In rising heat, the cry of the wilting outdoor worker

Context: The intensity and frequency of heatwaves have soared in South Asia and they are set to worsen in the years ahead. The consequences for health and livelihoods are catastrophic, as a third of South Asia’s population depends on outdoor work. India must initiate safety nets — a combination of targeted transfers and insurance schemes… Continue reading In rising heat, the cry of the wilting outdoor worker

Paradise polluted: Can we save Kashmir’s lakes? 

Context: Normalcy is gradually returning to Jammu and Kashmir after the upheaval caused by the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. Tourism has been rapidly growing. For example, 100% hotel occupancy was seen in popular resorts of Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam in the winter months of 2021-22.   What are the problems being faced by… Continue reading Paradise polluted: Can we save Kashmir’s lakes? 

How India’s new VPN rules change the status quo

News: On 28 April 2022, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert-In) issued new directives that require Virtual Private Network (VPN) providers to store user data for five years. What does the directive say? Under the new directions, Storage of user data: – VPN providers will need to store validated customer names, their physical addresses,… Continue reading How India’s new VPN rules change the status quo

Inflation and what to do about it: Secure cheap Russian oil at least

Context: The current price rise in Indian economy is largely driven by the non-core elements in the retail consumption basket. The food element in the non-core is being driven up both by primary global supply shortages and the rise in the fuel cost of transporting food. The key, therefore, is the cost of fuel. Core… Continue reading Inflation and what to do about it: Secure cheap Russian oil at least

The status of the Naga peace talks

News: The annual report of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released recently said that the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) was involved in 44% of insurgency-related incidents in Nagaland in 2020. The Union government had, in 2015, signed a framework agreement with the NSCN-IM to find a solution to… Continue reading The status of the Naga peace talks

Let’s make GST a good and simple tax

The introduction of GST might be the most important tax reform. It was a unique experiment in cooperative federalism, where both the Union and the state governments gave up their tax autonomy in favor of harmonizing domestic trade taxes. However, some negative features have been inserted into the tax to make it acceptable. Why single rate… Continue reading Let’s make GST a good and simple tax

Climate arbitrage: Cost of carbon versus capital 

News: Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has hiked the main policy rate like the central bank of the western economies. Further, Holcim, MNC of cement making is rearranging its portfolio (sell in India) to fit its climate adaptation plan for 2025.    Why was the policy rate hiked?  The inflation has been at a… Continue reading Climate arbitrage: Cost of carbon versus capital 

The workers hit the hardest 

News: Recently, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) released the Consumer Pyramids Household Survey. According to the survey, employment in India fell from 408.9 million in 2019-20 to 387.2 million in 2020-21 and then recovered to 401.8 million in 2021-22.  General trends of employment in India  Firstly, employment was declining at the rate of… Continue reading The workers hit the hardest 

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