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Murthys grand gift to grandson is a nudge for mainstreaming capitalism in Indian ethos

Even after India's economic reforms in 1991, thriving crony capitalism and deepening inequalities in the country have not allowed for wealth-generation to be seen as honourable pursuit

Livemint 19 Mar 2024 3:01 pm

Remembering Peasants by Patrick Joyce review

Remembering Peasants by Patrick Joyce review JamesHoare Tue, 03/19/2024 - 09:28

History Today 19 Mar 2024 2:58 pm

How India's conglomerates are embracing the power of one

Can a group be a diversified conglomerate and also have a unified one concept? Is there an inherent contradiction? Experts say this apparent contradiction is positive

Livemint 19 Mar 2024 2:57 pm

IAF felicitates its sportspersons for bringing laurels to nation

New Delhi: Indian Air Force on Tuesday felicitated a total of 19 sportspersons, including cricketer Pulkit Narang and athletes Mohd Nurhasan and Himanshu, for their outstanding performances at National and International sporting events. Honouring the achievements of these sportspersons at an event here, IAF Chief VR Chaudhari said, Through your hard work and zeal you []

goachronicle 19 Mar 2024 2:21 pm

Ticket denial leaves BJPs Sadananda Gowda disappointed, keeps his options open

Bengaluru: The decision to deny a ticket to contest from Bangalore North parliamentary constituency has left former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP lawmaker DV Sadananda Gowda disappointed and questioned the BJPs stance in Karnataka. Following the denial of the ticket, Gowda has stated that he has been approached by other parties ahead of the polls. []

goachronicle 19 Mar 2024 2:20 pm

Hamirpur LS seat: Reports 1415724 electors 7,08,153 males & 7,07,556 females

Hamirpur (HP): Deputy Commissioner-cum Returning Officer for Hamirpur seat, Amarjeet Singh, on Tuesday reported that there are 1415724 electors in the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat, comprising 7,08,153 males and 7,07,556 females. The number of third-gender voters is 15. In addition to this, there are 23,269 service voters in the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat. He said []

goachronicle 19 Mar 2024 2:18 pm

DPRK top leader guides super-large multiple rocket launcher battery firing drill

Seoul: The top leader of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) guided a firing drill by the countrys super-large multiple rocket launcher battery on Monday, the first company-level salvo firing demonstration of the powerful weapon, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Tuesday. The drill was designed to verify the might and the []

goachronicle 19 Mar 2024 1:34 pm

Beyond the whispers of doubt!

Fear. That unwelcome guest who camps out in your mind, whispering doubts and casting long shadows on your dreams. But what if we reframed fear? Instead of a monstrous foe, what if it were a...

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 10:46 am

What ICICI Securities delisting amid a growing retail investor market says about the financial sector

It reflects a nuanced strategy to harness synergies and adapt to an evolving investment climate dominated by tech-savvy consumers and competitive digital platforms

Livemint 19 Mar 2024 10:42 am

The verdict on Electoral Bonds by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court (SC) ruling on Electoral Bonds (EB) has been welcomed by one and all. The court has stressed the need for transparency and quashed further issues of such bonds. However, three important questions...

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 8:52 am

Talk Is on TikTok, target is Beijing

As US follows India in banning TikTok, its misplaced to see this as unfair clampdown. Protection of data and natsec drive the ban on Chinese apps. Btw, its a windfall for YouTube & Insta Ulhas...

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 8:41 am

Meds for all: Generics help lower Indian healthcare costs. But govts still need to intervene, smartly

The cost of treating sickle cell anemia in India is on the verge of crashing. Hydroxyurea, a line of treatment, will now cost less than 1% of current import price. This is on account of...

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 8:35 am

Pather Paunchali: Weighing in on Amdavadi footpaths vs Panaji pavements

When you walk, Marie Kondo supposedly strides across your brain and kicks out thought-junk. But many Indian cities have pedestrian ideas about improving pavements. In Ahmedabad, most pavements are the size of a toddlers vocabulary...

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 8:21 am

What happens when Bengalurus taps run dry?

The Indian Express 19 Mar 2024 8:19 am

Clean charging must lead Indias EV thrust

Our policies aim to enable the proliferation of electric vehicles, as they should, but we also need innovative plans to ensure that we rely mostly on clean energy sources to charge them.

Livemint 19 Mar 2024 8:00 am

A cap on capitalism: Is it time for India to debate one?

The idea of a wealth ceiling might seem unworkable and outdated, a relic of socialist thinking, but it still needs to join our policy discourse.

Livemint 19 Mar 2024 8:00 am

Putin's mega win comes as no surprise

Vladimir Putin has been re-elected Russias president with a record mandateabout 87% of the vote, the highest in Russias post-Soviet historyin an election that paves the way for his fifth term in office. His geopolitical gamble against Nato may yet work, it seems.

Livemint 19 Mar 2024 8:00 am

March 19, Forty Years Ago: Calcutta Violence

The Indian Express 19 Mar 2024 7:40 am

Saving animals is ethical, its evocative. And its smart business

Speciesism is the illusion that only human lives matter because only humans create value. Our health & wealth are deeply connected to all animals. Industry relies on conservation of nature. CSR must focus on all...

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 3:00 am

Indias draft digital competition bill comparative perspectives

The Committee on Digital Competition Law in India recently released its report recommending that India too, like the European Union must have ex-ante regulations, in the context of digital competition. In its report, the Committee...

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 10:04 pm

From flickering to flourishing: The rise of Round-the-Clock renewables in India

For decades, Indias energy landscape has been a story of flickering hope and frustrating limitations. We have chased the dream of clean, reliable power, battling the demons of rising fuel costs and dependence on imported...

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 9:32 pm

Pocket: Summer of 24

The Hindu Businessline 18 Mar 2024 8:08 pm

Bengaluru should transform itself into Kongjian Yu's sponge city

The city should use this urban planner's idea of absorbing, cleaning and using rainwater efficiently and sustainably. His concept is not just about managing water, but harmonizing urban development with natures cycles.

Livemint 18 Mar 2024 7:17 pm

Plato's observation holds true even today: Those who tell stories rule the world

Apart from being a cognitive skill, public speaking is a character skill too, making it perhaps the most powerful force multiplier a leader could deploy.

Livemint 18 Mar 2024 7:17 pm

Phansidewa: The open gateway into India for Bangladeshi Muslims

With all the buzz around the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and its implementation in India, a familiar menace has become the talk of the town yet again in the country; which is, illegal immigration into India. And it is a well-known fact that those who enter India illegally are the Muslims from Pakistan, Rohingya Muslims, []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 6:19 pm

Exploring human existence: An analysis of Nanda Singh Borkolas Assamese novel Hadirachoki

Nanda Singh Borkola, a Sikh-Assamese writer and poet, presents a compelling blend of historical narrative and contemporary insight in his Assamese novel, Hadirachoki. Milan Kundera, in his seminal work The Art of The Novel, posits that a truly successful novel delves into unexplored aspects of human existence. Borkolas Hadirachoki navigates such uncharted territories by shedding [] The post Exploring human existence: An analysis of Nanda Singh Borkolas Assamese novel Hadirachoki appeared first on NORTHEAST NOW .

NorthEast Now 18 Mar 2024 5:33 pm

BJP holds Cong govt responsible for attack on Bengaluru shopkeeper during Azaan

Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP President Vijayendra Yediyurappa on Monday held Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his government accountable for an attack on a shopkeeper by some Muslim youth during Azaan. He alleged that Siddaramaiahs appeasement politics had encouraged barbarians to run a rampage in the state. I hold CM @siddaramaiah & his govt accountable for this attack []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:18 pm

ECI removes West Bengal DGP Rajiv Kumar with immediate effect

Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday removed West Bengal DGP Rajiv Kumar, barely 48 hours after the model code conduct came into force following the announcement of 7 phases of polling in the state on Saturday, a report here said. The report said the ECI also waned a panel of three officials []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:17 pm

Jammu and Kashmir government sabotaged J&K assembly polls: Omar

Srinagar: National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Monday blamed the J&K government for sabotaging the move to hold Assembly and Parliamentary elections simultaneously. The current Jammu and Kashmir Government sabotaged the move to hold Assembly and Parliamentary elections simultaneously as they dont want to see an elected government here, Omar told media persons []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:17 pm

PM Modi urges Telangana voters to choose BJP for state development

Jagtial, Telangana: Prime Minister Narendra Modi passionately appealed to Telangana voters, urging them to rally behind the BJP for the states development, with a determined aim to defeat the Congress and BRS in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections scheduled for May 13. Addressing a public gathering titled Vijay Sankalp Sabha held at Jagtial in the []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:14 pm

CPI-M and Congress to go for joint campaign in Tripura

Agartala: The CPI-M and Congress have announced to launch joint campaign soon in both the parliamentary constituencies of Tripura where each of the parties would contest from one constituency as per the seat sharing agreement as per the principle of the INDA bloc, said CPI-M State Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury here on Monday. We had our []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:13 pm

LS Polls : DMK finalises seat sharing pact with all its allies, also identifies Constituencies

Chennai: Already moving under top gear in preparing for the Lok Sabha polls, the ruling DMK, heading the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in Tamil Nadu by keeping its flocks together, on Monday completed the seat sharing process with all its allies and identification of Constituencies to be contested by them in the April 19 Lok []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:13 pm

Steel sector thrives as India deliberates infrastructure evolution

New Delhi: The steel sector in India has showcased remarkable growth, soaring at approximately 8% amidst global challenges. This growth is attributed to substantial demand from various sectors such as construction, infrastructure, automobiles, engineering, and defense. India solidifies its position as the worlds second-largest steel producer, largely propelled by government investments in infrastructure projects. In []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:10 pm

TN Guv refuses to re-induct Ponmudy into State Cabinet, DMK to move SC, seeks Guvs removal

Chennau: Triggering yet another round of row between the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu and the Raj Bhavan, Governor R.N. Ravi has refused to re-induct senior DMK leader and former Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy into the Cabinet even after his conviction and 3 year jail term awarded by the Madras High Court in a []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:09 pm

PM urges Telangana voters to choose BJP for development, criticises Cong & BRS

Jagtial (Telangana): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged voters to support the BJP for the development of Telangana, aiming to defeat the Congress and BRS in the coming Lok Sabha election, scheduled to be held on May 13. Addressing a public gathering titled Vijay Sankalp Sabha at Jagtial in the Nizamabad Parliamentary constituency, he []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:08 pm

Jairam Ramesh draws attention to critical issues affecting Ktaka ahead of PM visit to Shivamogga

Bengaluru: Jairam Ramesh, a prominent Congress leader, has drawn attention to several critical issues affecting Karnataka ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis rally in Shivamogga. Taking to X, Jairam underscored the pressing need for assistance from the central government to address these concerns. Firstly, Jairam emphasized the severe water crisis in Karnataka, affecting a majority []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:05 pm

SC directs SBI to submit all conceivable details of electoral bonds by Mar 21

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the State Bank of India (SBI) to disclose all conceivable details available with it regarding electoral bonds, including the alphanumerical number and serial number, for any of the bonds purchased. A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said that to avoid any controversy in the future, []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:04 pm

SC dismisses Satyendra Jains bail plea, asks him to surrender

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendra Jains bail plea and asked him to surrender in connection with a money laundering case. A bench comprising Justice Bela M. Trivedi and Justice Pankaj Mithal said, All the appeals are dismissed. Mr. Satyender Jain has to surrender forthwith. Former Delhi []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:02 pm

Russian FM says over 372,000 people voted in presidential election abroad

Moscow: As many as 372,779 people cast a ballot in Russias presidential election abroad as of 8:30 Moscow time (05:30 GMT) on Monday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. To date, as of 8:30 am Moscow time, according to preliminary data, 372,779 people took part in the election, but this is not final data, []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:02 pm

BSF apprehends 5 smugglers, busting drug smuggling gang

Gurdaspur: In a significant blow to drug smugglers in Gurdaspur, BSF on Monday conducted an intelligence-led operation by providing credible information about smugglers engaged in cross-border smuggling. Initially, BSF recovered heroin transported by drone from Pakistan to India. The BSF spokesperson said the BSF intelligence setup tirelessly pursued the case and helped identify the traffickers []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:01 pm

Russian people understand they face threat from Washington empire Ex-US Official

Washington: Russian people realize that they are facing a threat emanating from the United States, former US Assistant Treasury Secretary Paul Craig Roberts told Sputnik. Some Russians are still influenced by the American propaganda from Voice of America and Radio Free Europe during the Cold War of the 20th century, Roberts said. But as the []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 3:57 pm

Exploring the interplay: Furniture design versus space design versus interior design

Design Furniture You create Convenience. Design a Space You create Comfort. Design a Home You create Culture. I have often tell home makers that designing furniture for a home is fundamentally different...

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 1:14 pm

Status of women in FPOs & Government efforts to Empower them

In India, small & marginal farmers constitute 86 %, who cultivate small plots of land. Their income is less due to frequent droughts & failure of monsoons resulting in the failure of crops. Other restraints,...

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 10:00 am

Positive impact of raising the exempt income slab limit and single rate of income tax for individuals

We are aware that the Income Tax Act as currently applicable to individual tax payers is unfair and non-equitable in the sense that it excludes agriculture income from income tax payment and no efforts are...

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 9:37 am

Age-old borrowings or electoral bonds?

The Supreme Court recently struck down the system of electoral bonds that was introduced to provide funding to political parties. The court directed the State Bank of India, that was authorised to issue such bonds,...

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 9:01 am

Five key factors 2024s winning strategy must optimise

Incumbent Modi-led NDA remains the clear favourite, judging from both opinion polls and anecdotal evidence. Yet, Lok Sabha elections remain notoriously hard to predict. Judging from Lokniti-CSDS data going back two decades, around a third...

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 8:53 am

What to watch out for as India gets ready to vote

With EC firing the starters gun for the biggest democratic exercise in human history, the immediate question to ask is not who will win or lose, but what will influence the outcome. There is no...

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 8:46 am

How the election economy works

Nothing official about it The election economy will make its presence felt in the coming weeks through the massive expenditure that is the hallmark of Indian polls. There is scope for moral outrage over the...

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 8:24 am

Why it is necessary to diversify the farming basket

The Indian Express 18 Mar 2024 8:15 am

Master the art of cultivating power

By Thich Nhat Hanh It is true that if you do not have power, you cannot do anything. Money is power. There are those who have a lot of money. They are so rich, but...

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 8:00 am

Lets reform Indias bankruptcy code but without getting in the way of commerce

Theres a case to tweak the IBC. But India should take care to oil the wheels of business and not throw in a spanner.

Livemint 18 Mar 2024 8:00 am

Indian democracy is at a significant crossroads

As the schedule for this years Lok Sabha polls is announced, the countrys debate over the future of our democracy features legitimate misgivings over campaign finance and synchronized elections.

Livemint 18 Mar 2024 8:00 am

Tesla: Red carpet welcome in India?

Not quite. India has lowered import barriers for EVs made by big automakers, but with significant conditions. While we may finally see Tesla cars on Indian streets, what we need is a plan that ensures its renewable power than runs EVs as they proliferate in the country.

Livemint 18 Mar 2024 8:00 am

The Ambani pre-wedding involved us all

The Indian Express 18 Mar 2024 8:00 am

Express View on 2024 general elections: Lok in Lok Sabha

The Indian Express 18 Mar 2024 7:41 am

Indian sophistication on stray dogs can be confusing

Our protection of strays suggests a compassion greater than what we have for humans.

Livemint 17 Mar 2024 10:39 pm

Frontier-market debt is back in favour but with attendant risks

US Fed actions or domestic political troubles in bond-issuing countries could make it harder for them to service their debt.

Livemint 17 Mar 2024 10:33 pm

Free tuition will not solve the problem of pricey education

Grants by the wealthy are helpful but only for a few beneficiaries.

Livemint 17 Mar 2024 10:22 pm

Survey results should be taken with a pinch of caution

They offer us useful signals but we must be mindful of the limitations in their ability to reflect reality.

Livemint 17 Mar 2024 10:11 pm

How India could become the worlds first quick-commerce success story

The leading platforms have taken big strides towards profitability by pushing products with a high average selling price, optimising the brand mix, rationalising discounts and optimising the expansion of dark stores.

Livemint 17 Mar 2024 1:35 pm

Basics of nutrition: Respiratory system

Last week, we discussed the Gastrointestinal Tract, which provides the essential nutrients our bodies need to sustain themselves. These nutrients require oxygen to metabolize and produce energy. The respiratory system is crucial in delivering fresh...

The Times of India 17 Mar 2024 10:42 am

The blinding light

Spiritual Growth Is By Contrast: We have all experienced this phenomenon, where we have looked directly into the light and it has temporarily blinded us. Looking into the glare of the sun or the reflection...

The Times of India 17 Mar 2024 10:19 am

Samsung Galaxy S24 Review: Best Compact Phone of the Year?

Samsung's latest compact flagship, the Galaxy S24, comes with an Exynos 2400 SoC, a 6.2-inch AMOLED 120Hz display, a 4,000mAh battery, and a triple rear camera setup. The phone is mostly similar in design to the outgoing Galaxy S23, however, you do get a brighter display, improved cameras, slightly longer battery life, and Galaxy AI. Here's our review of the Galaxy S2...

NDTV 17 Mar 2024 10:00 am

For working moms, breastfeeding is a privilege

The Indian Express 17 Mar 2024 7:45 am

India should be grateful for a leader like Mayawati

The Indian Express 17 Mar 2024 7:40 am

P Chidambaram writes: Can we elect freedom and development?

The Indian Express 17 Mar 2024 7:10 am

Valuations-over-values mindset can sour Indias startup story

Startup successes have been among Indias standout achievements in the last decade. From uniquely Indian innovations to clever tweaks of global plays (such as cash on delivery for e-commerce), Indian founders have used ingenuity, skill...

The Times of India 17 Mar 2024 5:30 am

CAA is a historical rebound, not a political ploy

The classical Greeks were obsessed with identity. They called themselves civilised and others barbarians. Identity is the monochrome membership that shapes society. India has Aryans and Dravidians. America has natives and settlers. The othering that secular intelligentsia frets about after Narendra Modi came to power, and the Sanghs attempts to decolonise and de-culturise all non-Hindu influences irrespective of merit, is a social identity movement powered by politics. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, is a response to Indias post-Independence secular identity crisis. New India wants a new identity that leaves the old liberal order behind. The BJP defines India as a Hindu nation, and thats not going to change. The secularists who governed India until 2014 never tapped into the fear of Hindus; they tapped into the fear they themselves created among Muslims about the hovering Hindu threat. Indias Partition politics gave equal weight to both communities, which was seen as a travesty by Indians who were driven out of their homes, lynched, raped and slaughtered. Identity erases individuality, which is the tragedy of all women who were gang raped during the Partition riots, not because who they were as individuals but what they represented. Social identity is a conflict zone without winners; a Ukraine of the mind and an Auschwitz of the heart. MK Gandhis political ambition to promote Nehru, and his sabotage of Jinnah contributed to the creation of Pakistan; it also formalised the other trope in modern India. Howling against the CAA and posting chronology memes disguise the larger issue of national identity. India is a majority Hindu nation. It was before, and after, and during Islamic and British conquests. The Christian missionary calling to convert poor tribals, the Saudi money that poured into building mosques and madarasas, the jetsetting, money-grabbing NGOs promoting their interests and the governments that supported them were the paradoxical gardeners of the great banyan tree of Hindu nationalism whose fruits are the anti-illegal immigrant legislations of today. The CAA cannot be confined to the Indian context, however. It echoes an universal mood that outsiders are unwelcome, since they corrupt local culture. Liberal prime ministers and presidents of the UK, US and Europe have allowed hate-spewing mosques, defacing of synagogues and pro-Palestinian lynch mobs in their cities. This has placed the migrant Muslim in the nationalist crosshairs. Both in White countries and in India, the Muslim crossing the border is the invader, not just an immigrant. The Right everywhere owes its rise to this new fearsome distinction. The Social Identity Theory formulated by Henri Tajfel and John Turner notes that an individuals self-image derives from the social categories to which they perceive themselves as belonging: family, clan, sport, musical world, religion, caste, etc. The social psychologists pointed out that personal identity is determined by an individuals personal goals and achievements, while social identity is based on the goals and achievements of the groups they belong to. Add the social cognitive theory to the volatile mix, and you have people processing information and internalising responses to situations based on observations, even when they do not experience them firsthand, and adapt them to their own contexts. Deportation of Rohingyas is one such example of other-isationa historical backlash of community protectiveness which had been consciously or subconsciously suppressed so far. Immigrants arrive seeking a better life, also bring supplanting cultures. The other is historys heckler of identity in the theatre of the favoured. This election is just the matinee show. Ravi Shankar ravi@newindianexpress.com

The New Indian Express 17 Mar 2024 5:00 am

Manifesting a manifesto: What queer people want from parties

I want a dyke for a president. I want a person with AIDS for president and I want a f*g for vice-president and I want someone with no health insurance and I want someone who...

The Times of India 17 Mar 2024 4:00 am

Elections 2024: Issues parties should but do not debate

The bugles have been sounded and the drumbeats of campaign rhetoric are set to echo across Indias festival of democracy. Election campaigns are essentially partisan interpretations of maladies and manifestos proffer pious promises. The issues which deserve debate and a contest of competitive ideas are often waylaid by emotive issues. On the face of it, India is at the cusp of emerging from a developing economy to a developed economy. It is the fifth largest and the fastest growing economy headed towards the $10-trillion GDP goal by the end of the decade. The India Story is constantly evolving and is located between macro perspectives and micro details. The divergence of incomes and prosperity is visible in the political geography of Indias economy. It is useful to remember that the macro perspective fogs the micro issues which haunt and daunt the progress of this journey towards the ideal of Viksit Bharat. Here are a few issues which merit space in manifestos, which parties contesting for the mandate must debate. Primary education :At the dawn of the new millennium, demographers and authors of the BRICs Report prophesied the potential of a demographic dividend. Harvest of the dividend depends on investment in human capital.How equipped are the youth to leverage opportunities in a global economy propelled by technology? The latest ASER report by Pratham looked at the foundational skills of 14 to 18 year olds. It showed that one of four among this group cannot read Class II texts fluently in their regional language and over half struggle with division of 3 digits by 1 digit. For six decades, Indias governments have promised and failed to invest 6 percent of GDP in education. Certainly, technologyespecially new ideas based on platforms and AI tutorscould help. Can the parties present solutions? Jobs, skilling and the AI factor : The government has presented data from multiple sources and angles on employment creation. Yet unemployment is the number one concern in opinion polls. Evidently, there is a gap between need and availability. Last month, over 4.8 million young Indians appeared in an exam for 60,000 posts! IT services, Indias largest white-collar employer, is threatened by the accelerated adoption of generative AI. Huang Jenson of NVidia says AI will take over coding. The chairman of Nasscom observed BPO workers are at the maximum risk from AI. A report by Accenture suggests 44 percent of working hours in the US could be automated or augmented. Do the parties have a template for an active labour policy, as seen in the Netherlands and Germany?Yes, the Congress has put forth an idea of apprenticeship for graduates and diploma holders. Is it viable? Will the campaign witness a debate on jobs, skilling and leveraging generative AI? Primary healthcare : Indias Ayushman Bharat programme is one of the largest public healthcare programmes in the worldit has over 300 million enrolled and has covered the cost of 62 million hospitalisations. Indias primary healthcare system though has a long way to go. For sure, it has achieved WHOs golden finishing line of 1 doctor per 834 people, but the availability of allopathic doctors is at 13.08 lakh for 1.4 billion and is skewed towards urban India. Access to primary care is daunted by gaps in personnel and infrastructure. India has over 5.9 lakh inhabited villages served by 1.9 lakh sub centres, 31,000 primary health centres and 6,064 community health centres the shortfall of specialist doctors at community health centres is 79.5 percent. Do the parties have a prescription? Agriculture : Farmers are by far the largest political constituency. Agriculture is the largest private sector employer. There is much lather in the political arena about minimum support prices and loan write-offs. This column has observed that Indias agriculture continues to be under licence raj and the curse of imperfect markets is visible in income levels, in the volatility in rural consumption and food price inflation. Over 45 percent of the workforce engaged in agriculture lives off a sixth of the national income per capita income in rural India is less than half the urban per capita income. It is, clearly, an unsustainable and broken system. Agriculture cannot be a charity cause for politics. Do the parties have a template for liberating the farmer? Urbanisation : It is well established that urbanisation is a force multiplier for economic growth. Yet urban India and urbanisation is verily the step child of Indias politics. The BJPs 2014 idea of 100 new cities morphed into a vague promise of smart cities. Indeed, India is home to over 3,700 Census townsa curiously unique Indian caricature where habitats are neither urban nor rural. The segment, located at the intersection of rural and urban economy, affords shifting of workforce from farming. China ramped up urbanisation from 40 percent to 64 percent in the past two decades and the reconfiguration of land for manufacturing and services led to revaluation of land propelled incomes and growth. Given the challenges of rising young population and climate change India must shift from unplanned to designed sustainable urbanisation. Will the urban voters get some attention? In the global race for growth, comparisons with China are inescapable. China overtook the UK in 2005 to emerge as the 4 th largest economy. Its GDP stood at $2.24 trillion, per capita income at $1,750, literacy rate at 91 percent and 45 percent of its workforce was engaged in agriculture. It leveraged global opportunities to expand manufacturing, moved labour from farms to productive sectors and urbanised aggressively. India will need to do all of this and more as it faces the rising spectre of disruptionsdemography, technology and climate changeand uncertainty. Do Indias parties have a plan to enable India to navigate the economic and geopolitical troughs? Shankkar aiyAr Author of The Gated Republic, Aadhaar: A Biometric History of Indias 12 Digit Revolution, and Accidental India (shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com)

The New Indian Express 17 Mar 2024 12:20 am

Understanding the historical trajectory of disasters: Lessons from India and the world

Disasters have always been a part of human history, leaving behind trails of devastation and despair. From ancient times to the modern era, the world has witnessed catastrophic events that have reshaped landscapes, claimed millions...

The Times of India 16 Mar 2024 10:29 pm

Schemes for welfare of farmers under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav by ministry of agriculture & farmers welfare

Agriculture is not just about sowing seeds; it is a commitment to nurturing the very soil that sustains life. As we cultivate the fields, let us also cultivate a future where harmony with nature prevails,...

The Times of India 16 Mar 2024 10:25 pm

Chai at a Tapri: A lesson in humility

Anant Ambanis pre-wedding celebrations at Jamnagar and Dolly Chaiwala have taken the world, especially social media, by storm. The extravagant affair at the Ambani residence was a spectacle of opulence, with lavish decorations, celebrity guests,...

The Times of India 16 Mar 2024 10:21 pm

Hair? Where?

I was born with lots of hair over my head. Okay, it was no challenge to Rapunzel. But still, lot many. They were supposed to grow with me. But somewhere down the journey of life,...

The Times of India 16 Mar 2024 10:17 pm

Education has the duty to ensure we Imbibe constitutional fundamental duties thru daily self-development practices

From the very beginning we as elders, parents, academia etc. must be aware, responsible and accountable to teach respect for our Composite culture which represents the holistic, healthy, truthful vision of India that is Bharat,...

The Times of India 16 Mar 2024 10:12 pm

AI and ESG A twisted tale or made for each other

AI will enable better ESG but will more AI lead to better ESG outcomes? This is a very interesting interplay of two hottest areas of debate globally. For a long time, ESG proponents have been...

The Times of India 16 Mar 2024 6:17 pm

That Modelling Algorithm on the CV

Life is a break between two deaths. Building a machine learning model is a break from data exploration. I am not implying that data exploration is scary, like death, while model building is complete with...

The Times of India 16 Mar 2024 6:12 pm