Times of India ⁽⁹²⁾

Read full article Abstract: It is widely believed that voter population in the forthcoming parliamentary elections in India will be significantly younger than in past elections. But census data belie this belief. It is true that the share of eligible voters in total population rose by 3.5 percentage points in 2011 over that in 2001 but this is not equivalent to the voter population being younger. An examination of age composition within the voting population reveals that the proportion of younger voters has actually marginally declined between 2001 and 2011. Those above 18 and below 25 as a proportion of voter population have declined from 21.7% to 21% between the two censuses.

Read full article Abstract: Sonia Gandhi has chosen two men to India's top office — they are a study in contrasts. Since the death of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi has had the opportunity to appoint two of India's prime ministers. Superficially similar, her two choices make an interesting study in contrasts. In May 1991, following the assassination of Rajiv by a Tamil suicide bomber in the midst of an election campaign, the choice of the next Congress president fell upon the shoulders of Sonia. Because the assassination had tilted the odds of election outcome greatly in favour of Congress, her choice was expected to be the next prime minister of India.

Read full article Abstract: In a recent article on this page (December 3), finance minister P Chidambaram enumerated the achievements of his government as well as his own. No doubt, he deserves much credit for facing head on many challenges he inherited from his predecessor. Rapid growth and concomitant rise in revenues have led to a build up of huge appetite for spending in most ministries in recent years. The recent sharp decline in growth, which arrested growth in revenues, did not curb this appetite. Consequently, the task of playing the bad cop to contain fiscal deficit fell squarely on the FM's shoulders.

Read full article Abstract: Dear Mr Rahul Gandhi, According to newspaper reports, you have recently asked Indian industrialists why we should have to import rakhis and Ganeshas from China. While many in social media have made light of your remark, i could not be happier that a leading figure from the ruling party has posed this question to India's top industrialists. In my understanding, rakhis and Ganeshas in your question are metaphors for labour-intensive manufactures that began to flow into India from China soon after the import licensing on consumer goods was terminated in 2001. But with a workforce of almost half billion and significantly lower per-capita income, we should not be outcompeted in labour-intensive manufactures by China in either the domestic or world market.

Read full article Abstract: Much of the media saw in the recent report of the Raghuram Rajan committee one ore opportunity to spar over whether or not Gujarat is a genuine success story. While the reputatin of Gujrat can survive yet one more hollow critique many commentators have seen in it, the report itself requires a critical examination.