of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — Pakistan and Bangladesh — had sought financial assistance from the IMF. These developments in the subcontinent indicate that developing countries are furthering their economic interests and stability by approaching the IMF and the West, even as they try not to antagonise China.

India’s Monetary Policy Autonomy from Rich World Crises lies in limiting Portfolio Inflows

Tanking stock markets may not be the best background in which to discuss curbing portfolio inflows into India. But to insulate Indian policymaking from the fickle twists and turns of the US Fed and regain monetary autonomy, India must impose capital controls on short-term portfolio flows.

Doubling of Income, Really?

INDIA’S per capita income, representing the average income of an Indian citizen, has risen from INR 79,000 in 2013–14 to INR 1,71,000 in 2022–23 — an increase of 116 percent. Therefore, some claim that incomes have more than doubled in India since the present ruling dispensation took office. The catch is that: a) this includes the price increase during the period and hence does not represent the real increase in incomes, and b) the data for 2022–23 and two earlier years is provisional and subject to revision.

Talk to Us