Revise the Text of the Budget Speech
It is that time of year in India, when all eyes and ears turn to the Finance Minister to learn what she will unveil in the annual Union Budget. But it is a moot point whether, even in a year…
Two Key Numbers to Look Out for in the Upcoming Budget 2021
There are really only two numbers to look out for in the forthcoming budget: how much did the government claim to have spent in 2020-21, and how much does it intend to spend in 2021-22. These two numbers will determine…
Wrecking Fiscal Federalism
India’s Constitution puts the bulk of responsibility for the basic goods and services to be provided to citizens on to state governments. That is also why it mandated that independent Finance Commissions be appointed every five years to determine the…
Four Ways Biden can Boost the Global Economy
The US is nowhere near as economically dominant as it was even a decade ago. Yet President-elect Joe Biden can take several relatively simple steps that would have far-reaching benefits for the US economy, the American people, and the rest…
Prepare for a Surge in Global Inequality
The United States prepares for moving out of the Trump era with the incoming President promising more rounds of stimulus spending to revive an economy ravaged by Covid-19. Other members of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development, a predominantly…
India’s External Sector during the Pandemic
The complete absence of any meaningful fiscal response from the Indian government in the face of one of the biggest economic crises ever faced, cries out for explanation. One argument has been that the central government is concerned about its…
How can the Indian Economy be rescued?
A conversation with Economics Prof. Jayati Ghosh & Former Governor of RBI, Raghuram Rajan Plummeting GDP, squeeze on jobs - is there a way to rescue the Indian Economy? Will India be able to create a $ 5 trillion economy?…
Bilateral Swaps in China’s Global Presence
Discussions of China’s growing global presence normally refer to its large investments overseas and lending by the state-owned China Development Bank and China sponsored multilateral institutions like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and New Development Bank. But there has been…
Firing a Warning Shot across Big Tech’s Bows
It was a long time coming, but the day of reckoning for the big digital companies may finally have arrived. Despite the growing monopoly power of big tech and their use of anti-competitive practices, earlier attempts to regulate them (such…
Unaffordable Education in the New India
One of the few aspects of the Indian development project that is supposed to have seen some recent success is education. Enrolment has increased significantly in school and higher education, and the gender gap in enrolment has reduced up to…