Climate change is real. Its effects are showing. India has witnessed droughts, floods, low yields, high temperature, erratic rains. But are we responsible for it? Or are we victims ... Read more
Climate change is real. Its effects are showing. India has witnessed droughts, floods, low yields, high temperature, erratic rains. But are we responsible for it? Or are we victims, paying the price for the development trajectory of other rich countries? Is it fair to ask India to cut its greenhouse gas emissions, which may come at the cost of development? Or is there a way to bridge the development and environment binary? How has India’s international stance evolved? To discuss a range of these issues, Navroz Dubash, editor of the most comprehensive book on climate change and India, joins this edition of The Big Picture. Read more
The People’s Republic of China marked its 70th anniversary on October 1. The story of China’s transformation has been remarkable. But it has also come at a cost, and generated chal ... Read more
The People’s Republic of China marked its 70th anniversary on October 1. The story of China’s transformation has been remarkable. But it has also come at a cost, and generated challenges. The People’s Republic of China marked its 70th anniversary on October 1. The story of China’s transformation has been remarkable. But it has also come at a cost, and generated challenges. To discuss the evolution of China, the role of its major leaders, its democracy deficit, its relations with the US and India, and its crackdown in Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang, Alka Acharya - professor of Chinese studies in JNU - joins this edition of The Big Picture. Read more
India’s GDP growth slowed to 5% in the first quarter of the fiscal year. There are reports of a dip in consumption across sectors. The government has taken corrective measures in r ... Read more
India’s GDP growth slowed to 5% in the first quarter of the fiscal year. There are reports of a dip in consumption across sectors. The government has taken corrective measures in recent weeks, including the radical step of slashing corporate taxes. To understand the roots of the crisis, the impact of the government’s moves, and also the state of Indian agriculture, manufacturing and get a sense of the employment situation, economist and former member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, Shamika Ravi, joins this edition of The Big Picture. Read more
The process to update the National Register of Citizens reached a conclusion in Assam on August 31, with the final list being declared. 1.9 million residents of Assam were excluded ... Read more
The process to update the National Register of Citizens reached a conclusion in Assam on August 31, with the final list being declared. 1.9 million residents of Assam were excluded from the list. The NRC process has been politically contentious, and has had human costs. It has also raised questions about the idea of Indian citizenship, politics of religion, judicial intervention and bureaucratic capacity. To discuss these issues, Yamini Aiyar joins the Big Picture this week. Read more
GDP figures for the first quarter of this fiscal year are out. India’s growth has slowed down to 5%, the lowest in the last 25 quarters. What does it tell us about the economy? Wha ... Read more
GDP figures for the first quarter of this fiscal year are out. India’s growth has slowed down to 5%, the lowest in the last 25 quarters. What does it tell us about the economy? What is driving the slowdown? Is it structural or cyclical? What has the government done wrong and right? What is the way out? To discuss these issues, this edition of Big Picture features a conversation with Hindustan Times’ political economy editor, Roshan Kishore. Read more
With Arun Jaitley passing away on Saturday, there has been an outpouring of grief across party lines. Abhishek Singhvi - senior advocate, three time Member of Parliament and senior ... Read more
With Arun Jaitley passing away on Saturday, there has been an outpouring of grief across party lines. Abhishek Singhvi - senior advocate, three time Member of Parliament and senior Congress leader - was a personal friend of Jaitley for over three decades. A colleague at the Bar, and in the House, but on the other side of the divide, Singhvi, in this conversation with Prashant Jha, recalls Jaitley, the man, the lawyer, the politician and the legacy he leaves behind. Read more
PM Narendra Modi announced that India would now have a Chief of Defence Staff, a long pending issue. What is the history of the idea, its significance and its implications? Defence ... Read more
PM Narendra Modi announced that India would now have a Chief of Defence Staff, a long pending issue. What is the history of the idea, its significance and its implications? Defence minister Rajnath Singh, on August 16, hinted at a revision in India’s no first use nuclear doctrine. What lies behind the move? This week’s edition of Big Picture delves into these twin defence related announcements with the distinguished strategic analyst, C Uday Bhaskar. Read more
