West Bengal Chief Minister offers a model for Kerala politicians. The Kerala Left politicians are dreaming to capture power in the next Assembly elections. But Kerala politics is not one of black and white as in Bengal. Here the coalition politics have many shades of alignments and re-alignments. The question is: do the Communists in…
Bihar: Tenders for rural roads, no one bids!
Nitish Kumar begins with much goodwill Bihar, it looks like breathing free after a long time. It is the poorest state and also the most problematic. The social inequalities and inequities have been much commented upon. The Naxalites hold and the role of the Ranvir Sena are the two faces of rural violence and also…
Our democracy : The economics and politics of it!
What is happening lately, is that somehow or other the system catches up with criminals in politics. This is the positive change in my opinion. The Prime Minister, true to his style, puts forward many new theses, be it economic development or managing the polity or the expansion of our foreign policy perceptions. Though his…
Faith in farming, future of rural India.
The big picture we have to get right! Who says agriculture is an unfashionable subject. Or, rural India is just for votes! No, no. Please listen. Farming is bout one’s country’s basic strength. India is a rural power. I want to enhance this perception through all the means at my command. A vision for farming,…
Agriculture continues the growth decline!
PM talks theory, theory, and theory! The Prime Minister had called a meeting of the full Planning Commisssion. What is the urgency? Obviously, the government is worried over the agri sector’s continuing growth decline. Farm growth decelerated since 1997 from 2.5 per cent to currently to a shameful 0.1 per cent! There is a decline…
Sharad Pawar violates Election code!
Served notice for election-eve promises! We request Sharad Pawar for some more promises! Sharad Pawar, the Union Agri Minister, is supposed to be a very competent politician. And yet he is held responsible by the Election Commission for violation of election code! The reason? He promised several helps to farmers after the assembly elections! What…
Experts debate agri policy : Innovations in agriculture possible!
There was this recent debate on constrains on agri growth. India’s well-known experts participated. Prof.C.H.Hanumantha Rao is a senior agri economist/expert. R.S.Deshpande heads the Bangalore-based Institute for Social and Economic Change. Sharad Joshi is a farmer’s leader and an MP. With them comes M.S.Swaminathan with his Commission on agriculture. In short, all agree on the…
Our banks don’t reach agri credit targets!
How to trust the Finance Minister? When his record for the farm sector is near zero! Is India’s banking sector healthy? It depends who asks this question and also who answers the question. After the bank nationlisation it is the government that controls the banks (PSBs) and the RBI supervises them. The present government in…