Bibek Debroy
The writer is chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the PM. Views are personal.
Articles By Bibek Debroy
The purpose of a public library
Archaic laws, more recent state legislation do not address the most important issue: What should their role be?
Perjury upon the soul
Many give false evidence under oath, but complex laws and reluctance to initiate proceedings make prosecution a rarity.
A law of its time
When it was enacted, Section 377 was lenient compared to its predecessors
To bee or not to bee
There is little data in India on the number of bee colonies and bee-keepers, or the honey produced.
Pets and peeves
Bengaluru municipality’s new pet licensing laws are beset by the familiar failing of public policy — confusion and multiplicity of objectives
A justice more efficient
The Legal Information Management and Briefing System aims to improve Union government’s handling of cases. Its data can also be used to reduce litigation, declog the judicial system.
Eighteen to sixty-four
Eighteen to sixty-four should be the age range of the working population factored into policy, since enrolment in senior secondary school is rising.
The anatomy of equity
Debate around terms of reference of the 15th Finance Commission ignores the evolution of constitutional mechanisms for devolution of public finance.
The Great Indian Epic Trick
It is meaningless to seek clear and present evil in the Mahabharata, where every incident offers a conflict of dharma. There is no black or white
Much ado about an impractical idea
Attempts to legislate schemes akin to Universal Basic Income failed in 18th and 19th century England. In China, too, they haven’t succeeded.
Diamonds aren’t forever
The price of the precious stone has little connection to its use value or marginal utility.
I’d rather be a sparrow
But sparrow numbers are falling with changes in urban spaces.
J&K shows the way
State’s decision to evolve a uniform employment code is laudable. Done right, it could serve as an example for labour law reform across India
An accessibility agenda
The approach to making buildings friendlier for persons with disabilities has been limited and perfunctory.
The bamboo curtain
Amending Indian Forest Act to have it classified as a grass is a welcome step. But there is still clutter and contradiction in India’s forest laws.
The old order changeth not
Many redundant laws have been repealed. But much of the deadwood waits to be removed, especially in states.
Reading the verdicts
Making sense of court judgments should not be the daunting exercise that it so often is.
International Labour Organisation’s omissions
Its report talks about ‘forced marriages’. Its methodology fails to delineate the concept, yielding questionable data.
Managing case flows
Draft rules in subordinate courts have either not been adopted or are not implemented in the right context.
Where credit is due
Despite problems with the methodology of the rankings, India’s 30-spot jump in World Bank’s Doing Business Indicators is remarkable.
