Category Economy and Infrastructure

The Need for IndOS: A Choice for a Fair Competition?

The government wants to create a mobile operating system (OS) to compete with the dominant Android, owned by Google, and Apple’s iOS operating systems that have pretty much divided up the global smartphone market (Chinese tech major Huawei uses its own Harmony operating system on its phones after US President Donald Trump ordered Google to deny Android to companies that violated the sanctions against Iran). The government has even come up with a name for it: IndOS. 

Fiscal Deficit as a Shape-Shifter in India

The fiscal deficit created now translates into a higher debt burden that future generations have to service. Is that fair? It is more than fair. In the misty mornings of peak winter, a flock of sharp-beaked, joyless birds takes flight in the capital – Fiscal Deficit Hawks, who swoop down on North Block, where harried finance ministry officials race against time to prepare the Union government’s annual budget, to screech sharp orders to slash the fiscal deficit.

RBI Affidavit Obfuscates rather than Clarifying

The government affidavit filed on November 16 justified demonetization by claiming that it was a part of a bigger policy push to digitize and formalize the economy – in its view a beneficial step. The affidavit, in paragraph 15 justifies the decision to demonetize the large denomination currency notes by stating that it was a “well-considered decision” taken after “extensive consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (‘RBI’) and advanced preparation”. The implication is that if the decision was wrong, it is the RBI’s (the expert’s) fault.

Debt-Burden for Future

Fiscal Deficit Hawks, who swoop down on North Block, where harried finance ministry officials race against time to prepare the Union government's annual budget, to screech sharp orders to slash the fiscal deficit. The fiscal deficit created now translates into a higher debt burden that future generations have to service. Is that fair? It is more than fair.

Impact of Worker’s Migration on Society and Economy

Given the high share of its young population, India has a huge potential that is being wasted due to the inability of its policymakers to set the right policies. Potentially, many workers in the population can support the non-workers—the young and the elderly—and the economy can grow faster.

Global Economic and Education Opportunities can Sustain India’s High Gross Inward Remittance

This column argues that for India to continue to sustain the position it has occupied for some years as the largest recipient of gross inward remittance flows, it would be necessary to aim Indian diplomacy toward expanding greater global economic and education space for Indians.

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