The Steady Immiseration of Labour
By the end of the 1990s, both capital and a willing state had eviscerated the labour movement. The death blow will be dealt in the 2020s.
The Curious Case of Strengthening Dollar, Falling Rupee
The primary cause of the rupee’s depreciation is the preference of the Indian rich to hold their wealth in the form of U.S. dollars rather than in Indian rupees. This gives rise to a persistent shift from rupees to dollars causing the rupee’s depreciation.
Not Just Popcorn: Bizarre GST Rates Are Eating Into Middle Class’ Savings
As the curtains fell on 2024, FM Nirmala Sitharaman reminded Indians that after the feast comes the reckoning.
Union Budgets 2014 to 2024 – Article 1: India’s GDP Claims
Ever since the Modi Government came to power in 2014, it has been claiming that its economic policies have made India one of the fastest growing large economies in the world. India is expected to become a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2027-28. This article attempts to analyse these projections.
Union Budgets 2014 to 2024 – Article 2: India’s Unemployment Crisis
In this second article of our budget analysis of the past 10 years of the Modi Government, we critically analyse the unemployment data given in official documents that claim that unemployment in the country has fallen to historic lows.
Medha Begins Indefinite Fast, Seeks ‘Fair Compensation’ for 16,000 Narmada Dam Oustees
The 15th of June marked the beginning of an indefinite fast by Medha Patkar, for justice in the Narmada valley. The demands from this fast include rehabilitation of all the remaining project affected as per the laws, policies, and Supreme Court orders.
India’s Gig Workers Remain Undocumented, Unprotected
There are only estimates of India’s gig workforce, and this lack of data is one of the reasons why gig workers are largely bereft of social security in a little-regulated gig sector, say experts.
Analysis of Budget 2024, Part 2: The Real Reason Behind Increase in Capital Expenditure
Union Budget documents show that the budget outlay this year is just 6.1% above last year, which means it is stagnant in real terms. Within the limited budget outlay, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a hike in capital expenditure (or capex) of 16.9%. What is the real reason behind this increase?
Any Plans to Make Lakshadweep a Tourist Hub That Rivals the Maldives Could Prove Costly
India cannot just open the floodgates to tourism. It must be scientifically paced. There is an obligation to protect the Islands’ fragile ecology and limited assets. It’s no shame to say we have insufficient space.
Costlier, Shoddier, Fewer Passengers & Losing Money: Beyond Vande Bharat & Bullet Trains, the Reality of the Railways
After a decade of PM Modi’s government, India’s prime people-mover, the Railways carry fewer passengers, are losing money but are costlier, especially for poorer passengers, who are packed into proportionately fewer seats in trains.