Home minister Amit Shah has pitched for the creation of a multipurpose identity card that will subsume information such as from the Aadhar card, passport, PAN card, among others. T ... Read more
Home minister Amit Shah has pitched for the creation of a multipurpose identity card that will subsume information such as from the Aadhar card, passport, PAN card, among others. This makes one wonder how it would differ from Aadhar, which was also conceived on the same ground? What’s noteworthy, though, is the merging of multiple databases, including that of Census 2021 (which is going to be a digital exercise) and of National Population Register (NPR), with the new card. For a nation where data protection laws and systems are weak, this exercise could expose citizens to privacy risks. It may have its benefits in policymaking, but policymakers ought to be mindful of them. Read more
Some states have decided not to implement the steep fines prescribed by the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act recently approved by Parliament. Under the law, states have the right to ... Read more
Some states have decided not to implement the steep fines prescribed by the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act recently approved by Parliament. Under the law, states have the right to formulate their own law given that the subject falls in the Concurrent list of the Constitution. But the broader objective of reducing road fatalities should not be lost sight of. The new rules should be tested for some time to see if they bring greater discipline among road users and lead to lower accidents. Prematurely diluting them would detrimental to the safety concerns of road users. Read more
Mint has analyzed 300 arterial road in India’s six largest metropolitan regions and ranked them according to their vehicular traffic speeds. The findings show traffic movement in o ... Read more
Mint has analyzed 300 arterial road in India’s six largest metropolitan regions and ranked them according to their vehicular traffic speeds. The findings show traffic movement in our cities is significantly slower than in some international metropolitans. This calls for remedial measures. Places such as Stockholm and Singapore have introduced road pricing to reduce congestion. Perhaps India also ought to explore such measures. The bigger question however is whether such a move will be feasible considering the space constraints and diversity of traffic in our country? Read more
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan will not be the first to attack were tensions with India over Kashmir to boil over and lead to a war. For a nation that has indulged in ... Read more
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan will not be the first to attack were tensions with India over Kashmir to boil over and lead to a war. For a nation that has indulged in nuclear sabre-rattling, some could read this as a softening of stance. Yet, the clarification by the country’s foreign ministry that there is no change in Pakistan’s nuclear policy shows such an interpretation would be a mistake. All that Khan appears to be doing is to strike the right postures ahead of the United Nations general assembly session this month, perhaps as a face-saver after the war hysteria it created failed to draw international support. New Delhi should tread cautiously, lest it ends up misreading the situation. Read more
The final list of the National Register of Citizens published on Saturday almost saw nearly two million people being excluded from it. Concerns have been raised over genuine Indian ... Read more
The final list of the National Register of Citizens published on Saturday almost saw nearly two million people being excluded from it. Concerns have been raised over genuine Indian citizens who have been living for decades in Assam being left out. Their future now hangs in the balance. What’s a relief, though, is that they can appeal in the Foreigners tribunal to get their names included. It’s important to have a system that takes a compassionate view towards such cases so that no genuine citizen gets left out. Read more
State-run power producer NTPC Ltd. has directed 18 senior level officers to work from home for the first time, according to the Hindu BusinessLine. A work-from home culture is well ... Read more
State-run power producer NTPC Ltd. has directed 18 senior level officers to work from home for the first time, according to the Hindu BusinessLine. A work-from home culture is well accepted in the private sector due to the numerous benefits it offers, but it is yet to gain popularity in the public sector, which is not yet accustomed to the concept. In the case of NTPC, one key suspicion among employees is that this could be an effort to sideline them from the main work stream. To alleviate their concerns, the company should communicate its objective more clearly. Read more
Gold prices have hit a six-year high, and there could be much more room for them to rise. Veteran investor Mark Mobius gave a blanket endorsement to buying gold because of the pros ... Read more
Gold prices have hit a six-year high, and there could be much more room for them to rise. Veteran investor Mark Mobius gave a blanket endorsement to buying gold because of the prospect of a rise in money supply as global central banks ease monetary policy to support growth. With fears of a recession looming large, investors are getting drawn by the safe-haven appeal of gold. However, could gold’s rise also be a signal of an end to the US's strong dollar policy? The views of Mobius may reflect the deep anxieties of such a shift in the world’s financial architecture. Read more
RBI governor Shaktikanta Das outlines that growth for RBI is a matter of highest priority. Given there are sectoral issues and external global headwinds , it is advisable to look ... Read more
RBI governor Shaktikanta Das outlines that growth for RBI is a matter of highest priority. Given there are sectoral issues and external global headwinds , it is advisable to look ahead in terms of opportunities. The point he makes that it isn't necessary to be overtly optimistic for the sake of optimism. Here he mentions the famous Panglossian countenance which translates into excessive optimism. But the million dollar question is , where there exists evidence of real slowdown how much of an impact will his statement make? Read more
