India’s commanding heights are being brought down by its own laxity. With the rate cut underway in savings schemes, India’s fiscal policy is beginning to come to grips with its bad loans conundrum. India’s economy remains bedevilled by bad debt-laden public sector banks (PSBs) — unable to recoup them given the economy’s state, and unable
Indians are likely to be among the worst affected victims of climate change, with average temperatures in north India potentially rising by 2.9 to 5 degree celsius by 2080. With 60 per cent of India’s population dependent on agriculture, and its long coastline threatened by erosion, global warming is a high impact risk. With concern
India is a major minerals producer across chromite, coal, iron ore, bauxite and zinc. India’s mining sector comprises large and small mines, with public players dominating (72 per cent by value produced, 92 per cent in coal, 31 per cent in iron ore). The industry remains significantly fragmented — there are over 573 coal, 553
Farmer suicides in India have reached alarming rates. The decade between 1997 and 2006 saw as many as 166,304 farmers committing suicide in India — potentially an underestimate, given that landless rural labourers and women were not included. As per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 5,650 farmers committed suicide in 2014, of which 75 per
The formation of a “Naga Club” by 20 young men of the French Labour Corps in 1918 initiated the longest insurgency in modern Indian history. With the formation of Naga National Council in 1946, the Shillong Accord of 1975 and subsequent periods of armed struggle, this quagmire sustained itself. Since the ceasefire announcement in 1997,
Exam impersonation pays high dividends in modern India. With cheating in exams, admissions and interviews rather common, the art of jugaad continues to evolve. In Bihar, blatant cheating, with relatives climbing school walls, led to nearly 600 students being expelled. Bihar’s education minister found it virtually impossible to conduct fair examinations without the cooperation of
Children born in India are, on average, shorter than those born in sub-Saharan Africa. Even worse, 255 million Indians remain food insecure, eating less than 2,100 calories daily. Jharkhand reports the lowest per capita calorie intake (1,900 Kcal) in rural areas, while West Bengal hovers similarly (1,851 Kcal) in urban areas. We have attempted to
India harbours tenacious entrepreneurs. Over 46 million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), employing over 106 million people, account for 45 per cent of India’s industrial output and over 40 per cent of its exports. Occupying a vast diversity of geographies, they employ India’s entrepreneurial talent while flourishing in sectors with little or too much
The University of Calcutta (founded in 1857) and Allahabad University (founded in 1887) once provided Nobel Prize winners and Prime Ministers. Now they rank below 400 in world rankings. India, in fact, does not have a single entry among the top 20 universities in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (Brics). Most Indian universities
A tiger ideally needs 54 sq km of territory, eating about five kg of meat a day. The density of tigers in Kaziranga National Park and Jim Corbett National Park is around 32.64 tigers per 100 sq km and 19.6 tigers per 100 sq km respectively. Forest fragmentation and encroachments have left our tiger population