Kaushik Basu
The writer is C. Marks Professor at Cornell University and former Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, World Bank.
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The way in which it was executed, India’s lockdown itself became source of virus’s spread
By having people huddle together, infecting one another, and then having the same people travel hundreds of miles, the pandemic has been made much worse than it need have been.
Wed, Jul 08, 2020
Crisis also brings opportunity for building a nurturing economy
Our economic and political policies must not be ends in themselves, but instruments for building a society that is secular, inclusive and nurturing, where people of all religions, caste, race and gender feel wanted and at home.
Fri, Jun 19, 2020
The stress of the pandemic is often robbing us of consistency
You cannot replace the invisible hand of the market with the visible hand of the bureaucrat and the police, telling people what to do and doling out money and food.
Fri, May 15, 2020
Post lockdown, India’s economy should not lapse into ‘permit raj’
At this crossroads, missteps can change nation’s trajectory for decades to come. We cannot have the poor, the labourers and the migrants bear the brunt of the effort to contain the spread of the virus, and nor do we want to weaken the foundations of the economy so much that we emerge from the pandemic onto an economic wasteland.
Thu, Apr 23, 2020
Let’s use follower’s advantage: We could learn to fight Covid-19 from South Korea
In confronting coronavirus, India’s first moves have been right, but much will depend on follow-up. We could learn from South Korea.
Fri, Mar 27, 2020
An afternoon in New York, an encounter between a psychic and a non-believer
To predict that I will die in one year is a bad idea. If she got it wrong, I would be there to accost her and tell people she got it wrong. But if I died soon after she predicted a long life, the main witness to her wrong forecast would be gone.
Fri, Mar 13, 2020
The $5 trillion arithmetic: Even the history might not be enough to get Indian economy there in time
The five trillion target is in dollar terms. Typically, if India has higher inflation than the US, the rupee would depreciate vis-à-vis the dollar to account for that.
Tue, Feb 18, 2020
Politics of exclusion and disenfranchisement is hurting investment and India’s cooperative spirit
What economists do not like to dwell on and what Karl Polanyi had noted a long time ago is that the economy is ultimately embedded in society, institutions and politics. When these are damaged, the economy begins to stall.
Wed, Dec 25, 2019
Creating spaces for different opinions is only way to craft policies that encourage investment
All nations in the world today face a challenge of expertise. Because the world has become so complex, it is impossible for all of us to know everything.
Fri, Nov 08, 2019
It is important to use Nobel to harness the best of science, reasoning to policymaking
This is a richly-deserved award. The prize has been given for their work on randomised control trials used in the broad area of poverty eradication and policies for better health and education.
Tue, Oct 15, 2019
Economic Graffiti: What is to be done about growth
Arvind Subramanian’s paper, other micro data, suggest an impending economic slowdown. Policymakers must take notice and act.
Tue, Jul 23, 2019
Economic Graffiti: The view from Palanpur
The experience of Palanpur offers useful tips to India — importance of education, human capital, vocational training, need for greater connectivity
Sat, Jun 15, 2019
Does god exist? There are several possible hypotheses
What I would recommend to you, dear reader, is my own philosophy of scepticism, which has stood me in good stead and which can be summed up in a simple dictum: Anything that is not logically impossible is possible.
Thu, Mar 07, 2019
A quiet courage
As PM, Manmohan Singh upheld a tradition of openness to ideas and disagreements. This is an inheritance India needs to cherish and advance.
Fri, Jan 25, 2019
Economic Graffiti: The anti-argumentative Indian
More disappointing than the attacks on Amartya Sen is that leaders in government have not countered the chant of abusive trolls.
Fri, Dec 14, 2018
Economic Graffiti: An evening in Florence
In one of the cradles of civilisation, the joys of travel are revealed in its artefacts, people and the traveller’s faux pas.
Fri, Oct 19, 2018
In Good Faith: A journey, an education
Travelling in rural Bengal, Jharkhand I saw a village school at the cutting edge, and met ordinary people distressed by political cults of a hate-filled Hinduism.
Mon, Aug 20, 2018
Economic Graffiti: A Hinduism more tolerant
At the Ramakrishna Mission complex in Kolkata, a different face of the religion is visible from what is propagated by Hindutva
Fri, Jun 22, 2018
Economic Graffiti: The angry intellectual
One of the finest minds of our times, Ashok Mitra was anguished by poverty and inequality. His anger sometimes led him to make mistakes.
Thu, May 17, 2018
Economic Graffiti: Why morality matters to economics
To deal with corruption, it is not enough to just get fiscal policies right. It is in our collective long-term interest to nurture individual values.
Fri, Apr 13, 2018
Economic Graffiti: In the name of education
There is an impressive increase in school enrollment levels across the country. But not much thought is being given to what students learn.
Fri, Feb 23, 2018
Facing the slowdown
India’s economy is not doing well. Only carefully crafted policy reforms can turn it around
Thu, Jan 25, 2018
Economic Graffiti: The Turin miracle
A magical trip that almost didn’t happen. A moment when disbelief was shaken.
Thu, Dec 28, 2017
Economic Graffiti: Where India is ahead of China
India’s early investment in secularism, cultural openness, freedom of speech, which made the early years difficult for economic growth, is now in a position to pay off. But all forecasts come with caveats.
Fri, Nov 10, 2017
Economic Graffiti: A higher opportunity
India can become a global hub for higher education. Much can be achieved without government having to do the heavy lifting
Fri, Sep 15, 2017