Columnists

Arun Kumar

The writer is a former Sukhamoy Chakravarty Chair Professor, JNU

By ignoring final numbers for 2018-19 in formulating budget estimates, govt has presented incorrect data

Fri, Jul 19, 2019

Can there be any excuse to just reproduce the interim budget figures in July when the Ministry had the data given to the CGA? Further, the data was presented in the Economic Survey, so why not in the budget?

GST should remain a destination tax, to support poorer states — not be burdened with multiple objectives

Sat, May 04, 2019

GST was to lead to the unification of the country and improve ease of doing business. These were all significant political slogans. But they have receded to the background in favour of a more muscular nationalism.

With manifestos, political parties must show how the desirable is feasible

Tue, Apr 09, 2019

If one does not show that the “desirable is feasible,” chances are that the promises will remain on paper, as in the past.

Who will pay for sops?

Thu, Feb 14, 2019

Government’s claim that structural changes to the economy are paying off, and that is being used to give back to the people, is problematic.

GDP and its assumptions

Fri, Dec 21, 2018

New GDP back series does what the government needs it to — shows that growth during its term has been higher than during the UPA regime.

With due respect, Finance Minister

Mon, Nov 12, 2018

There has been only a marginal increase in the direct tax to GDP ratio after demonetisation. And the economy didn’t need to suffer for digitisation.

Where’s the money coming from?

Sat, Sep 29, 2018

Exploring the role of the black economy in political finance and how it subverts democracy.

Job growth or number jugglery

Wed, May 16, 2018

The problem is under-employment. It won’t be resolved if the residually-employed are notionally shifted from the informal to formal sector.

The Catch In Autonomy

Fri, Apr 06, 2018

Universities will be subject to the dictates of the market

Calling black white

Fri, Sep 08, 2017

There is a lot of pain, no visible gain, from demonetisation. No amount of spin can mask the fact that it has dented the economy

How Things Fall Apart

Sat, Aug 12, 2017

The book misses the impact of corruption/scams on society — it leads to policy failure and to inefficiencies, which lower the rate of growth of the economy below its potential.